Journal of freedom. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1865-186?, 1865-10-14

Ole DEMONSTRATION IN WHICH anu Oy /
which we can confront ignorance and
prejudice with the light and power of posi-
tive knowledge, and array against brazen
falsehood the ri htful Influence of accom-
plished facts.
The very existence of this institution,
established and sustained by colored men
in this city, so recently a ~slaveholding
city-in this State,so recently a ~slavehold-
ing State-in this community, among
whom freedom of speech was scarcely
known by even the white citizens only a
few months ago-is a most striking,cheer-
ing and instructive fact. It attests the
progressive spirit, the sagacity, the cour-
age, the faith, the intelli gence and manly
ambition of the colored people of this city
and State, and reflects credit upon the
colored people of the country generally
Its effects upon those who disparage us
will be good, but its effects upon our
selves will, / trust, be far better. While
to them it will be a standing contradiction,
to us it will be a happy concurrence with
all our hopes, with all that is high, noble
and desirable.
The colored boy and girl now as they
walk your streets will hold themselves in
higher estimation and assume a prouder
and a more elastic step as they look up to
the fine proportions Of this ample and ele-
giant building and remember that from
foundation to roef, from cornerstone to
coping-stone, that in purpose and IN value,
in spirit and in ASPIRATION, it is all the
property of the colored citizens of Baltl-
more.
The establishment of this Institution
may be thought by some a new thing OF
doubtful ~expediency. There was a time
when / should have thought it SO myself.
In my enthusiasm, perhaps it was my sim
plicity, it is not material which, l once
hattered myself that the day had happily
gone by when it could be necessary for
| colored people in this country to combine
and act together as a separate class, and
in any representative character whatever,
| would have had them infuse themselves
and their works into the all political, in
t~ellectual, artistical and mechanical activi-
ties and combinations Of their white fell
low-countrymen. 1t seemed to me that
colored conventions, colored exhibitions,
colored associations and institutions Of all
kinds and descriptions had answered the
ends of their existence, and might proper
ly be abandoned that. in short, they
were hindrances rather than helps in
achieving a higher and better estimation
in the public mind for ourselves al q class.
may say that l still hold this opinion
in a modified degree. The latent con-
tempt and prejudice toward our race,
which recent political doctrines with refer
ence to our future in this country have de-
veloped, the persistent determination of
the present Executive of the Nation, and
also the action of a portion of the people
to hold and treat us in a degraded rela-
ton, not only j~ustifes for the present such
associate effort on our part, but make it
e~minently necessary.
It is the misfortune of our class that it
fails to derive due advantage from the
achievements of its individual members,
but never fails to suffer from the ignorance
the class is identified. A BENJAMIN
Franklin could redeem, in the eyes of
scientific Europe, the mental mediocrity
of our young white Republic, but the
genius and learning of a Benjamin Ban
necker of your own State of Maryland, the
wisdom and heroism of Toussaint are not
permitted to do the same service for the
colored race to which they belong
Wealth, learning and ability make an
Irishman an Englishman. The same
metamorphosing power converts a negro
into q white man in this country
When prejudice cannot deny the black
mans ability, it denies his race and
claims him as a white man. It afirms
that if he is not exactly white he ought
to be. IF not what he ought to be in this
particular, he owes whatever i%ntelli-
gence he possesses to the. white race by
contact or association. Great actions as
shown by Robert Small, the gallant
Captain of the Planters, and by William
Tilmen and other brave colored men,
which the war with slavery has tossed to
the surface, had not been sufficient TO
change the general estimate formed of
the colored race. The eloquence and
learning Of Doctor Smith, Professors
Vathon, Reason, Garnet, Remond, Mar
tin, Rock, Crummell and many others
have done us service ; but they leave us
yet under a cloud. The public, with the
mass of ignorance-notwithstanding that
Ignorance has been enforced and com
PEELED among u people, hitherto-has
sternly denied the representative charac-
ter Of our distinguished men. They are
treated as exceptions, individual cases,
and the like. They contend that the
race, as such, is destitute of the subject
i've original elemental condition of a high
self originating and self sustaining civil
zation.
Such is the sweeping and damaging
.rd~r@op% nrArou~cnJ :~ warn 1T