The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-05-12

|
national or state treasury, there may
/ be some recognition Of this truth, hut
/ IN the large number of institutions
supported by philanthropy and term
! or monthly receipts, there rarely if
| ever, comes into the mind Of the stu
dent the thought that they have any
! duty to the State Every college and
| university in North Carolina exists
| because of the permission of the peo-
! pie of North Carolina. Such insttu-
| tons have been chartered by the Leg
islature, and thereby given the right
to exist, and the kind, character and
| limitations of the work to be done
are mapped out i'm what is known as
the charter. Shaw University oper-
ates under a charter given by the Leg
| islature of North Carolina and the
State gives these charters because she
| believes in education as the best
| means of preserving the State, recog-
nizing the great principle that the
| first duty of q State Is f-preserya-
/ ton. Young men and young women
going out from an institution of learn
/ ing ought TO have a high conception
| of their duty to the State and the
! first step in the performance of this
duty is acquiring that most valuable
/ of all assets, the good opinion of
neighbors and fellow citizens. This
far outweiGhs in value the 1airest
/ lands, the most elegant homes, the
/ cattle on q thousand hills or stock in
bank or other moneyed corporations.
! This good opinion makes possible the
attainment of many lofty aspirations.
Some years ago Ex-Governor
| Charles =. Aycock, who goes down
into history as the educational COVER
nor of North Carolina, said upon this
rostrum, in presenting diplomas to
graduating class, / have come to take
possession Of Shaw University in the
name of the State of North Carolina
There were startled looks on some
faces, but what he had in mind was,
that if Shaw University did not per-
| form her duty to the State, she had
no right to exist. The State, in return
4 for giving the right to Shaw Univer-
sity to exist, demands that her stu
dents and graduates go out into life
better equipped and more capable of
defending the State than those who
never attended school.
81 understand there is at the pres
ent time a feeling on the part of the
people that limitations have been put
upon them, and that for this reason
they are under less obligation to the
State. We are compelled, however. to
recognize these conditions and limi-
| tationS, for whatever our destiny is,
/ it must be worked out under these
conditions and in spite of these limi-
| tations. 1t was once said that colored
people could not be educated; but,
later on, when it was found that they
/ were acquiring education their edu-
cation was termed imitation, sort
| OF parrot-like attainment, but the
| third stage has come and it is now
seen that they are capable OF rea-
soning, and, because of their ability to
reason, are making progress in in
| dustrial business and literary pur-
suits. it is recognized by all educa-
! tors that the kind of education given
| youth must meet with the approval
of thoughtful men and women and be
| in harmony with the best thought of
! the educational leaders of the day.
| While we attach great Importance to
| scholarship and the ability to make
young men and women industrially
/ useful, we must remember that any
system of education that does not
stand for citizenship and for a har-
monious, neighborly living together.
! has in il some element of weakness.
/ Your career, if you would be success
full, must meet with the approval of
the most intelligent people of both
races in the community where you re-
side.
1T is common remark among
! the white people of the South that
| they prefer the old time colored peo-
pie to those of the present genera
| ton. This remark ought to be care
! fully looked into and examined by the
rising generation, no matter how dis
/ tasteful it may be. That there is
! blame on only one side, we cannot for
a moment admit. There was, it is
| true, very strong affection between
the colored and white people of a gen
GRAFTON or two ago. During the days
| of slavery white and colored children
MIA
| thew roamed the fields, and, when
older, the white and colored boys
went fishing and hunting together
| There was a community of interest
| through the days of childhood. Col
ored and white people, who were chill
dren together, are almost invariably
| found to be the best of friends. 1t is
desirable that the old time feeling of
| harmony be restored, although it can
never exist under former conditions.
How can this restoration be
brought about? 1t is an exceedingly
unfortunate condition of things, when
there are two races living in the same
| comm unity, and sometimes on the
same street, side by side that have no
liking for each other. What is the
cause OF this? There are compare
lively few people of either race under
thirty-five or forty years of age that
are acquainted with each other. Peo-
pie of these ages have been born and
reared since the abolition Of slavery
and there has not been that close feel
| ing between the races that there was
under the old time system. There is
q too general feeling of dislike and
| sometimes almost of hatred, which
comes about by the members of one
race not knowing the surroundings
the homes, the hopes, the aims and
the thoughts of the other. How is
this feeling to be changed? 1t cannot
| be lessened unless there is a greater
community of interests a wider
| knowledge of each other, and q get
ting into closer sympathy with each
other There are now few opportuni-
| ties of becoming acquainted and this
| prevents the knowledge of each other
that existed during the days of sla-
very. / believe, young men and young
women, that you can do much to
| bring about q better state of affairs.
| Show yourselves men and women
wherever you are of the highest ana
| purest type of manhood and woman
| hood. Be gentle and kindly disposed,
! ever willing to render succOr to those
| that are in sorrow and trouble and to