10 Historical and Semi-Centenial Address
The African Methodist Episcopal Church of the United
States of America is the first successfully organized etfort of
the American negro ; it is not the only effort, but it is the first
and the largest. The question as to the capabilities of the col¬
ored man was much agitated in the early history of this country;
many who held slaves wanted an excuse for their conduct,
therefore they asserted that this race must have some one to
rule over it or it could not live.
The following question or problem was given to the multi¬
tude :—Is the American negro capable of organizing, managing,
and maintaining a religious organization without the super¬
vision of the white man ? Some took the affirmative, others the
negative ; the contest lasted for a number of years, those of the
affirmative treated the colored people well, while the larger part
of the majority treated them in a shameful manner, both in
church and state, until the noble-hearted men of the east
resolved to stand it no longer, so they went to work to perfect
an organization. I will give the following from my address
before the United Brethren Conference at Pleasant Ridge
Chapel, Butler county, Ohio, August 12, 1872.
" The causes which led to the organization of the African M.
E. Church are numerous; but a few facts will give an idea of the
principal reason of our origin. After the close of the war of
the Revolution, while the world was rejoicing at the establish¬
ment of a government whose declared principles were universal,
political, civil, and religious liberty, and while they were sing¬
ing the anthems of peace, there was another mighty conflict
going on—not on the battle-field, with saber and musket, but
in the churches and the social circles of the land. Prejudice,
the unrelenting enemy of the oppressed and weak, was asserting
its power; and from the year 1787 to 1816, the conflict continued
without cessation. The colored portion of the numerous con¬
gregations of the North and South were wronged, proscribed,
ostracised, and compelled to sit in the back seats in the sanc¬
tuary of the Lord. The sons of toil and daughters of oppression
remained on these seats for some time, hoping that some of the
members, at least, would receive a sufficient amount of o-race to
enable them to treat these children of sorrow with Christian
courtesy. But they were doomed to disappointment; for soon
bad yielded to worse, and they were sent up into the dusty
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