The broad ax. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1895-19??, 1909-11-27
to
Africa UnWiSe.
D.. EHsSt Ign. American Mlastsr 70
Iberia. h ADDRESS st Now Yeti
Sqs lhs Negro Cen Su1he he
Sluode For biStoscs Hsre
and ShSdN Rsnah.
n N.R. DoDsoN.


In q recent address before St Marks
Lyceum IN New York Dr. Ernest Lyon.
American minister and resident consul
general at MonroTia, Liberia, speaking
On emigration Of the American Negro
20 Africa, said:
Elm regard to the struggle which IL
now on between the two races two ques-
lions are suggested-viz: Can the race
survive the struggled II It cannot, Is
It wise for It to remain?
These In turn suggest a third, II
emigration, whitherI
~Can the race survive the struggle
for existence, IN which are pitted
against 1t In the most formidable man
ner mind and matter, men and money,
laws and institutions. together with
every other device which the ingenuity
OF the other race can invent? answer
emphaticaIly yes. The fittest WIN sur
viYe. 1t Is impossible to annihilate ten
millions Of people.
SThe ancient Britons Cicero describ-
ed as being dull, stupid and 1T only for
slaves. No one would have thought
that from the latter race would come
the masters and conquerors Of the
earth; that their literature would have
become the cream Of the human intel
lect and their language the most popu-
lar on the globe.
At would rather be a Negro than
anything else and to be where the
struggle Is the fiercest- The hope OF
triumph through manly endeavors
should furnish inspiration to endure
hardships as a good soldier and citizen
'1Let Us admit, however. by way Of
argument that the Negro cannot sur
TiTe. What then2 Would you advise
him to remain Id q land In which he
seems doomed to discrimination and
humiliation and perhaps to extinction,
as the social scientist would express 1t?
I answer this question In the afhrma-
tive. / would advise him to remain
until he was thoroughly convinced that
he could better his condition by going
70 some other country.
"What are the reasons advanced to
justify Negro emigration from the
United Statesl Two-the white mans
reason, general unacceptability on &C
count Of race and color with this we
cannot deal In this paper; second, the
black mans reason, prejudice.
This is the most comprehensive
term that can be employed. An seem
agreed that prejudice against race
and color, arising from previous con-
dftiOn OF servitude, Il the root Of the
eyfl. This Is the indictment and the
only one that can be made against the
people Of the United States. But do
not think the. situation win be helped
any by declaring that the evn Is uni
Versal.
sWhat imputation can be brought, 30
far as the country itself is concerned,
against the territorial adequacy OF It's
resources for the livelihood Of its cih-
Eens without any reference to race, color
or previous condition Of seFvitudel
s'What indictment can be brought
AGAINST the abundance OF oppOrtuni-
ties in almost every sphere Of influence
for the development and progress Of
the Negroes. II the door OF oppor-
tunity closes among the whites he can
turn to more than 100000 OF his
own race whose needs are similar un-
der the same favorable auspices.
''What tmputation can be brought
AGAINST the advantage for education
Of every kind-classical, professional,
technical liberal and Industrial? In
no other country In the world do the
same advantages exist for the poor.
ssWhat Indictment can be brought
AGAINST the spirit Of Christian beneyo-
Ience, which Il widespread, manifest
ing itself In a number Of schools and
colleges, universities and seminaries.
scattered all over the land, for the
higher education Of the Negro9
@NOw, / say with al candor II the
Nero can better his condition IN %
brief a time by going somewhere else.
let him leave.
where win you direct him TO got
Africa, you say, but Liberia in partic-
ular.
mo one who knows the condition in
Afriea would advise emigration TO any
part Of that continent. ! think the
feeling "a decidedly against the coming
Of the American Negro. ! am satisfied
that the American Negro would find,
IN addition to the opposition which
would come from the heads OF Euro
pean colonies and pr0tectorates In
Africa, II he intended to live IN them.
q curious kind Of prejudice Of blacks
aesinst blacks, which would annoy
him equally as much. II not more. than
that IN the United States.
Il should feel some delicacy IN Of
fering Liberia to American Negroes.
IN view Of the fact that the highest
authorities In liberia have declared
that It IL not ready for the return Of
ths exEless
Msssy FER Mrs. aAssti. wails.r.