Dear friends, let us look for a few moments and think of the time when you had not a church where you could worship God.  I told you that God would give you this lovely place, where no one could drive you out, and to see what great things He has done for you in a little time, and how great things can He not do if we will only trust Him?  We have those of our race that have held places of greatest trust and God bless them in those places.  Why should we give up the fight and lay our armor by when there is so much for us to do?  No, no, we can not and we will not lay the grand old armor down, for the Lord is on our side and we shall surely conquer if we look to Him whose arm is so large and strong.  Then let us take fresh courage and march on until we reach the goal, and then we shall be glad and rejoice for the Lord has spoken good to His people, the Ethiopians.

Oh, ye colored people, why not take this as yours and begin now to rejoice ye in your own race and feel proud of the race, but not ones that can dance the best on the ball-room floor, for there is very little in that when it is all summed up in a whole.  Let us thank all the good people who have shown any love to us while we have been in this work of building and may they all find favor in the sight of God.  You have a dear good pastor who is willing to give his life to the Lord and the church.  Let us take fresh courage and march into His service, for we shall gain if we only trust in God and do the right He will help us to persevere.

Time would fail me and my pen would fail to move if I should try to enumerate all of the blessings that have come to us as a race.  I hope that we, as the hated negro race, will make a fresh start from this night and do all that we can to forward the work in this church, and God will send us a blessing.

Etiquette of Young Men

I was wondering a few days since if the men of the present day had lost the respect that men used to have for the women.  I was carried back to the year of 1884 while in school with so many of the young men of my own race, when I saw so much of the respect that they showed to us girls and that was what caused me to write this to their honor.  I think that true etiquette is one of the greatest blessings that young men can have for the women, for it is to them that we look to for the protection and love, and if we fail to find it in them where shall we look?  This is one of the greatest fortunes that one can have, and it is that which makes a young man what he ought to be.  We, as the women, need so many of such ones and the world needs them fully as much, and the God who made them looks for more and when he does not find it in the dear creatures that He has made it makes Him feel sad.