The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-11-10
Especial to The Messenger

Durham, n. c., November In view
of the excitement aroused by newspa-
per criticism of an article by DR.. ]. S.
Bassett, in the current South Atlantic
Quarterly, your correspondent called
upon DR.. BaSsett, whom he found at
work in the Trinity college library. and
asked him if he were willing to make
any statement concerning the points in
the article which have been most Sc
verely criticised. His attention was
first called to the following sentence.
In spite of our race feelings. of which
the writer has his share, they the ne
groes will win equality at some time
We cannot remove them; we cannot
kill them; we cannot prevent them from
advancing in civilization" AS to this
sentence DR.. Bassett said, 4 mean
merely this, that the time Will come
when the negro race VIII have due
proportion of wealthy, educated, pros
porous and civilized individuals. just
| as other peoples of the world have,
some day they will live in good houses.
| wear good clothes, have good schools
have good churches and especially be
conservative and reliable citizens. This
! does not mean, nor did L intend that it
should mean that there will be a social
| mingling of the races
| Asked how long it would be before
| such a stage is reached, by the negro,
| DR.. Bassett, said, "Oh, l don't know, not
| less than two hundred years, perhaps
| 1t may take five hundred years. So
| cial changes move very slowly. don't
| think any of US will live to see it. do
! you?"
| AS to the meaning of the word
! ''equality," as used in the article DR..
| Bassett said that it did not mean social
| equality. Not by any means, said he.
! 1t was not in my thoughts. | do not
| think that any one who knows me
| would believe that l meant to advocate
| anything of the kind. Between the two
races is a wide gulf and L should be the
| last man to try to bridge it. l had no
| thought of social equality in my mind.
1 was thinking only of the industrial
! and civic outlook of the negro race
| Another sentence widely quoted be-
gins, Take him all in all, Booker
| Washington is the greatest man. except
Lee, that has been born in the south
\
| sentence, DR.. Bassett said, The word
| greatest as used by me has been given
a meaning which l did not have il my
mind. l had only reference to ones
| capacity to break over fearful impedi-
| ments and achieve success. Take him
all in all, Washington, beginning as a
! slave, with all the hindrances to a race
| terribly hedged about, having nothing
but an ordinary school training, he has
| made more out OF his capital than any
| other man born in the south, except
| General Lee, who stood out against the
world with all the odds against him, and
made the greatest military record
known in this country. Taking Book
er Washington, working with his race
as an educator. as a refOrmer, as an
| orator. as a leader Of eight millions OF
ignorant and passionate men and as a
writer Of the English language, he i'm
| presses me as a very remarkable man
The fact that he did these things as a
! negro, only makes his work more re
markable. This is only a private opin-
ion, from which l readily ADMIT that
other people may positively differ. AS
a student of history. l am acquainted
with the south to some extent and new
| er dreamed Of Undertaking the charac-
ter and work OF any man.
Speaking of the magazine in which
the article appeared. the South Atlantic
Quarterly. Dr. Bassett remarked, 'Tht
! ! South Atlantic Quarterly is a magazine
| founded two years ago by some young
| men who wanted to do something L
: promote literature in this part Of tn
; south I am its editor, and am entirel.
| responsible for its editorial policies
. . though l am under obligations to m.
friends for assistance on points no
, | connected with the editorial policies.
| | wrote this article as editor Of the Quar-
! terly, and it was intended TO represen
| only private views. I did not consul
with any one about it. l am myself re
: sponsible for it,
: The doctor further said: Il was hor
: in the south, and l wish l could make
/. as happy as the happiest spot on eartf
These people are good people, they ar