Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-08-05
SACRIFICE NECESSARY
DIR. FRISSELL,S ADDRESS AT THE
HAMPTON INSTITUTE.
God Will Ever Be With q People That
is Prosecuted, He De-
clares.
Special Correspondence Of me EVENING Star.

Special Correspondence Of The Evening Star.
HAMPTON. Va, August 4, 1903.
Before 600 colored teachers. who are at
tending the Hampton normal and agricul-
tural institute, in session here, DR.. H. B.
Frissell delivered an interesting address on
"Self-Sacrifce'
Il realize" he said. that there are a
great many Of you who could speak to me
Of self-sacriflce much better than I can
speak to you; many Of you who have given
up your lives to the service of your people.
yet could not refuse the invitation to adj
dress you. because I am always believer
in the possibilities of your race.
II believe there are great possibilities in
any race which possesses the power of self
sacrifice; whose members give themselves
up to the service of their people. I know
from the actual experience of a quarter OF
century that there are men and women
giving themselves body and soul to the
service of the race, and that, If no other
thing, would give me hope for you"
DR.. Frtssell cited numerous instances of
self-sacrifice on the part Of MEMBERS of the
colored race.
You know" he continued, there are two
sorts of people in the world: those whose
whose point is how they can get ahead Of
some one else, and those whose care is to
help the other people get ahead. Christ
was the first to teach us the beauty of help
ing other people get ahead in life.
Booker Washington's Self Sacrifice.
I'VE hear a great deal about Booker
Washington. Sometimes he is criticized,
and by his own people have followed his
work for many. many years, and know
that the secret of his success is the spirit of
self-sacrif1ce he has shown in his dealings
with his people. Most of you know that he
was sent by Gen. Armstrong to one of the
very hardest spots he could find In Ala
bama.
You know how he laid the foundation of
his school with his own hands. but you do
not know, for he never told you, how many
times he went without salary and had moth
Ing to eat. You know the story of that
brick kiln, for you have read it in his book.
Up From Slavery How he tried 1t and 1t
failed. and he tried again and again; 1t
failed. His own purse was empty and his
watch pawned to get means to try again
until he succeeded.
That was heroic fight; he had put his
life into his work, and now that great sue
cess has come to him of today think that
the real reason is because of the spirit of
self sacrifice and devotion to his people that
he has always displayed. That is the Sc
cret Of his success.
Il am sure 1 do not feel critical of any of
you teachers here this morning. 1 know
your difficulties; they are very, very great.
i
In your homes. l do not go out as often as
l would like to, as there are many demands
made upon me. One-half my time has to
go outside the school to help other institu-
tons and societies A school like HAMPTON
must live not only for itself, but for other
schools; not only for colored people. but for
white people. and give itself up to the work
OF self-sacrifice for all. This was Gen.
Armstrong; idea.
Mi. Rockefeller's Interest.
mot long ago 1 went to see John D.
Rockefeller and had a talk with him about
his work. He said that his duty as the
head of the great concern. the Standard
Oil Company. was to make each individual
man feel that he is a necessary part of
the work. That is what I would like to
make you feel; that you are a part of the
work of the world. With the love of Christ
In your hearts. you can put cooking and
sewing into your schools.
You can get those colored people who
are near you so interested that they will
help you Of themselves. There is nothing
which should stand in the way of helping
your work. This is what would like to
have you feel: feel that there is nothing
impossible.
THAT is what made General Armstrong
what he was. 1t has been said of him that
II he could not conquer an obstacle in his
way he would climb UP to the top of 1t
and shout. He never knew what 1t was to
us to do in our work: not to feel that we
have the hardest places in the world.
AS l said to you before. when I came
back from my trip abroad and saw those
people who were ground down by centuries
OF ignorance and tradition. I came back
here and felt that the chances of the col
ored people are tremendous. and still feel
that they are. / am always saying to nv
boys that no one and no amount of preiu-
dice can shut you out from the best that
there is in the world.
God is With Them.
when Felix Adler was here he spoke to
the young people on the way that prejudice
acts as a sieve. Those who are mean and
poor and selfish keep away from the work
because 1t is unpopular. 1t is no unpleasant
thing to belong to so-called despised
race God is with a people who are per-
secuted.
THE colored people of this country have
wonderful chances and possibilities If the
men and women of the race but put their
hearts in their work. 1 want you to feel
that the man or woman who pus his life
In his work will bring life out Of it, There
is no work in the world where this is more
true than in the work of teaching. We
do not want to strive to get ahead: we
want to strive to help others to get ahead
in life.
If there has been ANYTHING true of
Hampton from the first 1t is that we have
not been sympathetic with those who are
trying for positions In the world. We do
not need to strive for such positions we
nave only to do our duty with the spirit
OF Christ within US. We do not want to
we want to do earnestly the work that
GOD has given us to do. AS long as we
put our lives and minds and hearts into
our WORK IL Will be successful. but just as