New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1873-10-30


1t seems not " be understood that Che
first condition Of manhood amoug colored
men is for Us to respect our own color. Not
that man is the better for being black. but
since God has made him black, each man
bearing that color ought to believe he is no
worse for it. Half Of the depreciation OF
black people is individual. and the other half
is gregarious. Too many or Us first learn to
hate ourselves in the looking-glass, and then
find it natural to end by hating every coun-
terpart of our own image presented to the
natural eye; and yet, after all, this is
but trick Of education. Did we honestly
believe, in the fatherhooi Of God, we should
believe more easily in the brotherhood of
man. Could we trust divine Providence, we
shonld the more easily trust ourselves.
Could we forget our past degradation, We
would the more easily be taught the certainty
of our future elevation.
The pathway of success, therefore, lies in
a more careful study of what we may do for
ourselves.
By all means cherish gratitude towards
those who have deserved it, cultivate
friendship for those who have been true and
! faithful to the friends who are leading for
| ward to higher aims and nobler achieve
ments, but withal, let US trust in ourselves.
While we should not go out of our way to
find black man, let us not 60 out Of our
way to shun him. If we give credit TO those
who have led US for the acquired intelligence
which haa hptfprpd mr. LOT LOT fIrp
away from those of our own race who may
help us to the same thing if we honor them
| by the confidence and support which would
aid them in doing for US in the future what
our white friends have done in the past. In
the South we have large possibilities. 1t is
our fault alone if we do not utilize them.
five do our duty to ourselves, it will not
be long till others will do their duty toward
us. Let us cherish the feelings of self-re-
spect, cultivate the habits Of self-reliance
and the greatness OF our success will be
equal to the greatness of our number in that
part of the country where God has cast our
lot on the continent.
There we have men of wealth, let us
crush the envy against them, which either
forces them to remain in private life out Of
simple self-respect, or which harnesses them
with continual charges of making money out
Of colored people they have the public spirit
to seek and obtain office. Let not the laws
of success find in us a desire to reverse the
order OF its reward simply because the mar
who obeys these laws happens to be colored
wealth brings leisure, culture of some kind
generally follows leisure, and here, as else
+ where, knowledge becomes power. Capita
is always more enterprising than labor, be
cause the owner Of capital has time anC
brains to find new fields of industry and new
| forms of activity. When capital is founC
| among colored men, let us not quarre
with them because they have more tha,
their fellows. Suppose the capitalist think
! himself above his less fortunate brother
Let him do so. We certainly cannot make hin
think more ofus as poor menbywithholding on
confidence from him, and by so doing, max
him realize that we hate in a colOred maj
the qualities and possessions which we homo
in the whites. We need the alliance of GU
own capitalists, for the reason that they
with us, can feel and understand the keen
ness of that prescription, and neglect whicl
leaves our boys out of workshops whel
trades are to be learned, and out of counting
houses where fortunes are to be made, an,
out of places of honor and trust by whicl
the whole race is to be educated and elevated
) Capitol among our people is never withou
: its reward among the whites. The bushes
world could not afford to ignore Stephel
Smith. His stocks gave him a vote anon:
, men Of business. His votes involved hi
: presence among them, while among them h
could but profit in learning the secrets Q
commercial success, and those secrets CAV
him leverage TO raise a mountain of preju
, dice off his race.
If, therefore, we shall be as faithful to our
selves as even our worst enemies expect u
to be in hOnOrng success Of every kind, W
shall take the first step in the pathway G
5 success. The first step honestly and bold
taken will lead to many another which, il
the end, will bring US to the goal which III
Almighty set for us.