The state chronicle., 1883-10-27
THE NEGRO IN NEW YORK.
What few individuals of the Race
Have Done and are Doing to Elevate
Themselves.

Special Co7respondence II The chronicle.
NEW YORK oct. 24.-It is frequently
claimed that it is fair to conclude that the
uppermOSt point in civilization which the
Negro will reach is the point he has reach
Ell in New York. Many OF the brightest
and most energetic have come here to seek
their fortunes and the best Of them have
become another sort of being, different in
many ways from the Negro in the South
and yet, of course, III many ways precisely
the same. But that the best have made an
improvement on the condition Of even the
best in the South cannot be denied.
Take for instance the negro Fortune,
who is the editor of the Cube, a weekly
paper published here, which is so far as /
know the foremost paper of the race. 1t
i at least a novel sight to see the little
but cosy office far down town in rather
obscure place. One room is editorial room,
local room and printing room, and all the
work is done by dusky fingers and by
brains which kinks cover. 1t is a very
creditable sheet indeed Besides leading
articles Of Importance to the race, it con-
tains in its social and advertising columns
much matter that is of peculiar interest.
| There are, for instance, reports of hops
and receptions and debating clubs and lit
| erary societies, and advertisements of mil
| liners and music teachers and night schools,
| and know not what other institutions Of
/ society which indicate a grade Of civliZa-
ton that fancy, is unknown among your
blacks. in short there is here what may
properly and respectfully be called colored
society, which has a degree uf cultivation
and refinement that is surely creditable.
But it is not yet by any means a tho
roughly refined or cultivated society, and
you may be pardOned for doubling wheth-
er it ever can be. For Instance, the Globe
| itself in its editorial expressions shows
that lack of calm which indicates the half
| lc Il hos of
inde pendence and threatens to do revolu-
tiOnary things. Then it will attempt to
speak for the whole race in way which
shows that the editor utterly mscOnceives
his race, for he imag ines that the time has
com when the Negroes as a mass will rea-
son about subject and act reasonably.
There is a Negro here who has written a
'History Of the Negro Race in America, -
two huge volumes which required great la
bor and great learning. They are more
than credltable; but the amusing egotism
of the man and the lack Of system in his
work indicate an incomplete or an arrest
ed mental development. But he is a man
of good manners and of a neat dress and
pleasant appearance as you usually meet
anywhere.
had the pleasure of hearing your col
Ored fellOW-citiZen, Price. when he preach
ed in Beecher's church the other Sunday.
| need not say that he talked sensibly
Yet imagine that your readers who have
never seen the Negro out Of the land where
he was slave, will never quite understand
the peculiar reception he had or the pecu-
liar views that were taken Of him. He
was regarded partly as curiosity and
partly as a sort of vindication of certain
ideas that have dwelt and echoed in Ply
mouth church for great many years.
And the mass of his hearers very readily
make the mistake to conclude that any
Negro and that all the Negroes can easily
be made such man this preacher.
am inclined to be very hopeful Of the
; development OF the race, but l do not
think it quite warrantable to draw the con
cllsOn that what the best individuals have
done here is an indication of what the
race at large will do In some respects
the race will do better, in others not sc
well. What every friend of the Negro
must regret is that more of them here a:
we'll as elsewhere do not learn the trades
S T