The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-05-11

1 nave always Deen MUCH lHleTeSleu III
the education Of the colored race. / used
to visit this institution at each OF it's
annual commandments when l was Gov
ernor of the State. 1t was then and is
now doing a great work for the eleva-
ton of great part of our people. And
remember this: While your stay here is
a great blessing to you, at the same time
it lays a great burden on you; and may
God in his infinite mercy impress upon
you this responsibility as you go our from
it's doors into the world among your fell
low men and women. If they are to be
lifted up, it must be through your in
fuence.
Now one other thought: Don't sit
down and lament over what you would
have your race to be. The wise man
takes conditions as he finds them and
deals with them So must you. And in
doing this try to deal with them so as
to bring the two races together. That
prejudice exists, there is no denial. 1t
may last many years, it may be allayed
in a day. We do not know. You must
take conditions as you find them and deal
with them.
Let me beg of you educated coIored
people to insist on three things: "a
Absolute purity in the pulpit; CD purity
in the school ROOM and go purity in the
home. Wherever a race or people or
community fails in either of these points
it is a lamentabe failure indeed.
81 pity the congregation of a church
that listens to an impure man. pity
the children taught by such a man. For
the home into which impurity has enter
ed l sorrow.
'If you have only ten preachers in
North Carolina, have those ten pure,
righteous men. If you have but a dozen
schools insist that they be taught by pure
men. Insist that your home be godly
one and that impure people shall not
enter into it,
ADDRESS TO THE GRADUATES.
The address of President Meserve
TO the graduates was remarkable
one. not only for it's boldness and
vieor but as well for its clear insight
into the race question as it is now
presented in North Carolina. 1t is
worthy of the careful reading of every
citizen of the State. Dr. Meserve
spoke as follows:
I'VE are living in changed and chang
sist in repeating today in detail what was
done yesterday. This is no longer true.
The advance in the science and arts and
the progress Sof events, stimulated by this
advance, compels a new definition in all
of it's manifold activities. Change is the
order everywhere and life, instead of
repetition has come to be a constant
series of readjustments made necessary
by every varying conditions. The mer-
chant is not sure that he can sell the
same kind of goods tomorrow the he is
selling today, and if he does not keep
up with the times, he must take down his
sign and go out of business. The me-
chanic, while earning in the sweat of his
brow the daily bread for himself and
family, must at the same time study to
know what he is to do tomorrow And
this is true of all races, all classes and
all conditions of people.
This correct view of life is at the pres
ent time of more interest to you than to
any other race. Your race was forced
from African barbarism into American
slavery, and then emerged into freedom
and was elevated to citizenship The
franchise has been exercised quite gen
orally, and, in some instances, political
honors have been attained, but the fran
chise in some States has been largely
withdrawn, and, in others, it seems that
action is being taken, looking to the same
end. At least, these are the signs of the
times, and the signs of the times you
must constantly study, and, at the present
time, they must be studied not in the light
Of right or wrong, or justice or injustice,
for this will avail nothing, but rather in
the light of the inevitable. Avenues
leading to office holding cannot be trav
eled by you and little has been gained in
this direction in the past by any race.
The shore of the white political sea is
lined with wrecks, and they are far great
er in number than the ships that have
made port in safety. There is little in
office holding for white people: nothing
for you; but in educated colored citizen
ship there is and always will be the power
Of the ballot. Devote yourselves to the
public schools next to the church of
God. There is in them a potency for the
advancement of the race that can be
found nowhere else. Let your energies
be expended upon them rather than in
building up church. association or other
private schools. The bulk of the race
schools, and these schools should be made
as good as possible. There must be few
good fitting or secondary schools to pre-
pare for the various literary, professional
and technical schools of higher order
but only few will be needed and more
and more the public schools will increase
in number and efficiency, and they will
gradually supplant most of these second
airy schools, as it is the case in all parts
Of our land where the public school sys-
tenn is general. This is another of the
inevitable, and you must yourselves pre-
pare for this and lead the people in this
direction. The public school system is
the greatest hope of the race.
You should carefully study the new con-
ditions so that you may adapt yourselves
to them in a manner that will bring the
highest good both to yourselves and the
race. There must be on your part for
bearance, patience, discretion, and at all
times wisdom. Make yourselves useful in
the communities where your lot may be
cast. useful citizen is always esteemed
and is always influential. Honest, con-
slant work is called for and will bring
recognition.
While you will ever recognize that the
North gave YOU yOur freedom and will