The Washington times., 1905-02-14
President Makes Negro
Theme of His Address
Urges North to Deal Generously With South
in Solving Its Great Social and Political
problem-At Lincoln Dinner.

wore the gray, by those who followed
Grant and by those who followed Lee;
for both fought with equal bravery ana
with equal sincerity of conviction, each
striving for the light as it was given
him to see the light; though 1T IS now
clear to all that the triumph of the cause
of freedom and of the Union was essen
tial TO the welfare of mankind. we are
now one people, Il people with falilngs
" hieh We must not blink. but people
with great qualities in which We have
the right 10 feel just pride.
Race Problems.
IAN good Americans who dwell in the
North must, because they are good
Americans, feel the most earnest friend
ship for their fellow-countrymen who
dwell in the South, a friendship ali the
greater because it is in the South that
We find in its most acute phase one OF
the gravest problems before our people,
the problem of SO dealing with lhe man MAJ
| of one color as to secure him the rights
| that no one would gFudge him II he were
/ of another color. To solve this prop
| lem it is. of course, necessary to educate
| him to nerform the duties, a failure 70
I perform which viii render him curse
/ to himself and TO all around him
Most certainly ali c'ear-sighted ana
the difficulty and perplexity OF this prv tha
| lem, sympathize with the South IN th t
embarrassment OF conditions TOT WIFI : !,
she is not alone responsible. reel an IN
| honest wish 10 help her where heip IS
IRA ctica BILE ard have the heartiest re-
spect for those brave ana noIissl M -
| of the South who in the face OF feaEiui
! difficulties, are doing all that men can
| do for the betteTment alike OF "hite anu
| of black. 49,
NEGRO is far from what 1T should pc,
and there is need that the North aiso
should act in good faith upon the prit !
| rinIf of giving 10 each man what IS
| iustIy due him of treating him on his
worth as man. granting him no
special favors, but denying nm + i1e
proper opportunity for labor ana me
| rava I'd Of labor But the peculiar cir
cunstances of the South render the
problem there far greater ana iar hloie
Must Be Just.
Neither I nor any other man can say
THAT any given way of approaching thai
problem will present In our time even "a
approximately perfect solution, out Ws
can safely say that there can never Dc
such solution at all unless we Approach
it with the effort to do fair ana equ1
! Justice among ar men; ana TO oeihaiit
from them in return just and fair treat
| ment for others.
"Our effort should be to secure to each
| man whatever his color, equality OF op
y,ort1ntty equality of treatment befoft
the law AS a people striving to shape
| our actions in accordance with the gIed
to take part in or be Indifferent TO th'
| oppression or maltreatment- OF any MAJ
who, against crushing disadvantages
mas by his own industry, energy. self
respect and perseverance struggled up
ward to a position which would entitls
him to the respect of his fellows, II only
: his skin were of a different hue
Every generous impulse in US reyoit
at the thought of thrusting down IN
stead Of helping up. such man II
deny any man the fair treatment grant
. ed TO others. no better than he, Is L
| commit a wrong upon him-a wrons
sure to react in the long run upon thos
guilty of such denial.
"The only safe principle upon which
Americans can act is that of all mel
up not that of some men down If il
any community the level of intelligence
morality, and thrift among the colore'
men can be raised it is, humanity speak
) | ing sure that the same level among tn
whites will be raised to an even highe
degree; and it is no less sure that tn
| debascment of the blacks will in the en-
carry with it attendant debasemen
of the whites.
Progress Slow.
o THE problem is so to adjust the rela