ORGAN OFTHB AFRICAN METHODIST EPISCOPAL ZIOIST
VOLUME IX. NO. 48. ~~ ' CHARLOTTE, N. C.. THURSDAY. NOVEMBER 26,1896.
THANKSGIVING DAT.
History of the Day in America.—Its
Origin and Observance.
BY BEY. J. 0. JACKSON, D. D.
Once more the President’s Thanks
. —giving proclamation is before us,
with its enumeration oi mercies tem
poral and spiritual, individual and
v national, for which we ought to give
thanks. Surely it is 4 noble sight to
see a whole great nation at the call of
its chief magistrate prostrate itself in
grateful adoration before the Giver of
f every good and perfect gift. A
glance at the historical origin of our
American Thanksgiving is timely
now, and may help us to observe the
season more properly and profitably.
It had its beginning among the
Pilgrim Fathers of New England.
In December, 1621, Governor Win
slow wrote to England that they had
erected seven dwelling houses, and
four more for public purposes, besides
having several others well on toward
completion; they had also raised 20
(acres of maize and six acres of barley
and peas. All had now been safely
housed. The cold weather had sent
along the coast abundance of wild
^eese and ducks, and $11 manner of
forest game was at hand on the land.
Four hunters were sent out for ma
terial wherewith to make a feast, and
returned with enough to support the
colony for almost a week. They first
assembled in their meeting-house for
religious service, according to the
governor’s summons and then thank
fully partook of the bounties of sea
and land.
An interesting and illuminating
side-light is cast upon the cause of
Governor W’inslow’s proclamation by
historical data gathered by Dr. Frank
" lin. It came from a simple sugges
tion that men ought sometimes, at
least, to look on the bright side of
things. The Pilgrim Fathers were
much given to taking somber views
of life, and to humiliations and fast
ings upon a disproportionate number
of occasions. Any season of storm or
flood or sickness was sure to be ac
companied by a time of meager diet
and continual prayers. Thus exis
tence became gloomy, religion un
healthy, and the young particularly
were affected. In a time of great de
spondency a town meeting was called
and the usual day of fasting proposed.
But a farmer arose and said: “I
move that, instead of having a day of
fasting and humiliation and crying,
we have a day of rejoicing:”. Then
he went on to show the reasons for
• gladness:
“Our colony is getting stronger,
our cornfields are enlarging, our
wives are very obedient, our children
are very dutiful, the air is very sa
lubrious, the woods are full of game,
and the rivers are full of fish; we
have got what we came here for—
liberty of conscience. I move that
we have a day of thanksgiving.” The
suggestion was adopted, and the re
sults were so blessed that the custom
has become general.
But it is to the late Mrs. Sarah
Josepha Hale, of Philadelphia, that,
under Providence, we owe the nation
alizing of the institution. From an
article by Dr. Easter, published sev
eral years ago, we condense the fol
,,-lowing facts:
j She had conceived the idea of the
general observance of a day of thanks
giving by national authority some
years before the war between the
States. She labored with Presidents
Pierce and Buehanan to that end, but
received little encouragement, Mr.
Buchanan saying he had no authority
to issue such a proclamation. She
also addressed the governors of the
states from year to year, urging that
although there was no constitutional
provision for the national observance
of any one day, yet there might be
practical union if the head of the
states would'unite upon the date she
suggested. By her persistence she
neared success, and won some of them
over to her plan, the governor of Al
abama. among others, observing that
“they had never had one, but he sup
posed it would not hurt them to have
. one.”
Additionally, she urged the matter
extensive correspondence with
and naval officers, and with
Ministers
all tin earth there was' a citizen oi
our la id he might have an opportu
nity o: uniting upon a fixed day with
his co intrymen at home in praise to
God fir His goodness. Her letters
ran U]> into the thousands; but her
mind van filled with the purpose of
securi ig what her heart was set up
on, and she shrank not from any ex
pense of time, money or labor.
She was not, however, enabled to
accomplish her purpose until after
Mr. L incoln’s inauguration. The first
autun n of his administration she
wrote him from Philadelphia, pre
sents 5 her arguments anew, for a
Natio lai Thanksgiving. Three days
afterv ard Mr. Lincoln’s proclamation
appeared, embodying all of Mrs.
Hale’i suggestions, and even quoting
many of her words. Since that time
annuel national recognition of God’s
merci is has been an established cus
tom. We owe it, thus, very largely
to the faith and perseverance of this
good woman, which fell in at last
with 1 he inclination of the chief ex
ecuth e of our .country and the tem
per oi the people in a time of need,
when all men’s thoughts turned es
pecial ly toward God.
May its observance become more
and more general throughout the
world. Mrs. Hale followed the'mat
ter u >, and prged it upon Canada,
with ‘ he result that several Thanks
givings have been appointed there.
What more fitting thing could there
bethi.nthat all Christendom should
at las; unite in bowing before God,
upon a certain day, in universal rec
ognition of His goodness ?-*-The
Chris ian Advocate.
> MAJORS AND MINORS.
BY W. F. FONVIELLE.
Wi i are a great people for commenc
ing a; the top to build. A whole
crow< l of other people have been con
tent, and would not be argued out of
the i< lea that it was safest to start at
the bottom and build up. Not so
with* ds-;, and the result is we are wa
terlogged, held down with sinks, han
dicajped by slams in the form of big
little men. You meet them at every
stree ; corner, espy them in every al
ley-v ay, on the house-top—like the
grass, it may be withering in the noon
day i un—-but you find it everywhere
all tie same. You just can’t lose
them. The race is Degreed and Pro
fesse 1 nigh unto death. Pseudo-pro
fesso :s are found all along Life’s path
way-—not from the “cradle to the
grav),” but from the seminary to the
cems tery.
* * * * *
Piofessors! Yes, thousands of ’em.
!Chei e is the fellow who understands
the 1 aborious work of contracting and
expa nding an accordeon for his own
dele< rtability and to the evident dis
gust of those who are forced to listen.
But even you will admit that he is a
proffssor. There is the fellow who
blows a horn, the one with the leath
er lungs and iron windpipe; he is
brori chitis proof, has never had con
sum; )tion and never will have it. He
is culled professor, arid that’s just
wha ; he is too. One man can reap
and bind more wheat than another.
Another man can eat more of it after
it has been ground into flour and
cool ed into bread—the hod carriers,
barl ers—all of us are professors.
* * * * *
A re these all you ask ? Why, bless
you.no! There is an army which
“got s through" the normal course
(the y call it normal) of some school—
som s of them have never read a news
pap >r, and have never seen inside a
boo'save those little language les
sonf, geographies, and arithmetics
whi :h they con while in sehool—-but
eve; y last one of them is a professor
the day*before he pays his $1 for his
little certificate which some of the
sch< ols persist in grinding out of
them. But it is a sight to make Di
ana blush and the gods weep tears tc
see him strut and hear him talk
abo it his alma mater. s l
I know; it.‘''-Jjigt give time; I ai
con ing to the others, ^es, it is trt
tha . crowds of us graduate and n
ceil e our degrees and diplomas froi
colleges. But the mere fa^ferf r<
ceiling these two things has nev<
rinced me that these make. 4
Professors of what? .
we college men and a great big gang
of the other fellows) do not deserve
them and we know it better than any
body else! It is heart-rending to see
how we “blow in" our dollars for di
plomas and degrees. It is a mad
rush, a crush, a hungry want-to-be
big crowd. The institutions that
hand out these degrees and attached
paraphernalia and moonshine are out
for the “dust," and they get it too.
'* * * * *
Yes, I was just dipping my pen in
my inkstand to speak about them.
About whom? Why, hsve you for
gotten so soon ? I mean the pseudo
doctors. Not D. D’s but M. *8 and
the would-be lawyers. Men who
have taken one and two years’ courses
and fainted on the way., Men who
CQuld not pass their examinations—
men Without patients, men without
clients—stranded high and dry upon
the long, white beach of Life. But
we call them Doctor and Lawyer and
after awhile they begin to believe it
themselves. What a sad irony it is
BETHEL MB ZION
As Societies, Not as Organizations.—
Replies to BIsh»p Walters and to the
Editor of the Star.
BT BSV. J. 1C. SEITDSBSON, M. D.
For the first time in my life I am
addressing the le rge and respectable
body of men and women of the race
| who are the pastors and readers of
the Stab of Zi'on. I am speaking
I to hundreds whom I have never seen
and who have never seen or heard
tell of me befcre last week. I am
sorry that the brilliant Editor was
moved to announce my advent in
tones so gruff and with epithets so
ugly as escaped him last week. He
has told you that I am a “hot headed
writer;” a "clerical spit-fire/” that I
"rage and snort;;" that I am "preju
diced and unjust,” and to cap it all
he said that I am "troubled with in
digestion and bad dreams.” I take
no offense, for 1 notice that he applies
still stronger epithets to the Rev. E.
REV. J. k HENDERSON, M. D.
Rev. J. M. Henderson, M. D., the able and fearless pastor of Bethel A. M. E.
Church, New York City, replies in this week’s issue of the Stab to Bishop Wal
ters’communication and our editorial.
r
on the eternal fitness of things when
a man tries to deceive himself!
* * * ^ * *
I beg your pardon. I never made
such an assertion in my life. What,
said the race had no professors?
That’s just what we have got. Some
of them are professors in the true
meaning of the word. They consist
of men who have had -only normal
training, but have labored earnestly
for the light after they went forth
and by never ceasing toil they found
it. Others are college graduates—
young men—(God bless them) who
were powers in the class room, in the
forum of debate, who did not stop
when they left school, but have edu
cated themselves in various ways up
on Life’s broad battle field. They
may not have had the smoothest sail
ing while in school, they may have
been many-a-time treated wrongfully
—shall I say “knowingly?"—but who
in all the gaping, wondering crowd
has tried to think of a polished dia
mond, disassociating that which makes
it a diamond—brilliancy.
X have just admitted that we have
professors who measure up to the re
quirements, but there are so few of
them till it gives me the headache.
We sail under false colors so much
until it becomes second nature to ns.
We started out 30 years ago with
Senators, both State and National,
Congressmen, General Assemblymen,
sheriffs, etc. Now when we should
have these very things, the other peo
ple hold with a mailed hand to keep
us out. The result of building from
the top to the bottom.
.n. c.
George Biddle, Editor of Zion Trum
pet. I couclude that the good Dr.
Smith means well and is simply ex
tending to me what he regards as the
courtesy that becomes a man of his
high position and great fame.
I know one tiling, he will be fair
enough and is hon«$t enough in his
convictions tot to fear giving me a
full and free chance to reply. I
shall not abuse his courtesy, nor
shall I say one unkind word about
the church which he loves and which
he represents with so much credit.
It is a custom among us of Bethel
to freely differ among ourselves and
to advocate our ‘ views with unre
strained earnestness; but we never
permit difference of opinions to en
gender ill feeling or to call out dis
courteous words. We will debate
against each other with fury and yet
never use abusive terms or harbor
unkind feelings. I take it that I am
dealing with brethren tfho are equal
ly broad and I hope that when this
little debate is over we will all be bet
ter friends than ever before.
I shall address all of my remarks
to the thinking reader and shall
make no appeal to the prejudices of
the ignorant. All I desire is that
what I say may be clearly under
stood and permitted to stand or fall
according to its truthfulness.
I have made the charge (1) that
those in Zion who claim for her pri
ority of origin as relates to Bethel
are mistaken | (2) that those who
claim that she equals Bethel in nu
merical strength or material develop
ment are in error, (8) that Zion lacks
the spirit of
which is
aggressive leadership
characteristic of Bethel,
issue in a nut
trying to settle
wealth of Bethel or^ Zion Church i
New York City; we are not seeking t
find out whether Henderson is hoi
headed; whether Dr. Smith is unfaii
or whether Bishop Walters is a fights)
but we are seeking the truth as it re
lates to the actual issue of facts a
stated in the three propositions give
above. For one I can discuss the if
sue without abusing the person an
can stick to the argument withoc
appealing to prejudice. I may ge
no plaudits from the gallery but
will have the respect of the thinkin
class which is the only class that!
am addressing.
There is but little to answer in Di
Smith’s editorial and I will dispose c
it first. Every word that he quote
from Bishops Payne and Tanner i
correct and is disputed by no one c
whom I have ever heard. No'
what? Simply this: he has quote
what they say about the organizatio
of Bethel as a Connection, and nc
what they say about tbe first societ
out of which Bethel Connection wa
evolved. The discussion in no wif
concerns the origin of Bethel an
Zion Connections. Dr. Smith ha
misled those who do not think, b;
substituting new terms and thv
changing the issue ; but he has nc
misled the thinking readers wb
know tbe difference betw.een Zion an
Bethel as societies and Zion and Beth
el as Connections. Zion Connectio
was begun June, 1821, and Bethf
Connection, April, 1816. These date
are accepted by both churches an'
have never been disputed. Zion cele
br.ited not the Centennial of he
Connection, but of the movemen
which gave her first society organi
form. Bethel celebrated in 1887
not the origin of her Connection, bu
of the movement which gave her firs
society organic form. The Centen
nial of Bethel Connection will be i
1916 and of Zion Connection in 192]
The Centennial of the oldest societ
of Bethel was celebrated in 1887 an
that of Zion in 1896.
I need say no more in reply to th
brilliant Editor of The Stab.
thank him for the courteous manne
in which he introduced me to hi
readers and only regret that m
ideas of what is proper to me as
gentleman will not permit me to r(
spond to his effusive adjectives,
can only say, thank you.
•relation this has to the relative age
I cannot see, unless he means to in
.Reply to Bishop 'Walters.
With regard for logic that is sui
prising, Bishop Walters prefaces h
defense of Zion’s age by stating thi
the church in New York City
wealthy and out of debt, and tbs
Bethel is deeply in debt. Just wh«
ply that the junior is known by h
debts.
I certainly rejoice to learn th«
Zion is so well off in New York Cifr
There must be an oil well or a go!
mine in the lot on Bleecker St., 1
make it worth $90,000, as other plo
in the same neighborhood have sol
at a rate more than one-third lei
than that. (See Real Estate Ouu
for June.)
Bethel came near dying on Bull
van St., and hence removed to tl
present fine location on W. 25th S
She sold her property, whiebr it wi
always claimed was worth $90,0C
for a sum that was 8 per cent high*
per foot than an adjacent lot aubs<
quently brought, yet she got far lei
than $90,000. The same disappoin
ment awaits Zion on Bleecker St., an
in five years it will be 6een, for Zio
Methodism will be defunct in Ne
York City in that period unless th
church gets in a respectable part <
of the city.
I don’t know as it concerns an
one about the debt of Bethel or he
comparative influence; but if it d<
then let this representation stand a
what our side claims. Bethel ha
taken in 500 new members in twent
months and has a congregation avei
aging 1,500 Sunday nights. She hs
twenty-two district organized activ:
ties and is-doing all she can for Go
aud humanity. Our success shoul
as a discredit t
a not silence me by abusing the local
0 church of which I am pastor, and Dr.
- Smith cannot silence me by calling
names. Until the isstie raised is set
tied, I will stay right at my post and
- exhibit facts so long as the door is
B open.
1 THE BIBTH OF BETHEL AS A SOCIETY.
No one denies that it was in 1787
that Bichard Allen, Absalom Jones
and others withdrew from St. George’s
M. E. Church, Philadelphia. The is
sue is, was that event the inception
of African Methodism as represented
by the A. M. E. Church now extant.
It was not the beginning of the ec
clesiastical existence of the A. M. E.
Church, for that could not take place
until she had a Bishop, which was in
1816. It was the beginning of Afri
can Methodism, although not of Af
rican Episcopal Methodism. In her
organic structure and episcopal qual
ity the^A. M. E. Church is essentially
like the M. E. Church and is differ
entiated in organic life only. The
only thing for which African Meth
odism stands as the distinct exponent,
and the only basis upon which rests
her mission in the world as a distinct
body is_fchis: -God our Father, Man
& our Brother.” The first assertion of
this truth which perpetuated the suc
cession of its exponents is traced
backward from the present through
the A. M. E. Church to the event of
1787 with which Richard Allen i3
connected as the leading spirit. It is
not the fact of the “incorporation”
that has moved the world/ it is not
the founding of a “paper” or the
birth of a "school” that makes Afri
can Methodism; there are inci
dents of the existence of African
Methodism.
An evenFis one thing,- an incident
is another thing. The birth of a boy
is one thing, and his first pair of red
top boots is another thing. The
birth of African Methodism is one
thing; the incorporation of its first so
ciety is another thing, and the addi
tion of the episcopacy and the evo
lution of a connection is still anoth
er thing,
ixo reaaer ana no writer can au
vance in thought beyond the com
prehension of isolate facts unless able
to apprehend relations and to differ
entiate and discriminate.
The historic fact is that Richard
Alien first stood up for the truth,
which is the essential and distinctive
quality of African Methodism. To
prove this I must show that it was his
intention to have not merely a sep
arate, but likewise an independent
Church when he organized the origi
nal band in 1787.
The best possible authority on this
point is Richard Allen himself, and
I will quote from what he himself
says : (See Life, Experience and Gos
pel Labor of Richard Allen, pages 10
et seq. Edition 1871, St. Catharine’s.)
•‘In February, 1786, I came to Phila
delphia. Preaching was given out for
me at five o’clock in the morning at St.
George’s church. We had a good time
and several Jsouls were awakened. I
preached at different places in the city.
My labor was much blessed. I now saw
a large field open in seeking and instruct
ing my African brethren, who had been
a long forgotten people, and few of
whom attended public worship. I estab
lished prayer meetings and raised a so
ciety in 1786 of forty-two members. I
saw the necessity of erecting a place of
worship-for colored people. I proposed
it to the’most respectable people of col
or in this city; but here I met with oppo
sition. I hed but three colored brethren
that united with me in erecting a place
of worship—Absalom Jones, William
White and Dorus Ginnings.
“The Rev. S. G. B— opposed the plan
and would not .submit to any argument
we could raise. (The Initials are just as
given by Richard Allen and refer to tho
elder in charge of St. George’s Church—
J. M. H.) The Rev. Mr. W-succeed
ed to the charge of St. George’s Church
and was much opposed to an African
Church and used very degrading and in
sulting language to us to try to prevent
us from going on. We all still belonged
to St. George’s Church. The elder for
bid us to hold meetings. We-reviewed
the forlorn state of our colored brethren,
as they were destitute of a place of wor
ship. A number of us went to a service
at St. George's Church and were forced
to go to the gallery.”
Here follows a description of the
oft repeated scene in the throes of
which African Methodism was born.
Because Absalom Jones, Richard
Allen and others had taken forbid
den seats in the gallery tbey were mal
and left the church never to
Says Rich
of the!
rd andV
ings ourselves. We got subscription pa
pers out to raise money to build the
Housj of the Lord. The elder of the
Methodist CBurch still pursued us. He
said, ‘We will read you all out.’ We
told him we were dragged off of oux
knees in St. George’s Church and treated
worse than heathens and we were deter
mined to seek out for ourselves, the Lord
being our helper. We told him that we
did not mean to go to St. George’s
Church any more, and if you deny us
your name you cannot seal up the Scrip
tures from us and deny us a name ip
heaven. Wo believe heaven is free for
all who worship in spirit and truth. And
he snid, ‘So you are determined to go
on.’ , We told him—"Yes, God being our .
helper.’ He then replied, ‘We will dis-y
own you from all Methodist Connexion^!
This was a trial that I had never passed
through before. I was confident that
the Great Head of the Church would
support us."
Here follows an account
purchase of a lot on Lombard
Sixt h Sts., and one on Fifth St. The
latter was bought in the name of the
committee and the former was pur
chased by Richard Allen in his owa
name. Richard Allen then says:
“The day was appointed to go and
dig ?;he cellar. As I was the first pro
poser of the African Church, I put the
first spade in the ground to dig a cellar
for the same.” (The lot on Fifth St.)
Says he, “We held an election to know
wha; religious denomination we should
be. There wore two in favor of Meth
odist, Absalom Jones and myself, and a
largo majority ia favor of the Church of
Eng and. I favor Methodist for I was
confident there was no religious sect or
denomination would suit the capacity of
the colored people as well as Methodist.
We arc beholden to the Methodists,
under God, for the light of the Gospel
we enjoy; fdr all other denominations
preached so high-flown that we were
not able to comprehend their doctrine.
“I bought an old frame that had for
merly been used as a black-smith shop
and hauled it on the lot in Sixth and
Lombard Sts. (1793) The honse was
called Bethel because when opened Rev.
John Dickens prayed that it might be a
“bethel” to the gathering in of thon
sanc.s of souls.” (1794).
ax wvico
corporation then because Richard A*
len owned the property. Incorpora
tion is needed only when an organ
ized body would hold property. Af
rican Methodism did not begin as an
organization to hold property, but as
a society to advocate a certain truth.
When the sjciety "was well establish
ed an attempt was made by Richard
Allen to transfer to it the title to the
property. Upon this hangs a tals
unrivaled in the annals of Christian
ity for the simple courage ond hero
ism exhibited. But I have simply
designed to show by Bishop Allen’s
owi words that his intention from
the start in 1787, until his death, was
to found an independent African
Methodist society.
The prayer-meeting organized in
1786 was separate, but did npt seek
to be differentiated .Jsetrrorgamo
Methodism. This took place in 1787,
when Richard Allen and his followers
were expelled for refusing to submit
to the rule of the white elder. This
act was a formal recognition by the^
AS. E. Church of the fact that Allen
and his followers were outside of the
Connection by their act of revolt.
This article is long, too long; but
the words, the simple expression of
his faith, the noble story*of h:s triads
as told By Richard Allen cannot be
irksome to any honest reader- In
1816 Bethel societies united to form
a Connection and the episcopacy was
begun throngh^ordination by a priest
of the Church of England. The
same source as the episcopacy of the
M. E. Church.
I sometime I would like to show*
that our good sister Zion has not until
this day a right to use the term
“Episcopal” in her title. Enough
for now.
As the other two propositions
made in my original article have
been opposed simply by asset Uons
and not by questions or statement of
facts, I pass them over and promise
to defend them against any attack
from any son of Zion who enters the
lists and is entitled to knightly hon
or*.
Dr. Smith has won his spurs and I
would like to have a tilt with him.
He is Zion’s knight of the quill and
i3 a worthy foe for. friendly combat.
r Say, friends, the subscription
ri ce of the Stab to everybody has