The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-11-12
W. H. COUNCILS SCHOOL;
 ITS AIMS AND DEEDS

f tI f,eve that William H. Council is do-
 ing these things hstter than any hNIng negro. The people of Hunasva is aosnr
 more for the uplifting of his race anu
 sor the establishment of the true re
 ,.tior betwsen the white man ana tne n erro than any negro or any wnite man Thev are proud of Councils schools ana they have firm faith in his work. you can't say anything too sooa of CounciPs school. It Is great work
 with a great negro at the heaa 0i it." r,en of Huntsville said 1t and said 1t r,ith emphasis. This unanimous verdict as approva1 from the people who live about his school and who know it, is | a thing of which Council has right to I feel proud and in which he does take a deep pride.
 Council is a remarkable negro, in one way a most remarkable negro. He is | the only ex-slave in the world who IS President of a college. He is, too, l full hlooded negro.
 Councils Education. 1 He tells you, T came out of slavery | at the age of 17, but knew more than you did when you come out of col tlege, yet didn't know my letters and II couldn't spell a-ab. But I knew the | fishes that ran in the streams and tneir habits knew the birds that flew | in the air and their habits. l knew all
 plantation knowledge and knew the principles of mechancis and machinery.
 I had set up intricate machinery and | had harnessed the mountain streams about with wooden machinery of my ] own making and with no other toois | than a pocket knife.
 This slavery experience. was what he calls his pre-literary education. It was thorough, most thorough The learning, the workmanship the experi- ence that the negro received in siave- ry were always thorough. It was an excellent foundation for the learning and the education that Council acquir- | ed in the early days of his freedom. l Brick and nortars and stone and wood do not make a college. They only fur nish the place for a college. It Is the conceived idea, the thought out plan' the unceasing labor that carries tne !; plan into effect and broadens 1t as 1t 1; goes, that make tho school and the
 college. The man carries forward his i, idea, he broadens 1t to meet new con /, ditions and for greater usefulness oy energy. by confidence i nthe future and i by complete faith in its efficacy. Friends to Both, Races. ! The Council idea has some merit pe- ] culiar to itself. He is the friend of ! the negro without being the enemy of ! the white man. He Is the friend of the white man without being the enemy of the negro. The early days of Councils school | were hard. There were preconceived ideas to live down, obstacles to over l come and confidence to be established. | The Southern white man was doubtful | af he 11tA nf the school Council proposed to run 1t. The negro was | ignorant of its value and suspicious of l Council when he was found to be the l friend of the white ,man. These con- | ditions have been removed. The rela- l tions of the school to the white man | and to the negro have been adjusted. l The white man who knows it approves | it. The negro believes in Council and | patronizes it gladly,
 | Councils idea is far removed from l the forty acres and a mule, the ward of | the nation Idea of the question. | It has been Councils endeavor, his | constant endeavor to find the true ad- | justment of the relations between the races.
 Negro Must be Negro. This is his racial faith: What a negro will do depends entirely upon his attitude towards himself as well to other people. The negro must be 8 negro. He must not seek to unrace himself but ever seek to develop in his own sphere as a negro, after his own nature, and then he will succeed. He should not attempt to get away from his black skin, discard his kinks and
 be ashamed of his physical features in general But let him straAghten the
 kinks on the inside, adorn his phYsi- cal features. through his intelligence. magnify and exalt himself into the recognition of the civilized world. He will be respected in proportion as he respects himself. The white man | grows by faith In his own strong | muscles. He does not seek to run away from himself for he Is true to his own nature"
 Council in talking of his work says he established three principles for his l guidance and he has never departed from them.
 His first principle was and Is "To in-
 terest Alabama and the South in his work at his school
 His second principle Is ITO teach the
 negro self7help for the negro"
 His third principle Is TO establish the true relations between the races" | Author of Five Books. 1 Professor Council is the author of | five books. They are yet in manu- l script form although the books he has | offered have been quickly accepted by l the publishers and he has very satis- factory offers fer the others. His
 books are The Silver Lining" his Book
 of Speeches, his Autobiography and his l Book on Teaching.
 | The preface and the introduction of