Heroes of the Fiery Cross

Heroes of the Fiery Cross is a 181 page political tract published in 1928 by Bishop Alma Bridwell White, the founder of the Pillar of Fire Church, espousing her dogma of antisemitism, anti-catholicism and white supremacy. [cite book |last=Woolner |first=David |authorlink= |coauthors= |title=FDR, The Vatican, and the Roman Catholic Church in America, 1933-1945 |year=2003 |publisher= |quote=Bishop Alma White of the KKK was the author of Heroes of the Fiery Cross, written in 1928 at the height of the presidential campaign. ... | url=http://books.google.com/books?id=jMvaoXvJ4VcC&pg=PA59&dq=%22Heroes+of+the+Fiery+Cross%22&lr=&ei=tr6jSKj7JI_-jgHH37j7BA&sig=ACfU3U1kFWnE1yGySa88-0ORCe-MLpzo6Q |isbn=1403961689 ] The book is a compendium of essays written by Bishop White that were originally published in the pro-Ku Klux Klan political periodical "The Good Citizen", one of the numerous periodicals published by the Pillar of Fire Church at their headquarters in Zarephath, New Jersey. The book contains an introductory letter of commendation from Dr. Hiram Wesley Evans, the Imperial Wizard (national leader) of the Ku Klux Klan.

Contents

Chapter 1. Klansmen and the Enemies of Freedom

Chapter 2. Roman Catholic-Hebrew Allaince

Chapter 3. Prohibition and the Presidency

Chapter 4. True Heroism

Chapter 5. Mussolini, Rome, and Reds

Chapetr 6. Mexico

Chapter 7. Immigration

Chapter 8. White Supremacy

Chapter 9. The Bible in the Public Schools

Chapter 10. Al Smith and Tammany Hall

Chapter 11. Convent Inspection, The Flag, Our Glorious Emblem, The Principles of the Ku Klux Klan

Chapter 8: White Supremacy

In this chapter, Bishop Alma White emphatically expresses her sympathy for former slave owners, especially since they were not compensated for their loss of "property" following the American Civil War, expresses her fear and distress toward ongoing racial mixing, and uses biblical citations as divine justification for white supremacy.

The slave-holder, in many instances, was as much to be pitied as the slaves, but the Northerners could not see this. He (the slave-holder), too, was a victim of the system, often having inherited slaves along with his plantation. Where the slaves were well treated they were happy and contented, and their owners found consolation in this, using it as an argument in support of the institution. But some radicals could never see this side of the question. They dwelt continually on the cruelties of a few hard taskmasters and ignored the good people who had the welfare of their dependents at heart. It was hard for the Southerners to be reconciled to this spirit so widely manifested in the North. No matter what the better class of slave-owners might do, they had to bear the stigma and cruelty with the worst of tyrants.

A strong attachment as a rule existed between the negro servants and their masters which could not be easily broken. When it came time to taking away a colored "Mammy" who had brought up the children of her white master, even nursing them at her own breast in an extremity, here was more involved than a Northerner could readily comprehend. This aspect of slavery was never taken into serious consideration by hot-headed Abolitionists who tried to foment war and bring about disunion.

White supremacy is an issue of great importance. If some of the colored people are not curbed in their ambition to mix their blood with that of the white race, it will not be long until there will be no such thing as definite racial lines. The Negroes are going north and settling indiscriminately among the whites. Property values are being depreciated by this influx of colored immigration. But little sympathy was shown the South when a race of colored slaves was liberated among them. The North had no conception of what it meant for the white people of the South to preserve the color and racial lines, considering the fact that in come places the population was about equally divided, and there was no cooperation from the North to be had in the struggle.

The Book of Genesis, in its account of Shem, Ham, and Japheth, sons of Noah, teaches the supremacy of the white race. Ham saw the nakedness of his father, but made no effort to cover him, and a curse was pronounced upon him and his posterity. Noah awoke from his wine and said, 'Cursed be Canaan [Ham] ; a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren.' 'Blessed be the Lord of God of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant.' 'God shall enlarge Japheth [the white race] , and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant' (Gen. 9:25-27). This edict was imposed by a wise and just God, and should not work a hardship on the black race. It cannot be otherwise than it should be for their good. Until the curse is lifted from the human race, the very best position that the sons of Ham could be placed in is that of servants (not slaves), thus establishing white supremacy as foretold more than four thousand years ago.cite book |last=White |first=Alma |authorlink=Alma White |coauthors= |title=Heroes of the Fiery Cross|year=1928 |publisher=Pillar of Fire |quote= | url=http://books.google.com/books?id=iQ80AAAAIAAJ&q|isbn= ]

While all of the other chapters contain topically provocative illustrations by Rev. Branford Clarke, chapter 8 contains no illustrations.

External links

*cite book |last=White |first=Alma |authorlink= |coauthors= |title=Heroes of the Fiery Cross|year=1928 |publisher=Pillar of Fire |quote= | url=http://books.google.com/books?id=iQ80AAAAIAAJ&q|isbn=

References