“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.