Page:The Afro-American Press.djvu/176

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168
THE AFRO-AMERICAN PRESS.

Binga, Jr., D. D., in "Binga's Sermons," discusses, in his preliminary to the life of Dr. Binga, the progress of the Afro-American, in a most pleasing and soul-cheering manner. Says he: "At the end of every revolution in a country, there can be observed an effort to throw off the old and take on a newer and higher civilization. This has been peculiarly true of the negro race. The race is moving forward in the face of great obstacles, and is rising from the low and depressing depths of degradation, to which the system of American slavery has reduced it. If the character of this progress be scrutinized, it will be found that the forces which propel in the direction of improvement, and the ideas we form of the nature of that improvement will be the same forces and ideas that propel other races and society in general. Improvement in a race is an indication that the race is alive; for progress is but the movements of life to attain worthy and noble objects. The manhood and ability of a race command the attention of the public. Attention is commanded wherever power is possessed. Power is possessed by a race when it makes progress along those lines that indicate general development, etc." Thus our subject proceeds until he shows the Afro-American to actually be on the progressive.

Prof. Jones, in his writings, editorially or otherwise, is known for the calm, deliberate and conservative way in which he deals with things, as will be seen in an editorial in the April issue of The African Missions. After having been invited into a religious meeting of white Baptists to take a seat on the main floor, one Sunday night, he was approached by an usher who requested him to repair to the gallery. He quietly left the house, and later on, in a cool and most deliberate manner, writes editorially about the affair:

"We went into a meeting, in this city, last Sunday night, to hear a sermon from a gentleman who is conducting a revival. The meeting was had for men exclusively. The