Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1896-05-01
Wr. Dukes Advice to Ne
qroeS.

ton Duke, of Durham, n. C., was
invited to deliver an address to
an educational conference held
by the negroes. Unaccustomed
to public speaking, he did not
deliver the address, but wrote a
letter from which We make the
following extracts:
olive years more and l shall
have lived three-quarters of a
century. Not long before was
born the cannon of Napolean
Numbered at Waterloo, as the Old
lGuard melted itself Before the
hollow squares of the English
army, and England's Iron Duke
conquered the worlds most mag>
netic leader. Since then the
destiny of nations has been
changed. 1 have seen the coun>
tries Of Europe racked by terri
Bile wars, and here in our own
land l have witnessed the great
est revolution of them all, the
emancipation Of your race. |
have always had friendly feel
ing towards you and now address
you in the spirit of a friend,
wishing if l can, to help you
overcome the hard conditions of
your lot.
81 have no doubt that each of
you would like to be successful
man. 1t is right that you should
feel so; for a proper ambition is
Gods call to a higher life. But
how shall that success be gain
ed?"
After telling them that the
road to success lies in obedience
to the laws Of honesty, sobriety
and the laws of their country,
Mr.. Duke goes On to say:
"Be industrious, and do not be
always looking for an easy, soft
place. | have made more fur
rows on Gods earth than any
man of forty years of age in
North Carolina. And when you
have made yourself Industrious,
you must be frugal. Establish
it as a rule to always spend less
than you make. l never closed
a years work in my life without
being happy in the knowledge
Ethat l was better off than l was
when it began. Be sure to put
away one dollar every week in
the Savings bank. And when
people begin to find that You are
industrious and reliable, they
will offer you positions of profit.
Do honest work for your honest
dollar, put it in your pocket and
at night when you lie down with
it under your pillow, the eagle on
its face will sing you to sleep,
because it knows you have earn
ed it and mean to spend it prop,
erly.
CHOW the fundamental basis
of real success is good character.
Without that all yonr efforts will
come to nothing. Honesty, so>
briefly, industry, frugality, all go
to make up good character. Sup
port your churches and schools.
Give to the support of the
gospel, not because you feel it
your duty, (and it is your duty, }
not because somebody else does
it, but because you know it is
right, and that you will be bless
ed in so doing.
"People as rule depend too
much upon government. They
think if certain men are sent to
make laws and certain laws are
made, then the causes OF their
poverty and discomfort will be
removed: 1t was an idle dream
never to be realized. What is
government? 1t is a plan adopts
ed by the whole people for their
guidance i'll national life. Every
person in this country is a part
of that government. The gov
ornamental functions OF the nation
can be perfected only as its ildi-
vidual members perfect theln>
selves. Rain is necessity. The
ground must be watered before
it can produce. But ifyou should
build a shed over your field, it
might rain abundantly: but your
crop would perish from the
drought. What good will per-
feet laws do you unless you are
prepared to live under them? A
dog cannot be governed by the
rule that governs a man. Your
only hope lies with yourselves.
Be men of honest, upright lives;
support your churches and your
schools; regard your minister as
your best friend, and your school
teacher as the next, work hon
estly for your money, and give
some of it to help support these
institutions. Cease to rely upon
outside help; for you must work
out Your own salvation. Since