Historical Romance of the American NegroFowler, Charles Henry
History
Historical Romance of the American Negro
Fowler, Charles Henry
African Americans -- History
We are not to suppose, my dear reader, that the coming of so many
colored people to Kansas was in the beginning cordially agreed to by
every white citizen of that State. Indeed, the exodus of these poor
pilgrims and refugees to their consecrated soil was at first met with
the most determined and violent opposition by many. But the new
immigrants were usually so active, sincere and clever in all their
movements that they at once disarmed all opposition, and the white
residents at once grounded the arms of their rebellion. With few
exceptions, everybody was well pleased with the new-comers, and they
were made thrice welcome to the soil of Kansas. Behold the hand of God
in all this! St. Paul advises us to be hospitable and entertain
strangers, "for some have thereby entertained angels unawares," he
continues to say. Indeed, I know of no better way to draw down the
abundant blessings of high heaven upon our heads than by relieving
really worthy and deserving people in the day of their distress. Our
Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ Himself pronounced a splendid eulogy upon
those who relieved the hungry, thirsty, the sick and the prisoners, and
He winds up his glorious sermon by saying, "Inasmuch as ye have done it
unto the least of these, my disciples, ye have done it unto Me; enter ye
into the joy of your Lord!" If ever Christ’s words were carried out to
the very fullest extent, they were carried out by the welcome reception
of our pilgrim host to the soil of Kansas. The Lord has a long memory
for a kind act, and He has not been unmindful to shower His blessings on
this flourishing State.
But after all, the season of agony, doubts and fears was but of short
duration. By the year 1881, at the very latest, the regular tide of the
refugees had discontinued to flow, the work of the "Kansas Freedmen’s
Relief Association" had entirely and successfully completed its work and
disbanded itself, as the Union soldiers did when the Civil War was over.
How glorious is all this now to sit down and think of! "As one door
shuts, another opens." Very good, indeed. Let us thank God that the
world is so big and roomy; and if we have plenty of enemies here, we
have plenty of friends also. It was so in the old-time bible days, for
in that blessed book we read how hosts of people, and even individuals,
rose up, and departed in millions, in thousands and hundreds, and even
in single cases, and went away from among "devils," that they might
dwell in peace among better people. Thus history has simply repeated
itself over and over again, and the exodus of colored people from the
South is perhaps the most recent example of that oft-repeated affair.
And it is safe to say, when we consider the natural badness of the human
race, that other exoduses elsewhere will follow. It may not be in this
country, but it will be somewhere.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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