The colored American., 1902-05-03

dence in the ability of our race, and we
have not deceived them, but have gone
on steadily rising, although we seem to
have ever been upon the surface of
troubled sea.
We have just passed four years in the
Slough Of Despond.' We have seen
the ambition and effort of the late Pres
ident Mckinley, TO extend the olive
branch of peace toward the South, to ce-
ment the once broken bands and bonds
of friendship uniting the two great sec
tionS of our country. Appointing those,
who had once forfeited the right, to
highest commands in the army and diplo-
matte service of the Union. was mis-
taken by many for a sign that the North
had come at last to the Souths way OF
thinking upon the Negro problem. The
love feasts of the Blue and the Gray,
upon the old battleields, have been fruit
full largely in convincing the South that
the North Is sorry. and one of the first
fruits was the Montgomery convention,
and its solemn appeal for the repeal of
those amendments to the constitution
which guarantee us political quality.
But we seem to have passed that depth,
and are once more upon the ascent.
Kind Providence has raised up to
that one man, God guided, is stronger
than whole hosts. Under his guidance
we are steadily gaining, retrieving lost
steps and mistakes, and those who were
against us are learning that they at least
are not lifted up in the effort TO hold us
down.
AND He sPAKE IN PARALLELS.
The dark races have lived long enough
TO eat of the fruit of their own sowing.
For, it IS not an unWarranted aSSump-
ton, when contemplating the book of
Genesis, tc believe that the dark-skinned
Egyptian captain, POtiphar Tillman, in
Weighed bitterly against his races defile-
ment and diShOnOr. when King Pharoah
Roosevelt admitted white Joseph Wash
lngtOn to a seat at his table. For, it IS
written that one of the means used by
Joseph after he had become an Egyptian
officer to conceal his identity from his
family, when they had come down to
Egypt on his own invitation. to visit
him and buy corn, was resort to Egyp-
tan custom of eXCluSiveneSs, and he
ordered feast prepared for them. And
they set one for him by himself and for |
them by themselves, because the Egyp- !
tians might not eat bread with the He |
brews for that is an abomination unto
the Egyptians. Undoubtedly the papyri
that represented Egyptian thought at !
that day, The Egyptian Constitution.
The Egyptian Nc7US and Courier, The !
EgyPHGH Glcbe-Dem0crdt. and all the
various meas and avenues for the con-
veyance of the black Egyptians thoughts
were filled with all the evidences Of poor
white lSrael's inferiOrity, the counterpart
Of which we read to-day
But for aught we know. the Israelite
Of that day, read all these things and
smiled and waited for that turn of Gods
wheel which should bring him to the top. !
Quite forty centuries have passed since
hen. and now behold IsraeIs eminence |
And we, his dark-Skinned brethren.
Ire humbly beSeeching his aid in Undue
ng those at the table where he sits, to
make little room for us also.
THERE IS HOPE AHEAD
We are not without hope The sun
lght OF a Christian civilization is light
ng the earth, dispelling the darkness
md gloom. In a single century we have
lsen from the lowest depths of human ,
degradation to the common platform of
manhood rights. We rejoice that the
aw offers no bar to our advancement
hat our individual effort is fast running
II the right direction; that in our midst
We nave nOught to fear from the success
Il either OF the great political parties
ach of which have striven to make ali I
ne people equal before the law. Now d,
hen has come the time when we NAV
east ana make merry. Our progress is