Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1886-08-12

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amendment declaring that neither
slavery nor involuntary servitude, ex-
cept as punishment for crime, should
exist within the United States,
! Next came the fourteenth amend.
ment, declaring all persons born or
naturalized in the United States, and
subject to the Jurisdiction thereof. to
be citizens of the United States and Of
the states wherein they reside.
Following the fourteenth amendment
came the fifteenth amendment, grant,
ing the newly made citizen the right
to vote.
With these powerful, though strange
weapons, in his hands, the Negro went
forth to cope with one of the strongest
civilizations ever enjoyed by man. He
went forth as y pioneer to blaze his
way through the forests Of ignorance,
superstition. poverty, aud prejudice.
Here and there, and time and again,
he was check.Mated by the formidable
foes Qf ignorance and inexperience.
Here and there. time and again, he
was met and vanquished by the mon
ster prejudice. Yet, in spite Of these
powerful draw backs, the Negro contin-
ued to contend against these sullen foes
for life, liberty aud the pursuit of hap
piness. Qatsl to-day he may he found
Alllps stations of honor and trust.
To-day his legal Representatives may
be found contending for the right in
the hall of Congress. To-day the Ne
gro may bo found as legal representa-
tives Of the United States in foreign
ports. In the lower walks of life we
find the Negro occupying important
positions In the fields of art, science,
and literature. In the fields of art we
have the simple rustic who constructs
his own hut,up to the celebrated sculp-
tress, Edmonia Lewis, whose work
ompaSes favorably with that Of Mich
ael Angelo and Raphael. In fact, it
took America one hundred and seven
ty-three years to produce her equal, i'm
the person of Washington Allston, who
fiourishoa from 1850 to 1S4S.
As scientist the Negro has invent
ed all. the way frem the needle to an
astronomical instrument. AS distin-
guished among the scientists of the
world we point with pride to Bepja-
min Benneker, the astronomer and
almanac maker, to Fuller, the Virginia
mathematician, and to Derham the
distinguished physician of New Or
leans.
In the field Of literature we have
scores Of ready writer's and profound
thinkers. Here in our own country
we have all the way from the writer
of a pamphlet to the composer Of o
Greek text book. Here in our own
country we have from the teacher in
the common school up to the professor
of Greek and Latin.
Among our learned men we have
doctors of divinity and doctors Of law,
statesmen, and authors of the highest
type.
In the world at large we have from
the owner of doggery to the owner of
lines of ocean steamers.
In the commercial world we have
from a mere justice of the peace to the
man who presides as president of q
Republic.
Now. whose work is this? Mani
testify their own, for we are the archi-
tects of our own fortunes.
Having picked out of the eight mil
lions of Negro inhabitants of the Unit
ed States, few samples to show their
capabilities and attainments, will
now proceed to speak of the condition
and needs of the masses.
At the close of the war in 1865, there
were in the Union 4,441 $50 people of
African decent; not one in ten tlous-
and could read. and very small per
cent. of them owned property or had
homes of their own. "They," says ono
writer, "had been doomed by the most
stringent laws, to long night of dark
ness. 1t was crime to teach black
man to read. even the Bible"
Hence, as race, our present sad
condition is that of those who lived
during the period known as the Dark
Ages, which preceded the revival Of
letters, during the fifteenth century.
The period for the revival of letters
with US is at hand. The Roman En-
pire of our ignorance must soon fall or
we must give place, as the American
Redman is doing, to a wiser and
stronger race. For knowledge is power.
zone trained man." said the beloved
Garfield to a committee of coiored men,
"is worth five unframed men. +" We
must keep pace with the car of pro-
gress. or forfeit our right of way. We
| must cultivate those things which go
to make up the true manhood and
womanhood or allow the rank weeds of
passion and frivollty to choke us out of
existence On, on, to the field Of in
dustry, the school and church, must
hereafter be our watChword, or as q
race we will fail, fail utterly, and per-
ish before our enemies. Enemies who
declare that we are incapable Of SELF
government aud unworthy of oitisen-
ship. We must train up our children
in the way they sheuld go, or they
will grace the cells of our state prisons
or decorate the gallows Of the future.
We sorely need more confidence III
each other. We are too much divided;
- NSgsvn h.