The Twin City star. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1910-19??, 1915-06-19
FOREIGNER VISITS
DUNBAR LYCEUM
j. p. Santamarina Of Argentina
Makes Learned Speech.
BRINGS AMESSAGE OF HOPE

Discusses the Race Question In Amer
ioa, Which He Says Has Always
Been Misunderstood - Calls Negro
People Valiant Racs-Thinks Our
Progress 10 Wonderful.
New York.-The Dunbar lyceum in
this city, though young as literary
organization, is rendering the public
excellent service. The meetings Of the
lyceum are interesting and conducted
with a view Of informing the public
on topics of moment which concern our
people in particular and the public
generally. One Of the ablest speakers
to address the society recently was
Senior ]. p. Santamarina Of the Argen-
tine republic, who spoke on the race
question in America. Senior Santana
rina In part said:
do not know how to express my deep
felt gratitude and appreciation for your
hearty reception. To be with you here
this evening is indeed a special privilege,
and beg of you to understand that while
am In full sympathy with your race in
America, I do not wish you to understand
that am here to advocate or provoke
any hard feelings. / am here only to
bring you q message from your brethren
In South America. The academic gown
that wear represents, as you will know.
the highest learnings Of the human races.
It IL, indeed, a robe Of justice; therefore
nothing but the truth should be spoken.
have come to you this evening with
q word Of consolation, word from your
worthy race In South America. I am not
here to tell of the injustices done you in
years gone by. I am here to lay before
ryoA some facts pertaining to the develop
ment Of your valiant race. should we
base our arguments on religious faith only
We might as well say Amen and go home.
But those who are willing to go beyond
the limits Of the Unborn faith that we
possess, those who trust in human sci
ence and human learnings will know that
the Negro race isa not the curse Of the
earth, but the product of earthly evolu-
ton. the very same product as we white
people are, Of course, with some distinc-
tlon Of the anthropological features; and.
again. basing our faith entirely on the di-
vine aspect Of the creation, we have
been told that we come from dust and
shall again be dust when we re-enter the
avenues Of organic evolution.
Az child I often asked myself, Where
do the Negroes come from? And it was
only through long years Of study that
l was able to learn the logical origin Of
the dark skinned races. learned, Of
course. to know and appreciate that the
Negroids had been born under certain and
different environments from those Of the
white man. 1t Is known to all that
the various Negro races Of Africa are
born In inter and subtropical climates,
where 1t was not given to the white man
to fight the heat Of the sun to the same
advantage as the colored people. This is
simply due to the fact that the latter had
been favored with such skin which with
ease could Withstand the ultra violet rays
Of the sun.
gle In America has always been based
upon q very gross misunderstanding, and
feel certain that as soon as the white
man will take the necessary pains to
study the origin and high qualities of the
colored people all resentment and friction
heretofore experienced to a great measure
will gradually disappear in the western
hemisphere to the mutual advantage of
all concerned. If white child is born
blind and also a black child Is thus born,
the white child would not distinguish the
haps the black child would be able to dis
tinguish the color Of the white child be-
cause the former has q rare acuteness of
vision which the white child does not pos
sess.
II you here tonight were all color blind.
you would most likely take the speaker
to be q Negro. simply because I am speak
Ing In the center daughter and applause).
But your sense Of acute vision would soon
make you realize the fact that I am
white. Nature has also given the white
man most wonderful sense Of hearing
and also most remarkable sense of
topography In these respects and In
many others the Negroes are In sense
superior to the average white man. Ac-
cording to the study Of anthropology, or
the science Of mankind, as related to ami
NAL life, we find that there Is great
variety Of Negroids In Africa, India and
America, and IL this variety Of races is
to q certain extent called inferior their
physical and moral environments are en-
tirely to blame.
It has been my personal observation
and It has also been established as a SCI
entific fact that the Negro child has an
extraordinary mental power In its early
age, perhaps SURPRISING the white child,
but, due to the anatomical environments
Of the aboriginal races, the physical de-
velopment OF the mentality has, In certain
regions. been lacking. but not so In
America, where the colored race has in a
certain measure been allowed, even though
with restricted liberty Of expansion. to
develop, and they have developed an ex-
traordinary mental capacity.
II We should incarcerate or put In jail
a white man from his childhood he would
be a mental slave all his life, and II set
free after a certain period of years he
would, no doubt, show signs of depress-
ed brain as a result Of his oppression. II
the former generation of the Negro race
In America has shown any lack Of mental
power Il has been due to q similar oppres-
sion.