Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1879-04-18

| Fox, Sheridan, Burke and other great
orators, but with particular interest an
Grafton against slavery, which in no small
| degree induced him to escape. The story
of his subsequent escape, flight to Europe.
| and gradual advances by which he became
the representative colored man of America
| is too well known to bear repetition. A
short time ago he paid visit to his for
| mer master, who is now 81 years of age.
| and was received with great cordially.
Mr.. Douglas said in opening his address
| that he laid no claim to the learning and
/ eloquence which was generally imputed to
him. He would speak of self-made men,
| a subject that was somewhat threadbare,
but, nevertheless, one On which much
| might be said and much learned, for it was
one that told of great things achieved
against apparently insurmountable OBJ
stacles Whatever else may satiate us.
we have in our own nature curiosity thai
is never satisfied, an interest that is never
exhausted. All men who arrive at emf
nence are, of course, self-made men to a
certain extent, but what he meant by the
| term was those men who, in spite of adj
verse circumstances had risen in the
world; that class of men who, to use
| fgurative phrase, had ''paddled their OWE
| canoe" Such men must and ever will
| be, no matter of what race, honored and
respected by their fellow men. In the
| race Of life the cottage often proves su-
perior to the palace. The most celebrated
press in the United States was founded by
boy who came down almost penniless
to New York from the mountains of New
Hampshire. How is the rise of such men
to be accounted for?, Much can be said
in regard to superior mental endownents
as an explanation of the success of such
men, but more can be said in favor of the
iron will, indomitable patience and per-
severance, for the shores of life are strewn
| with the shipwrecked hopes Of those most
brilliantly endowed by nature. By the
talents we all have, great or small, many
or few, we can make life satisfactory to
ourselves and useful to all around us.
From the humblest paths of life have come
from time to time the watch-towers and
be acon-lights OF the world. The greatest
light that ever dawned on this world was
Graded in the manger of Bethlehem.
Many think chance has a good deal to do
| with mans success in life, but what
avails it if he has the most brilliant OPP
portunities if he has not the eye to dis
Germ them or the courage and decision to
grasp them. 1t behooves a man to make
the best use of this world, and if he does
that he is likely to make the same of the
future world that may be in store for him,
for both come from the same Almighty
hand. Some people have an idea that the
Lord will do something to help them for
ward, without any effort on their own
part. It is a mistake: man must rely
upon himself. 1t is always found that the
lazy man is the unlucky man. If you find
man who has been more successful in
the battle of life than you have you. may
depend upon it he has ]abored more f. it'll
fully than you have, tor there is nothing
great or good in this world that has not
the price of labor on it.
THE COLORED PREACHER
used to pray for knowledge, but did not
study, and those who prayed loudest SEEM
ed to get least. Colored preachers nova
days are better educated, and when they
are not they soon lose their grip. Time
was when lungs told, now sense IS re-
quired. They used to ask the Lord for
sense, now they work for it. He. the
speaker, prayed for three years for his
freedom. He used to go down in the Gel
lar and pray, but received no answer to his
prayers until he began to pray with his
legs, ami then you might see the dust
fly behind him [laughter], but he would
not have it inferred that be did not think
prayer good and proper thing.
The speaker was not in favor of the
CuLoRED MOVEMENT FROM
THE SOUTH.
snow-pile. He had better keep away from
snow and ice. There is something won
derfully refrigerating IN the complexion of
negro. They consume heat more rapidly
than any people on the earth [Laughter]-
They had better stay at home and work.
What he asked for the negro Was fair play,
and let him alone. Don't do anything
with us. Your doing with US has play
ed the mischief already. If he works in
the shops, let him alone; don't modest
him on account of his color. If he is go
| ing to school, let him 60. Ii he is going
to congress, as ] am going, let him go.
If a negro can stand congress, congress
can surely stand him [Laughter] There
is something in life besides industry re-
uuisite to success-it is industry properly
applied. Some spend their lives like Paddy
| did his powder-aiming at nothing and
| hitting it all the time. The colored people
should initiate the industry of the whites.
Walking out one day he noticed a white
lady sitting at window readi ing, few
steps further on colored woman was lean
| ing out of window eating an apple. We
must initiate the Caucasian race and cop
| their cultivation. We must build up a
manhood that is respectable. l have given
81 much advice that am afraid you will
NOT be glad to see me again soon. L had
no expectation of seeing SO many white
| people here, and would rather advise the
colored people when they are to them
selves but the Constitution has abolished
color. and we are all white now Qaughter).
| 1t used to be
AN IDEA YEARS AGO
| that colored man was incapable OF the
st,,dv of mathematics. But the reverse
| hoo hsau moved, BENJAMIN Bannakef, or
Ellecott Mills, was a black man, and
great astronomer as well. Thomas Jeffer-
| a,, nouladoed his abj1ity It used to