Here is Dr. Walker’s idea of how some people are heedlessly
DRIFTING ON LIFE’S OCEAN.
“I have been thinking how humanity is drifting on life’s ocean. For seven days on the Atlantic, our steamer never stopped. The passengers ate, slept, walked, talked, got sick, some died—but we sailed on. The ship passed other vessels; it was often cloudy; the winds blew; the rains fell; storms and gales were often encountered; the ship caught on fire—but we sailed on. Men gambled, drank whiskey and champagne, cursed and spent their hours in frivolity—and so they sailed on, apparently little dreaming that they were rapidly sailing to that eternal shore from whence no traveler returns.”
In view of the recent sad assassination of President McKinley, how like prophecy and solemn warning will the following words, which were written ten years ago, seem. At last, the American congress, at the dictation of President Roosevelt, is turning its attention to this great question which ten years ago Dr. Walker declared must be given some attention. Following is the extract:
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