■Jiving words.
f jr;t
*
s vy
By REV. W. G. ALEXANDER.
Member of the North Alabama Annual Conference of the A. M. E.
Church, contained in a
FRATERNAL ADDRESS
Delivered to the General Conference of the Colored Methodist
Episcopal Church in America., at Little Rock,
Arkansas, May, 1889, «■/*// </i a
BACCALAUREATE SER /ION
Delivered to the Faculty and Students of the Alabai *'tate Univer¬
sity, in Columbus Street Baptist Ch ', i
Montgomery, Ala., 1888.
NASHVILLE, TENN.
Publishing House A. M. E Sunday School I
i 1892.
INTRODUCTION.
One of the most hopeful signs of the progress of African
Methodism is the increased interest shown by its ministers in
the production of literature. The contents of this pamphlet,
styled "Living Words," are the emanations of one of the
strongest and clearest thinkers in the ranks of the ministry of
the African Methodist Episcopal Church. His record as a
pastor is one of pre-eminent success. As a preacher he
is thoroughly orthodox and spiritual; as a pastor he is kind
and considerate ; while as a citizen he is alert to the support of
every agency calculated to proinote the interest of the people
of whatever community in which he may reside.
The Fraternal Address is a masterly effort in setting
forth the claims of African Methodism as a powerful and
healthful agency in the work of promoting the intellectual,
moral and religious interests of the colored people. This is a
plain statement of facts without exaggeration. It is very com¬
prehensive, thoroughly practical, and will repay a careful
perusal.
The Baccalaureate Sermon is worthy the best efforts of our
most advanced preachers. It is a strong sweep along the line
of practical thought and helpful suggestions. The sentences
are so brilliant that they may be likened to apples of gold in
cups of silver.
" Living Words," comes to us as another production of the
literature of our times in general, and of the African Methodist
Episcopal Church in particular. I bespeak for it a large circu¬
lation and a careful reading.
C. S. SMITH.
Nashville, Tenn;, April 1, 1892.
• . (3)
FRATERNAL ADDRESS.
THE TRIUMPHANT MARCH OF AFRO-AMERICAN METHODISM.
^Delivered by W. G. Alexander, of the African M. E. Church, before the General
Conference of the C. M. E. Church, Little Rock, Arkansas.
Venerable Bishops, Dear Fathers and Brethren :
The Council of Bishops of the A. M, E. Church hold¬
ing their semi-annual session in Charleston, S. C., selected your
humble servant to bear their fraternal greeting to you. When
first receiving intelligence of my selection to appear here, it
was but natural that I should shrink from such a weighty re¬
sponsibility, preferring one of riper years and greater attain¬
ments; but since I have been in your midst, listening to your
deliberations, welcomed, yes thrice welcomed, by your honored
Conference, and personally greeted by the grasp of your hand,
dear Bishops and brethren, I feel more than ever that we are
■one in heart, in aim and hope. Thus, reverend sirs, I am
proud to have the honor of being sent to such a distinguished
body of prelates and Christian ministers, and of presenting
to you the Christian greetings of our beloved Methodism.
Therefore, I address you in the name of the Great Head of the
Church militant and triumphant; in the name of a Methodism
whose influence stretches from the Lakes on the North to the
Gulf on the South ; spreading from ocean to ocean, and dotting
the islands of the sea. In their name I greet you and bid you
G#d speed.
Coming from the balmy breezes of Alabama to the teeming
fields and waving forests of the great West, the " iron horse "
seemed to have caught the spirit of my mission as he madly
hurried around hill-sides, sweeping valleys, spanning rivers
(5)
6
Living Words.
and leaping the prairies of this great and growing country;
and though greeted at every turn by the hum and whirl of pro¬
gress, I hastened to appear here, reverend sirs, to deliver this
message—a message freighted with love and good will; a
message bearing the same glad tidings which made Judean
hills ring while heaven's seraphic choir sang.
Again, reverend sirs, I greet you in the name of our
eleven Bishops, who whirl five hundred thousand African
Methodists in line for aggressive Christian work ; in the name
of these five hundred thousand enlisted under the banner of
our Methodism to live and die for Christ; in the name of her
great interests and all of her children who clutch the cord of
Christian fraternity; I bid you ring with us. Ring, yes. ring
out strife and contention. Ring, in an era of Christian broth¬
erhood ; and oh, let us ring until marching, piling, rushing
centuries shall sweep out into the ocean of eternal righteous¬
ness and love. T am here to tell you, reverend sirs, though
sitting in General Conference at Indianapolis, amid its hurry
and bustle, and though questions intricate .and far-reaching,
thronged every moment of that most memorable session, no
single feature could have given us more pleasure than to have
listened to the encouraging word of your accredited-representa¬
tive in which, doubtless, he would have pictured your rise,
progress and prospective triumphs. Being denied this privi¬
lege, I am happy to inform you, reverend sirs, that your
brethren of the African M. E. Church are a part of the great
army who bear their commission from no earthly potentate, be
he king, emperor or president, but a commission dating back
over centuries—centuries of blood and tears; a commission,,
sirs, from the King of Kings, and though he has been borne
aloft by cherubic legions, and though eighteen hundred cen¬
turies have swept by, we are still battling against principali¬
ties and powers, holding aloft the same blood-stained banner
which we will not furl and which shall never touch the ground
though shot and shell should fall asi rain from the ramparts of
sin and death.
We are as proud as you are of your distinguished leaders the
venerable Miles, Beebe, Lane and Holsey, your Phillips Ham
Fraternal Address.
7
ilton, Mosely, and a host of other standard bearers of whom
any might be proud. We have watched your progress, and kept
pace with your movements We rejoice in your success. Your
departments, sessions and publications are familiar to the pro¬
gressive African Methodist. It is a source of pleasure, how¬
ever, to inform you that the African M. E. Church marches
forward, following the great commander, Christ, and proudly
floating a pennant from her mast-head bearing this [inscription,
"God our Father, Christ our Redeemer, Man our
Brother."
An inscription, sirs, Avhich stands for the unity of 'the
saints of all races, kindred and tongues wherever dispersed
around the globe I am glad also to inform you that
WE hold uncompromisingly to the teachings of holy
scriptures.
In this age of literary research and scientific progress,
your.brethren are not fearful as in some quarters, but hail with
delight the light which science and philosophy are shedding
upon many passages which were heretofore obscure and unin¬
telligible. But how humiliating to see learned men and ora¬
tors zealous for pecuniary gain and ambitious for literary rec¬
ognition. They must dig up the fossiled remains of dead and
buried materialism in their efforts to poison the stream of life,
while we gladly accept the information which science and phil¬
osophy offer; and while recognizing them as mighty factors in
the solution of man y difficult passages in the Book of Life, we-
spurn the " higher criticism" and progressive orthodoxy which
deny the Bible as a sufficient guide in faith and practice. Let
them drift " whither, 0 tell me where," as the great Dr. McCosh
says; but your brethren of the African M. E. Church will still
cling to the "Old Chart." Despite the clash of so-called pro¬
gressive thinkers, the weakness of friends, we find it the " sheet
anchor" of our liberties, the panacea for broken hearts, a fortress
for the oppressed, the lighthouse for the mariner and the
shadow of a great rock in a weary land. Others may do as
they will; but as for us, reverend sirs, we will still adhere to
what this Book teaches, believing it contains all that is neces-
Living Words.
■sary for faith and practice. Give up the Bible, the founda¬
tion of all true civilization, the Christian's only hope? Give
it up? When winds forget to blow, when oceans forget to roll,
and the wheels of creation stand still,
THE WISDOM OF OUR FATHERS SEEN DOWN THE LINE OF ADVAN¬
CING YEARS.
With no small degree of pleasure we review the wisdom of
our fathers," to whose sagacity and far sightedness the " faith
of the Church" remains firm and unshaken. This is particular¬
ly gratifying when we see others wrestling with antiquated
creeds and .confessions grown hoary with the weight of years
and untenable in the wake of advancing Christianity.
Our Methodism, all honor to her founders, strong in her
Arminianism, towers like the mighty pyramids, lifting her
proud head above the wrecks of time.
WE CLING ALSO TO THE LANDMARK OF METHODISM.
Many, sirs, have removed the landmarks which have
l)een distinctive characteristics of our Methodism for over one
hundred years ; features, which, because of their acceptability
to all classes and conditions of mankind, having but one aim,
that of saving them ; features which have caused Methodism
to outstrip all other Christian bodies in territory, numbers
and actual souls won by its ministry and people, having won
for itself the title, "The People's Church." Certainly these
features deserve to be retained to add greater lustre to the
•cause of our Redeemer. Your brethren of the African M. E.
Church are a unit that Methodism should hold tenaciously to
those features of her system which have given her power and
influence on the earth, and hold in store greater tri¬
umphs and richer results. We cannot afford to lay aside our
great weapons, which others are adopting, christening and in¬
corporating into their system, and thus march forward to vic¬
tory,
I come, reverend sirs, to say that these grand old features
of Methodism should never be touched, prominent among
which we mention
Fraternal Address.
9
THE METHODIST CLASS MEETING.
There may be branches of the great Methodist family .that
■do not care to utilize this great department for Christian in¬
formation and development; but 3rour brethren of the African
M. E. Church heartily endorse and adhere to the class meet¬
ing. We must have it, sirs, so long as necessity exists for
Christian oversight and watchfulness; so long as advice, re¬
proof and instruction are needed; so long as one enters by pro¬
bation and needs to be taught the way to God. But as iron
sharpsneth iron, spiritually speaking, here, after the.struggles
and hand to hand contests with the enemy, the leaders, like
shepherds, lead their flocks where the fire of love and zeal
catches and burns, and thus the soul overflows. There the
coming minister is fired up for the battle he is to wage, and
has a burning desire to spread the Redeemer's kingdom. Not
only so, but
WE BELIEVE FULLY IN THE METHODIST PftAYER MEETING.
There are, sirs, instances where the multiplication of
church clubs, and other branches of improved machinery,
have neutralized or destroyed this great engine, which had
its birth with Methodism. 0, how our founder's heart
was bowed until here he was able to rejoice! All through
his writings, his sermons, hi^ talks, we are told to keep the fire
burning upon this altar.
Were you to ask me why African Methodism lifts her
proud head, and why, like the tall cedars of Lebanon, her
branches extend and she waves her head majestically, I would
point to her prayer meeting, where old and young gather with
faith in their hearts, fire in their souls, songs on their lips, and
with one voice pray that God would stop Satan's advancing
hosts ; send more laborers into his vineyard ; increase Christian
piety, cement afresh the ties of Christian families ; lift the gall¬
ing yoke of vice; lift up the fallen ; hush the orphan's cry ;
•dry the widow's tears; reclaim backsliders; make his ministers
flames of fire; give the gospel wings; and let the church march
forth "clear as the sun, fair as the moon, and terrible as an
army with banners." This, sirs, is also true of the love-feast
10
Living Words.
of which I cannot now speak. But we pause to notice another
indispensable landmark,
THE METHODIST REVIVAL.
Your brethren of the African M. E. Church urge us to
assure you that we still cling to the " Methodist Revival."
The revival fire shall never go out upon our altars. The
church being cradled in a burning zeal for primitive holiness,
yearns for a rekindling of old apostolic fire. Thus for over one
hundred years Methodism has swept along upon a tidal wave
of revival song.
Some, sirs, are so strangely refined that "they fear the re¬
vival—some of whom are ministers. From such, good Lord,,
deliver us, When Methodism turns her back upon the revival;
when Methodism becomes so refined that it fears the penitent's
cry and strives to hush the shout of the redeemed, her death
knell is sounded and her glory departed, as certain as was the
fall of Solomon the King.
Too refined for revival! What meant the invitation to the
Rev. Mr. Atkin, the distinguished missionary and revivalist,
and what was the character of those meetings he conducted in
old, aristocratic Trinity in the city of New York?
What meant the hurried invitation to Boston's most
popular clergyman? And shortly we hear the voice of the great
American clergyman, the Rev. Phillips Brooks, without ritual
or ceremony, ring out, " Come to Jesus." The millionaire, the
beggar, the business men of the metropolis, with their clerks,
neglected meals and business in their hurry to attend this re¬
freshing from the Lord. Here we see them standing side by
side. Listen to that song! Look at that eye! See those tears!
Listen to that shout! See millionaires shiver as the great
preacher draws a picture of Christ and the judgment seat.
Never did old classic Trinity witness such a scene before.
They may call it "Lenten services,'' but, Bishop and brethren,
it was nothing more nor less than the need of life and spiritual
power ; and it required the practice of the Methodist revival to
get it.
It is reported that nearly one million souls were converted
to Christianity last year by means of revival methods, of which
Fraternal Address.
11
number your African Methodist brethren were instrumental
in the salvation of many.
Last year our Georgia Conference reported thousands of
converts ; Alabama did the same. The news is wafted. The
revival fire is burning north, east and west. Truly, we want
sermons highly intellectual and oratorical. Let men in their
flight dig the earth, analyze every mineral and plant. Let
them overturn every rock, search the seas and oceans and
stud}' their great life; then, turning to that mysterious chart,
sweep the heavens with the mightiest telescope, track the march
of flaming comets and whirling worlds. Who would object?
The man of God should be thoroughly furnished. Yet, sirs,
if these sermons are so highly intellectual and oratorical that
there is not unction and power euough to move one soul to
Christ, away with such sermons and sermonizers.
It was the fiery Peter whose preaching won three thousand
converts in a day ; it was the zeal and the fire of the other apos¬
tles that turned Jerusalem upside down ; it was the mighty
John that snatched the mask from Herod's wicked face; and
would Methodism continue to lead the Christian world in
winning souls for Christ, let the revival bells ring on.
The Bishops and members of our Methodism are singing
a song, " One million souls for Jesus/' 0, let me tell them you
reciprocate that sentiment. Yes, I will tell them that you say
one million more for Jesus in this year! Then ring, ring the
bells, the revival bells, until the Redeemer's name shall ring
from pole to pole! But, again, reverend sirs,
AVE WILL NOT LET OUR ITINERANT DIE.
I am proud to inform you that the African Methodist
Episcopal Church keeps a strong grip upon the grand
old itinerant system, believing it to be the divine
plan, and knowing it to be the best plan of spreading
the Redeemer's kingdom. We are in line with you,
reverend sirs, in every one, two, three, or four years,
scattering the embassadors of the Cross east, west, north and
south; and though going from place to place and having no
home and but few friends, they are swelling the host of the
great " eternal home," whose builder and maker is God. How
12
Living Words.
grandly doss this noble army of itinerants demonstrate the
spirit of the Redeemer—annually receiving their appoint¬
ments and willingly tearing up and going to other fields, when
the higher authorities say, '* Move on."
We note exceptional cases where vanity, unmerited popu¬
lar applause and personal ambition sweep the place-hunter
from his feet, leading such a character to believe the appoint¬
ment is his, rather than Christ's and his church. With these
rare exceptions, I am proud to point you to thousands of our
itinerants as true as steel, called and anointed of God—men
whom our Bishops can trust in any field ; whose voices ring
out on mountain tops and valleys low: Itinerants! even the
bare footed and hungry, confronted by criticism and scorn are
planting the standard of the Cross upon the very ramparts of
the enemy. These ministers bid me tell you, " Hold the fort,"
preach Christ, hold higher the gospel banner and remember,
reverend sirs, in us you have a band of brothers who will fol¬
low wherever the blood-stained banner waves.
THE ORGANIZATION OF THE AFRICAN METHODIST EPISCOPAL
CHURCH AS A CONNECTION,
took shape, as you know, in 1816. It was founded -by that
•great man, the Rev. Richard Allen, a man worthy to be ranked
among the best of earth and the purest of heaven; a man
whose deeds will live while Methodism lives, and when the
heroes of Christianity shall be called, he must appear or else
the list will be incomplete. If God raised up Moses to lead
Israel, the results confirm the opinion that he also raised up
Richard Allen, ordaining him the first Afro-American clergy¬
man and delegating him to the special mission " of unlocking
the doors which cruel caste had closed and barred." Thus he
became the founder of the African Methodist Episcopal
Church, an organization like your own, sirs, where character
and not color is the badge of a Christian. No desire for per¬
sonal gain, either of wealth or fame, can taint his fair name.
One wish fired his great heart, and that was to establish a
Christian organization which granted equal chances to his
sons and daughters for the highest intellectual, moral and
spiritual development, and where all Christians could stand
Fraternal Address.
13-
upon a common level as Christian laborers and worshipers.
Your brethren of the A. M. E. Church wish to be clearly un¬
derstood just here, whatever may be the opinion of others to
the contrary. 'However much men may discriminate in other
places and in other things, we hold that no discrimination on
account of color should ever be made in the ranks and at the
altar in the house of Almighty God. X am glad to inform you,
sirs, that for seventy-four years we have welcomed to our Metho¬
dism men of every hue and race and have had in our ranks as
pure and cultured men of other nationalities as clergymen,
educators and laymen, as ever breathed the breath of life..
We believe, sirs, that "God made of one blood all nations to
dwell on the face of the earth," and only "such as work right,
eousness are accepted of him." Seventy-four years, reverend
sirs, have swept by since this little band of sixteen ebony-faced
Christians unfurled their banner to the breeze. Were I to pic¬
ture the scene of their first meeting in that blacksmith shop
could I picture those faces lit up with doubts and(fears; could
I recall their prayers and tears, with their struggles to estab¬
lish this our beloVed and grand old African Methodism, it would
force the sympathetic tear and send a chill to every heart.
But, suffice it to say. reverend sirs, Allen and his band, under
God, were equal to the emergency, possessing nothing but in¬
vincible faith in the justice of his cause. They had uncom¬
promising confidence in God, and were confirmed in the opin¬
ion that all men are brothers. They went, and to-day, thank
God, we can point to hundreds of magnificent structures for
Christian worship, a goodlynumber of universities, colleges and
schools, two publishing houses, a host of Christian ministers,,
and a denomination ranking third in the list of Methodist de¬
nominations, unsurpassed by any, sirs, in her efforts to build
the grandest civilization on the globe.
HONORS TO OUR HERO.
It gives me pleasure to inform you that February 14thr.
last, the one hundred and thirtieth anniversary of the birthday
of our great hero—Richard Allen—was the scene of an extra¬
ordinary event; one that will live with increasing lustre
through coming years. It wras not some great national holi--
14
Living Words.
day, such as the polished French would proclaim in honor of
Gambetta or Napoleon ; not the outpouring of England's no¬
bility to honor Nelson of Trafalgar fame; not the sturdy Ger¬
man shedding tears of farewell to Bismarck, the man of blood
andiron ; nor was it the day of Calvin or Luther. Nay, nay.
But it was the dawning of the da}^ when a people were finding
time and comprehended that they had men whose deeds and
lives were worth remembering, and who deserved recognition-
It was the voice of over one million of our brethren, their sons
and daughters, honoring an Afro-American hero. It was the
•voice of the bishops, ministers, teachers, parents and children,
with waving banners, sweetest flowers, wreaths of garlands
and songs, doing honor to him their founder and hero—Rich¬
ard Allen—a man who had the courage to link his name with
God's greatest heroes and reformers. It was not only enthusi¬
asm, but a most fitting recognition of a < hristian people's
gratitude and high appreciation for one whose efforts have
made possible so much for the Afro-American.
RISING BY OUR OWN EFFORTS.
Be it far from me, reverend sirs, to utter any unkind senti¬
ment toward any branch of the Christian family, for we are
one in Christ. Yet, sirs, you will agree with me when I tell
you it is upon our own Christian organizations the aspiring,
cultured Afro-American must depend for full recognition and
equal chances for a thorough development of Christian man¬
hood. It stands admitted that organizations well equipped,
possessing competent leaders, wield an influence which others
can never have, because strength and character demand recogni¬
tion. The signal ability displayed and the grand record made
by the representatives of Afro-American Methodism, as such,
at the great Ecumenical Conference in London and the Chris-
mas Centennial Conference in Baltimore, confirm the opinion
that the hope to rise to equal Christian recognition elsewhere
is chimerical. And yet, sirs, this does not betray the least de¬
sire to perpetuate Christian churches exclusively based upon
race distinctions, for who does hot regret there ever existed a
condition of things which made it necessary (not desirable)
for Christian organisations exclusively racial. And yet if we are
Fraternal Address.
15
able to read the signs of the times, a glance at American Chris¬
tianity, its practice, the decisions of its conventions, the tone
of its press, the practice of its pulpits, with some exceptions,
indicate that many, yes, ver}^ many years must sweep by be¬
fore this Christianity will recognize and acknowledge that
'"God rates by character and not by color." But, sirs, we
would be base indeed did we not feel under lasting obligations
to the good and great men who struggle against great odds for
the unity of the saint.
With all this the fact is plain that the necessity remains
(not desire) for such organizations, and these organizations
must stand until the causes which gave them birth are swept
into the ocean of oblivion by the rising tide of Christian fra¬
ternity. The}' must last, reverend sirs, until pulpit and pew,
with all Christian institutions, shall welcome all the sons of
men; and where the foul blot of caste and discrimination shall
taint no altar of Almighty God held forth to the sacred wor¬
ship of the Son of Righteousness.
But again, it gives me pleasure to speak, by way of in¬
formation, of u Our Church Machinery." 1 cannot now
speak of the episcopal force of our forty-two annual Conferences
or the personnel of our educational institutions, of our depart¬
ment under Dr. Wm. D. Johnson, or of our financial depart¬
ment under Dr. Jas. A, Handy, at Washington, D. C. We
pause to notice
OUR DEPARTMENT OF MISSIONS.
With no little degree of pleasure I remark we have never
lost the spirit of missions—it is a fire burning fipon our altars
never to go out. This department is located at New York.
For many years the lamented Bishop Jas. A. Shorter stood at
its head, guiding our home and foreign work. The grand
women of the Church made it possible to enter many strongholds
where moral and spiritual darkness held sway at home and
abroad. This department is now encouraged by our talented
Bishop Tanner, with Rev. Wm. B. Derrick, D. D., secretary.
The churches are being flooded with missionary literature, thus
increasing our information and liberality to send the gospel
around the globe. Our home fields embrace the States and
16
Living Words.
Territories; our foreign field embraces Canada, Hayti, West
Indies and Africa, which, mission fields are receiving greater
attention, increased appropriations and larger working force.
Thus we are blending forces with other Christian denomina¬
tions in their efforts to spread Christian light versus heathen
darkness.
We must notice
OUR EDUCATIONAL WORK.
The constant increase of Afro-American Methodism
brings increasing responsibilities upon the Church to provide
educational facilities for its membership. We cannot afford
to delegate to any class of American citizens exclusive right to
train our people for Christian citizenship. Hence I am proud
to call your attention to our work in this direction. Some
one has said, "The pulpit must stand acknowledged, while the
world stands, the most important and effectual guard and
arnament of virtue's cause."' Another has said, " The Church
wants no new divinity, but demands a set of ministers exceed¬
ing in spirituality and profound knowledge of the Holy Scrip¬
tures those who have preceded them." Conceding the first,,
and determined to accomplish the second, the African Metho¬
dist Episcopal Church, sirs, stands pledged to the cause of
Christian education. She would be untrue to her past history,
untrue to her traditions, and certainly false to posterity, if she
fails to perform her part in this direction. We fully realize^
reverend sirs, if we would hand down to coming ages, a Church
worthy the name and entitled to recognition as a moulder of
character and A framer of religious thought; if we would live,
as a Church, amid the clash of literary conflict; if we would
have men whose intellectual, moral and spiritual greatness
shall be the admiration of this and coming ages, like the
Egyptians, we must make them such.
I come to tell you, reverend sirs, that your brethren of the
African Methodist Episcopal Church are not sitting listlessly
waiting for any philanthropist, be he Peabody or Hand;
neither are we waiting for any charitable organization to do
our educational work. But with faith in God, full confidence
in our followers (though accepting proffered aid), we have
Fraternal Address.
17
vowed at the altar of eternal righteousness, not to rest until
seats of learning are provided, with thoroughly organized in¬
dustrial, scientific and professional departments, all thorough¬
ly equipped, at whose head shall stand the most scholarly
Christian nien and women the race possesses. Thus we pro¬
pose, reverend sirs, to send down to coming generations, Chris¬
tian scholars in the pulpit and pew, unsurpassed in the world
of Christian and secular literature; workers for Christ and hu¬
manity; men and women upon whose'lofty brow and exalted
vision no taint of caste can rest; unbiased writers of history;;
men and women whose wealth of scholarship, exalted Chris¬
tian character and independent manhood shall shine in the
galaxy of the scholarly—whose quick step and steady march
to the highest Christian civilization shall be heard sounding •
down the corridors of time.
As but a beginning to this end we point with pride to
our Wilberforce at Xenia, 0.; Allen University at Columbia,
S. C.; Payne Divinity Institute at Jacksonville, Fla.; Paul
Quinn College at Waco, Tex.; Morris Brown College at the
Gate City of the South. These, reverend sirs, with fifteen
other high, normal and industrial schools, controlled and op¬
erated by your brethren of the A. M. E. Church, are monu¬
ments of the Christian liberality, unsurpassed heroism of a
people once oppressed, but now unfettered citizens helping to
lift the nation to the grandest standard of Christian manhood.
These join hands with your Lane and Payne Institutes in the
work of preparing men and women to fill the highest stations,
not only in this republic, but in the world.
OUR PUBLICATION INTERESTS AT PHILADELPHIA AND NASHVILLE
•
Such has been the demands made upon the Church for
its own literary publications that its increased facilities have
been taxed far beyond its ability to meet this growing need.
We have now, reverend sirs, two publishing houses, located
respectively at Philadelphia, Pa., and Nashville, Tenn. The
former, known as the "Book Concern," for many years has sent
out our disciplines, hymnals, and the Christian Recorder, aside
from other literary, scientific and theological works, is also the
18
Living Words.
headquarters for our greatest perodical—" The A. M. E.
Church Review."" For many years this department has been
crippled by long standing obligations, but under the skillful
management of its present incumbent, the Rev. J C. Embry,
it is fast being put upon a firmer business foundation. We
expect, ere long, to hear the call for more room, greater facili
ties, larger quarters. On this great day, when we shall dedi"
cate a new concern, we shall ask you, reverend sirs, to come
and rejoice with us. From this department are sent weekly,
thousands of copies of the Christian Recorder, our oldest week¬
ly, Rev. R F. Lee, D. D., editor.
THE A. M. E. CHURCH' REVIEW.
From this department comes the A. M. E. Church Review-
It gives me great pleasure to inform you, though owned and
published by the A. M. E. Church, The Review represents the
scholarship of the race throughout the world. In its table of
contents are to be found able articles discussing every topic
known to the literary, scientific and philosophical world.
Doubters of the ability of the race have only to place this liter¬
ary looking glass before their eyes and behold the march of
the literary, scientific and philosophical masters of the race as
they tramp before their astonished gaze. Rev. L. J. Coppin,
D. D., is the editor.
The Review, sirs, is not only l'ead by the Afro-American,
but the scholarly of all races are perusing its pages. Nor is it
confined to our own America; but harnessing the "iron horse"
and mounting the racing " greyhounds" of the sea, plumes its
wings, unfolds its treasures to the inhabitants of Europe, the
Canadas, Nova Scotia, Bermuda, San Domingo, Hayti, St.
Thomas, and the continent of Africa; telling the world we are
coming, and coming this time to stay.
OUR SUNDAY-SCHOOL INTEREST,
Your brethren of the A. M. E. Church have felt the need
of a Sunday-school publishing department for many years,
capable of doing its own work, with buildings, machinery, etc.,
calculated to give employment to the great number of Afro-
American writers and Sunday-school specialists. While in-
Fraternal Address.
19
creasing the pecuniary interests of the Church, it generates a
spirit of independence and places the Church in direct commu¬
nication with the workers and Sunday-school publishers of the
world. Eight years ago Children's Day was announced; thou¬
sands of Gems, containing songs, poems, questions and sermon
topics ^ere sent flaming through the land. . These were an¬
swered, reverend sirs, by our boys and girls, whose zeal found
expression in nickles and dimes; and since the organization
they have poured into the treasury over thirty thousand dol¬
lars. With this sum, aside from publishing Recorders, cate¬
chisms, song books, cards, class books, graded quarterlies and
other supplies, these boys and girls have purchased for the
Church a fine five story building, centrally located, possessing
all of the facilities for the great Sunday-school publishing
house, not only of the A. M. E. Church, but Afro-American
Methodism. During these years of unprecedented progress
the venerable and far-sighted Bishop D. A. Payne has stood at
the head, with the energetic and able Rev. C. S. Smith as sec¬
retary and manager. These men aided by an able board of
directors are encouraged by a great Church. Whatever changes
take place, they will leave behind them a monument which
shall stand when those of brass and stone, like " monarchs
gems, shall blend in common dust."
This great achievement does not fill us with pride alone,
but we believe you rejoice with us in the hope that as men
pass by, gazing upon its walls, catching the rattle and roar of
its machinery, they may feel, that from its presses fly a Chris¬
tian literature that, while representing the ripest Negro scholar¬
ship, above all, bears the stamp of a Christian brotherhood.
Here, reverend sirs, we intend to establish a great Sunday-
school department with all the necessary apparatus—able edi¬
tors in each branch, who shall be able to sweep for themselves
the broad fields of biblical, theological and ecclesiastical litera¬
ture, that our workers may be supplied with the best and latest
information emanating from the cultured head and sanctified
hearts of the Afro-American. In fact, we mean to stand, sirs,
among Sunday-school thinkers and writers, as well as Sunday-
school workers. It may require years, but the banner is
20
Living Words.
hoisted. We are approaching the Rubicon, and we mean to
cross.
Here, reverend sirs, is located our second great organ, the
Southern Christian Recorder, which sends its thousands weekly
flying throughout the Church, cutting right and left for God
and the Afro-American. Rev. M. E, Bryant, the editor and
manager, has suffered much, but like Luther, fearless of men>
his voice and pen are still busy, pleading for the Church and the
oppressed. We welcome your publishing house to Nashville
and unite in the hope that Ave shall move forward as one living
army, shedding light, peace and fraternity, until the world
shall be Christianized.
Before closing I must call your attention to
THE POSITION OF THE A. M. E. CHURCH ON POPULAR ISSUES.
Notwithstanding the great strain required to operate our
vast machinery, the settlement of vexed questions of Church
polity incident to the operation of a Church counting its mem¬
bers by the hundreds of thousands, it gives me great pleasure to
inform you, reverend sirs, that the African Methodist Episcopal
Church has been outspoken on every living issue—social, civil,
moral, scientific and religious. Never in the history of the
Church has our religious press been required to make such a
contest—locking horns with Christian and secular journals, re¬
futing erroneous statements of orators and statesmen who deny
us standing and recognition among Christian bodies.
But I am proud to tell you that Lee at the head of the
Recorder, Coppin of the Review, Bryant and Smith at Nashville,
with your own Hamilton, form an editorial battery to be
trusted anywhere. These men speak for God and the race,
and have spiked many guns. Reverend sirs, let us keep strong
men at the head of our journals. Their arms are stronger
than ours : they can strike down where we dare not approach.
Our pulpit and press have rung out against the dreadful
whiskey traffic ; against encroachments upon our Christian Sabbath
and a Bible standard of marriage and divorce. We stand with a
draivn stvord against the scheming Romanist and wily Jesuit.
We contend for the Bible in the public schools, equal education
for all races, arbitration between capital and labor, protection
Fraternal Address.
21
to all American citizens, and opposition to Afro-American emigra¬
tion.
I am glad also to inform you, reverend sirs, in the fiery-
contest upon the great philosophical and scientific questions
ofthe day, the A. M. E. Church has nobly borne her part.
We have no fear of advanced thought or progressive orthodoxy
shaking, much less overthrowing, the foundation of the Church,
while we remember He has said, "The gates of hell shall not
prevail against it." But you ask, do we not tremble at the
march of scientific progress and research ? Nay, nay. We.
extend a hearty welcome to scientists and philosophers. We
will gladly accompany them; we will help scan every manu¬
script, turn every rock and fossil; we will bore the earth with
engine and auger, apply microscopic and spectroscopic tests,
analyze every shade and hue, go hand and hand with skeptic,
infidel and materialist, as with mightiest telescope he sweeps
the flaming constellations of the skies, satisfied when he re¬
turns, it will only be to doubly confirm what has rung down
the centuries of recorded time : *'In the beginning God cre¬
ated the heavens and the earth."
But, sirs, our tears have fallen since your last quadrennial.
Our hearts bled and we have sat in the shadow of a great be¬
reavement. Aside from many of our rank and file, three of our
distinguished prelates have put aside earthly mantles for robes
of righteousness higher up. The now immortal, Bishop James
A. Shorter, fell in the harness, gasping ere his sainted tongue
grewT dumb, " He, Christ, saves me now."
The polished William Fisher Dickerson, after worthily
wearing episcopal robes for nearly five years, fell asleep. He,
too, moved higher up. While he sleeps, the placid, rippling
waters of the Delaware break tenderly at his feet, chanting
sweet requiems to his sainted dust.
The silver-tongued Bishop Richard Harvey Cain is no
more. We miss him and them. We shall hear them rally
the hosts no more below, but we shall know with David,
Asaph, Hay den and Mozart, they chant the Hallelujah Chorus
in the oratorio of the skies.
And now, reverend sirs, accept my most profound thanks
22
Living Words.
for your indulgence. In the name of our pioneers living ; in
the name of our heroes dead; in the name of the eighteen
thousand class leaders who catch from burning lips the
whisper of Christian determination ; in the name of sixteen
thousand Sunday-school teachers who plant the seed of a liv¬
ing Christianity; in the name of sixteen thousand trustees
who control four million, four hundred and sixty-five thou¬
sand dollars worth of valuable church property; in the name of
eleven bishops and five thousand battle-scarred ministers; in
the most sacred name of the Holy Spirit, our great Redeemer,
and the God of battles, I bid you press on. Preach the word
until Christ shall come. Then. Bishops and Brethren of the
General Conference, may we all hear the cry ring through this
region of unclouded day :
" Loose all your bars of massive light,
Widely unfold the ethereal scene."
Then may you, reverend sirs, with all the branches of our
beloved and grand old Methodism, join with the saints of all
ages and races in the grand chorus,
" Bring forth the royal diadem
And crown him Lord of all."
BACCALAUREATE SERMON.
^ IJ3 e ^ ° r e the faculty and students of the Alabama State University and a
rge concourse of citizens of both races in the Columbus Street Baptist Church.
Theme "Universal Brotherhood the Problem of the Ages.!' Text, 2 Cor. ii. 10; iii.5.
For the first time in the history of this historic state the
faculty, students and friends of the Alabama State Universi¬
ty, an institution established by our legislature, dedicated to
the higher education of the colored American, assembles to its
first annual sermon.
When I remember this fact and look over this vast sea of
faces of all sexes and ages, the greatness of the occasion dawns,
causing me to feel, yes, doubly feel, my inadequacy to properly
discharge this extraordinary task. However, I have selected
as a theme, "Universal Brotherhood, the problem of the ages."
Text:—" Who is sufficient for these things ?" " Not that we
are sufficient of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God."
Text:—2 Cor., 2:16; 3:5.
Upon this most important occasion we were wont to
pause, as the faithful historian, who, at the threshold of a great
era, stands retrospecting the past, while mustering courage^
gathering material and formulating plans to prosecute his record
of the world s weary march toward a higher and nobler civiliza¬
tion.
Therefore I speak to you to-day as students of the Ala¬
bama State University and citizens, here assembled in the light
of the marching centuries, of the part you are to play as edu¬
cated men and women, as auxiliaries, in the founding of a per¬
petual civilization, as lasting as the eternal hills, based upon
the universal brotherhood of man. Ihe fact is obvious thau
all other questions pale before the problem of establishing a
common humanity, nay, a common civilization, pre\enting
necessity for a Pauline-Apollos controversy, but eliciting thg
(23)
24
Living Words.
competent side by side in the solution of this most difficult
task.
Questions of science and philosophy, tariff and civil ser¬
vice reform are but as chaff in comparison to the cry of the op¬
pressed for bread, the dangers of illiteracy, the corruption of
the ages, the horrors of heathenism, or the work of thoroughly
civilizing, christianizing and evangelizing the world.
Since the confusion of tongues, amid the plains of Chal-
dea, where the great Babel buried its head in the. blue vaulted
dome, when Ham, Shem and Japheth, with their posterity,
took up their weary march to the four quarters of the globe, it
has been a problem great and deep how to rectify or what to do
to change the confusion of six thousand years ago. It was to
this task the learned and eminent apostle to the gentiles was
willing to lay his great life and superior culture at the feet of
the polished Corinthian.
A cursory glance at Corinthian greatness and majesty
would impress one that these people had reached the highest
degree of civilization; but when we study her government,
her people, her arts and religion, gauging then by the Chris"
tian standard, we find, though one of the most celebrated cities
of Greece, receptacle of the world's commerce, the wonder of
nations for its splendor and magnificence, whose art buildings;
temples, palaces, halls of music, cenotaphs and embellished
columns hurried to kiss the sunlit skies, Corinth famed for
her statues dedicated to every imaginable deity; Venus and
Diana here, Apollo and Jupiter yonder, musicians whose in¬
spiring music led the dance of peace and the rattle and roar of
war. With all this Corinth was idolatrous, heathen, profligate.
Debauchery swept her from the record of nations,
and her greatness only lives in song. I would remind you to¬
day that such a.civilization cannot stand; it will never stand,
even though a people were in possession of artists innumer¬
able, treasures abundant, poets and musicians, until every man
could vie with Homer or excel the sainted Mozart.. Without
virtue, truth and righteousness, such a people would be
swept as chaff before a maddened cyclone. Therefore re¬
viewing the situation let us notice, First:
Baccalaureate' Sermon.
25
THE PROBLEM, THE TAX OF THIS AND COMING AGES.
f he difficult task of building a civilization free from the cor¬
rupt practices and characteristics of the governments which
dethroned the Pharos, dashed in ruin the mighty government of
Assyria, Babylonia, Greece and Rome, is the work of this and
coming ages It will not, nay, it cannot be the work of any
one people, but will require the combination of all the races
and centuries yet unborn to solve a problem requiring extra¬
ordinary expenditure of physical, intellectual, moral and
spiritual power. When I survey the vast crowd of human be¬
ings to the number of one billion four hundred and fifty mil¬
lion stretching from ocean to ocean and from pole to pole,
with only five hundred million possessing the elements of civ¬
ilization, leaving seven hundred million of our brethren and
sisters without civilization, seven hundred million living in
huts and caves, seven hundred million half naked, idolatrous
savages without gospel light or Christian cultivation—but sad¬
der still, there remains two hundred and fifty million more, sunk
lower still in idolatry, barbarism, who burrow in the ground
as the brute, without knowledge of these ties of affinity—this
nine hundred and fifty million appeal to us and demand the
introduction of such measures as are capable to lift up this
vast host steeped in idolatry and superstition, whose redemp¬
tion crushed the head of Christ, and forced his bitterest agony.
Therefore we notice a great factor in the solution.
FIRST: THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A GENUINE CHRISTIAN SYSTEM.
No human power, no policy of government, nor the com¬
bined wisdom of philosophy can provide a defence against the
depraved and corrupt heart of man. Men have constructed
fine creeds, voluminous disquisitions and scientific deduc¬
tions, scattered them around the globe, many of which have
hindered rather than promoted this great end. There must be
established a genuine Christian system in opposition to the
present narrow, selfish method. A system not only capable,
but attaining the end of Christ, which system will be greater
than the opinion of assemblies, greater than the voice of con¬
ferences, greater than the arbitrament of sword or clash of arms;
26
Living Words.
a system in which the voice of Christ will control, in thought,
in action, bursting the bands of idolatr\T, ignorance and super¬
stition, uniting humanity in the great "work of evangelizing
the world
The education of to-day is to teach the bursting asunder
of opinions, notions and customs, when antagonistic to the
heart of the inspired Nazarene. Such a system only can make
great souls like Livingston, Crowther, Huntington Taylor and
Amanda Smith. It fills the eyes with tears to behold the
manifest weakness of Christ's representatives. Who can won-.
der at Mohammedanism being more acceptable to heathens ?
Surely a genuine Christianity will lead up to
THE RECOGNITION OF A UNIVERSAL BROTHERHOOD.
I would have you understand that man is one throughout
creation, having sympathies, tastes, etc., in common, and
the work of the ages is to be devoted to the practical es¬
tablishment of this fact. Until this is conceded there' can be
no prosperity, though arts, science, etc., were piled mountain
high
Nation after nation, generation after generation, have
foundered here : this rock has crushed the purest nationalities
and it will continue to do so. God kept before Ham this idea
which must be accepted—a universal brotherhood. Ham es¬
tablished a mighty kingdom unparalleled for grandeur and
magnificence, famed for its giants in intellect and physique; a
kingdom whose fame fills the earth, whose treasures, pyramids
and obelisks are the study of archaeologists and the wonder of
travellers. Yet when it came to recognize the manhood of his
brother, the Hebrew, he could not think of such a thing, but
forced him to the hardest tasks and to bear the heaviest bur¬
dens, until his oppressed cry entered the ear of Jehovah, who
came down, wrenched the sceptre from Ham, lashed the Red
Sea shore with the dead bodies of Egyptian greatness and
turned the government over to Shem.
Shem started quite differently from his predecessor, partly
because of the display of the vengeance of God, partly from
the direction of the Almighty. Under the masterly leadership
of Moses, his worship and the building of a great temple were
Baccalaureate Sermon.
27"
t e wonder and admiration of the world. The wisdom of Solo-
mon an^ this most magnificent structure, mistress of the seven
hills, whose myriad spires shot heavenward, received the di¬
vine approbation, to this extent, that Jehovah arrayed himself
in garments of light, bowed the heavens, came down and filled
this holy structure with his august presence, amid sounds of
music and the swing of censer. Yet with all this exalted honor,
Shem not only rejected, but revolted against his deliverer.
God saw at once children who were disobedient to their
parents and could not be trusted to form a brotherhood of na¬
tions. - Hence he took the government from Shem and scat¬
tered him and his posterity, whose condition to-day is a con¬
stant reminder of disobedience and rebellion, to the four quar¬
ters of the globe. He gave the control to Japheth, plainly indi¬
cating that the task was a great one. Ham failed; Shem failed ;
leaving Japheth to try his hand at the solution of this most
difficult problem.
Japheth is now on trial, and when I say Japheth, I mean
the Anglo-Saxon or white man. Thus far, though making
many mistakes, he has done reasonably -well.
It does seem as if Divine Providence has made this race
the dispenser of the world's civilization, the regulator of its arts,
science, literature, commercial greatness and religious reform.
But what is it for ? I answer that Japheth, or the white man,
mav bring about this universal brotherhood, thus uniting into
one great family the different races of the globe
Will the Anglo-Saxon be equal to the task? Or rather,
will he be willing to do this? This remains to be seen. But
whether he will or not. the signs are apparent that God means
110 more to trust any one race with so great a task, and means
for the intelligent and,. Christian of all the races to unite in this
work. Therefore, I say to you students of the Alabama State
University and this vast audience, there is no time to stand off
gazing, depending upon legislation. Put your shoulders
to the wheel, thoroughly equip yourselves, and help your
Anglo-Saxon brother to fashion the theology, literature, criti¬
cism, philosophy and industries, mingling in all the walks
'28
Living Words.
•of life, thus assisting in building the grandest civilization this
world has ever seen.
In the propagation of these principles you are to possess
the spirit of your Master. Christ who cared nothing for races,
weighing neither blood nor position—with Him, there is no
■Jew, no Greek, no bond, no free, no rich, no poor, no high, no
low; but all one in Christ.
This the science of divinity is trying to teach men, and
how singular it is, that men soon become professors
in geology, astronomy, physiology, theology, etc, 'but
when they reach the department where the textbooks of a uni¬
versal brotherhood are given, they turn away, saying, " This
science is too difficult." It was difficult for Peter; but after a
hard struggle he graduated, and in his address he said, " God
is no respecter of persons." How grandly was this illustrated
over eighteen centuries ago amid the thronged streets of Jeru¬
salem, when a howling mob was heard crying out " Crucify him,
■crucify him." A man pale and worn was seen bearing a heavy
load. All of a sudden he fainted, falling to theground. Children
shrieked, women fainted, the Roman soldiers stood aghast.
The trembling Jew watched, frightened disciples dared not to
approach; but amid that vast throng one possessing the spirit of
man, when no one else would help, Simon, the Negro of Cy-
rene, snatched the rugged cross from the prostrate form of his
Master, Christ, by his own muscular power, bore it to Golgotha's
rugged brow, from whose top it shone in Greek, Hebrew and
Latin, as the dying cry passed over Judean plains : " This day
I emphasize afresh the universal brotherhood of man." It mattered
not to this Negro of Cyrene what the nationality of Christ was
—he was a man and hence a brother. To reach such an emi¬
nence as educated people, theie are,
•SECOND : SPECIFIC DIFFICULTIES TO BE CONFRONTED AND RE¬
MOVED.
When we turn our eyes to this section we ar& confronted
with a grave danger which must be not only discussed, but
■eradicated, ere it throttles and crushes the great institutions
which years of sacrifice and toil have erected.
I refer (a) to the
Baccalaureate Sermon.
29
VAST POPULATION UNDER SWAY OF ILLITERACY.
1 hi 11k of 3?) per cent, of a people, upon whose shoulders,
the duties of citizenship rest, unable to even comprehend the-
scienee of government, much less to discharge its responsibili¬
ties , 69 per cent, of which are colored and 32 per cent, white
Americans. When we ponder this great ignorance, it speaks
in thunder tones, requiring no statesman to decipher its mean¬
ing. It means when this ignorance is massed under a wicked
and vicious leader, it will tear down, uproot, devastate and pol¬
lute, not only a state, but endanger the government. What
nation, what people can stand against increasing illiteracy ?'
No matter how great or well founded, illiteracy cares nothing
for it. Increasing illiteracy demands an increase of jails, work¬
houses, chain gangs, prison bosses, which so demoralize that
criminals return to society worse than before. Oh! when I
think of it, it speaks to the intelligent man who sleeps sur¬
rounded by illiteracy, that he slumbers on the highway which
leads to mob rule and insurrection. Nay, nay, he slumbers
upon a volcano, which in time, will develop into rivers of
tears and fountains of blood that will deluge the land.
Where illiteracy predominates, intelligence, refinement,
and education count for nothing. You can have no delibera-
tion, no legislation. The yell and howl will crush the culture of
years, as seen but a few weeks ago. Illiteracy must be swept
out; the conflict will wax hotter and hotter. Illiteracy may
fight, but intelligence will crystallize and die before it will sur¬
render. Let vicious ignorance hear this.
Would you, as educated young men and young women,
stop such a conflict? Would you spread prosperity and unity
up the highway of life, scatter the light of universal intelligence,,
which is the only means leading to the true standard of citizen¬
ship?
But again, another danger confronts the rising generation :
(6.) THE CIRCULATION AND READING OF DANGEROUS LITERATURE.
Little as thought of it, young men and women of the
Alabama State University, few evils confront us of greater
magnitude, spreading itself and fastening its poisonous fangs
into the hearts of the flower of this land and retarding our pro-
30
Living Words.
gress. Under the guise of polite fiction bad books find their
way into many of our best families— patronized and fostered by
far too many good people. 0 could you see the thousands of
young men and women, wrecks of their former selves, with
blasted hopes and wasted opportunities, sunk to the lowest
strata of society ! Could you see the moral and religious cul¬
ture of years ruptured, broken and thrown to the winds, you
might ask, "How came this?" Go to the parlor table,the bed¬
room, library, unfold that book and paper, see the late hours'
reading, and the answer is promptly given. How long will
our homes surrender lo companies, stores and publishers who
fill our land with such deadly poison?
But again, we notice
(C.) THE FOUL BLOT OF INTEMPERANCE.
Race difference and inequalities of nations are great ques¬
tions, but greater far is the evil of intemperance. Corrupt books
lead to corrupt associates ; they, too, corrupt habits. These open
wide the door to the most degrading vices. ■ What degrades
more than intemperance, which stands as a blind giant strik¬
ing in every direction ? Look where you will, his tracks are
seen. One moment he holds high carnival in the mansion; next
in the laborer's hut, stealing brain power, crushing moral and
spiritual nature; dashing crowned heads from thrones of power,
piling king and beggar side by side; retarding legislation, kill¬
ing the legislator; orphaning children; filling the land with the
widow's cry; sweeping down young men and women by the
thousands. My heart grows sick as I picture this scene. It
appeals to you, it appeals to this land. Let the people rise up
and sweep it out or our fall will be more terrific, more disas¬
trous and far reaching than the fall of the great and mighty
Babylon.
In this work there must be a united effort. Every man, and
especially the educated, must feel unmistakably the responsi¬
bility resting upon him. It is the work of all. Is there no
remedy? Yes, there is a remedy and I claim the remedy is
equal to the emergency.
Thus, we notice,
Baccalaureate Sermon.
31
THIRD: THE AGENCIES EMPLOYED FOR THE SOLUTION OF THIS
MOST DIFFICULT PROBLEM.
Truly
it may be asked, who or what is sufficient for these
things? The reply is made that the great Church of God, the
gospel of peace, associated with a thorough education are the
great levers to change the face of the world. If these cannot
do it, then we had as well give up the task. But there is power
m the grand old gospel forces, in thorough education, which
will bring about such a brotherhood stretching from ocean to
ocean and to the islands of the sea
Before discussing the agencies, I desire to answer some
questions, viz:
1. Will the rejection of higher education be gain or loss
to the state? I answer, it will be a loss, pecuniarily, morally,
intellectually and otherwise. For instance, if a state makes
no provision for higher education of its citizens every year, the
scholars, who leave her common, normal and industrial schools,
will leave her and go to other states which provide institutions.
Once leaving the)7 seldom return. Do we not see the scholars
of Alabama crowding the institutions of Georgia, Tennessee,
Virginia, the District of Columbia, Pennsylvania, New York,
Massachusetts, Ohio and Connecticut, taking away thousands
of dollars from home which ought to remain in the state; sim¬
ply decreasing her refined and cultured citizens who should be
kept at home to help reduce subjects for chain-gangs and coal
mines; forcing the state to double duty in combating ignorance
and vice almost single-handed and alone.
2. Will higher education injure the status of races or re¬
duce the ability of the laborer? Ask any man of average in¬
telligence into whose hands he would rather trust his life and
interest—to an illiterate, vicious person who could be bribed to
do anything, or into the hands of an intelligent Christian citi¬
zen. Common sense asks, which? But will the higher educa-
zion make a lazy, good-for-nothing, shiftless people ? I will
ask a distinguished educator of national reputation to answer
this question. He says, 11A common school education will add
50 per cent, to the productive ability of the laborer; an academ¬
ic education will add 100 per cent.; while a university edu-
32
Living Words.
cation will add 300 per cent, to the productive power of the
laborer, to say nothing about his ability to mould and fashion the
highest civilization." What, therefore, is the duty of the state ?
To provide educational institutions for the thorough training
of her citizens. Not to simply give them a smattering, but to de¬
velop every faculty of hand, head and heart. Thus a state
wishing to attain this end will hasten to establish schools of
agriculture, commerce, manufacture, the mechanic and the lib¬
eral arts.
The man who doubts the capacity of the race respecting
higher education has only to open his eyes and come in con¬
tact with its scholars scattered broadcast. These are not to be
found at mayor's courts or in chain-gangs.
The man who says the race has made no progress, but
stands devoid of power to reach the highest civilization—his ig¬
norance of ancient or modern history is to be pitied. What,
therefore, should be the culture of the colored Amqricanf We an¬
swer, young men and women of the Alabama State Universi¬
ty : You are to be the thoroughly educated American citizen
whose education is to be as broad as the great commission—
suited to all ages, all climes, all nations of people—fitting you
to help fashion the highway of nations, solve problems of gov¬
ernment, and thus be fitted to level up the whole man—physical,
intellectual, moral and psychological. The home, common,
normal and industrial schools, the college and the university,
are the mediums through which is produced the trained hand,
head and heart fitting you to step from your alma mater to
fight as a hero in the strife.
Such a thorough education doubly fits the young woman
to be queen of the home, to be the accomplished teacher, to fill
all the walks in life which are now open to her. To be moulders
and fashioners of character, require, on your part, young women,
the very best education. No smatterer can do this work. It
takes artists to make character. Such an education will fit
young men for positions and professions which you must fill
in ranks of the skilled. You are to be found as tradesmen,
merchants, bankers, etc. Leaving these you are to reach
higher, to such positions as require the highest literary culture.
Baccalaureate Sermon.
33
_ t e same time you are to remember that acquaintance with
atm, Hebrew, French and German, or a knowledge of all the
sciences are not incompatible with the most humble, honor¬
s' e walk in life. Lucius Quintius (. incinnatus was called
rom his plow in the field to the position of Dictator of all
proud Rome.
Your education must be so thorough and your culture so
universal, that fromever}7 walk in life men can be obtained, in¬
stead of depending upon one or two professions. You can
know Greek and Latin, and be a good farmer without impair-
mg your ability or standing, but greatly adding to your use¬
fulness. i'o-day I beseech you also to prepare for such posi-
tions as require the highest literary, culture. An educated
man is a cosmopolitan. He is to be found wherever the best cul¬
ture is needed to lift up a people, and wherever illiteracy, super¬
stition, etc., are greatest, the thoroughly educated are needed most.
Hence your education must be that afforded by the college and
university, because of greater facilities. It finishes what the
high, normal and industrial schools begin. Possessing its
schools of languages, schools of medicine, schools of law,
schools of philosophy, schools of theology, music, arts, etc.,
with its able corps of professors, fine and well appointed labo¬
ratories, it is here the students walk hand in hand with the
fashioners of the world's science, art and literature as he cannot
do otherwise.
Young gentlemen and ladies, behold the power and in-
fluence exerted by the students of the universities of Germany,
England, Scotland and America. Such an education, or its
equivalent, is necessary to make the clergyman an ablt ^eacher
of the word of truth; to produce lawyers equal to the emergen¬
cies; to give us physicians capable of combating disease in all
its forms; to make professors, whose diplomas are not the only
guarantee, but who master their professsions, as the captain his
ship in a storm. Such an education will make the statesman
who will never stoop so low as to bribe the ignorant and
secure the aid of the vicious. In short, you should be familiar
with every branch of the industrial and mechanic arts, from
that of digging stone in the quarry to the designing and erec-
34
Living Words.
tion of the grandest structure that human eyes can gaze upon.
Your literary culture should begin at the famous blue-back speller,
and push on through the sciences, arts, tongues and dialects spoken
by the nations of the globe, thus possessing a culture that pre¬
pares for life's responsibilities. Daniel, the scholarly Hebrew,
held his position through seven monarchies, amid scientists,
scholars, and magicians of other nationalties. Joseph was
raised to the second place of fame and power, despite the sneers of
Egyptian leadership. Disraeli, the Jew, ranks among most
honored and lamented premiers. These men held these positions
among foreigners by scholarship and spiritual excellencies.
Thus only can you join hands with Japheth, your Anglo-Saxon
brother, and help lift irp a fallen and ruined world. Such
a culture will invite to strive for the higher moral education.
Your education must not be all intellectual training, but
the training of your higher moral nature. 0, young women
and men, this is to be your life work—to teach humanity their
duty to God, their obligation one to another, to consciously
love and cling to the right. This will demand your best brain,
all of your energies and talent.
You are to love the right and hate the wrong with a
hatred that is eternal. The world is sadly in need of more
women and men whose natures are so trained that they will
not swerve from the path of right; men who cannot be bought;
not hypocrites, like Judas,who thronged the pulpit, the church,
the cities, villages and every profession in the nation ; but
men like Luther, Wesley, Zwingli, Dodge, Peter Cooper,
Mathew Simpson, Daniel A, Payne—men whose garments are
unspotted, men cast in moulds which seemed to have been
broken in their production.
Young men, the nation is needing men like the immortal
Gladstone. Journalism is seeking editors who stand upon
eight to all as the sheet anchor, editors who cannot be
bribed. The church is in need of a ministry who will preach a
common humanity, ministers who cannot be intimidated by the no¬
tions of aristocratic congregations—fearing loss of salary or
popularity ; in short, men like Joseph, who would rather die in
prison than be guilty of wrong doing.
Baccalaureate Sermon.
35
third:
Such an education will lead to the highest spiritual or
psychological culture. Your grandest work is here: you are
to unite with the church of God in the soul culture of human¬
ity ; upon this platform the brotherhood must stand or fall.
No work performed by man for man on earth yields so much
to humanity as the training of the soul; it is worth more than
the accumulation of all the ages combined.
It is man's letting go self; it is the extirpation of the pollu¬
tion of sin; it is the gradual unfolding, dropping off of corrupt
natural propensities and the evolution into a higher, nobler,
grander manhood; it is the will, the affections, the all in
man taking hold on God, with all the heart, love, mind and
strength, and treating your neighbor as yourself; it is that cul¬
ture that leads men up, up, until they reach Him, whose pre¬
cept, example and pierced right hand lifts heathenism from
its hinges, turns the channel of centuries, and who means to
make one grand universal brotherhood where all men shall be
Christian brethren.
It may take God centuries to do this, but it will be done.
Nearly two thousand years ago the Anglo-Saxon was found
by Caesar living in mud huts, clothed in the skins of beasts,
bodies tattoed, idolatrous, brutal, savage; but by following in
the wake of their refined conquerors, to-day they are the
proud Anglo-Saxon, whose burdened ships and whitened sails,
kiss the sunlight on every sea; whose galleries of art, colleges
of science, great and growing universities, are the wonder of the
world. If two thousand years has done so much for the Anglo-
Saxon race, by the same methods, in two thousand years the
Negro will tread this earth as he has never done before—highly
intellectual, truly moral, thoroughly spiritual, Christian. Be¬
neath the feet of such men the earth will tremble as they
tread. Hence the education of to-day is to tend more and
more to the brotherhood. This higher education will make
the thorough Christian gentleman , nothing else will. I say
to you to-day, keep clear of race complications, let God take cai e oj
the race question ; be frugal, be industrious. Remember, you are
being educated for the world. A very learned man gave this
36
Living Words.
as a solution of the race problem : Said he, " When traveling
West upon the train, a storm came up. ' Looking, I saw three
drops of water upon my car window. As the fast train hur¬
ried on, I beheld those drops move off separately, each run¬
ning in a straight line until reaching the bottom, when in a
moment they rushed together and passed out of sight. It
occurred to me so God is training the races."
I echo his sentiment,, and say to-day we are working in
different squads or companies, but having sympathies and
tastes in common. Through the jostle of the centuries we are
beginning to move higher and higher, until by and by we will
rush together and sweep out upon the great ocean, crystallizing
into the grand nationality of a reunited brotherhood.
The president, members of the faculty and students, are to
be congratulated upon the excellent showing they have made
under such adverse circumstances. When the authorities and
citizens see your work, know the object, see how it will lessen
taxes, wipe out race conflicts, promote peace and prosperity, I
cannot believe that the intelligence of Montgomery—nay, of
the State of Alabama—means to force her colored citizens to
allow other states or cities to be more magnamimous.
For nearly three centuries the ancestry and many of the
colored sons and daughters of the present generations reaped
down her fields, toiling amid tears and sorrows to make Ala¬
bama what she is ; stood by her in time of war, amid its rattle
and roar; cared for her wives and children ; guarded to the
death her treasures from invasion ; watched her sick and
afflicted; bathed the brow of the dying; tenderly cared for her
dead. Oh, my God, will the Christian intelligence of her min¬
istry and people, the culture of her lawyers, the education
of her statesmen, the teachers and professors of her
schools and colleges, refuse us the lamp of civilization ? To
their Christianity, manhood and charity, I appeal. Help us,
Oh, help us !
We notice in conclusion,
FOURTH : THE GREATER HAND IN THE SOLUTION OF THIS
PROBLEM.
The text concludes with the consoling truth, "Our sufficien-
Fraternal Address.
37
cy is of God." The hand of the living God has ever been uplift¬
ed in the affairs of men and nations. Every page of the book of
books glistens with the fact that though Divinity fitted up this
world for man, and though He dashed from His finger tips mil¬
lions more, visible and invisible, and though they whirl in flam¬
ing grandeur around his omnipotent brow, he stills controlsthis
world by certain fixed laws which no man or combination can
alter. Thus, he carries on the affairs of the world without any
regard whatever to time or expense. Societies, empires, civi¬
lizations,'have gone down one after another, because they did
not answer his purpose. Oh, be wise and trust his hand.
Unroll the pages of history and there you see the fiery hand
of Jehovah ever lifted in the defense of the oppressed, the obe¬
dient and virtuous.
Races and colors are nothing with God. The men, the peo¬
ple, the nations that will nt»t deal justly and are not God-fearing
and humane, will be swept from the face of the earth. Your
education is to prevent these evils.
Where is Egyptian greatness? She would not hear the
cry of the oppressed Hebrew; and though having gates of brass,
temples of fame, pyramids whose tops hastened to kiss the
morning light, she went down. Where is Roman and Grecian
greatness ? Swept down by the hand of Jehovah, leaving only
mammoth ruins, mute reminders of the result of disobedience
and dissipation.
Young men and women : Cultivate the highest regard for
all races of people Be proud of your race, the race which
Started the world's civilization and will help end it, a
race which produced Alexander Dumas, the great French nov¬
elist and dramatist; a race which furnished cultured Negro
Bishops in the Nicene council, which council constructed the
creeds and canons of the churches in the early centuries, which
creed and canons stand as data for Christendom; a race that pro¬
duced Banneker, the Negro scientist, whose ability is unques¬
tioned • a race that produced Toussaint L'Ouverture, the states¬
man soldier, martyr; a race that produced Bishop Crowther,
who sits in council with the cultured and refined Bishops of the
established church of England; a race that produced E. W.
38
Living Words.
Blyden, the great linguist and Oriental scholar; a race that
produced Scarborough, the scholarly philologist, who worthily
fills his place in the congress of philologists.
But let me unfold the pages of Negro scholarship and pro¬
gress. I see the matchless orator, Douglass; the artist, Tanner.
Look! I see the rising line of electricians, engineers, shipown¬
ers, merchants, financiers, farmers, physicians, sculptors, states¬
men, clergymen, theologists, historians, authors and poets who
-are here and coming, who say, Join hands with the Anglo-
Saxon; help make a universal brotherhood, Avhich will last
until heaven rolls up as a scroll and passes away. Till then,
young men and women, toil on
In the world's great field of battle,
In the bivouac of life; •
Be not like dumb driven cattle,
Be a hero in the strife,
Por our sufficiency is of God. Amen.
Montgomery, Ala., June 28, 1888.
Rev. W. G. Alexander :
We, the undersigned citizens of Montgomery, irrespective of denomina¬
tion, listened to your most able and eloquent Baccalaureate Sermon to
the Faculty and Students of the Alabama State University upon the timely
subject of " Universal Brotherhood," which sermon, in our judgment, clearly
sets forth the necessity and character of the education which the colored
American should possess, and also presents wise and timely suggestions
upon the vexed race problem.
Believing that the widest circulation should be given a literary pro¬
duction so full of information to the citizens of Alabama, the colored
citizens in general, recognizing it as an eloquent plea for the establishment
of the Alabama University, most respectfully request that you grant us the
pivilege of putting the sermon in pamphlet form.
As lovers of race progress, we remain,
Your True Friends,
Wm. B. Patterson, Pres. Ala. Col. State University.
Rev. J. A. Foster, Pastor Columbus St. Baptist Church.
II. A. Loveless.
A. A. Garner, Editor Herald.
C. H. Duncan, Principal Swayne School.
E. J. Lewis, Principal Cometery Hill School.
J. M. C. Logan.
C. N. Dorsette, M. D.
Jno. M. Steadman, Principal Opelika Dis. School.
Wm. W atkins.
N. H. Alexander, and many others.
STUDY, ST. JOHN'S A. M. E. CHURCH.
Montgomery, Ala., June 29, 1889.
Messrs. Patterson, Foster, Loveless and others :
Yours at hand; contents noted- I gladly comply with your request in
ivin" you the manuscript of sermon preached before the Faculty, Students
fndFriends of the Alabama State University.
I do so with the sincere hope that some idea advanced may help the sons
and daughters of Ham to reach the highest physical, intellectual, moral and
t ii a 1 excellence, and that they may toil assiduously to help bring about
^ brotherhood of all the races of the globe, all one in Christ Jesus.
Yours sincerely,
W. G. Alexander.