The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1907-06-08


in the south expressed by Dr.. Dubois IN public
address at Carnegie Hall, New York city. last
February:
''Dr. Dubois believes that education and the
right of franchise viii bring the real emancipa-
ton OF the negroes of the south Education
and the right of franchise are, of course, very
good things to have, if they can be effectively
applied, but they seem to be more at present a
cause of contention than source OF redemption
Wisdom, common sense and fxity Of purpose
In the pursuit of the attainable will yield better
aid to the settlement of perplexites such as con-
front the race than any of these artificial agen-
cles which wait on opportunity, however de
sirable they may be.
. The Fruit of the Spirit is love, JOY, peace
long-sufering, gentleness, goodness, faith, says
Paul.
mo one who is oppressed loves oppression
But when in the natural course of things certain
wishes appear to be temporarily impossible OF
accomplishment, it is better to wait in dignified
resolution than to rush madly into the humil1a-
ton OF disgraeeful failure. Well has it been said
by Guichard author of The Liberty Of Thought
I prefer the changes which are brought by time
as they are more certain and cost less sacrifice
Guichard had the right conception of evolution
and knew that peace hath its victories no less
renowned than war, and time is a cure Tor all
evils.
No matter what may be said in behalf of
education and the right of franchise, there must
be moral force behind the erudite and the
citizen. There is no use to talk of real elnancl-
patton depending upon the political negro, or
the industrial negro. or even the book negro
/
who appreciates the sense of duty and dignity of
conviction"
After citing number of Louisiana's examples
of the type of negro he means--Sayary and his
2l0 colored companions whose gallant services
in the memorable battle of New Orleans were
officially acknowledged and commended by Gen
eral Jackson; Thomy Lafon, who left half a
million dollars to charity without regard to the
race or religion of the benefciaries; Victor Sc
jour, who reached an eminence in French itera-
ture which no Leuisianian had hitherto attained :
Antoine Dubuclet, who filled the Office of state
treasurer during the difficult period of the re-
construction with degree of efficiency and
honesty that gained the compliments of his
political opponents and ''si1enced the hostility
of people, press and pulpit;'' DR.. Roudanez and
Aristide Mary, one a successful physician and
the other capitalist, who spent a fortune in
newspaper ventures and other directions to
have the negro respected rather than protected
the author of the pamphlet goes on to say:
las it is, everything must come through pub
lie opinion. The white men who educated Tous-
saint Dumas and Douglass, and Delgresse. the
Leonidas of the negro race; the white men who
abolished slavery; the white, men who led the
way to glory, honor, liberty and education; who
taught to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, to
wait upon the sick and dying, to comfort the
tatorS.
These men who today deny justice to the
negro, who subject him to pain and humiliation,
are like the evil winds that are passing by
After they have passed away others will take
their places with new problems to solve, with
new commands to execute. Our champions Will
be here in due time.
Meanwhile, let US practise fortitude and learn
how to be complete in our sense OF duty. We
thropy, of gratitude and sensihility, trust and
faith. Merits often overcome wrongs. we
look always-to the ashes and never to the stars.
if our thoughts will dwell without measure on
the barbarities of the lynch and the memories of
the barracoons, there will be nothing in our
view but horror and blood, hopelessness and
SORROWS.
so far as we are concerned we have implicit
faith in the white race. The knowledge we pos
sess of the worlds movements leaves no doubt
in our mind as to the ultimate triumph OF the
white mans charity over the white mans 1nhu-
manity''
These words of wisdom constitute message of
light and hope to the colored people of this
country, and may well be supplemented with
other of like import from Booker Washington,
the great leader of his race in the line of indus
trial education, than whom no negro Of the
present time is more respected and admired
throughout Christendom. In the newspapers a
few days ago it was stated that DIR. Washington,
in the course of an address delivered at Living
ston College, Salisbury, North Carolina, before
an audience of 5000 listeners, of whom 500 were
white, had drawn a bright picture of the oppor-
tunities of the negro race in the United States
closing with the following admonition:
Let us not make the mistake of keeping the
disappointing side of life before the youth of our
race. Just now what the race wants is not q
vision of despair, but vision of triumph; not
picture of oppression, but an inspiration to
come difficulties. We must frankly face the fact
that the great BODY OF our people are to dwell IN
the south, and any policy that does not seek to
harmonic the two races and cement them is
unWise and discouraging."
Every colored man and woman in the south
ought to commit these sentiments to memory
and teach them to their children for therein lies
a text that points the way to the future we'll
being of the race; that presages the dawn OF the
brighter day when the principles enuneiated by
our great president at Washington viii receive
universal recognition and unrestricted enforce
ment in this country; when every man will have
a square deal according to his merits and with
out regard to the accidents of birth, fortune or
social position when the laws viii be, executed |
with eEu6i rfgor and exact Justice either for the
punishment or protection of the poor and 1owly |
or the rich and powerful; when men win be |
Judged not by their professions, but by their /
deeds; by their conduct, not by what.th have |
acquired of this worlds goods; when the door of |
hope will never be closed against the worthy |
his creed birthplace or occu-
patton, and whether he labors with his head or
nands-who acts decently and honorably in the
various relations OF his life and behaves well to
ais family, to his neighbors and the state.