Newspapers / The Star of Zion … / Oct. 27, 1898, edition 1 / Page 1
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ORGAN OF THE AFRICAN METHODIST EPISCOPAL ZION CHURCH IN AMERICA. Volume XXII. l -I Charlotte, N. C., Thursday, October 27,1898. Number 45. PROTOCOL OF PEACE. | I Have The Approval Of a Large Number of Bethel People. BY REV. J. M. HENDERSON, M. I). I have with design delayed my reply to the “Protocol of Peace” published by B shop Alexander Walters. The thousands who have been following viith interest ai>d perhaps some uneasiness the dis cussions that have lately taken place between Bethel and Zion, have by now had time to calmly consider just what the acceptance of such terms of peace as Bishop Walters seeks would mean to the' two Churches. The Rev. J. W. Smith, D. D. saw fit to record his answer early but even in bis haste he made lit tle error. > No difference what might be the issue between the Churches, a document calling for "the discontinuance of public con troversy, or even <1 i 3Ussion, could never fail to be popular. The vast majority of preachers and - Church people of to-day are not favorable to a public discussion of ecclesiastical affairs or questions. When Bishop Walters, who has himself been a shining light among public debaters of Church matters, came out decryi eg the present dis cussion, the average reader saw an inconsistency in his course but quickly regarded him as the cham pion of peace, lo accept what Bishop Walters has said in con demnation of the recent discussion is to severely censure the Editor of the Star for having so earnest ly engaged in controversy. We all thought that Dr. Smith had the j approval of his Church and that he was even un£ed on at times by some of the leaders in Zion. It was a surprise to discover that his course has been meeting with dis favor and to i,t last see it con demned by one of the Bishops. I am sure that I have had the ap , proval of a very large number of Bethel people and I am sure, also, that there is a large number that never approved public controver sy, no matter what may be the is sue. In the present instance the ac tual issue is sn “Arkansas inci dent,” and net the questions of priority, etc. The original issue has been exhausted for some time and unconscior sly these other old questions have drifted into consid • eration. That continued discus sion gives no promise of ultimate agreement is quite evident. There is and has been no dispute as to dates but there is and for years will be a difference between us as to the proper i nterpretation of the events which transpired at the dates upon which we all agree. We insist that 1787 marks the tirst organized assertion of inde pendence by t ie race in America, Bishop Walter s, on the other hand, points with pride to the historical succession of Zion from the M. E. Church. He cannot dispute our claim and we do not contest his, but we differ widely as to the rel ative value of these two distinct events. So, all down the line, the chance of agreement diminishes until all are forced to concede that agreement is impossible. In view of this there is no course consist ent with Christianity except to agree to disagree. If we cannot have real peace between us by hav ing truth between us as the basis, we can at least have tranquility between us by having also frater nal feelings and constant courtesy. I am about to take the gold pen which was presented to me by a bishop during the previous contro versy and wipe it and lay it away to be used no more in Bethel or Zion articles save where absolute necessity makes the demand. I cannot understand how it is that the discussion of points of difference between men or organi zations is productive of so much rancor and hatred. Absolutely I never find personal feelings engen dered in my heart against men with whom I may engage even in the fiercest debate. I think that Dr. Smith and I could sit down at Delmonico’s and enjoy a dinner as hugely now as we could before ever we meet in the arena. . Dr. Smith has been earnest, strong and some times a little vulgar and un couth, but he has been fair and honorable, and therefore is entitled to respect. Some have been un manly and dishonorable and cow ardly. This revelation of despica ble traits could not fail to inspire contempt, but with it is no feeling of personal spite. • Spitefulness belongs to small minds and weak characters and pot to men. Jesus disputed with men, but He loved mankind. It seems that all who follow such a leader 'should form themselves after His manners. How can one whose soul is full of fury serve at the altars of the God of Peace? Between Bethel and Zion there will for years exist radical differ ences of opinion upon many ques tions which relate to the past, the present and the future, but there should never be unkindly feeling and rancor. “Religion should not be a convenient disguise but should be a vigorous motive of action.” Let the peace that we seek be sought honestly, and to posterity let us leave the task of using all honorable means of preserving peace. Let us not, under cover of loving peace, seek opportunity to con tinue to fight and use as a shield against one another the pretence of a desire of peace. To parade as a great peace-maker merely when peace would be most conven ient and yet continue, to provoke contention on the sly, is a Machi avelian policy unworthy of Chris tians. I am in for honest war or for honest peace. I will be horn est and say that my inclinations are toward the former, but my conscience is for the latter. [CONTINUED ON FIFTH PAGE.] Y. P. SOCIETY OF C. E. Why The A. M. E. Zion Church Adopted the C. E. Society”. BY B1SH0P A. WALTERS, D. D. Surrounded us we are by preju dice, we naturally turn to the good, fair-minded, right-thinking white people whc are in a position to help us, for the sympathy and en couragement which we so much need. The Christian Endeavor society, being the greatest ex ponent of the Fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of man ex tant, it is our duty to become members of it. The Christian Endeavor society, being an international organiza tion, can never draw the color line; if it did, it would have to exclude not only the colored peo ple of America, but India, Japan, China, Africa—indeed all the dark races throughout the universe; and how this would circumscribe the Christiau Endeavor work. We look to the Christian En deavor society to aid us, if not directly, indirectly through its good government clubs, etc., in our fighr £,gainst lynchings. One hundred and six^Seven lynchings occurred last year, and about the same ratio up to this time in the present year. Some of us thought that when the war with Spain commenced these cruel outrages would cesjise, and that the blood thirsty assassins would find an other outlet for their bitterness in depredations on the cruel Span iards. But; alas, we were mis taken; there was a little lull in the lynching business, but it was the lull before the storm. There are occasional cases in which white men are lynched, but every one knows that what is called lynch law is peculiarly for colored people, and for them only. In the land where color is the badge of crime, it is an easy matter to charge and convict a colored man of crime and 'hurry him off to a lynching; post by those who are prejudiced against him. White men take! advantage of this dispo sition of the people of this coun try; they4 black their faces in order to commit crime, and wash off the hated color to escape punishment. Governor Atkinson, of Georgia, in his last annual message to the legislators of that State, has the foliowi^ to say concerning lynch ing : “Th adopt lynch law is to put the life of every man in the power of any woman wrho for any reason might desire his c.eath. I feel more deeply upon this question be cause, from the best information I can secure, I believe that during my administration there have been in this State several men lyndhed who were not guilty of the crimes with which they were charged.” The ministers, teachers and other leaders of our race deeply deplore the crimes that are com mitted by our people. There are no persons who are louder in their denunciations of crime than are the colored preachers. We are as anxious as any people for the pun ishment of the guilty, regardless of color. All we ask for our race is a fair trial before a legal tribu nal. This is our right, since the law j^uarantees it to us; but alas! In some sections how perverted is the law. Our plea is for law and for order. We look to the Christian En deavor society for encouragement thro jgh its good government clubs in our fight against the convict lease system, which is slavery in another form. This convict lease system is one by which a State lease out convicts by contract for labor on public works, construc tion of railroads, etc., and in order to supply such need colored men and boys are often convicted for the slightest offences. As a gen eral thing the men who have charge of such laborers are not only filled with prejudice but are brutal by nature. A few years ago an inves tigating committee was appointed by the governor of Arkansas to in vestigate the system in that State. The following is a part of the re port, as published in the Little Rock, (Arkansas) Gazette'. “The investigating committee found 147 men at the camp, 120 of whom worked in the mines. All of the convicts, black and white, sick and well, slept alongside each other on filthy beds of straw, and in one room, from which a sicken ing stench arose. Many were cov ered with vermin. Only one blank et was allowed each man, and they had suffered during cold weather. They found that between sixty and seventy convicts had been buried in a marshy place not far from the stockade, which locked more like a rooting place for hogs. Several of the bodies were exhumed and examined. The following will show how these con victs were murdered: A warden, whose name was Hudson, had a Negro chained to the post and str ipped. Hudson hit him 150 licks, making the back raw. Hudson then took salt and water and threw it Dn the lacerated and bleeding back, and then left the Negro standing in the hot sun chained to a post. He was again whipped and left standing until he died. The Negro’s only offence was that he was sick and unable to work. Upon the examination of the body of another colored convict, it was found that the end of the spinal column had been kicked and brok en off; the stomach had been kicked to pieces. Altogether there were forty distinct kicks and bruises. The head had been punched out of shape and was unrecognizable. The eyes had burst from their sockets ar.d hung down over the face. This man lived eight days after he was th us kicked and bruised. His only fault was that he was unable to ac complish his task, which exasper ated the drunken warden. The name of this convict was Mose Harvey. Another warden, J. A. [continued on fifth page.] ■ A FEW CANNON BALLS. Bishop Walters—Mixed Schools and Mixed Marriages. BY REV. S. A. CHAMBERS. The article which appeared in the Star of October 6th from the pen of Bishop Walters respecting the age of Zion and Bethel is so much unlike what he said two years ago till one would hardly think that it vfas our -Walters were it not for his signature. Why has he semed the revolving wheel of history and whirled it backwards nearly 20 spaces, flatly hurling the lie into the face of Hood’s and Rush’s histories and compromising himself? I am sure he has no ax to grind on Bethel’s grind-rock while Henderson turns it. Can’t understand it. The white msin has nothing to gain by inter-marriage and mixed schools, but the Negro has all to lose. The white people of the South would suffer ignorance to stick out of their children’s ears and nose before they would sub mit to mixed schools. The better class of Negroes South are just as prejudiced to inter-marriage and mixed^Nschools as the whites. Whenever you mix the school you will have all white teachers. That’s the way it is up North where they have it. The schools North will graduate the colored and white young men and women side by side in the same class, and very often the jNegro is valedicto rian of his class, but he is returned to the honor add dignity of a hotel porter, while the other is carefully looked after and given position. It is not the best thing for the race, for the Negro to agitate the social ^probleibs. Better let’m alone. They will regulate them selves in due time. The Negro does [not need mixed schools nor inter-marriage, for in neither of these does his hope lie, but an equal chance in the race of life is far more important to the Ne gro ati present than a white wife. The world moves on in a pro gressive way, With many new thoughts ad vanced; But in the avenues of this life, Just please give the Negro chance. Give the races an equal show, Then you may pull the trigger, If satan catches the hindmost man It will not be a “nigger.” Rock Hill, 8. C. To the minister inj the Central N. C. Conference who raises the largest amount of general fund over his assess ment, I will presient a copy of the histo ry of the A. M. ^S. Zion Church. A J. W. Hood. The District Conference and Sunday school Convention of the Greenville Dis trict, Central Alabama Conference, will convene at Fort Deposit, Ala., from Nov. 10th to the 19t^i. To defray the ex penses of the conference and convention each church muut send 75 cents, and each Sabbath-school IX) cents. T. A. Weathington, P. E.
The Star of Zion (Charlotte, N.C.)
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Oct. 27, 1898, edition 1
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