The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1885-04-30
q LETTER n OH MCCOY.


PALATKA, Fla. april Goth. 1895
Editor PALArKA NEWS.
Pardon me if I trouble your readers
with a few Of the thoughts that suggest
themselves to a colored man when the
future of that race is under eonsidera-
ton. Our position is most peculiar and
we search history in vain for advice from
the experience Of others as to how our
course should be shaped. If the white
man is in doubt as to our future status,
how is it with us !? A safe escape out Of our /
present difficulties can only be secured
/ by the careful thought and up
right walk Of every member
of that race who knows his rights and
duties and dare maintain them. The
coIored men. Of this country, should bear
in mind. that they are most invariably
/ tried and rated by an exalted standard,
established By those who have had the
advantages Of seminalies Of learning and
the like aid for centuries, and that they
must excel others in these qualities in
order to gain their patronage or respect.
/ That feeling that q coIored man should
not be equally compensated for an exhi-
bition of ike talent OF labor, should be
/ discouraged by all good thinking people
of the land. Any base act committed by
a colored man is placed to the discredit
of his race and not as it should be, to the
discredit of chat single individual.
Should a colored man turn out to be
drunkard, a gambler or q noisy person,
lettering around crossroads, not clean
and tidy in dress he is spoken of, not
as a debased individual but as a negro
with the exclamation sswhat else could
be expected Of one Of his race" Such
remarks are wholly unjust and illogical.
A refined sentiment exists against that
which is fashy, noisy, coarse and unre-
fined, but, the same in a colored man
subjects him to special condemnation.
| All Of this tells the black man to be more
| circumspect, for ne is making character
and is succeeding well. The minute
liberties the few civil rights which he
enjoys should not be abused to the detri-
ment of all Of his class, as is the case in
nearly every instance where the colored
man comes in. The colored race is in
deed very initiative and too often imi-
tate the coarse unrefned manners of the
whites rather than the demeanor of those
who are more dignified. The colored
people are too much inclined to rate
/ themselves finer than their purses win
Justify. No doubt you will bear me out
in the assertion that the younger colored
element presents a marked improvement
in their manners, general department
and physical construction; still they fail
to get proper cred E. The general i'm
preston is against them 1t is not con
sidered that there are grades and man
ners and the like among the colored peo-
pie as well as among the whites, 1t
should be considered that any short com
ing that may be true Of the colored peo-
| pie Of this country, reflects upon the
whites, who have dominated over them
for centuries yea, owned them as sla-
YES. When the col0red man attempts to
assert his manhood, he IS looked upon as
being an impudent negro. and too often
by his own fellow men as being too
proud The want of discrimination to
which I have reference shows itself in
almost every instance when the colored
man becomes d component factor. It
matters not however how respectable
and gentIemanly he may be, if he seeks
to go beyond The average level of his
race he is sueered at and many times
given to understand that he is a negro
and to go slow. To overcome this preiu-
dice or contempt the black man must be
more than commonly circumspect, he
should strive to gain the reputation Of
being most prompt in meeting obliga-
tions and faithfully performing all duties
placed to his care and keeping he should
cultivate tidiness and above all try and
not manifest a cringing nature when in
public places still he should be as mod
est and properly reserved as are the most
discreet aud modest Of those whom he is
brought in contact with.
Dignified poLteness has a winning
effect The white men can better afford
to be less circumspect.
1t is a noted fact that the black men
are wanting in certain qualities of man
linesss that he is not sufficiently self
, reliant
There are worthy missionary cases In
; which begging IS excplsable, but let us
exhibit more pride in soliciting favors
The freedom Of going around begging as
is too frequently the case with our pas.
tors and church officials should be stop.
ped. 1t has become obnoxious to the in
telligent public il has a depressing, sub
jecting influence which saps manhood
= DESTROYS infaF7aY7f7nuea and ma E-as masters