THE NEGRO'S NEEDS.
DELIVERED IN HENRY WARD BEECHER's CHURCH,
SUNDAY MORNING, OCTOBER 14, 1883.
Although in my short lifetime I have seen and heard
many things to startle and surprise me, yet never, I
confess, was I more surprised than on receiving away
down in Georgia, an invitation to speak here in Ply¬
mouth Church and from Plymouth pulpit. At first
I could not but believe that there was something
wrong about the matter, that an invitation intended
for some clergyman in my city had in some way been
forwarded to me through mistake. Accordingly I
wrote at once to Dr. Halliday, informing him of the
fact that I am not of the ministerial order; but stat¬
ing, at the same time, in a half humorous way, that
if such a talk as a layman can make would be accept¬
able, I should be with him on the second Sunday in
October. He replied to me that my name was down
on his program for this very day. That, of course,
settled the question.
Bnt now there arose another, and one of a more
embarrassing nature, namely, What shall I sav to
(136) J
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