ANARCHY—A WARNING.
“In the first-class saloon, there are seventy-six passengers; in the second, sixty; and in the steerage there are about eight hundred—nearly all emigrants. Some are Jews from Russia, fleeing from persecution; others are Belgians, Swedes, Germans, Italians, Irishmen, Welshmen and Scotchmen, all going to our home of freedom—America. Many of them are very immoral, and utterly oblivious of modesty. As a rule, they are a dirty lot, some actually nauseating; and hundreds of them have not washed either their hands or faces on this voyage, so far. Yet these very people come to America to supercede the Negro, and to boss him! These immigrants have extended to them the rights of citizenship in every particular, and yet these inalienable rights are denied the colored man who has helped to make America what it is. Many of these foreigners are of the very worst element in their own country. They are ignorant, treacherous, uncivilized, and many of them heathen. They have no respect for the Sabbath; they have no respect for the law; they have no regard for Christianity; they are antagonistic to the principles of liberty as laid down in the Declaration of Independence of the United States. Mark this prediction: So sure as we live, America is fast getting a Jumbo on her hands. She is nestling a Vesuvius in her bosom that may remain dormant for a long period; but when the volcanic eruption breaks forth, seventy times seven streams of lava will be shot out at one time, and the main pillars that support and uphold the whole fabric of our American institutions will be undermined, uprooted, and partially, if not wholly destroyed. Chicago and New Orleans should be held in remembrance by our whole people, East, West, North and South. The outrages perpetrated by these villains in those cities were comparable to the firing of the first gun on Fort Sumter. Let the American congress spend some time in legislating against these holy terrors, instead of needlessly discussing schemes to deport the poor unfortunate Negro.”
CHAPTER X.
AS A NATIONAL FIGURE.
The first National Baptist Convention of Negro Baptists ever held in the United States convened at the Second Baptist Church, St. Louis, Mo., August 25, 1886, at 10 a. m. It was called to order by the late lamented Rev. William J. Simmons, D. D., President of the State University of Kentucky, who had been chiefly instrumental in having the Convention called. There were large delegations present from nearly all of the Southern States and a few from the East and West. Georgia sent only three delegates to this first meeting, while now she sends annually about one hundred. The three delegates from Georgia who attended the St. Louis meeting were the late Rev. E. K. Love, D. D., of Savannah, and the Revs. G. H. Dwelle and C. T. Walker, of Augusta. The Rev. Mr. Walker took a prominent part in the deliberations of the Convention, and served on the Committee on Permanent Organization. It was because of a wise, conservative and, considering the make-up of the Convention, bold stand that he took at this meeting, that he leaped, so to say, at one bound into national prominence as a fearless leader. It happened this way. On the second day of the meeting, one Rev. H. C. Bailey, of Florida, spoke on “Southern Ostracism.” After abusing Southern white people for their treatment of the colored people, the Rev. Mr. Bailey said, among other things, that the Southern white Baptists were figureheads. Biding his time, the next day the Rev. Mr. Walker arose and addressing the chairman, said that he thought the statement made by the Rev. Mr. Bailey concerning the Southern white Baptists did them great injustice and ought not to be allowed to go unchallenged. Immediately every eye was turned toward the young champion from Georgia and there followed from him the most impassioned address of the entire meeting. He concluded by offering the following resolution, which, though vigorously opposed by many members of the Convention, was adopted by a good majority:
“Whereas, In the speech of H. C. Bailey, of Florida, yesterday, before this body, the statement was made that, as a whole, the Southern white Baptists were figureheads who do not follow Baptist teachings and who believe that there are separate heavens for white and colored people; and
“Whereas, Such an assertion does great injustice to the white Baptists of the South from the fact that they have many colored missionaries in the South paid by them to labor among our people; and
“Whereas, The Southern Baptist Convention at its meeting in January, 1886, in the city of Montgomery, Ala., passed a resolution to raise $10,000 to expend in mission work among the colored Baptists of the South; and
“Whereas, Such a statement as that referred to is likely to prove detrimental to the 800,000 colored Baptists of the South; therefore, be it
“Resolved, First, That this Convention does not endorse the statement of the brother referred to.
“Resolved, Second, That this Convention hears with the greatest gratification of the efforts now being made by the Southern Baptist Convention to expend $10,000 for missionary work among the colored people.”
This resolution was published in many of the Southern newspapers and in all denominational organs; there was nothing but praise for the author. The Rev. Mr. Walker left home practically unknown outside of his own State; he returned one of the acknowledged leaders of the Baptist brotherhood of the country. The advertising he received from this incident doubtless in no small measure paved the way for his success in the East, whither he went a month later to solicit funds to assist him in his church work at Augusta.
Again, in 1889, at Indianapolis, while attending the National Baptist Convention, he added to his already growing reputation. Then, as in 1886, the Southern question was up for discussion. Many speakers indulged in wholesale abuse of the South: the white people of the South were pictured as heathen; they were vilified and maligned; race feeling ran high; there was great excitement. The Rev. Mr. Walker gained the floor and made an able speech counselling wisdom and moderation, and stating that he believed that the best element of white people in the South was trying to create such a public sentiment as would make lynching impossible. At any rate, he stated that the best thing for the colored people to do was to make the friendship of and seek the protection of the people among whom they lived. His speech acted like magic. Oil was poured on the troubled waters. Reason returned, and the resolutions under consideration were defeated. Again his name got into the newspapers; his speech was published North and South; his name was on every tongue; some of the papers referred to him as “a strong man in a crisis.”
It was at this meeting that he preached the Conventional sermon. It aroused and stirred all who heard it. At its conclusion, the late Rev. Dr. Simmons, the President of the Convention, walked over to the preacher, shook his hand, and said: “You have won your ‘D. D.,’ and I’ll see that you get it.” The following summer, true to his word, he had the trustees of the State University of Kentucky, of which he was President, to confer upon the Rev. Mr. Walker the honorary degree of “Doctor of Divinity,” which he has worthily worn ever since.
From the beginning, Dr. Walker was one of the leading figures of the National Baptist Convention, and he is such to-day. For three years he was its Treasurer, and for many years was Vice President for Georgia. He is now Vice President for New York. He has attended every annual meeting since the beginning, without missing a single one. Not a partisan, not a factionist, not a stirrer up of strife among the brethren, not a division-maker, a man of peace, probably no man has a larger and more loyal following among the Negro Baptists of America than he has.
In June, 1898, he was appointed a Chaplain with the rank of Captain in the U. S. V., and assigned to duty with the Ninth Immunes. The appointment was made by the late President McKinley out of a list of more than 500 applicants. He secured a leave of absence from his Augusta church, and joined his regiment at San Luis, Cuba, about thirty miles inland from Santiago, in November, 1898. The regiment was only doing garrison duty at the time, the leading events in the Spanish-American War having already been long since concluded. During his absence, his church at Augusta was supplied by the Rev. Silas X. Floyd, at that time one of the Field Workers of the International Sunday School Convention.
The International Sunday School Convention is the largest and most important Sunday School organization in the world. It embraces in its membership the United States, the Dominion of Canada and South America, with corresponding representatives from Europe. It has a constituency of more than 23,000,000. It is sponsor for the International Lesson Series, which was inaugurated in 1872 by Mr. B. F. Jacobs, of Chicago, for many years past the able and honorable and venerable Chairman of the Executive Committee of the International Sunday School Convention. Closely associated with Mr. Jacobs in this great work have been, for many years, Dr. Geo. W. Bailey, of Philadelphia, the Treasurer and Chairman of the Finance Committee; Mr. John R. Pepper, of Memphis, Chairman of the Committee on Work Among the Colored People; Mr. John Wanamaker, of Philadelphia, and Mr. W. K. Crosby, of Wilmington, Del. The International Convention meets once every three years. At its last meeting, in 1899, in Atlanta, Ga., the Hon. Hoke Smith, Secretary of the Interior under Cleveland’s second administration, was elected President, and Dr. Walker was elected one of the five Vice Presidents. He was unanimously presented for this place by the colored delegates present at the meeting, and these delegates represented many different denominations. It is an honor not lightly to be esteemed for a Negro to hold an office in such an important religious body.
During the past fifteen years, Dr. Walker has received calls from the following churches: First Baptist Church, Nashville, Tenn.; the First Baptist Church, St. Louis; and the Second Baptist Church, Indianapolis. No one of these calls was accepted by the distinguished pastor. He preferred to remain with the people of Augusta.
CHAPTER XI.
CHAPLAIN U. S. V.
Dr. Walker joined his regiment, the Ninth Immunes, at San Luis, Cuba, the middle of November, 1898, and remained in the service for nearly two months. He did not find the service with the army very congenial, and resigned his commission to return to civil life. He remained with the army long enough, however, to get some notion of what army life means. He also learned much of Cuba, its climate and its peoples, and was able on his return to give a very interesting account of his trip. The following report is taken from the Augusta (Ga.) Chronicle, Jan. 5, 1899:
“Notwithstanding the rainy weather and the overcast night, it is probable that never before in its history was Tabernacle Baptist Church so overcrowded with people as on last night. It had been announced the day before that the pastor, Rev. C. T. Walker, D. D., recently with the Ninth Immune Infantry in Cuba, was to lecture on last night of his experience in that island.
“This notice was sufficient to pack the edifice up to the point of almost complete suffocation. Standing room was at a premium. Several hundred were turned away, and more than a hundred lingered in the yard on the stairways until the lecture closed. Possibly more than 1,200 persons heard the speaker.
“Dr. Walker, as is his custom, caught the audience from the beginning. He referred to the pleasure it gave him to be greeted by such a large gathering; he said it reminded him of the throng which welcomed him on his return from the Holy Land seven years ago. He said that there was great interest being manifested all over this country in Cuba and its people, especially because the Spanish yoke of oppression had been lifted from Cuba’s neck, and the American flag now floated over that land, and the Cubans, so long oppressed, so long cruelly treated, were now free. He said he was glad it was so, because wherever the Stars and Stripes waved there the Gospel flag could not long be kept furled.
“He gave a brief account of his appointment last June by President McKinley, and, also, a short narrative of his journey to Santiago. His description of his entrance into the harbor of Santiago, passing Morro Castle, the sunken Mercedes, and the sunken Merrimac, was truly eloquent and brought down the house.
“‘Santiago,’ he said, ‘is one of the oldest cities in North America—older even than St. Augustine, Fla., having been founded in 1542. The streets are very narrow; the sidewalks are so narrow that two people cannot walk abreast; the city is extremely dirty; the water is unfit to drink, unless it is boiled; there are about 50,000 people in the city—15,000 of them white Cubans, and 35,000 of them black Cubans. Some of the people are intelligent, and some few engaged in business; but the vast majority of them are woefully ignorant and shiftless. Most of them at present are completely on the charity of the United States government. There are about 7,000 white soldiers in and around Santiago under General Leonard Wood, and about 3,000 colored soldiers out at San Luis, about 35 miles away—the Eighth Illinois, the Twenty-third Kansas and the Ninth Immune Infantry. The first two of these regiments have all colored officers from colonel down; my own regiment had all white officers excepting the lieutenants.’
“He was particularly interested in San Juan Hill where, as he said, the battle was fought which decided the fate of Spain. He was particularly interested in it, because in that battle, the Twenty-fourth and Twenty-fifth Infantries, and the Ninth and Tenth Cavalries, all colored soldiers, led the charge, cut the barbed wire fence, captured the block-house, saved the Rough Riders, and added glory to the American nation and Negro race. He said he had stood on Bunker Hill, he had walked over the famous field of Waterloo, had crossed the valley of Ajalon where Joshua whipped five kings of the Amorites, and the Valley of Rephaim, where David conquered the Philistines, but he never was so inspired as he was when he stood on San Juan Hill, because there his own race was gallantly represented. At this the house thundered with applause.
“He said Cuba was a most beautiful country—more beautiful than even Germany or Switzerland. The soil is rich and fertile. Potatoes grow there as long as walking canes, and vegetation flourishes throughout the entire year. The weather he found to be extremely warm. December was like our June or July. No overcoats needed there. He thought the country was very unhealthy. The fever there is worse than Spanish bullets, and no one is ‘immune’ from it, not even the natives. The people are in a very low state of civilization, considered as a whole. In the rural districts, they do not live in houses, but ‘shacks.’ He had seen living in one little room, a husband and wife and five children, and a sow and six pigs. It is common for the people to live in the same room with horses, cows and hogs.
“He positively affirmed that, in his judgment, the Cubans were incapable of self-government. He found them to be very treacherous. They hate American soldiers, white and black. They thought America ought to have freed them and immediately given them their island to run to suit themselves. It was dangerous for any American to go alone at night; he would be killed by the Cuban machete.
“He mentioned the following as imperative needs of Cuba: churches, good schools, improved farming methods, and business enterprises. He thought that one thing that would greatly retard progress in Cuba was American prejudice, many examples of which he had observed while there. He said the American carried his prejudice wherever he went, and if American proscription along race lines was carried to Cuba, where such a thing had never been known, it would be an unhappy day for the island.
“In closing, he spoke of his success as chaplain. He had more than 100 converts, and had a baptism for three successive Sundays. His concluding words were a pathetic description of a scene which took place at one of his baptisms when one of the soldiers marched down to the water, singing:
‘Ho, my comrades, don’t you want to go?
Let’s go down to Jordan, hallelu.’
“At the close he showed many interesting relics, which he brought home with him. He had four Spanish rifles, a large supply of Mauser bullets, one machete, some cocoa, some coffee, some walking sticks made of iron wood, a Cuban pitcher, etc.”
The same night the above address was delivered, resolutions were unanimously adopted thanking the speaker for his interesting address and expressing the pleasure of the people at his safe return. Thanks were also tendered the late President McKinley for appointing Dr. Walker as chaplain with the rank of captain in the U. S. V.
CHAPTER XII.
AS AN EVANGELIST.
Mention has been made in a preceding chapter of the fact that Dr. Walker has been very successful in the field of evangelistic work. In speaking of his work as an evangelist, let it be understood at the outset that the only limitation that has been put upon his efforts in evangelism has been due to the fact that all along he has been a stated pastor and has only given such time to evangelistic campaigns as he could spare from an unusually busy pastorate. Yet even with this limitation he has been very successful in evangelistic work, though he has not been able, for the reason stated, to accept scores of invitations from great cities to serve the Lord by conducting revival services.
He has the calling, the spirit, the gift, the courage, the directness, the sympathy, the faith, the fervor, and the flexibility of the true evangelist. What gives him his greatest preaching power is the enthusiastic warmth and impulsiveness of his speech both in matter and manner. Another thing that adds to the attractiveness of his meetings is the singing. Unlike most of the world’s greatest preachers, he is a great singer. It has been often said of him that he can out-preach any man, and then, without stopping, put in and out-sing any man. It is beyond the power of man to describe an audience of four or five thousand colored people engaged in a service of song. In addition to the Gospel Hymns and Revival Songs, the colored people always use the old time Negro Spirituals, sometimes called Plantation Songs, and in the rendition of these last the colored people are inimitable. With Dr. Walker leading the singing in stentorian notes and the multitude joining in, its worth a day’s journey of any man’s life to witness the sight. To be understood, to be appreciated, it must be seen and heard.
At sometime or other, during the past twenty years, revival services have been held by Dr. Walker in every important city in Georgia without exception. It will be unnecessary to speak of each meeting. The first “big meetings” that gave him anything like a national standing as a recognized leading revivalist were held in Kansas City, Mo. The papers gave large space daily to the accounts of his meetings. This was in 1892, soon after his return from the Holy Land. During the progress of these meetings, invitations came to him to go to St. Louis, San Francisco, and Chicago to continue the good work. As much as he desired to do so, he was compelled to return to his church at Augusta, after five weeks of hard work, in which many hundreds were saved. In 1894, Dr. Walker was invited to New York City to take part in the great religious campaign inaugurated there during that year. The meetings were held during March and April. He remained for three weeks. He spoke at the Antioch Baptist Church, 352 W. 35th Street; St. Mark’s M. E. Church, 139 W. 48th Street; Niblo’s Garden, Broadway, near Prince Street; the Academy of Music, Metropolitan Hall, near Macy’s, and at other points under assignment of the Metropolitan Association. He was associated with such men as the Rev. A. C. Dixon, the Rev. Ernest Lyon, the Rev. Granville Hunt, Mr. Arthur Crane, Leonard Weaver, Mr. Theodore Bjorksten, Mr. and Mrs. George C. Stebbins, the Rev. D. J. Burrell, and others. The following is taken from the New York Tribune concerning those meetings:
“The most unique figure in the present evangelistic campaign is, without a doubt, the Rev. Dr. Walker, of Georgia, who is better known as the ‘Black Spurgeon.’ This preacher has been working principally among the members of his own race in the course of his stay in New York, and has made many converts of the attendants at the meetings in Antioch Baptist Church and in St. Mark’s M. E. Church. Dr. Walker is a man who would attract attention anywhere. He has strong features and his voice, although deep, has a remarkably winning intonation. His manner is eloquent, and in preaching Christ he follows closely the life of the Master, and illustrates his remarks by vivid descriptive phrases.”
The column from which this is taken is headed “The Black Spurgeon’s Work—Many Negroes Uplifted by His Eloquent Words—Part Which Dr. Walker is Taking in the Evangelical Services—His Attractive Personality.”
The New York Sun said:
“‘The Black Spurgeon’ met with great success in his work in this city. He is a large and powerful man, with a deep voice, but what gives him his greatest preaching power is the earnestness he displays in matter and manner. Dr. Walker aroused a religious feeling which is finding expression in daily meetings. In St. Mark’s, three meetings are held each day. The special aim of the revival has been to bring the young into the church, and to reclaim backsliders.”
The New York Times, the New York Press, the New York Independent and other papers spoke of the “Black Spurgeon” and his work in New York at this time.
The following account of one of the Metropolitan noon-day meetings is taken from Sabbath Reading, a religious paper:
“‘Showers of Blessing,’ was the opening hymn at a Metropolitan meeting a few days ago; and the reports of this and other meetings indicate that showers of blessing have indeed been falling. After several hymns had been sung, the Rev. Mr. Hunt led in prayer; Mr. Spencer sang touchingly the hymn, ‘My Son, Give Me Thine Heart.’ Mr. Arthur Crane then spoke a short while. Miss Anna Parks rendered a solo on a cornet, ‘When the Sea Gives up its Dead.’ Dr. Walker, of Augusta, Ga., who is called the ‘Black Spurgeon,’ was introduced. He spoke in a voice tremulous with emotion and enthusiasm, and the audience gave him their close attention, that not a word might be lost. Opening the Bible, he read the first seven verses from Luke 5. ‘There are four things to learn from this lesson,’ he said; ‘first, failure; second, faith; third, fullness; fourth, fellowship. These disciples had had a night of fruitless toil. Jesus was not with them. They were fishermen and were plying their usual vocation on the lake, but they hadn’t met with success. That was failure. In the morning, Jesus came along with a great crowd of people, and he asked Peter to lend him his ship for a pulpit, so that he might preach to the people. Peter did so, and to reward him for his courtesy, Jesus told him to launch out. Now, that seemed a foolish thing to do, because Peter and the others had been fishing all night, and hadn’t caught one fish, and Jesus knew it; but he wanted to teach them a lesson of faith and obedience, as well as to reward them. It’s just like Jesus. He always does reward us right away, and he is continually paying us for what we do. The disciples took Jesus at his word. That was faith. And you know the story, how they let down the nets and drew in so many that the nets broke. That was fullness. Jesus always honors faith, even when it is mixed with ignorance and superstition. Seeing their companions at a distance with their empty boat, the disciples called them to come and share the fish with them. That was fellowship. The Lord intends that each of us shall share our joys with others. While this mighty tidal wave of religion is sweeping over the country, this is a good time for you to come to God and bring your friends with you. Jesus blesses us so that we might bless others. As he is exemplified in our conduct, so shall we win souls. Are there none here to-day who wish this Christ to come into their souls to be their own, their personal Saviour?’ Several raised their hands for prayer, and the speaker said, ‘Thank God.’”
Since 1894, Dr. Walker has held successful meetings in Galveston, Texas; Houston, Texas; Kansas City, St. Louis, Boston, Philadelphia, Nashville, Louisville and Atlanta. The last great meeting in Atlanta was held in April, 1897. The meetings commenced in Friendship Baptist Church, W. Mitchell St., of which the Rev. E. R. Carter, D. D., is the pastor. The interest increased so rapidly, and the number that came was so large that the meetings had to be transferred to the auditorium in Exposition Park, which before that had been made famous by meetings held by Sam Jones, and later by D. L. Moody. He crowded the great hall, with a seating capacity of nearly 8,000 souls, from the start. There probably has never been just such a meeting on the American continent as the one held in Atlanta at that time. It was attended by the white people as well as by the black people. At more than one service there were more than a thousand whites present—some of them representing the wealth and culture and refinement of Atlanta. Ministers, lawyers, members of the city council, the mayor and his wife, the merchants and bankers—all came out to hear the “Black Spurgeon.” And the white people were just as eager, and some of them just as emotional in their worship as were the colored people. Many whites stood for prayer along with colored people; many were bathed in tears during the preaching; many of them testified for Jesus in the testimonial meetings; many were helped; some were saved. At the close of each meeting, the most prominent people would not think of leaving the building before shaking hands with the great preacher. Speaking of this meeting, the Atlanta Constitution said:
“The Negroes of Atlanta are stirred up over the wonderful religious revival that has been going on in the Friendship Baptist Church for the past two weeks. The success of the meeting has been unparalleled, and more religious enthusiasm has been aroused in the two weeks that the meetings have been running than has been felt in this city in years. The meetings are being conducted by the Rev. Charles T. Walker, ‘the colored Spurgeon.’ He is assisted by Rev. E. R. Carter, the regular pastor. Every night, thousands are turned away from the church on W. Mitchell St., and the building is always crowded with people long before the hour of service. Rev. Walker is proving as great a drawing card among the colored people as Sam Jones did among the whites. He attracts fully as large crowds and his preaching is drawing fully as many people into the church as Sam Jones’ meeting—if not more. Dr. Walker is pastor of the Tabernacle Baptist Church at Augusta, and is regarded as one of the leading colored preachers in the country. He attracts large crowds by his preaching wherever he goes, and his meetings are always attended by wonderful outbursts of religious enthusiasm.”
In 1899, Dr. Walker again held meetings in Kansas City. The following is taken from the Kansas City Star, April, 1899:
“Many a white man would be glad to have the eloquence, the command of language and the power of thought that Rev. Dr. C. T. Walker, the ‘Black Spurgeon,’ displayed in his sermon to a great crowd of colored people in the Second Baptist Church, Tenth and Campbell Sts., last night. He is one of the best colored speakers ever heard in Kansas City.
“The Rev. Walker’s home is in Augusta, Ga. He is so well thought of by the prominent people of his city that when the mayor died yesterday, he received several telegrams asking him to come and attend the funeral. He may return home to-day, but may decide to remain longer.
“Every seat in the large auditorium of the new colored church was occupied when he ascended the pulpit steps last night, and long rows of black faces looked down at him from the balcony.
“Dr. Walker is a man of perhaps forty or more. He is of medium size; although his face is as black as a stove pipe, he says he never drinks coffee because it is deleterious to the complexion. His features are prominent, he has a sharp mustache and a short head. His voice is not exceedingly strong, but clear and well modulated.
“His sermons are sententious and epigrammatic. They abound in original and striking observations, and his gestures, though not graceful, are spontaneous.
“‘Men talk a great deal of the perplexing problems that confront humanity to-day,’ he said. ‘But if men would put the Bible into practice, there will be no problems. That book is statesmanship as well as religion, and it not only teaches the fatherhood of God, but the universal brotherhood of man.’
“The subject of his sermon was ‘Christ the supreme object of worship.’ In referring to God’s plan of salvation, he said: ‘So many say they failed to understand the plan and sometimes wondered why the Almighty did not take man into his confidence just a little bit in arranging it. But it wouldn’t have done. In this day, when there are so many trusts and combines, salvation would have been bought up and cornered and monopolized until only the rich could get at it, if man had had anything to do with it. As some rhymester has said:
“‘If religion was a thing that money could buy,
The rich would live and the poor would die.’”
“One of the characteristics of ‘the Black Spurgeon’s’ style is his fund of illustrative anecdotes. He used one of these to show that man cannot read the Bible without feeling instinctively that Christ was divine, relating a conversation supposed to have taken place between Napoleon and Gen. Bertrand on the Island of St. Helena. When the latter expressed his opinion that Christ was only a man, Napoleon stopped him, and said: ‘No, General Bertrand, I know men. But I never knew one like Christ. He had that in Him that no man ever had. He was divine. His army—soldiers of the cross—are now marching on through ages to victory. But who, general, think you, is marshalling any forces for me? In a year or two I shall die and be no more, and my name will be forgotten. But his name will live forever.’
“‘Col. Ingersoll and Gen. Lew Wallace were once taking a ride together,’ the speaker said, ‘when Wallace informed his companion that he intended to write a book tearing the mask from the face of Christ and showing Him to have been but human. Ingersoll told him that he was the very man to write such a book and commended the idea.’ ‘When Gen. Wallace prepared to write the book,’ said the preacher, ‘he first set about reading the New Testament carefully as a prerequisite. Before he had finished it, he convinced himself of his own error and wrote Ben Hur instead.’
“‘Over and over again,’ continued the speaker, ‘I have read of the Pharisee who, after recounting his virtues, thanked God that he was not like other men. And I have often wondered who this Pharisee was like. He was not like God, and he was not like the publican—he must have been like the devil.’
“Dr. Walker dealt sanctification a blow in declaring that such a thing as perfection was impossible to man. Man was intended to grow unceasingly into Christian strength.
“‘The Lord’s our judge,’ he said, ‘the Lord is our King; the Lord is our law-giver—the judicial, the executive and legislative combined in one.’
“But it is his pictures of the hereafter, of the hosts of saints marching up to glory, that the Black Spurgeon excels. Then it is that his voice is raised and his body sways back and forth as he adds stroke after stroke to the grand scene, and marshals phalanx after phalanx of moral heroes in Miltonic array, moving on with steady tread, glittering, triumphant, to the gates of heaven. In the course of a bit of description of this kind, near the close of his sermon, shouts went up from every quarter of the church and the audience was worked up to a high pitch of religious frenzy and exaltation.
“‘I hear the tread of the feet of the great host,’ he said, ‘tramp, tramp, tramp, they come. Like the angel whose wings John, in his vision saw released, they are not retarded by polar snows nor equatorial heat.’
“‘On they come—tramp, tramp, tramp, shoulder to shoulder, wheel to wheel, charger to charger; onward they march—company after company, cavalcade after cavalcade, thousands upon thousands and millions upon millions, marching, marching, marching, on through the ages and forever. The church of God is going home to Zion. Ah! friends many are waiting there for you! That mother that lies buried beneath the sod, that little son or daughter, that sister, that brother—they are waiting and calling for you. Be of good courage, they say. They are not far away; they see your struggles; they know your temptations.’
“Then when the emotion of the audience began to find vent in shouts, the speaker lowered his voice and shifted to another line of attack, gradually working upon the feelings of his hearers again until he was again compelled to let up.”
It is not necessary to prolong this chapter. The record of service done in the Master’s Vineyard by Dr. Walker is one to be proud of. He has led more than 8,000 persons to Christ, has baptized and received into the membership of the church more than 3,500, and has not missed preaching the glorious Gospel of the blessed Christ but four Sundays in twenty-four years—twice on account of sickness, and twice on account of being at sea.
CHAPTER XIII.
LEAVES AUGUSTA—GOES TO NEW YORK.
In the month of June, 1899, a unanimous call was extended to Dr. Walker to become Pastor of the Mt. Olivet Baptist Church, 161 W. 53d St., New York City. Soon after, by invitation, he visited New York to confer with the officers of the church with regard to the work. The meeting between the pastor-elect and the officers was satisfactory in every way, and the former signified his intention of accepting the call. Returning to Augusta, he presented his resignation as pastor of Tabernacle Baptist Church, to take effect on the 1st day of October, 1899, on which date he proposed to enter upon work in New York City.
It is putting the matter mildly to say that the members of the Tabernacle Church and the people of Augusta were in a frenzy. Mass meetings were held, protest after protest was filed by various civic and benevolent organizations, the newspapers rebelled, the Tabernacle Baptist Church voted to add $50.00 per month to his salary, the whole city was literally stirred in an effort to get him to reconsider his acceptance of the New York invitation and withdraw the resignation he had tendered as Pastor of Tabernacle Church. These efforts were unavailing, because Dr. Walker said that he felt moved of the Spirit to go to New York. As a compliment to the pastor, the Tabernacle Baptist Church refused to accept his resignation, and passed resolutions to the effect that he be left free to go to New York if he desired, but stipulating expressly that he could return at any date to the pastorate of the Tabernacle Church, which he had founded, and of which he had been the able, successful and beloved leader for 14 years. With this understanding, the Rev. Silas X. Floyd was unanimously elected as Pastor of the Tabernacle Baptist Church, and installed as Pastor on Tuesday night, Sept. 26, 1899.
TABERNACLE BAPTIST CHURCH, AUGUSTA, FOUNDED BY DR. CHARLES T. WALKER.
The following account of Dr. Walker’s last Sunday night with his Augusta church is taken from the Augusta (Ga.) Chronicle of Sept. 25, 1899:
“Last night Dr. C. T. Walker preached his farewell sermon at Tabernacle Baptist Church. The church was packed to overflowing. A Chronicle reporter called soon after the service commenced, and found great crowds going away, unable to gain admission.
“The service commenced by singing, ‘Come, ye disconsolate,’ the hymn being read by the Rev. Silas X. Floyd, A. M., pastor-elect of Tabernacle Church. Prayer was offered by Bishop R. S. Williams, of the C. M. E. Church.
“Dr. Walker used for a text Acts 20:32, ‘And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified.”
“In his opening remarks, the speaker referred to the fact that in the 20th chapter of Acts the apostle Paul was delivering his farewell message to the elders of Ephesus. Concerning himself, the apostle had been desirous all along of two things. One was that he might be faithful, and the other was that he might finish well. The apostle commended the Ephesians to God—to God’s providence, to God’s protection, to God’s word. He commended them in this way for their edification and for their glorification.
“Then leaving the text, he delivered some very pathetic and helpful parting words to his congregation. Among other things he urged them to be a united people: he plead with them to stand together and to uphold the hands of the young man who had been called to succeed him; he urged them to be industrious, progressive, self-respecting and self-reliant; with much eloquence he called upon them to be interested in all the affairs of their race—he appealed to them to be law-abiding and to make themselves a credit to the race and to the city of Augusta and not a disgrace.
“Parting words were also spoken to the officers of the church. Parting thanks were expressed to the church, to the sinners, to the citizens, white and colored, who had stood by him and made his success possible.
“In closing he gave a brief summary of his 14 years work in this city. During that time he has baptized at his church over 1,400 people, erected a handsome brick church, bought an ‘Old Folks’ Home,’ the church and home valued at over $20,000, and done many other things of which he did not speak. Many of the congregation were shedding tears at the close of the service. The parting hymn was ‘God be with you till we meet again.’”
THE TABERNACLE OLD FOLKS’ HOME, AUGUSTA, GA., FOUNDED BY DR. CHARLES T. WALKER.
The Mount Olivet Baptist Church was organized March 10, 1878. Rev. Daniel W. Wisher was its first pastor. The church had its place of worship in West 26th St., until 1885. In that year, by the help of generous white Baptist friends and the Baptist City Mission Society, they were enabled to purchase the splendid edifice in W. 53rd St., valued then at $130,000, in which they still worship. During the pastorate of Rev. D. W. Wisher, or from 1878 to 1899, the church paid on its debt, $39,000, of this $18,000 were given by Mr. John D. Rockefeller, Mr. W. M. Isaacs, Mr. James Pyle, Mr. W. A. Caldwell, Mr. Samuel S. Constant, Mrs. Nathan Bishop, Mr. J. A. Bostick, Mr. J. F. Comey, Mr. B. F. Judson, Mr. R. Parker and others through the Baptist City Mission Society.
In 1897 during the heated political campaign in New York City, the Rev. D. W. Wisher saw fit to side with Tammany Hall in the city election, and, it is said, went so far as to preach a sermon in which he advocated Tammany’s claims and advised his members to vote the Tammany ticket. As a result of this new departure, great opposition to the Rev. Mr. Wisher sprang up in the church, and for nearly two years there was an unseemly church wrangle by which the church was finally divided into two factions, known as the “Wisherites” and the “Anti-Wisherites.”
It would be offensive to go into details. After a series of court trials the “Anti-Wisherites” triumphed. The Rev. Mr. Wisher was deposed in 1899, and his followers left the church.
It was then that the Mt. Olivet Baptist Church commenced to look for a new leader. The Rev. Chas. S. Morris, D. D., of Boston, Mass., was called to lead the church temporarily. After prayer and deliberation, the church looked to Georgia, its eye fell on the “Black Spurgeon,” and he was invited to become pastor of the church. As already stated, after conference with those in authority, Dr. Walker decided to accept the new charge. At first his friends throughout the nation felt that he was making a mistake, the church already divided, the people who had kept up with the “church war” (so far as they could keep up with it from the newspaper reports) felt that it would be impossible for any human being to reunite the membership. But Dr. Walker undertook the task, trusting in the Lord. He succeeded from the day he took charge, the first Sunday in October, 1899. From that day to this there has not been the slightest friction in the church, and the membership has increased from about 430 to more than 1,800 in the short space of two years and four months. Besides, it is said by those competent to give correct opinions in the matter that from the beginning he has preached to the largest regular congregations of any man in New York City, white or black.
The second Sunday in March, 1900, he baptized 184 converts at one time, which is the record for New York City, and perhaps for the country. It was such an unusual spectacle that all the New York newspapers gave large space to a report of the baptism and the Associated Press sent a long account of it throughout the length and breadth of the country. At the night service the pastor gave the hand of fellowship to 408 members.
The second Sunday in March, 1901, he had another large baptism, in which 95 were baptized, and the second Sunday in February, 1902, more than 100 were baptized into the fellowship of the Mt. Olivet Baptist Church. In all there have been more than 1,400 added to the church under his administration, 700 by baptism and about 700 by letters and Christian experiences. These last are usually called backsliders. They are persons who were at one time members of Baptist churches in other places, but who have been in New York, some ten, some fifteen and some twenty years, without connecting themselves with any churches, while at the same time they lost their identity with the churches where they formerly were members. Dr. Walker has reclaimed hundreds of these, and they are making good church members.
Financially his success with the church has been remarkable. In round numbers, he has raised for all purposes, $25,000. He has kept up the interest on the church debt and paid $2,500 on the principal. He has raised $3,000 for the Colored Men’s Branch Y. M. C. A.; $2,500 for Home and Foreign Missions, and more than $2,000 for various charities. Among the regular contributors to the church at the present time are Mrs. Geo. Lewis, Mr. W. R. A. Martin, and Mr. James W. Talcott.
The Mt. Olivet Baptist Church is a commodious structure, three stories high with a beautiful granite front. The first floor contains the trustees’ room, library room, the deacons’ room, one large dressing room, kitchen and Sunday School room and the lecture room—the library room and trustees’ room, by means of folding doors, can be thrown into the lecture room. The second floor contains the main auditorium and the choir gallery with two large swinging galleries. The third floor contains the pastor’s study and room for committees, choir practice, etc. Following is the list of present officers of Mt. Olivet Baptist Church:
MT. OLIVET BAPTIST CHURCH, WEST FIFTY THIRD STREET, NEW YORK CITY, N. Y.