The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1909-01-28
SOUNDS HOPE OF THE NEGRO

John g. Minloins, the colored editor
Of the Providence Or. ID News-Demo-
crat, gave a sane, reasonable, hopeful
and somewhat new view of the negro
question in an address before the IN
ion lyceum of New Bedford He said
in part
"The antebellum negro is disappear
ing and the more aggressive, progress
sive, creative negro is coming to the
front with giant strides. We have
abundant reason to look hopefully to
the future as we look with pride at
the past. We are rising. Every new
attempt at oppression is but an incen-
tive to renewed effort. Hostile legisla-
tion is emancipating as from depend
ent employees into Independent busi-
ness men, from tenants to landlords,
from beggars to contributors.
But we are not content We de-
mand fair field, square deal and no
favors, in this land of boasted freedom
and equal opportunity. We have
proved our worth by every manly test,
with sword and pen with brain and
Drawn. We have won our way to
world championships. And we have
yet to draw the color line. We de-
mand to be measured by what We can
achieve in friendly corporation, or
in rivalry, with the best the world af-
fords. We demand the chance to
stand or fall on our merits. We are
no longer the nations wards; we are
becoming the nations warders.
"We have seen 20 negro slaves land
ed at jamestown before Plymouth
| Rock was touched by Pilgrim feet,
| grow into 10000, 600 freemen. We have
seen their descendants prominent in
every war, whether for colonial indie
pendence, to preserve the Union or to
! liberate millions i'm the Antilles or the
/ Philippines. We have seen them pa
| triotically barring breasts to shot and
| shell, saber stroke and bOlO, perish
ing by thousands, but always keeping
! the old flag, symbol of a nations hon
or, from trailing in the dust. We have
! seen them as ministering angels in the
| fever camps and hospitals, as devoted
! teachers in the schools, professors in
| the colleges and universities, preach
! ers and theologians, doctors, authors
/ and publishers, inventors, Chautmqua
orators, congressman, ministers pleni-
potentiary, and occupying thousands
Of Offices within the gift of govern
ment And we have yet to see a ne
gro traitor!
I'VE have seen within three years
the accepted legal doctrine of centur-
les reversed by an accidental presi-
dent Of the United States and applied
to us. Proclaiming the square deal
we have seen him supplant the max
i'm. Better that 80 guilty escape than
that one innocent suffer- with the
Rooseyeltian edict. Better that 1G7
innocent suffer than that one guilty
negro escape.' And we still applaud
the negro Parker who sought to save
Mckinley from anarchist bullet at
Buffalo. We still cheer the black
heroes who saved Roosevelt from
Spanish bullets at San Juan hill; we
wept with them when dismissed by
him without honor and we support
ed his successor for the office OF
president. We have yet to breed an
assassin, an anarchist or an migrate.
1--WE have abundance Of gratitude,
Christian charity, meekness, patience,
courage, self-sacrifiCe and loyalty. We
have only the most glorious recollec-
tiOns from Crispus Attucks to Mingo
Saunders. Our past is secure. But
those who have lived and died will
have done so in vain If we do not im-
prove the heritage they have left us.
We are ambitious that our descend
ants may be as proud of the victories
we win in peace, as we are Of those
our ancestors won in war. Our faces
are set toward the morning, our hands
are on the plow; we shall not turn
back, but press on resolutely to new
victories, new honors and the fulfil
ment of divine prophecy, when Ethio-
pia's hands shall not be stretched
forth in vain"