St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-10-14
a CoIored Nlam's Testimony.


WASHINGTON, Oct. 13.-The 2ev. Moses
A. Hopkins of North Carolina. who has
been appointed minister to Liberia, is in the
city, and in an interview TO-DAY he said
several rather interesting things about HIM
self and the colored people. He IS 80 years
old, was born slave, and during the war
was cook in the Federal army. ae learned
to read in 1865. He attn butes his
appointment largely to Gen. w.
r. Cox, a Confederate brigadier
and a Democratic congressr an from
North Carolina. AS further illustration
OF his relations with white peopI9 he said:
Il want to say that was lequifed to give
bond for $4,000, and three v lite gentle
men OF Franklinton, Ca, vOlul eered to go
on the same. They were former slave
owners, ard they said that rs citizen of
our town had been honored by the appoint
ment it was meet and proper that the
bondSmen should come from that place. -
Mr.. Hopkins does not even pretend to be 4
Democrat. He says:
No, | am not a Democrat that is, I have
not taken any part in politics. Time and
again have voted in town and county mat
ters for Democrats because believe them to
be the best running for Office. You must
know that among colored men there are few
word but the colored voter is fast learning
to stand by those who are his
friends, and colored men can't be driven
any longer on the old promise of forty acres
and a lnuie.''
You have met the pres:dent; now. what
do you, as Representative -,alored man,
think of the administration?
l was very much impressed with Mr..
Cleveland. and am frank to say that he and
his administration have acted fairly and
friendly to the colored people, and if the pres
ent policy is maintained the colored people will
have great deal more confidence il the ad-
ministration and the Democratic party The
colored people are looking for friends, and sc
long as the new administration gives them 9
chance to hold on their places here, they viii
have the strongest proof of the friendship OF
| the administration. The colored people of the
South will consider the administration theii
friend as long as their leaders stay here in
Washington.
Is your race improving its opportunities
in North Carolina?
Yes, colored men are acquiring land, and
they have long since found out that there is
no money in politics. They realize that they
have to work by the sweat of their brow OF
face, if they shall eat bread. These flaming
politicians who came into the South some
years ago and went out amongthe colored men
did great harm. They told the negroes OF 8
land flowing with milk and honey, and to get
there was to follow them. Now, the fact is
the negroes got plenty of bees, but they didn't
taste any honey, through these politicians.
The coored brother wants honey
Do you look for any political division
among the colored men?
COlored men, more than ever, begin tC
think and act for themselves. The Republi-
can party made one grand mistake While
it was natural for the negro to be under great
obligation to that party, it was mistake fol
their leaders to think that they owned the
negroes politically. Everywhere that have
been in public and in private hear the col
ored people speaking in the highest term of
Mr. Cleyeland's administration