Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-01-16
PATHS THAT ARE OPEN
TO SELF RESPECTING NEGROES
ST. ELMO.
----

COLUMBUS, Ga.
TO the Editor of The Journal:
A southern newspaper in a recent lead
ing editorial uses the following language:
THE doctrine that is preached into Amer
lean boys, that the Office of the presidency
of the nation is open to the humblest
citizen, provided he fits himself to dis
charge with credit the vast and burden
some duties of this responsible office, is
absurd"
This paper commits the folly of deny
ing this historic political axiom for the
purpose. clearly demonstrated in its ex-
tended dissertation. of saying something
sweet and palliating to the~negro, whose
hopes and aspirations. outside of manual
labor, meet checks and thwarting at every
turn.
Why dispirit the white boy over his
presidential ambition. birthright, just
to save the negrO's feelings over the fact
that he can have no such and like ambi-
tons?
If that paper had not rounded its edi-
torial on the following quotation from The
New York Evening Fost il would have
passed. to use his own term. as an icon
oclastic" homily to mollify the sorrows of
disappointed youth generally and to turn
worthy but grieving ambition into use
full channels.
Here is the quotation: "A man of pol
ished speech in excellent English. a man
=
English universities. and a student of
French and German schools. He is a
Haytien, of about thirty-four years of
age, a negro. This man sullenly blazes
out, But what has it done for me? I ann
a black-it is in my blood in my soul!
All that know, all that have seen. is
a curse to me. What my widened hori-
IONS but a mockery and the bitterness
of death, / envy with all my heart the
ignorant. naked. happy semi-beasts upon
those hills there who lie in the sunshine
all day long, all their lives long, knowing.
nothing. wanting nothing, at peace. There
they should have left me-or killed me-!
Not following that paper into its pecu-
liar sympathies, we suggest to that Hay
ten that there are two paths open to his
despairing, morbid self-accused soul, one
paced and glorified. now and often before,
by following the impossible, by binding
the reasoning faculties with hopes ann
ambitions impractical. but gloriously de-
luding-striving to accomplish that which
reason and nature nullify. but which hope
of notoriety and martyrdom or other fan
tasy illumine and inspire. The only course
for this despairing soul is either to be
lead to the truth, to practical view or
duty, which will revive hope and restore
happiness real and abiding, or be lead into
fanaticism. blinded by a false view of
duty, having deception stamped on every
energy, talent, morals. character and en-
terprise. seeing the false for the true, sor-
row for Joy, violence and wrong for mercy
and love, reason for God. license and con-
fusion for justice and law.
The lusty negro with all his cultivation
cries out, IT am black. II is in my blood
lin my soul" If fanaticism can lay hold
upon that black, that curses his color.
and who writes it truly, whose color
curses him. he may forget his curse in
his enthusiasm. II he will come to our
shores and cultivate the acquaintance OF
those who are enthusing the negro with
the ambition to keep foothold on Ameri-
can soil and in the southern states, re-
CARELESS of his destiny, regardless OF ma
ture he can forget his color temporarily
by a visit northeast, and to Chicago, on
a lecture tour. He viii find helpers and
stimuli enough in the northern press and
not a few just now in the southern press
advocating the Negroes fixedness on our
soil, nursing with pOsitivism the ultimate
survival here of the fittest negro, in prop
erty and cultivation, to equalization with
white society. They will show him the
gradual process advancing from indus
trial education to the highest reach of
educational progress, which, like the
driven wedge, is to finally split society
wide open and let the color in. This ag-
gregation of power gradually advancing
along the lines of efficiency, property and
polish is to become irresistible. What
door dare remain closed to its knocking?
Now II this colored, cultivated, grievnig
son of Ham VIII take on the above en-
thusiasm of race adherency TO the soil
and citizenship Of this country he viii
grow as jolly and contented as most of
the northern press and a goodly number
of the southern can inspire him 10 be,
with their fanaticism of this peculiar ad-
vocscy.
And, II he. can be induced out of the
practical vein, that makes him curse the
great objection which he raises. and pro-
nounees most sanely and painfully upon
his natal popularity. he can be as hap
py, and drink the hatteTy which others
of his color swallow ravenOusly. But, II
he is as clearheaded as his lamentation
and bitter words uttered against his OWE
body and soul indicates, there is the 9TH
er way honestly, and with soul absorbed,
to cultivate happiness. and spend life
CT usefulness, covering all his lawful
hopes and ambitions.
To attain This attitude, he must visit
Bishop Turner. coioved, and throw his soul
and heart into tllf migration scheme for
his race. help ca e bis own color TO it.
self. where he " 10 longer suffer the
disadvantage OF contrast with the white
race. to whose plane and frictionless. I'M
INSTRUCTED association he and his color
can never successfully aspire His great
grief and it is utterly typical must and
will continue as long as the one sunrise
and successive sunset lights and closes
day upon his and the white mans habitat.
He is not a single isolated instance Of
grief and broken hope and ambition. The
woods are full of them. Education, Guilt
walton and property increases their num-
ber and intensifies their self-rehective
curses. The more fitted they grow. by
reason of educational elevation and Pc
cuniary leverage for social equalization,
nav, by moral adaptedness to fraternity,
the intenser will grow the bitterness of
those curses, which the English university
man poured out on his back blood. If no
ether racial feature were a repulsion to
the white race. to the pride of the sons
of such men as gave name and value to
southern (shame to differentiate)-to
American-glory, to the refinement and
polish of 1000 years of history building.
the simple color, that the negro so touch
ingly cursed in blood and soul, stands a
fepellant that mars every social sympathy
and shuts the gates of equality against
the negro He saw IT. had felt and could
not round the painful issue, and honestly
told the tale of his race when brought
i'm contact with tho white.
The door Of happiness. however, is open
to him and his like. If he will enthuse
himself first. then his people. to a depart
ure to where his ambitions are not. in
any way. to be thwarted By the white
man, either his longings nor desires to be
nampered by checks the white mans pride