The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-04-19
TWO NOTABLE SPEECHES LAST WEEK.

notable speeches Of this era were made
by two distinguished men who have seen
much of public life. Their position
their age, their experience, their ability
cause the entire public to read whatever
they say on any subject. In their whole
careers they never pressed so much wis
dom and "horse sense" into such small
compass. We refer of course to the
speech of ex-President Cleveland in New
York at the Booker Washington meeting
and the speech of Senator Hoar at the
Jefferson dinner. Considered from their
party records, it would have seemed
more natural for Mr.. Cleveland to have
spoken on Thomas Jefferson, the founder
of the Democratic party, and Senator
Hoar, an old time abolitionist and Re-
publican, to have presided over the Booker
Washington meeting. 1t was we'll, how
ever, that each spoke when and where
he did. If they had changed places, both
would have spoken words that would
have been less important.
The negro question is one that has al
ways agitated the public mind Ten thou
sand men have settled it and ten thousand
more will announce that it is settled in
the years to come. But it Is no nearer
settled than when Jefferson protested
| against the importation OF slaves while
New York and Massachusetts were get
ting rich by the slave trade. Mr.. Cleve-
| land does not offer any patent remedy in
his wise utterance. He understands the
| complicated question too we'll to think it
can be settled by any nostrum that this
age can offer. But he shows that he I'M
derstands the question In all it's aspects.
The speech shows that he has given long
study to it and has approached 1T in the
philosophical spirit. Here is his answer
to men who claim that the negro is the
equal of the white man:
II do not believe that either the de-
cree that made the slaves free or the
enactment that suddenly invested them
purged them of their racial and slavery
| bred imperfections and deficiencies than
| that they changed the color of the skin. .
To those who have had nothing but
criticism of the Souths treatment of the
negro, he points out that the future of
the negro must depend upon himself and
upon the sentiment and conduct of lead
| ing and responsible white men of the
South and upon the maintenance of a
kindly and helpful feeling on their part
toward those in their midst who SO much
need their aid and encouragement"
| We make room for three more extracts
from Mr.. Cleveland's notable speech:
| And in this connection it is we'll ia
bear in mind that whatever other sins
| the South may be called to bear, when
1t comes to business, pure and simple
| 1t is in the South that the negro is given
a mans chance in the commercial world. y
"As friends of the negro, fully be-
| 1tcving in the possibility of his improve
ment and advancement, and sincerely and
confidently laboring to that end, it is
| folly for us to ignore the Importance OF
the ungrudging cooperation on the par
| of the white people of the South in this
work. Labor as we will, those who dc
the lifting of the weight must be those
who stand next to It, This cooperation
| cannot be forced; nor can it be gained
| by gratuitously running counter tc
firmly fixed and tenaciously held Southern
| IDEAS, or even prejudices."
Il have faith in the honor and sinceri-
ty of the respectable white people of the
South in their relations with the negro
and his improvement and we'll being"
Senator Hoar's tribute to Jefferson was
glowing, generous, appreciative Though
schooled in the narrower and harder anC
more aristocratic school of Hamilton
the venerable Massachusetts senator ha:
twice in his life been forced to rely upor
Jefferson's teaching, in the two mos
momentous questions he has discussed
slavery and colonialism Both times hi
has drawn his inspiration from jefferson
and he acknowledges it. He is quoted a!
| saying in his speech at the Jefferson
birth day dinner that he could thinl
of no man in history like Jefferson, VIII
was the leader of two revolutions ant
founder OF a political party; one of the
revolutions accomplishing the independ
ence of his country from a foreign yoke
and the other overthrowing by peaceful
means the party at home. which wal
founded by Washington and his grea
counselors.
After naming as two of Jefferson
greatest acts-writing the Declaration o.
Independence and buying Louisiana from
France, speaking OF the latter achieve
ment, Senator Hoar said
yet in the estimate of mankind ! be
lieve that achievement is insignificant
| compared with the other. The author Of
the Declaration of independence stands
in human history as the foremost mar
who ever lived, whose influence has
| led men to govern themselves in *ht
conduct of states by spiritual laws, not
| formulas to be assented to, but rules OF
life to be governed by 1t was due tc
| Jefferson that our fathers laid deep thu