The colored American., 1900-05-26
she saw her child forced aboard the slave

every pleading in the middle passage that
marked the journey of the negro from the
shores of Africa to the shores of America.
was an earnest plea to the white man not
to desecrate the soil Of America by en-
grating upon it the serious problems which
are today demanding solution.
But the voice of right then, as I fear
1t is today In some quarters, was smothered
by the voice of selishness; the voice of
the statesman was throttled, then, as now,
in too many cases, by the voice of the
short-sighted demagogue, and we went on
sowing the wind, and now we reap the
Whirlwind. ''Be not deceived, God is not
moCked." Whatsoever a nation com
munity sows, that it shall also reap.
But all this belongs to history. Our duty
is with the present.
No one who looks deeply, calmly, con-
scientiOusly, into the present thought and
activity can overlook the fact that we are
now passing through a stage of race de-
velopment which is serious at every step
and demands as never before our deepest
thought, ripest investigation and most un-
selfish assistance.
Political history in our case points to no
oath blaZedx through the forests, which is
an absolute guide in the task before
Ours is a task which demands and which
should have the earnest assistance OF the
WiseSt statesmen, investigators and phtlan-
thrOpists of both races, in all sections Of
the country.
Grafton, every scheme for the settlement
Of the difficulties that beset should have
the Endorsement of the white man at the
south the white man at the north and that
Of the negro himself Our duty is to face
the present and not to wall over the past.
In the midst of the present seeming doubt,
uncertainty and timidity on the part of
many OrYe two things seem clear. We
shah not settle our present problem by
time spent in useless debate as to whether
the white man north or the white man
south was responsible for the Introduction
Of American slavery.
I of Races EssPUtfaT
No settlement will be permanent and sat
| sfactory that does not command the conf
/ dence and the respect of the southern white
nan, the northern white man and the negro
] himself. Further, am convinced that moth
/ ng can be gained, but much lost to the
cause of the negro by time spent in the
1 mere bandiage of words of blame and cen
] sure between the white man north and the
| white man south In the same spirit, /
! would add that the negro cannot make
stronger his cause by aimless ratings
( against the southern white man, neither
IAN the southern white man assist much III
he solution of the difficulty which is
yital to him, by mere condemnation OF the
negro.
] Both the teachings of history and the
warnings of the present emphasize that the
question of the negro will not be settled,
Will not remove itself from across the path
way of our progress till 1t is settled in alb
solute, unimpeachable justice to all parties
| 2Oncerned-justice to the north, who freed
he negro; justice TO the southern white
nan, in whose midst the negro resides, and
| Justice to the negro himself.
The foundation OF citizenship, 1t seems to
ne, rests upon the intrinsic worth OF each
Individual or group of individuals. No law
can push the individual forward when he Is
worthless no law can hold him back wheS
he is worthy. The worthy may be incOn-
Venienced, but never defeated.
No praise on the part of ourselves or
friends help us If We are meritLess. No
] Ibuse from any quarter can permanently
injure us if we possess intrinsic worth.
In all the history OF government / do not
believe that in any large degree any race
has been permitted to share in the control
Of government till a large number of the
/ Individual members of that race have de-
nonstrated beyond question their ability to
succeed in controlling successfully their
own individual business affairs.
The Triumph Of Natural Laws.
My own belief is that the time will come
when the negro in this country will secure
i all the recognition which his merits entitle
8 lim to as man and as a citizen, but such
recognition will come through no process of
! artificial forcing, but through the natural
law Of evolution. In a word, we have got
to pay the price for everything that we get
the price that every civilized race or nation
has paid for its position, that of beginning
gradually, naturally, at the bottom and
working up toward the highest civilization
What l am most anxious about is that the
negro shall be himself, not second or
thrd-rate imitation of some one else.
AS Thomas Carlyle puts it:
"An original man; not q second hand, bor-
~Owing begging man. Let us stand on
our own basis at any ratei On such shoes
as we ourselves can get. On frost and mud