New-York tribune., 1907-11-16
PRESIDENT TO NEGROES
GIVES THEN ADVICE.
".Shire to H'iR Success" He Says
al HOUard Unirer&itg.
IFrom The Tribune Bureau :


Washington. Nov. 15.-'Do not stay in Wash
incton and look for government jobs: go out
among your people and uplift them with your
example and your assistance: work. study
strive TO win the respect of yourselves and your
neighbors"
These. in substance. were the little texts Of
the brief sermon the President delivered this
Afternoon to the graduates and undergraduates
Of Howard University. 1t was the fortieth an
niversary Of the founding Of the noted institu-
ton for the education of the negro, and it was
also the occasion of the installation of a new
college president, DR.. Wilbur Patterson Thir-
kield. who succeeded the Rev. F. ]. Cirimke
today
he President spoke extemporaneously and for
only twenty minutes. but his remarks were fire.
ouently punctuated with applause, and every
1rord seemed TO be absorbed by the hundreds of
young negro men and women who are prepar-
Ing themselves for professional life
SPEECH OF THE PRESIDENT.
The British Ambassador and Andrew Car
negie. VINO occupied seats on the platform, both
received warm welcome from the students Mr..
BTyce was one OF the speakers, and his address
was received with almost as much enthusiasm
as that Of the President The President spoke
follows.
Judge Barnard, ladies and gentlemen, and
especially you, graduates and undergraduates
have ne chance TO come before you and say
word Of greeting and Of godspeed to-day This
DAY OF your installation, Mr.. President, COM
memorates the fortieth anniversary of the
founding Of this institution. There has been
much OF sorrow and disappointment that have
cone 10 men not only OF the coloTed race but
OF ali races during that forty years, and some
times IN looking back We fail 10 realize all the
progress that has been made.
Let me call attention to Just two facts. Dur
ing these forty years, practically during the
time that has elapsed since the Emancipation
clam az Tsya init
States have accumulated property until now
they have, all told, some $500 100000 worth OF
taxable property in this country. During the
same forty years they have been making for
themselves homes. until now there five hun
dred thousand homes owned and occupied by
the colored citizens OF our country
When man and woman grow to acquire
certain amount Of property-above all, when
they grow 10 own and occupy their own home
il Is proof positive that they have made long
strides forward along the path of good citizen
ship The material basis is not everything, but
II is indispensable prerequisite to moving
upward in the life Of decent citizenship and the
colored man, when he acquires property, ac-
quires a home. has taken that Indispensable
first step. and a long, long step. Upon that
material basis must be built the structure OF
the higher life, and this institution has been de-
voted throughout its career TO turning out men
and women who should be teachers and helpers
OF their own people toward this higher life
You have close upon three thousand graduates
i think UWenty-seVen hundred is the exact
number. Last year you had in all one thousand
students, representing thirty-two OF our own
states and territories. and about ninety students
from other countries. OF these, in the neigh
borhood of seventy came from the British West
Indies, which would alone give Us a right to
expect the presence here of one who would come
IN any event, because he is interested deeply
and genuinely in every movmeat for the benefit
Of nankind-Nr. Bryce, the British Ambassa-
dor
BURDEN OF RESPONSIBILITY
Every graduate OF an institution of learning
who goes out into the world has many Difficult
ties to face. Few have more difficulties to face
who
You graduates know how much of hardship
you have had to encounter how much you have
had 10 draw upon all Of the courage and faith
and resolution and good temper that you had
in you. The undergraduates will learn the
same lesson.
trust that each one of you here viii realize
the peculiar burden of responsibility that rests
upon him not only an educated American
citizen, but an educated member Of a race
that Is struggling upward toward higher ana
better things. The esteem that your fellow citl-
zens bear you, the way that they look upon
you the way in which they feel about the ef
fects of education as il shows itself in you, will
in q large degree measure their belief in and
regard for the colored race.
You bear great burden Of responsibility
upon your shoulders, men and women who come
from this institution I trust you viii realize
II, and that help viii be given to you from
on high TO bear il well and worthily. / know
Of no men graduating from any college in the
United States who have heavier load Of re-
spOnslbilty than you bear; and, after all, there
10 have such load TO carry, if only he carries
il well. There is every reason why you should
realize the weight Of the burden; there is every
reason why you should carry 1t buoyantly and
braVely.
You turn out men and women into many off
ferent professions. OF course. a peculiar I'M
portance attaches TO those who in after life go
into the ministry. A minister needs to remem-
Der what each one Of us here needs to remember
--buJ he needs To remember II more than any
one else-the truth of the biblical saying that
by your fruits shall men know you. A min
ister needs to feel that it is incumbent upon
him not merely 10 preach a high and yet a sane
morality. but to see that his life bears out his
preaching in every minute detail His position
is Of peculiar leadership, and therefore q
peculiar weight Of obligation attaches to it.
Nothing can be more important for any power
or anv race than to have those members of thar
people or race who follow the profession of the
ministry so conduct themselves as to be a source
of inspiration to their own hocks and at the
same time 10 win from the OUTSIDE world "A re-
Epect and esteem the effects Of which VIII be
felt only by them but by all their people
Important though IL is that there should be a
high standard Of morality, high standard Of
sood citizenship among persons Of every profess
sion II is most of al important that such should
be the case among those who are TO teach their
fellows in the things Of the soul
have also taken peculiar interest, because
Of having seen the effects of their work close at
hand. In the graduates in medicine Of this uni
versity. I believe you have, all told, graduated
something like a thousand men in medicine and
1 happen to know that peculiar need of
achievement has come to those men. l think
that the average Of accomplishment has been
peculiarly high among the graduates in medicine
of this institution.
ADVISED TO LEAVE WASHINGTON.
earnestly hope that the average graduate Of
your medical department will not stay around
Washington: that he won't try to get into some
government position; that he won't even go to
some other large city I hope he will go and
uwel among his fellow citizens Of color In their
own homes, and be to them not only healer of