The banner-enterprise., 1883-07-12

THE NEGRO.

ASN ~ NS'N1N
THE NEGRO.
One of the best possible evidences
Of the worth and capacity of an indi
yidual or q community is svinced il
the amount of abuse hespsd upon
him or it. 1t is no longer regarded
Ms a disgrace for y public man in this
country to be svilly spoken of; it is
one Of the best Of passports for aim
and enables him to reach the acme OF
political greatness and finally to lie
with all his blushing honors fast upon
him. We think that the same view
holds good as it respects the Negro
in this country. We have waxed
strong intellectually, financially and
religiously, and our code of morals is
no worse than that Of the other race.
We are not unmindful of the fact
that we have not reached perfection
in our efforts towards dignifying and
snnobling our race, yet we have at
tanned to a standard that will com
pare rather favorsbly with the civil
zstion of that race under whose guild
ing and restraining influence we have
been students for now nearly two
and a half centuries. We have risen
Phoenix like to fame and greatness.
We have produced Negroes equal in
learning in the arts and sciences, to
the proudsst of the Saxon race. We
have given to the world some as great
scholars, able orators, inventors, sci
sntists, %jurists and theolcgians as any
other race, under the blue canopy
of heaven and we have not yet
fairly started in our determine
ton to show the world that the
color of tho skin, the contour of the
head and the texture of the hair do
not, in the least, affect the quality of
the brains. Men(?) of Or. Tuck
er's and "Arisl's' stamp may rave
and foam good naturedly and seri-
ously if they will, as they contem-
plate the big black spot occupied by
the Negro on this continent, we can
stard it ifthey can. The trying ordeal
through which the Negro has passed
is one Of the best illustrations by
our patience and f~orbearance
and our abiding faith in the promises
of God. We have been tried in the
crucible Of FIRE we have suffered
and endured every species of indig-
nifty and brutality and we are here
to answer roll call, when
the nations Of the earth will have
been summoned to appear before the
tribunal of Eternal Justice the Negro
will be there to receive the measure
Of his reward. The Negro is not the
depraved and worthless brute that
pre- Judicial white men are wont to
10 sleeve us to be. Whatever is bad
Us is purely American, and white
Americans are not saints any more
han we are. The Negro has played
conspicuous part both In ancieut
md modern times. He it was who
,ore the cross Of Calvary upon his
,rawny shoulders when the "Man OF
was overburden ed with its
'onderous weight, and hen Herod
ought the young child's life he found
/ not, for he was hidden in the land
{ Egypt, among the sable son of the
ark continent,and there he remained
ntil the angel of God brought the
idings of the death of his pursusr.
he Negro has been the Olivette of
ages since the creation as he is to-
av. He is the great enigma of the
~ineteenth century. God had a pnr
ose in creating him, and until that
urpose is accomplished the Negro
ill remain not in statue quo perish
he thought-but in close proximity
0 all other races on the face of the
and be will measure arms with
hem Intellectually and PHYSICAL, or
whatever way may be necessary
, prove his fitness for the position
be was created to ill in the
Of nations. The consummste
ttleness displayed by learned white
len in their endesvor to belittle the
will nsver annul the eternal
at--"Ethiopia shall suddenly stretch
ut her hands unto Cod"
IL ia reported that silver has :