The advocate. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1901-1913, 1907-04-18
..NU.L.A1l1TOES
GET THEIR NTELLIG-
: ENCE ~, ,-
From Their Negro Rattle r
Than White Ancestors Op-
inion Held by This Writer
) s. Douglass an Example
Mr.. Samuel ~Stemmons in The Phfla-

Is the full blooded Negro of neces-
stty mentally inferior to the Negro
or mixed blood? Popular opinion
says yes. But in this, as in many
other, matters, analysis of facts may
prove popular opinion to be utterly
IN error. Pure Negro blood is dis
counted in favor OF mixed blood be-
cause of the fact that the majority. of
superior Negroes are supposed to be
OF mixed blood. But allowing that
the majority Of highly intelligent
Negroes are of mixed blood (and the
writer Is not prepared to admit that
they are), do not the laws Of nature,
when taking into, consideration the
popular prejudice against miscegena-
ton, proclaim that it is the best blood
or the Negro that goes to the white
race and not the best blood of the
white race that comes to the Negro:
Who can conceive for a moment Of
the highest type, or even a high type
OF white man consorting, under any
circumstances with the lowest, or
even low type of Negro woman?
The writer's observation has been
that In unions between black and
white, whether the black be man or
woman, the black Is usually of a
higher mental type than is the white
In short, 1t may safely Ee set down as
rule that In persons Of mixed blood
the Negro blood Is superior while the
white blood IS inferior. Even in the
dark days Of slavery when the pro-
cess of bleaching the colored race
was in full bloom, it is but reasonable
to suppose that none bu colored
women possessed of the greatest ply
steal and mental attractions fell VIC
tim to the depravity OF their masters
Frederick Douglass, perhaps the
most noted example: Of such an alli-
ance that the void has ever known,
spoke of his mother as having been a
magnificent black woman, with a
bearing so queenly and majestic as
to be awe inspiring, and he always
thought of her as having been an
African princess. Neither his father
or his fathers ancestors, so far as is
known, were much above the aver
age In intellectual attainments.' It Is
so reasonable as to scarcely merit be-
Ing called charitable to ascribe the
wonderful personality Of Mr.. Doug
lass to his queenly mother of royal
descent, rather than to. his father OF
commonplace extraction, The case
of Mr.. Douglass doubtless has thou
sands Of less conspicuous counter
D.
en- to the country both during and
since ante-bellt1m' days: Superior Ne
groes of mixedr~blood, instead Of dis
counting Negroes Of unmixed blood
are merely evidences Of the way in
which Negroes Of a high type have
amalgamated with another race.
Pure Negro blood in America has
never produced a Frederick Douglass
or a Booker II. Washington. But it
has produced a J. C. Price, man
proclaimed. by many competent to
Judge to have been the equal If not
the superior to Mr.. Douglass in ali
save the convenience Of having been
born at a time when his personality
would attract widespread attention;
it has produced q Paul Lawrence
Dunbar, the greatest Negro poet Of
modern times; VIM. Pickens, who
a few years ago, walked away with
the Ten Eyck oratorical prize at Yale
University; a. Kelly Miller, one of
the most noted scholars in the coun-
try, and hosts of less conspicuous in
dividuals who have given evidences
Of the highest type Of mentality.
There is a tendeflcy on the part OF
the more intelligent class Of Negroes
to amalgamate with Negroes or
mixed blood which appears to be en-
tirely overlooked by those who seem
| to think that it is only Negroes Of
mixed blood who are capable Of high
er development. How long the ten
dency Of intelligent full-blooded Me-
groes to marry Negroes possessed Of
white blood has been in vogue, the
writer Is unable to say; but this he
| knows, as does every close observer,
! that the vast majority Of intelligent
dark Accomplishment Negroes, whether
men or women, are sure to wed
| Negroes Of lighter hue. The most
conspicuous illustration Of this fact
is perhaps to be found In the colored
clergy. 1t will be conceded that on
the whole, clergymen represent, as
does no other large class Of individ~
| uals, the intellect and culture Of the
colored race Many Of the foremost
Negro churchman are Of unni ied
blood. Yet, in all the writer's life,
through years Of extensive travel, he
has never with one noted excepttop)
seen a black preacher, who couud be
rated as educated and intelligent,
with a black wife. 1t Is not unusual
to see light complexioned preacher
| with q black wife, but black com
plexioned preacher with a black WIG
never!
AS it Is with preachers, so 1t Is
with most Negroes who are above
the average in intelligence. me
widow Of the late Paul Lawrence
Dunbar is almost white in complex
| ion: il IS the same with the wife or
Maior Taylor, and so far as the wri-
ter knows, with every full blooded
Negro who has, within recent de-
cades gained any considerable degree
Of distinction. With the children OF
such unions evinced marked traits OF
mentality, it is ascribed to the white
blood in their veins, while, in point
Of fact, it is plainly due to their In
teligent Negro parentage.
The result Of this ama]gamation Is
that the first generation Of the inteiii-
gent Negro is deeply mixed with