The advocate. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1901-1913, 1907-02-21
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For Negro by Mrs.
A~~~@@ S@A
!! Mental Slavery Exists, She
Says, DECLARING Him From
Equality With Whites

Columbus, O., heb 14.-Mrs. John
J, Lentz, who has made a special
study of social subjects, in an inter-
view yesterday In the Ohio State,
Journal discussed in an interesting
manner the question, What shall we
do with the educated Negro?'' She
first quoted the thirteenth and four
teenth. amendments to the constitu-
ton, which follow, respectively: g..
... -. Neither slavery nor inVolun-
tary. serVitude,. except as pun,
ishment. for. crime. shall exist
Within the United, States or any
place subject to- their jurisdfc-.
n, - All persons born or natural =
lied In tha ~ nited States and =.
: = = aubJect to the furisdictfon there 3.
OF are >ctttzens Of the United
/. States and Of the state wherein.
they. reside. No state shall
make OF enforce any laws which
shall abridge the privileges or
Immunities. Of citizens of the
United. States. ,-,.....<
Mrs. Lentz continued:
1 DO the, people of the United
States intend to repudiate these two.
great amendments to the constitu-
ton, which the immortal Lincoln
wrote with his life blood, and for the
support, and enforcement of which
thousands, OF the country'S bravest
and noblest patriots marched proud
ly to the greatest victory for human
rights that the world has known?
=, LONELY ,hearthstones, vacant
chairs, grieving widows, sad-eyed Or
phans and countless gCaVestones tell
the nlournful tale Of the ravages
made on human hearts by the relent-
htJH non Int l.
almighty sboon, Of freedom for all
mon, which. these amendments pro-
claim. The old veteran, proudly
wearing his coat of faded blue, with
kindling eye and with sudden erect
ness Of his dropping shoulders, greets
his comrades. around the campfire
and recounts. again the dreadful days
Of Bull Run and Gettysburg,eofV icks,
burg and Appap1attox
us the struggle for the supremacy
Of this national ideal which these
two amendments symbolized, to be-
come a. memory only? was all the
sacrifice in vain? It~certainly was,
unless the freedom, bought at such
price, be maintained and perpet-
uated by the children Of the men who
so heroically laid down their lives to
accomplish 1t, and by it's accomplish
ment brought freedom to nearly A.
10000 human beings who had borne
the chains Of slavery. a..
Defining Freedom.
What is freedom? How far does
the meaning of these two amend
ments extend? Was freedom sat
isfied when the manacles fell from
the wrists Of the back man, and he,
a child in mentality and experience,
was set adrift in world whose ways
were mysteries to: hum? No., these
black men were considered wards Of
the nation, The ballot was placed
In their hands in order. that they
might have full share in electing all
the men who should make, the laws
under which they must live. Their
children were admitted to the public
schools, there to receive instruction
side by side with the child of the
white tnaf1-ih, all things to share the
white child's opportunity and to- de-
velop, equaIfy with him, character
and manhood which should fit them
for wise and useful citizenship. And
thus it has come to pass that hun
dreds of the, offspring of the slaves,
that were freed by the martyrdorn of
Abraham Lincoln and by the blood
Of. American >. patriots, come forth
from; our schools and colleges, with
hopes rs high, with ambitions as
boundless and with offspring Of the
white man, who have been their fell
low students and companions during
the years In which they have striven
side by side to reach the same ,goak
nemely, wisdom enough to fit them
to- engage, in the solution OF aome
Of the worlds great, problems.
And when the victory',is won and
the prize so long coveted is tn eirs,
and the vista. OF the whole unaried
wQTld LEG before them, what then?
J Shaif the student witch the black
face find the door of further. endeay-
or and reward closed TO- him. Sihne