The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-08-26

OF all values has been fully ne great as that OF
the masses OF tho people has become equally des-
porato and distressing. Allthis cannot be shout
dercd upon the white man, because, In the main,
the white man had nothinGtodo with It, as in tho
British West Indies. The black man was left as
country, to build up a strong civil and CONNER
cial power, right at the door Of the British colo
ment to prove that the black race needed only to
be free from tho %negation and etfacement policy
Of the white mar to spread himself. as n green
bay tree. but he has done nothing OF the sort; as
to the masses, his condition Is very little better
than that OF his brother across the way In the
sion that the black race cannot reach It's full de-
the contrary, we find that it makes no progress
IN those Islands, whether working out its destiny
tion or subjuGation to him.
=, When we S 60 70 A ri NV, We find : Ike sc condition nnddsittiLS}nn
has made no substantial progress in the last
%Gitfn N, standing tim ding almost SK sto where mr, IT. stood ooio when
Africa have sprung into states which command
tho respect and admiration OF mankind because
They have produccd a Cecil Rhodes and " Paul
Krnger in statccrait and a Barney, Barnato in
produced little more than the crude labor in
farm and mine. This cannot be due, to contact
fields and priceless cereal resources OF Africa
and its millions Of. black inhabitants. were
and had Gi been the there ~ for th mnn Seo of years 20 a'rBS nti
the genius and the technical knowledge. the
civilization, which touch tho ray materials OF
wealth, were lacking in the African population,
and are still lacking. But while all this Is true
Africa-unlikc he red men o fthc Americas, the
hnstralias. and tho South Sea Islnnds.adap
shall have to wait until they have served a rea:
European civilization before we conclude that
Nature DESIGNED them to he simply hcwers of
L have given this matter a great deal of
thought. and have reached tho conclusion that
a MeF nof hest ~Siv adnptS% to- allow fh% c9 for the f fSll ss,
velopmcnt OF the African genius and characters:
but | am .a.d bound 9m d to rS ,ii,,t III, the ,t theory 18th tina" !. the he
capable Of reasonable preservation. of Its race
tyne md expansion OF its peculiar charac,
which to bnse a contrary opinion. A race that
preserves it's chcerfulncss and shows a steady
Increase In each decennial census. and manages
to sleep, is not to he killed of in the United
assertion because. somebody who dislikes
the race makes it, or somebody who does
of social growth cannot be made TO fit an
ancient he'd at will, There, arc plenty, OF good
race with n wave of the hand or a stroke OF tho
pen. and believe that it is n servilc race and
n tiom %hen ai IN contact sS oG witS the 4 sn Shite rSsc pSSs nt
the progenitive fecundity OF the race of the
first and the NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS., OF the sec,
black sheep Of the human family shows no dis
position anywhere 10 die off of his free will, and
him of by those Who want to get rid OF him. He
keeps, on multiplying in the earth. and there
play in the economy of nature not made plain 10
the wise men OF the past or present.
As far as the Afro American is concerned. 1t
will he conceded generally that he is a standing
argument against the theory that the black race
T. McCants Stewart. for instance. lost patience
in discussing this phase or the question In re-
BBt But re 10 shall DrI s ahnr Nothing in by By as show %, He Of i M:
patience in considering any phase Of so impor-
1ant a question as the future OF the African race.
was predicted that he would, has very nearly
doubled his numbers in the last thirty
his fecundity has been greater. Instead
of starving, TO death. he eats more and
lation OF any European country. and Is every
whore provokinsly rat and sleek and Drumming
over vita infectious, good nature, often lind.
IND food for tears. Instead Of r%elapsins
than white men have built factories and
jalls combined. and for thirty years he has
and academies and colleges with ever-increasing
numbers and enthusiasm. SO that from the con-
dition OF pupil and student he has become an
army OF teachers and preachers and profess
sional men fully 10000 strong, as well as
the best thought and activity OF the republic
In letters and and politics and art.
waiting for the Government to give him forty
acres and a mule. he has produced more cotton
and corn and sugar cane and tobacco end garden
truck as a free man than as n slave. which the
statistics OF farm products before and since the
war will show and, starting empty handed. he
owns to-day millions OF acres of the best farm
lands OF tho South, with plenty Of live stock for
farm cultivation and consumption
The Afro-American Is working his way gradu-
ally into independent busincss.a NJ n swing around
the circle in the Southern States will show.
Progress In this direction has been slow, because
he has had to get business education and then
capital upon which to begin business; but he has
made n beginning, and in the next three decades
he will make u showing In this direction OF the
most startling and satisfactory character. This
business ventures to be found in every southern
community, which are bound to grow and ex-
pand with increased experience and capital.
The Afro American. at least. has no good rea-
son to he discouraged by his present fortunes.
They are such an improvement over those OF
thirty years ago as to make COMPARE
son impossible. His contact with the white
every way since the war. The fact that
he has held, and holds, high ana responsible
places under municipal, State. and national
that there is no limit to his genius and aspira:
ton In any direction in the greatest republic of
all times. The entire matter Is in his hands.
and. all things being considered. he Is making
on NIL hands and In all sections. despite occn-
sional exhibitions OF yindictiveness and violence.
that helpful sympathy and assistance. without
which, with any people, genius and aspiration
would not discourage DR.. Thorne in his pur-
pose TO plant a colony In Central Africa. There
Is plenty Of material in the United States and
the West Indies with which to make the expert
ever 1t may apply to the West Indian blacks,
does not apply to the blacks of the United States.
I. THOMAS FORTUNE.