The Magnolia gazette. [volume] (Magnolia, Miss.) 1872-current, 1891-11-14
THE NEGROES IDEAL.

u 'Nlttil Ht@Io pre- tcHtISs udNt D
been slowly formulating an ide ] /
foi : the less educated az thcirrtce--
a Ideal of equality 70 be attained |
through veal h. This idea was
folciply presented by ths calored
doc'ors Of divinity id the Mctho-
dist Eeumenical Council, and Ike
expressions are the rule from ne,
gro LA lers in the pulpit and out.
1t is not to be denied that this
idea that everything depends on
money is / tensely and thoroughly
American, but iC will nevertheless
prove most unsatisfactory for the
negro in his attempts to elevate
himself.
1t will take him very long to
learn in the first place that, though
men al g born free and are at birth
equal, they cannot possibly remain
cqual--that the utmost he can do
is to remain tree that they may be
come excellent. One man may be
in many things the superior Of
most; he is never at amy time the
equal of any except when he is
born iii Il state Of tot Il 4 peldence
and helpleSsness. Freedom is the
condition under which men can
best assert their unlillcness to
each other and their inequality
with each other without oppress-
ing each other Inequality be-
twetn individuals established by
law IS slavery Laws attempting
10 coerce men into equality would
be not less slavery. Freedom is
political equality only-equalty
before the law only, under law
which leaves each mAn free to de-
velop, TO become AZ far superior
to all O'her men as he can. With
out inequality there can be no ex,
cellencs. Ole man may easily ex-
eel another or fall below him, bat
he cannot by any effort become
his equal. He can become equal
to his own possibilities, not to the
possibilities ofanyoue else. Thirst
is tue Law Of his. nature and his
progress.
Ii is hard for the negro leader
who has some educaiiOn to see
this. lie urges his followers on
to get money that they may be
las gnod as white people," mean
ing By that the equals of white
people, utter impOssibilify
since no two white people ever
we're equal; since they never can
be, except in being eqnaliy free
All men ought 70. be equally free.
The law should never give one
man the advantage Of another ex
eept where awfoHg done by one
TO another is bsing righted.
When the negro doctors Of
divinity preach from their pulpits
the worship of money as the god
that is to give them everything in
return for Iove and devotion, they
are preparing bitter disappoint.
ment for them selves and thefi
hearers. Money can buy much
sut 1t cannot buy the unselfish
ness, thehelpfnlness, the Kindness
the regard for the feelings an
cenveniences of others. the unob
trnsiveness, the 'sgood breeding
that makes one man or woman the
superior of another man or woman
In Rome under Augustus th'
freedmen were mostly white. ant
many Of them became citizens
Possessed by this same idea tina
. money can bay everything, man
p of them acquired immense fortunes
: which only brought them tn
= more in contempt. When one {
i them passed up to the Capitol il
all the splendor money could Civ
it was the son Of another fteedma
] who in immortal verse stid Of hir
: and Of all such, that wealth canne
0 conceal the scars Of the lirtor'
: whips, the scars that every coars
: or criminal thought OF acti0
a leave. whether or not the law an
d ,the lictor take cognizanee of
4si 1Aa tT ~ Ns@.N