St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1893-06-29
THE BLACKS WILL RISE ONE OF
THESE DAYS"

sense decidedly pessimistlc. On
board the Neptune, a cargo steamer
on the Mississippi river, | noticed a
gang of negro porters, strong and
apparently willing to work, but
their white overseer cuffed and
kiched them in a british manner,
using language foul and blasphem-
Gus. One full-blooded negro, un-
willing to bear such treatment, re-
taliated, and fight ensued, which
would have been serious had not the
beligerents been separated. Then
it was | heard croaking Southerner
observe, "the blacks will rise one of
these days" to which | simply re-
piled, ITO rise properly they should
be handled in manner different
from what we have just witnessed
Studying the negro problem"
while in Louisiana the past winter,
| became cognizant of some facts
which have noted. Obviously,
many white Southerners, not ex-
cepting professors of religion, are
permeated with the belief that blacks
are naturally inferior to the whites,
and therefore incapable of elevation
to an equal standard in knowledge
with themselves. Git only for ser
wants" is the popular belief; hence
the apathy mot to say the antipa-
thy on the part of many to efforts
for negro education.
A Southern man not long ago
voiced the opinion of large num-
Der of his countrymen when he sent
to the North American Review the
following "The negro has made no
progress, not because he was a slave,
but because he does not possess the
faculties to raise himself above
slavery Dir. a. B. Palmer, the
noted Presbyterian preacher in New
Orleans, is said to have told the
mother of negro girl (his cook:
"All the education your daughter
needs is to make her a good ser
want Yet that girl studied at
Straight University, graduated with
honor and is now successful mis-
sionary in southern Texas. | sus-
pect the divine alluded to above is a
man of the old regime. Probably his
views have been modified by what
has taken place before his eyes.
Attempts to give negroes advanced |
education have been accompanied |
with results that should silence
skepticism on this point. They are
rising in the best sense of that word.
Alas that they should ever be con-
fronted with the dctum: you can
not compete with white people,
therefore there is no use in trying"
What can be conceived better calcu.
lated to annoy and dshearten their
sensitive natures than such Ian
guage'
| remember about twenty years
ago, while in South Africa, handing
to an intelligent Zulu teacher a geog-
raphy in the English language which
he could read, and of his coming to
me with the question: "Who are
those Anglo-Saxons who lived in
Great Britain in poverty, clad in the
skins of wild animals, with huts in
ferior to our own" | replied;
MY good fellow, they were ances-
tors OF Englishmen who now doni-
nate your race, but if you make an
effort you can rise to a level with
them" That was an inspiration to
master Zulu in after life. Was not
justified in giving him that inspira-
ton Many white people, | venture
to observe, would have been inclined
to say: The children of Ham are
under judicial doom of the AL
mighty" etc. What negroes, who
wish to rise in this country as well
as in Africa, need and should have,
are words of cheer and a helping
hand.
Visiting the various universities
for colored people in New Orleans, |
have seen much that is adapted to
excite to benevolent action in their
behalf. Colored pupils do not lack
natural intelligence. At public ex-
aminations, on platforms, in class
rotations, and Societies of Chris
tan Endeavor, they appear as we'll
as the same number of young people
in New England. They quickly com
prehend knotty points in philosophy
and theology. This is the opinion of
those best competent to judge. DR..
{. Z. Mitchell president of Leland
University (Baptist), a profound
Hebrew scholar himself, told me that
negro students can make the same
advancement in that language as
white pupils. He gave me the names
of several who are proficient in it.
DR.. Atkinson, at the head of New
Orleans University (Methodist Epis
copall remarked that white chill
dren are no quicker in learning than
negroes" Dr. Atwood of Straight
University Congregational, ex-
pressed himself in similar manner.
Some of the colored ministers in the
Crescent City, are well educated
and good preachers. Professor
Henderson, at the head of the theo-
logical department at Straight, is a
man of culture and refinement.
Northerners who have contributed
for the support of negro schools,
could they see what | have seen dur.
ing the past few months would ha