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up from slavery-第43章

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ations to gain every valuable advantage offered them by their citizenship; it will be strange indeed。

Yours very truly;

Grover Cleveland。

Later I met Mr。 Cleveland; for the first time; when; as President; he visited the Atlanta Exposition。 At the request of myself and others he consented to spend an hour in the Negro Building; for the purpose of inspecting the Negro exhibit and of giving the coloured people in attendance an opportunity to shake hands with him。 As soon as I met Mr。 Cleveland I became impressed with his simplicity; greatness; and rugged honesty。 I have met him many times since then; both at public functions and at his private residence in Princeton; and the more I see of him the more I admire him。 When he visited the Negro Building in Atlanta he seemed to give himself up wholly; for that hour; to the coloured people。 He seemed to be as careful to shake hands with some old coloured 〃auntie〃 clad partially in rags; and to take as much pleasure in doing so; as if he were greeting some millionaire。 Many of the coloured people took advantage of the occasion to get him to write his name in a book or on a slip of paper。 He was as careful and patient in doing this as if he were putting his signature to some great state document。

Mr。 Cleveland has not only shown his friendship for me in many personal ways; but has always consented to do anything I have asked of him for our school。 This he has done; whether it was to make a personal donation or to use his influence in securing the donations of others。 Judging from my personal acquaintance with Mr。 Cleveland; I do not believe that he is conscious of possessing any colour prejudice。 He is too great for that。 In my contact with people I find that; as a rule; it is only the little; narrow people who live for themselves; who never read good books; who do not travel; who never open up their souls in a way to permit them to come into contact with other soulswith the great outside world。 No man whose vision is bounded by colour can come into contact with what is highest and best in the world。 In meeting men; in many places; I have found that the happiest people are those who do the most for others; the most miserable are those who do the least。 I have also found that few things; if any; are capable of making one so blind and narrow as race prejudice。 I often say to our students; in the course of my talks to them on Sunday evenings in the chapel; that the longer I live and the more experience I have of the world; the more I am convinced that; after all; the one thing that is most worth living forand dying for; if need beis the opportunity of making some one else more happy and more useful。

The coloured people and the coloured newspapers at first seemed to be greatly pleased with the character of my Atlanta address; as well as with its reception。 But after the first burst of enthusiasm began to die away; and the coloured people began reading the speech in cold type; some of them seemed to feel that they had been hypnotized。 They seemed to feel that I had been too liberal in my remarks toward the Southern whites; and that I had not spoken out strongly enough for what they termed the 〃rights〃 of my race。 For a while there was a reaction; so far as a certain element of my own race was concerned; but later these reactionary ones seemed to have been won over to my way of believing and acting。

While speaking of changes in public sentiment; I recall that about ten years after the school at Tuskegee was established; I had an experience that I shall never forget。 Dr。 Lyman Abbott; then the pastor of Plymouth Church; and also editor of the Outlook (then the Christian Union); asked me to write a letter for his paper giving my opinion of the exact condition; mental and moral; of the coloured ministers in the South; as based upon my observations。 I wrote the letter; giving the exact facts as I conceived them to be。 The picture painted was a rather black oneor; since I am black; shall I say 〃white〃? It could not be otherwise with a race but a few years out of slavery; a race which had not had time or opportunity to produce a competent ministry。

What I said soon reached every Negro minister in the country; I think; and the letters of condemnation which I received from them were not few。 I think that for a year after the publication of this article every association and every conference or religious body of any kind; of my race; that met; did not fail before adjourning to pass a resolution condemning me; or calling upon me to retract or modify what I had said。 Many of these organizations went so far in their resolutions as to advise parents to cease sending their children to Tuskegee。 One association even appointed a 〃missionary〃 whose duty it was to warn the people against sending their children to Tuskegee。 This missionary had a son in the school; and I noticed that; whatever the 〃missionary〃 might have said or done with regard to others; he was careful not to take his son away from the institution。 Many of the coloured papers; especially those that were the organs of religious bodies; joined in the general chorus of condemnation or demands for retraction。

During the whole time of the excitement; and through all the criticism; I did not utter a word of explanation of retraction。 I knew that I was right; and that time and the sober second thought of the people would vindicate me。 It was not long before the bishops and other church leaders began to make careful investigation of the conditions of the ministry; and they found out that I was right。 In fact; the oldest and most influential bishop in one branch of the Methodist Church said that my words were far too mild。 Very soon public sentiment began making itself felt; in demanding a purifying of the ministry。 While this is not yet complete by any means; I think I may say; without egotism; and I have been told by many of our most influential ministers; that my words had much to do with starting a demand for the placing of a higher type of men in the pulpit。 I have had the satisfaction of having many who once condemned me thank me heartily for my frank words。

The change of the attitude of the Negro ministry; so far as regards myself; is so complete that at the present time I have no warmer friends among any class than I have among the clergymen。 The improvement in the character and life of the Negro ministers is one of the most gratifying evidences of the progress of the race。 My experience with them; as well as other events in my life; convince me that the thing to do; when one feels sure that he has said or done the right thing; and is condemned; is to stand still and keep quiet。 If he is right; time will show it。

In the midst of the discussion which was going on concerning my Atlanta speech; I received the letter which I give below; from Dr。 Gilman; the President of Johns Hopkins University; who had been made chairman of the judges of award in connection with the Atlanta Exposition:

Johns Hopkins University; Baltimore;

President's Office; September 30; 1895。

Dear Mr。 Washington: Would it be agreeable to you to be one of the Judges of Award in the Department of Education at Atlanta? If so; I shall be glad to pla
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