The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1905-08-26

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man and leader of bis race have al
ways had the warmest admiration.
His life is a romance which appeals tC
the heart of universal humanity.
The story of little ragged, bare
footed piccaninny who lifted his eyes
from cabin in the hills of Virginia,
saw vision and followed it, until at
last he presides over the richest and
most powerful Institution Of learning
in the South, and sits down with
crowned heads and Presidents, has no
parallel even in the Tales Of the Ara
bian Nights.
The spirit of the man, too, has al
ways impressed me with its breadth,
generosity and wisdom. The aim of
his work is noble and inspiring. AS |
understand it from his own words, it
is to make Negroes producers, lovers
of labor, honest, independent, good. 7"
His plan for doing this is to lead the
Negro to the goal through the devel-
opment Of solid character, intelligent
industry and material acquisition.
Only fool or knave can find fault
with such an ideal 1t rests Squarely
on the eternal verities. And yet it
will not solve the Negro problem nor
bring us within sight Of it's solution.
Upon the other hand, it will only in
tensify that problems dangerous fea-
lures, complicate and make more diff
ticult its ultimate settlement.
1t is this tragic fact to which am
trying to call the attention of the
nation.
| have for the negro race only pity
and sympathy. though every large con-
ventiOn of negroes since the appear
ance of my first historical novel on the
race problem has gone out Of its way
to denounce me and declare my books
caricatnreS and libelS on their people.
Their mistake is a natural one. My
books are hard reading for negro,
and yet the negroes, in denouncing
them, are unwittingly denouncing one
of their best friends.
have been intimately associated
with negroes since the morning OF
of my birth during the civil war. My
household servants are all negroes. L
took them to Boston with me, moved
them to New York, and they now
have entire charge of my Virginia
home. The first row / ever had on
the negro problem WaS when | moved
to Boston from the South to take
charge of a fashionable church at the
Hub. l attempted to import my ba-
by'S negro nurse into Boston hotel.
I, The proprietor informed me that no
coon" could occupy room In his
house in any capacity, either as guest
or servant. l gave him piece of my
mind and left within an hour.
AS friend of the negro race |
claim that he should have the oppor-
tunity for the highest, noblest and
freest development of his full, round
ed manhood. He has never had this
opportunity in America, either North
or South, and he never can have lt.
The forces against him are over
whelming.
NV books are simply mercileSS rec
ords of conditions as they exist, con-
ditions that can have but one ending
| if they are not honestly and fearleSsly
faced. The Civil War abolished chat
tel slavery. 1t did not settle the ne
gro problem. 1t settled the Union
question and created the negro prob
lem. Frederic Harrison, the English
philosopher, declared that the one
great shadow which clouds the future
Of the American Republic is the APP
preaching tragedy of the irreconciiable
conflict between the negro and white
man in the development of our socie-
ty. Mr.. James Bryce recently made
a similar statement.
If allowed to remain here the ne
gro race. In the United States will
number so, ,OOO, 900 at the end of this
century by their present rate OF in
crease. Think of what this means
for moment and you face the gra-
vest problem which ever puzzled the
brain of statesman or philosopher.
No such problem ever before confront
ed the white man in his recorded his
;. tory. 1t cannot be whistled down 10y
opportunists, politicians, weak-mind
cd optimist or female men. 1t must
be squarely met and fought to a lin
ish.
Several classes of people at presen
, obstruct any serious consideration o
r this question: pot-houSe polite
ian, the ostrich man, the pooh-pool
man. and the benevolent old maid
The politician is still busy over tn
black mans vote in doubtful states
The pooh pooh man needs no defini
!, tion-he was a born fool. The be
: nevelent old maid contributes ever
time the hat is passed and is prett
!. sure to do as much harm as good i
= the long run to any cause. The 0.
: trich man Is the funniest of all th
: group of obStructionists, for he is
man of brains and capacity.
have friend of this kind in Ne
l. York. He got after me the otht
" day somewhat In this fashion:
r What do you want to keep agit;
x-lting this internal question fol
There's no danger in it unless you st
it. Let it alone. | grant you tn;