EMORY UNIVERSITY
The Little Helper
by
SAXON AND MILLER
Students of
Gammon Theological Seminary
Atlanta, Georgia
Part I.—Lectures and Sermons by James T. Saxon
Part II.—Lectures by M. W. Miller
Part III.—Contributions by Friends
PREFACE.
The purpose of this little book is to diffuse light and
interest to those who may read it, and help them to become
better in the home, school, church and state, and to raise
the standard of manhood and womanhood.
We do not expect all to agree with us in our views, nor
the conclusions we have reached, but after much and la¬
bored research we have followed the plan that, in our judg¬
ment, would make this little volume an incentive to greater
good in the future.
Our motive throughout has been to inspire and aid in
the work of elevating our race for which many noble lives
have been spent.
We shall feel that our time and labor is not lost, if,
through the reading of this little volume, there be an in¬
centive to greater thoughts and actions among our people.
With this sincere hope, we send it forth.
The Authors.
INTRODUCTION.
In presenting to you the authors of this very unique and
valuable little book, I feel that my time would be unprofit-
ably spent and my words out of place should I say much
For to say the least for these young men, whom I have
known from their youth, it would be, that they are worthy
and energetic, always finding* time to- do something for
the uplifting of fallen humanity.
These young men, after having spent a number of years
in the different schools of South Carolina, are now pur¬
suing a theological course at Gammon Theological Semi*-
nary, Atlanta, Ga. They have been and are: yet editors
and managers of a weekly journal, "The People's Record,"
published in Greenville, S. C., for five years, which has
been largely read throughout the South, and has indeed
played a great part in solving the problem which confronts
us,
Now, in presenting this little book, the authors do so
with the hope that their readers may find something herein
feastible and worthy of their careful consideration, and
thus inspire them to an elevated thought and action.
Respectfully,
Rev. O. O. Pitts,
Laurens, S. C.
JAMES T. SAXON.
PARI I.
WHY SHOULD THE NEGRO BE DISCOURAGED?
As I travel through the South I see that there is a great
deal of discouragement among my people. Some may say
that the negro is never discouraged. To this I would an¬
swer that we should not be and need not be; but it is a
fact that it does exist. And just here we must, with un¬
gloved hands, face the stubborn facts just as they are. We
have among us men and women who are discouraged be¬
cause they have made some failures in life, but it is a well
known fact that failures are only stepping stones to a
higher and nobler life. Failures are the only things that
can show a people their weak places, and when they are
found, one has an opportunity to improve that spot. There¬
fore, you can see very vividly that one can never find
where discouragements have ever proved a, blessing to any
5
one or nation, but it has always proved a curse to all. I am
aware of the fact that we are living in a country where
our so-called enemies are stronger than we, consequently
they are perpetrating wrongs upon us which are giving us
a great deal of pain, but if we would remember that there is
a just God before whom the wicked shall not stand, we
would not be discouraged. In thinking of the many disad¬
vantages under which we are having to labor it may seem
impossible for us as a race to attain the privilege we de¬
serve. The thing that made Douglas, Lincoln and Wash¬
ington great was grasping after those things that seemed
impossible; that which is possible for individuals is possi¬
ble for a race.
This fact was demonstrated in the war of 1775, when
our country raised its sword against the ruling powers of
the world in the defense of right.
In this war the American soldiers had many years of
hardships, days of disappointments and dismal nights, but
none of those things moved them. We are told that their
footprints could be seen in the snow at Valley Forge. Had
they been discouraged when such crisis came we today
would have been paying tribute to England, but by their
perseverance they won the victory. Therefore, the flag of
subordination was torn down and the flag of liberty hoisted.
Which was to say that the country that was once a subor¬
dinate territory of England is now a country of liberty.
Because of the heroic act of George Washigton and the
brave fighting of the American soldiers their footprints
cannot only be seen upon the snow at Valley Forge but they
can and will ever be seen upon the sands of time.
On reading of the hardships of the American people
prior to that of the war in 1775, we find that it took them
many years to reach tlje goal. This brings to my mind the
words of the poet:
The places by great men reached and kept
Were not attained 'by sudden flight;
But they, while others slept,
Were toiling upward by night.
When we think that it has only been forty years since
we entered upon the stage of action as a free race, we are
6
compelled to compliment ourselves and say that we have
done well.
But we could have done much more had we not had so
many Benedict Arnolds among us> to help our thoughtless
prejudiced brother in white to set pitfalls in our pathway
which have caused us to fall and almost crush our lives
out. But in the midst of it all we are still toiling onward
and upward.
Some have said that such men would discourage an army
or a race.
But to be discouraged when we meet such obstacles
would be like a babe who is learning to walk, lie down in
dispair when he has fallen and refuses to' try again.
Unless some steps are taken the baby will never walk;
but if it would get up at once and try it again it would
soon walk and develop into manhood or womanhood.
So it is with us when we are bound by by thg cord of dis¬
appointments meted to us by our own people or others, let
us not be discouraged but with perseverance brake the cord
and march on until we reach the goal.
Today we should be encouraged as never before because
we can see plainly that the executive head and the better
class of the opposite race. North and South are interested
in our welfare. Now is the time to strike, while the iron
is hot. And when the crisis comes may not one of us allow
ourselves to be wrapped in the mantle of discouragement.
When the children of Israel met with that disastrous de¬
feat soon after their entrance into the land before the little
city of Ai, they were utterly discouraged. Therefore, the
hearts of the people melted and become as water. Joshua,
their god and leader, rent his clothes and fell to the earth
upon his face before the ark of the Lord. He and the
elders of Israel put dust upon their heads, after which
Joshua began to camplain to the Lord, asking Him why he
had brought them over Jordan to be delivered into the
hands of their enemies.
Joshua no doubt thought, as we are apt to think today,
that discouragement and dispair were the only proper and
safe conditions after such a defeat.
7
But God thought otherwise and commanded him to get
up and face the evil, and by so doing the walls of Jerico
fell. And then the burdened hearts of the people were re¬
lieved. And they were again begotten to a lively hope of
liberty.
In so much as the children of Israel with adverse cir¬
cumstances obtained their liberty, I feel that in time to
come that we, too, will wear a crown of honor.
But at present we are at mid-ocean, where the storm is
raging, the lightning flashing and the billows are rolling,
but now is no time for discouragement.
But let us stay on the old ship with manhood and
womanhood, and we can steer her into some safe harbor.
SERMON.
TRANSGRESSION ACKNOWLEDGED AND SIN
FORGIVEN.
I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me.—
Psalm H :8.
David was the greatest of all the kings of Israel. He
changed the Hebrew history from love of personal inde¬
pendence and tribal jealousies to a high standard of Chris¬
tian fidelity. He established the dynasty which continued
tc reign at Jerusalem until the Babylonian captavity, and
subdued his enemies and raised his country to the highest
state of prosperity and glory. In him we find the noblest
elements of Hebrew genius. He possessed those qualities
which made him truly a spiritual as well as a national hero
of true patriotism and piety, which enabled him to shape
at Jerusalem a kingdom which represented the highest con¬
ception of national life.
The greatness of his character is seen mainly in his hu¬
mility. So meek and humble was he that, with all his
glory and greatness, he acknowledged his transgressions.
David was not an infidel; not the slightest shadow of an
infidel spirit is seen in his whole life or character. He
8
was a firni believer in the God of heaven; such leaders axe
wanted today. The best way to lead the people is to lead
them heavenward.
I. Man is sinful.—The fall of Adam deeply and sadly
affected humanity; it was surely a mighty fall. Julius
Caesar fell in the senate-chamber at Rome, but carried
none other with him. Garfield fell on the street in Wash¬
ington, but the American citizens today feel no effects of
his death. But the fall of Adam dragged down all man¬
kind.
Oh, what a fall was felt in Adam,
AVhen you and all of us fell down!
The death of Adam is felt in every vein of the human
system. It brought us into a state of shame and disgrace.
Man is counted nothing more than filthy rags before God;
he is the most sinful creature of all creation. He is walled
around and hedged in by sin, so when he would do good
evil is present. Carnal-mindedness is a bar across his road
which can only bo broken down by faith in God. Sin
makes him groan; he has to fight the flesh on one hand and
the devil on the other.
"O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from
the body of this death ?" "The law is spiritual but I am
carnal, sold under sin." "How to perform that which is
good, I find not." "The evil which I would not," that T
do."* We are sinful, but thanks be to God who gave Jesus
Christ the righteous who knew no sin for us that we might
be made the righteousness of God in him.
II. It is wisdom for man to acknowledge his transgres¬
sion and have his sin forgiven.
Blessed is the man who will confess his sin. Confession
is the outgrowth of meekness, to which God always has re¬
spect. "He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but
whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have meroy,"
says Solomon. Confessing is pouring out the evils of a
depraved heart upon the ground, and the manifestation of
a willingness to forsake them: while non-confession is
stretching the heart to receive wickedness and showing a
*Rom. vii.
0
desire to cling to the evil way. The father loves the child
that will always confess his wrong, but dislikes the one
that tries to hide his sin; so with God: he who stands and
gathers around him the mantle of self-righteousness and
from stoutness of heart will not confess his wrongs, dwells
under the law which gives sin its damning power, while
he who acknowledges, "Against thee, thee only, have
I sinned, and done this evil,"* is sheltered by his love and
brought under grace.
"Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a
Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood
and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I
am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers,
or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give
tithes of all that I possess. And the publican, standing
afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven,
but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me
a sinner. I teil you, this man went down to his house
justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth
himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself
shall be exalted."* The fact in the case is, the Pharisee
was as great a sinner as the publican, but would not ac¬
knowledge it, therefore was not forgiven. When the Is¬
raelites wandered away in shameful idolatry God was pro¬
voked to cast them off, and he declared through the prophet
Ilosea that he would not restore unto them/his mercies until
they acknowledged their offense, and sought his face.
John says, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just
to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unright¬
eousness." If the sinner would but confess his sin today
he can be forgiven. There are some people who say they
•have been seeking the Lord many years and cannot find
Him; the reason is, they have never confessed that they
are sinners. Oh, confess your transgressions and have
your sins forgiven! Like the prodigal son who strayed
from his father, and on his return said, "I am no more
wor.thy to be called thy son, make me as one of the hired
servants."
*Psalm li :4.
10
Confession leads to repentance—with the mouth confes¬
sion is made unto salvation; he who knows enough about
his sins to confess them dislikes them enough to repent of
them.
Show me a man who will confess his wrongs and I will
show you one that will repent his wrongs.
Oh, that I knew the secret place
Where I might find my God!
I'd spread my wants before his face,
And pour my woes abroad.
III. Our sin is ever before us.—Confession enables us
to see more fully the magnitude of our transgression. It.
opens the door of our evil hearts, and we are made to see
our sins, whicii are standing as monuments before us. Sin
may stand before man and he may not see it, because he
has not been conscious of it. Take the thief who has been
stealing all his life, he feels no fear and fears no' danger
until the law overtakes him; then he can easily see where
his first act of theft was a step made downward: his sins
are then brought before him, and in shame and disgrace
he stands; and as long as he lives his sin is before him.
Ask the man who- has been in penitentiary thirty or forty
years for what was he there sent, and he can tell you not
only the identical crime that sent him there, but the very
first offense which he committed against the law. I believe
t'he men's sins will follow them so in hell, for Abraham
told the rich man in hell, "Remember," which shows that
lie was capable of knowing the things which he had done
in this world. When Cain slew his brother Abel, he felt
no fear until he was overtaken by the voice of God, which
told him that the shedded blood of his brother was crying
from the ground against him. Then he saw his sin and
said. "My punishment is greater than I can bear." God
told him that sin lie at the door, and when he saw it, it was
like a great mountain that could not be removed.
Sin is soul-rending and heart-breaking, and there is only
one who can eradicate it, and that is Jesus the just. He
bore our sins in His body on a tree that we might be set,
free, but He will only bear or put them away when we cast
11
them, upon Him through, repentance, "The sacrifices of
God are a. broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, 0
God, thou wilt not despise:"* The sinner weeps because
of his sins: Jesus forgives him and his sins are put away,
and he is ever made Avhole.
"Purg me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me
and I shall be whiter than snow." Sin is a hard slave-
master, but he whom the Son sets free is free indeed.
IS THE -NEGRO AN AMERICAN CITIZEN?
Friends, Fellow Citizens, Ladies and Gentlemen:
I am indeed proud of the opportunity afforded me to say
one word for the advancement of my people.
I am proud because it calls upon me, God's humble
servant, to give tribute to a people who, forty years ago,
shook off slavery's chains and walked out of the house of
bondage into the glorious field of freedom, and have out¬
stripped the last vestige of their horrible depression and
shame and now stands side by side with all other races of
the earth in civilization—playing with credit their part in
the drama of the world.
I am proud, secondly, because the negro is a race with
which God in His wisdom identified me. He has an abil¬
ity and greatness of which I am truly proud.
When I survey the magnitude of civilization that has
been wrought by my people, who have enjoyed only forty
years of freedom, I know no subject that would give me
more pleasure than the one just mentioned.
The negro question has stirred up the minds of the
American citizens more than any other subject that has
ever confronted them. In every paper you can see printed
in the very boldest type the word negro.
What is a citizen i A citizen is a member of an estab¬
lished government to which he owes many duties for its
lawful protection; the government owes the same to> each
*Psfilm li :16.
12
of its citizens. What a government is or what it will be
depends on, what kind of citizens it has. Dutiful, ever
faithful and obedient citizens make a great government.
On the other hand, idle, dishonest and disobedient subjects
make a very poor government.
The government does not make the people, but the
people make the government. All good citizens will labor
to support the government, and the government will-always
guard the rights of its subjects and see that no unjust laws
are imposed upon them. But today the negro is almost
burdened to death by the very government to which he is
so loyal.
The government should offer to its citizens eveiry possi¬
ble advantage of civilization. Every true citizen will be
willing to protect the government at the sacrifice of his
time, money and even life if it becomes necessary.
Now let us see whether the negro possesses any neces¬
sary qualifications or whether he labors to such ends. If
so he should be commended for lVis" citizenship.
If anyone can prove that he is not as law abiding as any
other people in the world I will lay my armor down.
The negro has never refused to come to the rescue of his
government whenever called upon. Therefore, we ask for
him every protection granted other nationalities.
From IS61 to 1865 the negroes protected the home© of
their masters while their masters stood 'with their breasts
to cannons trying to keep the negro in bondage. Master's
wife did "not fear as long as John, Bill, Tom or Charley
was keeping vigil by day or by night-
Fred Douglas, an' ex-slave, after obtaining his 'freedom
went to Europe and threw his thunderbolt of oratory across
the broad land and wrapped the whole country in a, mantle
of sympathy for the American slaves. But there was only
one way by which the negro could be liberated, and that
was through the executive head.
This President Lincoln knew, yet he dreaded to unlock
the storehouse of bondage and- bid the negro to walk forth
into freedom. He was afraid that the negro would not
have the courage to meet his mad master on the battlefield.
13
What to do lie did not know. But in the hour of almost
total despair, when human effort was about to fail, God
in answer to the many faithful prayers seems to have
counseled with Him, and told Him that the negro emanci¬
pation was the country's only redemption and gave him
courage to move forward; after he decided to take hold of
the inspired suggestion he arose from his couch on the first
day of January, 1868, and declared the negro free, which
caused the entire land and country to be overturned in con¬
fusion and the whole nation rocked in the cradle of great
fear and lamentation. The south was divided against the
north, and the high lands became rivers of blood, but in
spite of the much blood shed the negro, by the help of God,
obtained his freedom.
But we came out of bondage wearing the mantle of pov¬
erty, having to settle down among our former taskmasters,
they predicted that t,Ke negro could not prove himself
worthy of citizenship. Some said that he would soon
demoralize the government and destroy the country; but
instead of demoralizing the government he honored it; in¬
stead of destroying the country he helped to build it up.
Some thought that the negro, on embracing his freedom,
would not be able to fulfill the duties of a citizen, but
woud still depend upon his master; but he has dispersed
those black flogs by the sunshine of his greatness; dispelled
the many fears that sickened the hearts of his friends and
disarmed the prejudice by showing that he is fully able to
paddle his own canoe and keep above the necessities of life.
Tie also did and is still doing everything possible for the
welfare of the country.
The negro did not regard his freedom as the mere privi¬
lege to gamble, steal and support the saloons, but he re¬
garded it ais a privilege to labor and accumulate wealth for
the good of himself, fellow men and country. The negro
soon grasped the idea that, to be an independent man and
intelligent citizen was to be self-sustaining.
A man is worth but little who does not contribute any-
14
..tiring to the government to which he belongs. It is the
property holder who supports the government. Nearly
jL'very foot of land, all live stock, household goods and bank
stocks are taxed.
Do the negroes own any property in this country ? If
so, they are live factors in the support of the government.
In this we see that he is worthy of citizenship.
I am frank to admit that there is one thing in which the
negro was not found lacking, namely, obedience1; for sub-
'mission is the only thing that slavery ever taught or had
the capacity to teach one or a nation.
Tell the negro to go, and he will go. That is what he
was taught in slavery. As it is now, the yoke of bond¬
age has been taken from our necks and we are standing in
the sunshine of our freedom, ready to obey every call to
duty. This fact was demonstrated in 1862 when Abra¬
ham Lincoln called him to the battle field to raise arms in
the defense of his country. He came forth notwithstand¬
ing he had been worked almost to death in slavery, like an
obedient servant, with a sore back and bruised head, and
fought manfully for the rights of his country.
If you desire to know how the negro stood in war take
the testimonies of Sherman, Hunter, Phillips, Roosevelt
and others who stood with him in war and saw his fidelity
to trust, in fighting to defend the stars and stripes. Their
testimony today lives in history.
Since the war the negro has proven himself no less true;
notwithstanding he has been denied his rights on every
hand. Let us in the future be, as we have been in the
past, present, at every call to duty.
Some may say that we have been denied the rights of
citizenship in the past and predict the same for the future.
I would say in answer to that, that the future is bright.
The executive head is advocating a square deal to all. With
such encouragement from men of authority we must pre¬
sume that rich things are in store for us. But I do not
want anyone to conceive the idea, that we must depend alto^-
gether on others, for we have quite an important part to
play ourselves.
15
In part, the negro carries his destiny in his hands.
What he is to be depends upon his effort.
If your way be dark and dreary
And your heart be sick with fear,
Never stop in clouds to wander
Though you have to shed a tear.
1STo w, in conclusion, I would say that every American
citizen, black or white, rich or poor, has an opportunity to
prove himself worthy of citizenship. If we will continue
to do that and contend for the same I believe that God
eventually will unlock the door of prejudice' and allow us
to walk out into the sunlight of free American citizenship.
Then we can sing
My country, 'tis of thee.
SERMON.
INTERCESSION FOR TRANSGRESSORS.
"Father, forgive them ; for they know not what they do."—Luke
xxiii :34.
An intercessor is one who intercedes for another. Our
Lord, unlike man, shows a deep sympathetic feeling for
those who stained their hands in His blood.
Human perception can not estimate the goodness here
shown humanity by a kind Savior, who had power to de¬
stroy as well as to defend. He regards not His own pain
and makes intercession for transgressors.
I. lie Intercedes for His Enemies.—The most heart-
rending thing of life is to see the innocent suffer for the
guilty; and it is truly the greatest heart of love that can
look from under the cross of suffering, and beg for his per¬
secutors to be pardoned of the crime of putting to death
himself who had never sinned. Our Lord in this proves
Himself divine, for He does what none othre would do.
Father, forgive them, He cries, while His body was be¬
ing stretched out upon the cross, and nails being driven
through His feet and hands; pain, the greatest of all pain,
seized His mortal frame, while mockers scorned Him and
said all manner of evil against Him, yet, seeing them sink-
16
ing in despair, He lia.d compassion on them. Knowing
that there was none other to intercede for them, He forgets
his own suffering, thinking of their future danger, and
feels willing toi forget His past hardships, and not think
once of His present trials, and prays His Father to forgive
thein, while the angelic hosts of heaven stood in readiness
to smite the earth, and destroy the world in His< defense.
Jesus Christ, the dying Savior, stretches out His hand and'
holds up the wrath of God, and shelters the heads of the
guilty men, and prays that they might be spared.
He "made intercession of transgressors," says Isaaih;
this He did by pouring out His own soul unto death.
Forgive them; All who have labored to make- Me suffer,
both Jew and Gentile, Father, forgive them. Before this
He had prayed for His disciples to be kept; now He prays
for His enemies to be pardoned; the first are His friends
and the second His enemies, who had their hands and gar¬
ments stained with His blood. . In this He steps a little
beyond human power and shows His ability to give good
for evil. It is not a hard thing to pray for our friends, but
it is to pray for our enemies. "Who is he that condemn-
eth ? It is Christ that died," for us who are sinners, vio¬
lators of God's law, "who also maketh intercession for us."
Sinners, He maketh intercession for you, today His ene¬
mies, that you may have a right to the tree of life, which is
in the midst of the paradise of God..
Paul says: "Wherefore He is able to save them to the
uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever liv-
etli to make intercession for them."
II. Sinners are not conscious of the enormity of their
crime.
Wicked men seem to fear civil law more than the divine"
law. Christ saw that the world was making this great
mistake when He said, "Fear not man who can only de¬
stroy the body, but fear God who has the power to destroy
the body and cast the soul into hell." The Jews thought
it a great sin for Pilate not to respect the rights) of Ctesar,
.but no sin to disrespect the rights of God; they could not
see where out Lord had any rights at all that they or Pilate
17
should respect, but they could see wherein they were bound
to respect the rights of Ca?sar. So it is with men today—
they obey man rather than God. Men and brethren, this
should not be so. There is a law of right revealed by con¬
science which recognizes obligation to our God, and to dis¬
obey the eternal Judge, not man. Mail is our fellow-
servant, while God is our Creator. There is a statute in
the civil laws of this country that says if a man maliciously
take another's life he shall be hanged. If death is a just
penalty for taking the life of your fellow-man, what can
be the just penalty for taking the life of the Prince of
Peace? It is death, to the soul. In one it is death' to the
body, while in the other it is death to the. soul.
Now, sinners, which is of the more importance, the soul
or the body ?
The soul. Well, which is the greater crime;—to violate •
civil or divine law ? "The day that thou eatest thereof
thou shalt surely die," said God to Adam.
True it was, the day he questioned God's veracity by
believing the devil's lie, was the day he died spiritually a
death which corrupted the whole fountain of human life.
The human family numbering millions and billions of
coming offspring was cut off from God to sink in despair.
This is what it is to violate God's law; this is1 what it is
to turn your heels against God; this is what it is to crucify
the Son of God—eternal death. This His enemies, as they
chanted around His bloody cross crying, "Crucify Mm,"
seem not to have known, because they thought He was not
the Son of God.
Sinners, your crime is more great than theirs, because
you know Him to be the promised Messiah of whom the
prophets spoke; you know that He is the universal ac¬
knowledged Savior, and knowing this increases your crime;
but if you will only accent salvation, God will forgive you
while Jesus prays. "Your crime though great can not
surpass the1 power and glory of His love."
III. Gocl Forgives Sin.—Jesus Christ as mediator has
not the power to forgive sin., but He has the power to in¬
duce God the Father, who can forgive; because he who
sins, sins against God. Jesus Christ, the second person of
38
the Trinity, became incarnate to take the place of sinners
under the law and suffered in their stead. By this He
overruled the power of death and assumed the office of
mediator. Now He stands between God and man, and
makes intercession for man, that he may have peace with
his God.
.Now it is for man to seek, Jesus to intercede and God
to forgive. The wicked in crucifying Christ do not simply
sin against Christ, but they make an outrage on heaven or
the Trinity; therefore it does not rest in the power of
Christ to forgive, but the first person of the Trinity is
therein concerned. God being the law-giver it is His law
that has been violated; He stands up for His claims that
must be met, and it takes one equal with Him in essence to
stand up for sinful man who is doomed to death.
Sinners can not enter heaven against God's will; they
must be at peace with God. This our Lord had in view
while His human nature (not His divinity) suffered under
the hands of transgressors; He saw their garments stained
with His dying blood, and knew that with God they had no
power; that He was the only one that could reach the eter¬
nal mind, and if He failed to plead for them, they would be
held in despair; therefore He cries: "Father, forgive
them, for they know not what they do."
Dear brethren, it was nothing but this prayer that held
back God's wrath, for I fancy that to see Jesus, God's only
Son, suffer and die was the greatest pain that ever crosised
the bosom of the eternal mind. It is the humble plea of
Jesus that keeps sinners alive today; while justice would
cut them down, mercy pleads their cause.
To be pardoned by God is the greatest favor ever granted
human beings. Oh! just think of the Father looking at
the Son with a smile and the Son looking at the sinner and
redeeming his soul from hell.
The action is so magnanimous that even angels around
God's throne in heaven rejoice. It is so great that every
blood-washed soul wonders to himself how it was that such
a guilty sinner as he could have ever become reconciled
to God.
I!)
WhiJe all our hearts and every song,
Join to admire the feast,
Each of us cries, with, thankful tongue,
.Lord, why was I a guest V
While we stand in wonder the poet gives answer:
'Twas the same love that spread the feast,
That sweetly forced us in;
Else we had still refused to taste
And; perished in our sins.
M. W. MILLER.
PART II.
CHRISTIANITY.
Christianity, as taught and exemplified by Christ and
His inspired apostles, is all powerful. It possibly may not
be as you think, a power of profession in words; it is a
divine power in the reality of life. It forces out of your
heart every evil thing and creates within it a new spirit.
It makes a new man in thought, feeling and action. And
thus he. is turned completely around as to his mode of
living in the past, and his life is an example of noble and
greater good.
Christianity is that invincible power of God that sep¬
arates man from sinners and evil things which would beset
him on every hand. It makes you sober, serious, faithful,
clean, honest and just.
Do you drink, swear, lie, steal, cheat, fight or quarrel?
21
If you do, Christianity is that power given to us through
the coming of Jesus Christ that will set you free, here and
this moment, from your sins if you will just believe and
commit your soul to Ilis care and keeping.
You who profess to have the knowledge of the truth,
light and spirit of Christianity, do you know, not
that you have a high mission work to do in the way of
having others to change their wicked ways of life r 11 d
make them sublime for the great cause of Christianity,
which is so much needed in the home, church and along
the highways and everywhere we may go ?
Should one after having confessed Christianity be sat¬
isfied to run in the race with those who seem not to regard
the things that tend to uplift and better fallen humanity?
The answer would be no, from that consecrated one who
has given himself to God.
It is said: "The man who just wants to be as good as
anybody, do what everybody does and say what pleases
everybody has no standard. He has no settled or fixed
character and can do but little or no good in diffusing the
light of Christianity to the world. But that man who has
his character of Christianity fixed by Jesus Christ has a
standard that will stand the test of the world with all of
its sinful frivolities and lusts."
It is a standard that is worthy to be held up to the
people and they should heed its accompanying revelation,
which is the word of the living God who gave Ilis only
begotten Son that we might have eternal life.
The blessedness that this standard carries with it is that
the most humble of mankind can obtain it without price,
thus making himself richer than the richest human being
in earthly possessions.
One may attain this excellency of Christian character
by the efficient means of grace afforded him in Chris¬
tianity. Grace is the all-sufficient virtue of Christianity
that enables one in their human weakness and frailty to
resist outward temptations, remove obstructions, meet and
overcome difficulties, go through without a murmur the
most severe trials and bear the heaviest burdens, without
22
fainting under its weight, and must rejoice in tribulation.
One must rise above tlie flattery and power of the world.
That is to say that one must not let that which is accorded
him be out of the line of the Christianity he accepted. Thus
boldly meet and vanquish every foe and at last haul down
the flag in victory in the name of Christianity.
Christianity is God's salt, and it has the efficacy to pre¬
serve both soul and body. "Ye are the salt of the earth,"
so said Jesus Christ. Your life's influence is to prevent
others from moral decay. You are to season the lives of
others by your kind words and actions directed by the
means of grace and truth in your own. You must see to it
that by faith, "the substance of things hoped for and the
evidence of things not seen," must be applied to the
broken-hearted and the wounded in spirit.
Christianity, this salt of which everybody should pos¬
sess, is to give tone and soundness to your conversation so
that those who listen to you may be animated to a purer
thought and nobler aims of life in the name of Jehovah's
God, who is the preserver r.nd giver of all life.
Christianity is the light of the world, which has illumin¬
ated it by its heavenly radiance for centuries in the past.
In the dazzling brightness the resplendent glory of God is
reflected from His glittering throne, thus illuminating
this dark and miserable world of sin and death:
"Nation after nation has emerged out of chaotic dark¬
ness and woeful confusion, out of Pagan blindness and out
of heathen idolatry into the marvelous light of the lustrous
day.
As the son of God in His righteousness shall rise up to
the meridian of the glorious millennial dav, righteous be¬
comes most sweet to the sleeping saints, and sin most bitter
to the dead sinner.
Christian friends, clouds of sin that once hung over
your head and threatened jrreat outbursts of horror and
trouble upon vou ^hall be banished from your presence
and you will over dwell in the blessed sunlight of. God.
T\Tav God ever bless and sanctify my people to llie
blessed sunlight of Christianity.
23
THOUGHT AND ITS RESULTS.
Ladies and Gcntle»ien: In contemplating tliis subject
of "thought," I am compelled to ask the question: What
is thought and what has thought done'( Thought is that
invisible embodiment of the mind which precedes every
conscious act of one's self. Therefore we conclude that it
was divine thought that preceded that infinite movement
of God, the speaking into existence the Worlds which hu¬
man eyes have not been ablo to scan nor his intellect able
to measure. ITe in Ilis divine and unsearchable wisdom
thought, no doubt, that the worlds without light would be
a most uncomfortable home for mankind. Thus He said,
"Let there be light, and there was light." So wre have the
golden sunlight by day and the beautiful moonlight by
night, aided by the stars which hang in their silvery
sockets.
It was divine thought that preceded the divine expres¬
sion of God when lie said, "Let us make man in our
image and in our likeness." Therefore we see the demon¬
stration of the fact that thought must have preceded the
divine act in making man.
Since God has made man a living, a working and an
eternal object of thought, formed for His own glory and in
His likeness, he should never be satisfied unless he is
living in the atmosphere of a pure and simple life which
is acceptable with God, whom he is to glorify.
Thought, which finds its birthplace in the mind, is
that that caused man to violate the law of God and be
driven from the Garden <\f Eden, and the human family
to be immersed in the pool of sin.
When we scan the pages of ancient, mcdaeval and mod¬
ern history we can readily note the fact that it was thought
which preceded the actions and events, and, too, had or
played much part in the great work of their being recorded
upon the pages of history, which serves us as a great
mirror of the past in which we can look and see the heroic
deeds of those who have passed from the sta^e of action.
Was it thought that directed the wonderful skill of the
24
ancient builders, sculptors and painters, who assisted in
the building and beautifying the great cities of that age ?
I would answer like this: If any of those great and skill¬
ful men of that time were permitted to rise from their
tombs and make a reply to my question, they no doubt
would say that it was thought which preceded their ac¬
tions of building such large cities of beauty and grandeur.
During the ancient, medaeval and modern wars was it
not thought which was disturbed in its most humble bed
of humanity, the mind, by the pangs of some wrong action
or deed done by person, tribe or nation, which bestirred
thought to an indignant nature, thus causing the forma¬
tion of armies, pitching of battles and the shedding of
blood and the losing of lives? Not only so, but it has
caused thousands, yea, millions to wear the shackles of
slavery and to be wrapped in the mantle of ignorance,
superstition and vice.
When we read and think of a time when America was
not known it arouses our curiosity to a great thought. But
when we think of how and why America was discovered
(which must have been divinely fixed) it brings a vivid
picture before my mind's eye of Columbus when the
thought of sailing westward in search for a new land was
formed in his mind, thus directing him to sail to the shores
of the American continent.
So we today are enjoying the benefit of Columbus'
thought.
And, too, when Columbus discovered America it was a
vast country of dense forests and marshy dales. But to¬
day it is the garden spot of the world, with its beautiful
farm lands and towns and cities of beauty and grandeur,
which has been caused by thought.
Were Henry Clay, Daniel Webster and other great men
of their time permitted to rise from their mother dust and
speak on this subject, "thought," they would say that it
was thought that characterized the great debates in which
they took part. Not only so, but it was thought that di¬
rected the well being of the government and the prosperity
of the nation with which they were identified.
25
Thought, which set in the mind of the Anglo-Saxon on
the eggs of discontentment and evil, induced or initiated
the negro into slavery, which lasted for more than two
hundred years. But at last the great thunderbolts of
thought from the great minds of both the north and the
south clashed together and made a disagreeable display of
secession, which terminated in a great war between the
two sections, whereas causing millions of dollars to be
spent and the sacrifice of millions of lives.
But in the meantime Abraham Lincoln, who no doubt
was in his secret chamber dealing with thought, was, in the
latter days of the war, when she was at her crisis, able
to bring forth that valuable document, the "emancipation
proclamation," which was the means of liberating four
(4,000,000) million slaves, who were mantled with ignor¬
ance, immorality, superstition and vice.
But today, as we look in the mirror of freedom we can
observe the great changes that have been wrought in and
among our people by the efficient diffusion.of thought.
When we turn ourselves in thought toward the north
we can see the missionary societies, with their millions of
dollars, like a pilgrim in his struggle up the hill of life,
coming down into this southland of ours to establish
schools and colleges for the purpose of diffusing knowl¬
edge and intelligence among the negroes of the south.
Therefore we see that they exercised great thought of
sympathy, because we were like young birds that could
not fly in search of food. Thus they came to our rescue in
ignorance, and now we stand upon a very respectable plane
of intelligence.
Just think of Prof. Booker T. Washington, who in the
infancy of his school, Tuskegee, possibly never dreamed
of its being so large and so famous as it now is. But by
continuing to think and labor as well, he has built one of
the largest, the most beautiful and famous schools the
country affords.
What was it but "thought" that played in the mind of
Benj. Franklin, the discoverer of electricity, that caused
26
him to venture out into an electric storm, fly his kite, by
which means he caught the lightning and bottled it, which
today and of the past has served Samuel F. B. Morse
and Thomas Edison with the means of electric power to
electrify the wires over which they and we are sending our
lightning speed messages throughout the entire universe.
Is it not thought that has caused and is still causing the
mines to give up their contents for the immediate use of
mankind the world over? Is it not thought that has
caused our country to be netted over with railways which
give us the advantage of transportation over the hills,
mountans and through the dales ? The answer is, yes.
Lastly, but not least, thought has caused Christianity to
be spread over our entire country and the Gospel to be
preached to every tribe and nation under the sun.
When we think of the Christian churches and of their
extensive missionary work they are doing, with their many
Christian societies associated, it reflects credit upon them,
and demonstrates the fact of their minds being permeated
with thoughts of sympathy toward their brother who
knows not God, thereby showing their respect both to God
and man.
So may it be, that our young men and women who are
upon the stage of action become great thinkers and doers,
which will cause the old ship of church and state ever to
sail smoothly over the sea of time.
THE WORK AND INFLUENCE OF CHRISTIAN
STUDENTS.
This subject is of a profound and divine nature, whose
horizon plays at a distant view impresses me of its im¬
portance to be discussed. The same, I hope, will prove of
some subsequent value to those who may ponder and
realize its necessity as being or becoming a part of their
lives.
The first thing after pondering the subject, is what does
27
it require for one to be a Christian student ? As I see it,
for one to be a Christian student he must consecrate him¬
self and his life work to the uplifting of fallen humanity,
intellectually, morally and religiously.
In view of the above fact, we find ourselves inbued with
that nature which is divine, and thus it gives us an ad¬
vantage over those who have not chosen Christ as a central
power of their lives.
Therefore, we who are Christian students must stand
up as living examples of a higher and nobler life. So
that those who have not as yet realized the blessedness
there is in such a life will be inspired to seek and learn of
Him who stands waiting with ten thousand blessings in
His hands to satisfy the poor.
As this is the brightest age of the world's history, we
would ask should we endeavor to be students indeed, that
we might learn to make life a glory instead of a grind ? I
would answer, yes. Because of the fact that unless we
are able to read and understand to a great measure—there
is not much that we can do as students intellectually. But
we can spread among those with whom we are associated
the influence of a character wealth, a soul property which
no disaster or misfortune can wreck or ruin.
What is expected of Christian students now-a-days ?
Are they expected to be irreverent towards Christian
services in any wise?
I would venture the assertion, no! But they should
ever be eager to render their best service to the church
financially, intellectually and spiritually. Because, he
who attributes these great privileges to them is able to
make them renowned in any avenue of life that is for the
uplifting of fallen humanity.
There our work and influence possibly will take its de¬
sired effect upon those whom we come in touch.
Are we expected to be unkind, selfish and untrue to
those with whom we are associated ?
The answer is, no! Simply because if we are Ohris-
28
tian students we are compelled to appreciate and practice
the sentiments of the Golden Rule.
By so submitting ourselves we no doubt may or will be
the means of causing many to realize the dawn of a
brighter day—lighted or lit up by the blessed sunlight of
a purer and a more genial life, which will dispel the dark¬
ness of superstition and vice, and push one's horizon out
in order to give them a wider outlook and a clearer vision.
Then, again, truthfulness, which must characterize the
life of every Christian student, makes our reliabilities one
toward the other confidential, and thus we impart the in¬
fluence of the highest and noblest qualities of manhood
and womanhood to those with whom we are associated.
Therefore constraining them to walk in the way of truth,
which is Jesus Christ, the lowly and lovely ISTazarene.
When thinking of the many Christian institutions and
societies of this and other continents, which have been
founded by Christian students, I am compelled to acknowl¬
edge that their work and influence are masterly. Because
of the fact that thousands, yea millions, are rushing in at
the open doors of the Christian institutions and the socie¬
ties ' are being filled with ready and eager workers, thus
increasing the great battalion that must stand up for right,
notwithstanding the difficulties that we may meet along
the pathway of life.
As we may fight boldly against ignorance, immorality
and vice, there stands one who has the power of knowl¬
edge, understanding and wisdom that will direct us on to
conquest in the mastery of the hard problem, lessons and
examinations which we may- have, and in overcoming the
temptations that may present themselves to us in numer¬
ous ways.
Therefore let us ever be careful and vigilant that we do
nothing that will influence others to mar their lives in the
least. But let us be as beacon lights that stand to illumin¬
ate the pathway of those who are groping in ignorance and
superstition.
Let us call your attention in reference to some of the
29
renowned Christian men of America and other continents,
such as Drs. Wesley, Talmage, Spur&eon, Isaac, Mason
and B. Washington, and others too numerous to men¬
tion, who have ascended, the ladder of fame and great¬
ness only by what they have done, being anchored in Him
whose power is supreme, and today, though some are dead,
yet still they live in the hearts of the people.
So it may be with us who are here endeavoring to in¬
crease our powers of intellectual and spiritual advance¬
ment.
That we may go in the different avenues of life and
there prove our valor as honorable and worthy Christian
students who have been here in these institutions drinking
from the fountain of knowledge.
Onward, upward let us go,
Up the rugged pathway of life,
Till at last when all is over
We shall reap eternal life.
30
JOHN R. SAXON.
PART III.
THE COLOKED WOMAN.
BY JOHN" K. SAXON.
Having "been asked by the authors of this little book to
contribute an article I have consented to do so.
Knowing that the race can only be elevated through the
women, I have decided to write on the above named
subject.
It has only been forty years since the negro women left
the house of bondage, who had no stand in this Christian
republic, so far as her womanhood was regarded.
It was thought that she would forever be banished from
society. But in spite of the many disadvantages with
which she has had to contend she has emerged from ob¬
scurity and today she stands on such level with other
31
nationalities in civilization until one that does not know
would not think that she was the descendant of slave
parents.
It is commendable to say that the noble deeds done by
the negro women in so short a time can never be chron¬
icled. But the good mothers must keep in mind that the
time has not yet come when, they can lay their armor down,
but like a brave soldier stay in the field of usefulness and
teach our young women the value of virtue until death
shall claim you her own.
If you will only reflect for a moment you will agree
with me when I say that there is nothing in the world that
can make a woman noble when she has not character.
When we come to calculate the forces which it takes to
decide the destiny of a race or nation it must be confessed
that the woman is one of the grandest factors in its ele¬
vation.
The negro woman is to her race what savor is to salt—
if she be true—but if she is not true, she is good for
nothing. Therefore she should be true, because she is
the salt of society and the glory of her race.
Mrs. Fannie Barrier Williams says: "A whole race of
women, whose only heritage has been ignorance and isola¬
tion, needs no philosophers to lead them into a higher
state. Their needs are elementary, and the duties of
Christian women in their behalf are near, direct, and
easy of comprehension. If the colored women who are
sufficiently intelligent and warm-hearted to share'in the
responsibilities of helping where help is needed could be
aroused from their do-nothing, unsympathetic and dis¬
couraged condition, and could be conscious of their oppor¬
tunities for accomplishing good deeds, there would at once
come the dawning of a new and better era for the Amer¬
ican negro. We would then understand that the question
is not what we ought to demand, but what we can do; not
what are our rights, but how we can'best deserve them;
not so much how to condemn prejudice, but how to remove
32
Imt for the hopes, courage and duty becoming women
who are called by large opportunities to noble work. If
we would have the public interested in us and our needs,
we must become interesting, and we will become interest¬
ing just as soon as we begin to help ourselves to the utmost
extent of our opportunities.
"Home Life.—The one thing that should appeal most
strongly to our hearts is the need of a better and purer
home life among our people in many parts of the South.
I scarcely need tell you that our most embarrassing herit¬
age from slavery was a homelessness and a lack of home
ties. All the sanctities of marriage, the precious instinct
of motherhood, the spirit of family alliance, and the up¬
building of home as an institution of the human heart,
were all ruthlessly ignored and fiercely prohibited by the
requirements of slavery. Colored people in bondage were
only as men, women and children, and not as fathers,
mothers, sons and daughters, brothers and sisters. Family
relationships and home sentiments were thus no part of
the preparation of colored people for freedom and citizen¬
ship. It is not agreeable tc refer to these things, but tbev
are mentioned merely to suggest to you how urgent and
immensely important it is that we should be actively and
helpfully interested in those poor women of the rural
South, who, in darkness and without guides, are struggling
to build homes and rear families. When we properly ap¬
preciate the fact that there can be no real advancement of
the colored race without homes that are purified by all the
influences of Christian virtues, it will seem strange that no
large, earnest, directed and organized effort has been made
to teach men and women the blessed meaning of home.
"One-Boom Cabins.—The first thing that should in¬
terest us is the fact that thousands of colored families in
the south are still living in one-room cabins. Through the
South is filled with our professors, ministers and smart
politicians, yet few have attempted to teach these people
the difference between a slave cabin and a Christian
home."
33
KNOWLEDGE IS POWER.
BY MISS MARY L. WILLIAMS, RILEY'S, S. C., GRADUATE OF
B. N. S., GREENWOOD, S. C.
As the powerful waves of the ocean roll without ceas¬
ing, conveying large vessels to and fro, thus causing com¬
munication between all parts of the earth; so it is with
knowledge, when used rightfully it will convey one across
the mighty ocean of time. Like the waves, it never ceases
to flow, it will enable us to launch out into the deep waters
of life and bring up precious pearls, which the tides have
long swept over, and by the aid of our Savior grasp and
raise the fallen that have been crushed down by mistakes.
It is not enough for us to be satisfied with too little or
too much. Either of the extremes are powerless. With
too little it no more than half courts temptations, knows
not why it hates evil, why it loves right, by it cleaves to
principle as to life. Too little, as well as too much, has
caused many homes to be desolate, hearts broken, lives
wrecked and the prison cells crowded; because some pos¬
sessed just enough knowledge to make them powerless and
some not enough to make them powerful. So we see it is
dangerous to become a passive recipient of knowledge.
In the beginning of our creation God said, "Let there
be light." He saw. that the progress of the world was
sorely dependent on light, and light is knowledge. We
know when the powerful sun sends forth his beaming rays
above the horizon darkness takes its flight. So it is with
true knowledge, when it breaks into our minds and hearts
in the truest sense, ignorance, follies and all worthless
ideas that tend to destroy one's high moral qualities, take
their flight and Ave become living gems of earth, ready to
shine in the darkest place of the earth. Ah! if we were
its cause. The hour is not for the lamentations of Rachel,
to trace the misfortune of many lives we would find their
mistakes owe their origin to the spring-time of youth
when they failed to receive the knowledge that would have
34
made them worthy members of our race. Their minds,
instead of being crammed with trifling nonsense, should
have been filled with thoughts that stir, expand and invig¬
orate the soul.
Knowledge neglected in the beginning of youth is like
seeds when sown in the wrong season; we know they will
not flourish and produce new plants; they must be sown
at the right season and have the influence of the sunshine,
rain, dew and air, otherwise they will remain fruitless.
Knowledg not only brings strength of intellect, but gives
substantial form and shape to our moral powers, softens
the manners, refines the taste and fills the soul with nobler
purposes and higher aspirations by which each one may
contribute to the elevation of society. The school is not
the only place where we may acquire knowledge. It is a
very important place, book learning is very necessary to a
nappy career in life, but knowledge gives power of culture
anywhere and in everything we do. To obtain this great
power we must work. No great result is obtained except
by honest and useful labor. Hundreds of students and
graduates of schools and colleges have used their parents'
substance in school, acquiring knowledge, then make a se¬
rious mistake, and go out into the world to bury their
talents, puffed up with knowledge; thinks it a disgrace to
do any manual labor, forgetting that work is one of the
best elements to success. The young man thinks it is un-
many to do anything but walk the streets, neglects to take
up the work of his father and relieve him of his weary
trial in return for his kindness. So many girls of the
same quality, rather sing and play on the organ or piano
all day than to help their mother do her household work,
thus so many young people are dependent. What are
they ? What can they be under scuh circumstances ? Noth¬
ing more than burdens to their fellowman.
A girl can no more be a true woman than a man can be
a true man, without employment and self-reliance. This
is not the kind of knowledge we have acquired here at our
35
dear school, but rather that which teaches our hands to
work, minds to think, and hearts to love; and wherever
and whatever we do, do our Lest. We notice the example
of our Savior—our highest ideal—how He placed Him¬
self in the likeness of men, and in early boyhood found
great honor in working hard in the commonest way, and
at the same time educating himself to stand a test which
none other co.uld stand; a power of knowledge that made
Him superior to doctors and lawyers.
Let us obtain the best education possible; but if we do
not get a thorough knowledge of what we learn, and put
it in practice, our education will become worthless, and
will be like the salt that has lost its savor.
In the first place we are taught that fearing our Creator
is the beginning of knowledge; therefore, one cannot main¬
tain this power of mind without a deep moral, religious
principle; this, and this alone, is the germ of knowledge.
When Solomon prayed to God for wisdom from on high
to. lead correctly a great people, he was careful to pray
for this particularly, because he knew without the power
of knowledge he would prove a failure, and because he
was earnest in this he was blessed with honor, wisdom and
riches. Thus we see the value of this grand achievement;
it is the avenue to honor, wealth and a worthy position in
life. We who are striving and those who have striven for
this great power of the present day, must possess a force
of character to sustain it. As one writer said: "This is
the diamond that scratches all other stones."
It is not the wealth of any nation that makes it great,
but rather the schools, where minds are trained and charac¬
ters made to shine like flashing diamonds. The tallest
objects in our land are not the beautiful buildings, high
trees in the forests, nor the high range of hills, but men
and women towering up in nobility and usefulness, exert¬
ing a power of knowledge grander than any product of
nature or art; and herein lies the strength of this special
school. It is the builder of earnest and helpful character.
36
Let this be the key-note of our lives, dear classmates, as
we go out in life to rise above the common level of men
ever maintain, and cultivate the power of knowledge we
have, and a force of character to sustain it, whatever our
fate may be.
We are advancing onward and upward - we only have to
cultivate the matrial we have; be true to God, our fellow-
man and our dead school. May our instructors who have
toiled with us, and for us, bring us forth in that final day
as living gems and cast us at the feet of our Savior, and
receive their everelasting reward; and we can rise and call
them "blessed." Let us then push forward, what'er the
cost may be, for our race is calling us to raise its standard
higher.
Though some may be more clever,
May rise to a higher fame ;
Strive we for knowledge ever,
A pure and honest name.
ORATION—"THE RUSSIAN SERF."
BY PROF. HAYES HANSELL HUNTER, D. D.„. OF ATLANTA BAP¬
TIST COLLEGE.
Previous to the eighteenth century, the mass of the Rus¬
sian population was divided into three distinct classes—
slaves, free laborers and peasants. The slaves were those
who had been taken in war, or who had voluntarily sold
themselves by crime, indebtedness or other means peculiar
to the times. The free laborer consisted of that class which
had no fixed home, but moved from place to place, seeking
those places where the best opportunities for the suste¬
nance of life were offered. The peasants also were labor¬
ers, but they owned the land on which they dwelt and were
members of the village commune; therefore they had a
deeper reverence for their country.
In the early part of the eighteenth century we find these
conditions fast changing. That class of wandering people
37
who had no interest or care for the country had become
an unbearable burden to both the laboring and the ruling
classes. Moreover, there was no law by which they could
be taxed; and neither did they own or accumulate taxable
property. Like a mass of worthless cattle, a source of vice
and crime they were daily recruits for the ranks of slavery.
At this time Peter the Great sought every means by
which to increase his revenue. lie ordered an annual cen¬
sus of all the people of the land, and taxed both master
and slaves, and those who had no fixed dwelling were com¬
pelled to sell themselves to the landed proprietors who were
obliged to be responsible for their tax. This act, together
with that of April 15, 1721, which gave the landed pro¬
prietors the right to sell their servants one by one like cat¬
tle, completely erased the line between the free laborer
and the slave, and made firm a complete and absolute
serfage.
If, previous to this time, the free laborer and the slave
had little care for their country; if there was little desire
for the accumulation of property and wealth; if family
relations were loose and unsacred when there was little
freedom, what can we say of the serf who had no hope or
power of accumulating wealth ? The serf and all he had
belonged to his master. When he thought of his parents,
his brothers and sisters, he thought of them as the property
of his master; and not as his own sacred relative made
dear to him by the very bond of nature. His wants were
few and simple. He thought of satisfying no one but him¬
self. The master, on the other hand, regarded the serf
as a person without feeling. He kept him for what wealth
he could produce. He placed little value on his life, and
very often for the most trivial offenses the master would
put the serf to death. After a long while these evil prac¬
tices created a sentiment against serfage in Russia, and
the Russian rulers began to investigate the affairs of the
serf, and to seek plans by which the conditions of the serf
38
could be bettered, and by which his value to the state and
his village community could be increased.
In 1855, when Alexander II. came to the throne, plans
were already in progress for the emancipation of the serf.
Alexander II. was a man of broad sympathy, and although
weak in many respects as a statesman, he was firm and
resolute in his opinions relative to the serf. In sjjite of
the many opposing influences, which surrounded him at
the time, on March 3, 1861, he signed the celebrated pro¬
clamation which set free forty-eight millions of Russian
souls. A portion of land, varying in size, according to the
fertility of soil and the climatic conditions of the province
in which it was situated, was also granted to each person.
Although this act greatly benefited the Russian serf, and
brought great and untold help to the Russian government,
to this day, the standard of living, the industrial, educa¬
tional and economic conditions of the country are below
description. The village commune still has the right to
control the land, and however well the Russian peasant
prepares his farm, or beautifies his dwelling, at the com¬
mand of certain officials, he must leave it to another. This
condition of affairs chokes out the care for building up the
home, and enriching the land. It also creates in the heart
of the peasant, a foreign spirit, and even alienates him
from his own country.
There is the greatest need of an industrial revolution in
Russia, both among farmers and manufacturers. If the
farmers could own their land, and have some control of
the prices of their production, their interest in home and
country would be strengthened, the fertility of the soil
would be kept up, the value of property would be raised
and there would be a greater demand for manufactured
articles. The ability to own property is a stimulus which
urges a great number of p'eople to labor who otherwise
would be indolent and worthless. The bravest soldier in
warfare, is that one who fights in the defense of his own
39
home. The greatest statesman, and the best law-maker, is
the man who knowTs that his energies and efforts are being
put forth for the benefit of his own property and the prop¬
erty of his own people. This feeling of possession and
interest is the very essential element needed in the indus¬
trial ranks of Russia today. The conditions of the Rus¬
sian factory hands are appalling. They have absolutely
no convenience. A small room is divided into four cor¬
ners, and men, women and children packed in. Rent is
high and wages are low. Sickness and disease are preva¬
lent throughout the factory district, and the result is that
poor articles are manufactured, the amount of work done
by each laborer is small compared with that done by one
well cared for, and the output and profit of the factory
are much impaired. The educational conditions are even
worse than the industrial. Three-fourths of the Russian
children never see the inside of a, school room. Ninety-
four out of every hundred cannot write their names. There
is but one doctor to every 11,000 persons. The average
Russian peasant is very primitive in his general knowl¬
edge. A traveler going through one of the small Russian
towns was enthusiastically asked: "Will you please tell
us if you have been to the other world ?" In his ignorance
the Russian is very tender-hearted. Some Russian sol¬
diers once buried a wounded comrade alive to prevent his
suffering.
Considering the present condition of affairs, it is hard
to predict Russia's future. When we think of the after
results of war upon any nation, we know that a great crisis
now confronts the Russian government. We know that the
great influx of foreigners and all classes of adventurers,
bandits and outlaws which are the natural products of war,
all these are facts which excite our deepest interest and
sympathy for the Russian government. When this critical
stage is passed, and when peace returns again to the land,
let us feel that the industrial? educational, economic and
moral conditions of the Russian Empire will be bettered.
40