ical and theological; but between equal manhood on
one side and race prejudice on the other, "there is a great gulf fixed,"
and no bridge can span the chasm. _The Negro must surrender his manhood
or the white man his prejudice._ There is no half way. But when either
is surrendered, there is no gulf, and no bridge is needed. If the Negro
will take his place as an inferior, he and the white man can ride on the
same seat in a buggy: if the white man will surrender his prejudice, the
Race-Problem is settled. Which shall be surrendered--the manhood or the
prejudice? The Congregational churches have no doubt on that question,
and if we are to educate men in right principles we must stand firmly
upon them ourselves. To begin with a compromise is to yield the very
point at issue.

2. But now also the opposite tack is taken. We are told that race
prejudice is a fixed fact--that the Southern people will never yield,
and that hence if we are to plant Congregational churches in the South
at all, we must compromise. And once more we have with us the "practical
men," who claim to take common sense views, and they urge us again to be
content with the "half-loaf." But this compromise "half-loaf" is very
much like the famous "little book" that John ate that was indeed in the
mouth "sweet as honey" but afterward proved to be exceedingly "bitter."
The truth is that this half-loaf, and Ephraim's "cake not turned" and
the drink that was "lukewarm, neither hot nor cold," constitute a very
unhealthy diet for Christian people. The past has its lesson by which we
ought to have profited; and it will be a shame if, with all our
experience, we are found to need the reproof that "when for the time ye
ought to be teachers, ye have need that some one teach you again which
be the _first principles of the oracles of God_."

We have to deal once more, in the history of this nation, with the
precious interests of the poor and neglected, and we must guard against
past mistakes. The issue before us is a square one, and no dodging and
no compromise will meet the case. We plead now for eight millions of
freemen as we once plead for four millions of slaves. God is their
Father, Christ is their Redeemer and the Church must recognize their
equal manhood. We hold with the _Christian Union_ that: "It were better
far that the Northern Church should not go with its missionary work into
the South at all, than that it should go with a mission which
strengthens the i