up from slavery-第13部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


ustries　at　their　doors　and　in　securing　property。

The　temptations　to　enter　political　life　were　so　alluring　that　I　came　very　near　yielding　to　them　at　one　time；　but　I　was　kept　from　doing　so　by　the　feeling　that　I　would　be　helping　in　a　more　substantial　way　by　assisting　in　the　laying　of　the　foundation　of　the　race　through　a　generous　education　of　the　hand；　head；　and　heart。　I　saw　coloured　men　who　were　members　of　the　state　legislatures；　and　county　officers；　who；　in　some　cases；　could　not　read　or　write；　and　whose　morals　were　as　weak　as　their　education。　Not　long　ago；　when　passing　through　the　streets　of　a　certain　city　in　the　South；　I　heard　some　brick…masons　calling　out；　from　the　top　of　a　two…story　brick　building　on　which　they　were　working；　for　the　〃Governor〃　to　〃hurry　up　and　bring　up　some　more　bricks。〃　Several　times　I　heard　the　command；　〃Hurry　up；　Governor！〃　〃Hurry　up；　Governor！〃　My　curiosity　was　aroused　to　such　an　extent　that　I　made　inquiry　as　to　who　the　〃Governor〃　was；　and　soon　found　that　he　was　a　coloured　man　who　at　one　time　had　held　the　position　of　Lieutenant…Governor　of　his　state。

But　not　all　the　coloured　people　who　were　in　office　during　Reconstruction　were　unworthy　of　their　positions；　by　any　means。　Some　of　them；　like　the　late　Senator　B。K。　Bruce；　Governor　Pinchback；　and　many　others；　were　strong；　upright；　useful　men。　Neither　were　all　the　class　designated　as　carpetbaggers　dishonourable　men。　Some　of　them；　like　ex…Governor　Bullock；　of　Georgia；　were　men　of　high　character　and　usefulness。

Of　course　the　coloured　people；　so　largely　without　education；　and　wholly　without　experience　in　government；　made　tremendous　mistakes；　just　as　many　people　similarly　situated　would　have　done。　Many　of　the　Southern　whites　have　a　feeling　that；　if　the　Negro　is　permitted　to　exercise　his　political　rights　now　to　any　degree；　the　mistakes　of　the　Reconstruction　period　will　repeat　themselves。　I　do　not　think　this　would　be　true；　because　the　Negro　is　a　much　stronger　and　wiser　man　than　he　was　thirty…five　years　ago；　and　he　is　fast　learning　the　lesson　that　he　cannot　afford　to　act　in　a　manner　that　will　alienate　his　Southern　white　neighbours　from　him。　More　and　more　I　am　convinced　that　the　final　solution　of　the　political　end　of　our　race　problem　will　be　for　each　state　that　finds　it　necessary　to　change　the　law　bearing　upon　the　franchise　to　make　the　law　apply　with　absolute　honesty；　and　without　opportunity　for　double　dealing　or　evasion；　to　both　races　alike。　Any　other　course　my　daily　observation　in　the　South　convinces　me；　will　be　unjust　to　the　Negro；　unjust　to　the　white　man；　and　unfair　to　the　rest　of　the　state　in　the　Union；　and　will　be；　like　slavery；　a　sin　that　at　some　time　we　shall　have　to　pay　for。

In　the　fall　of　1878；　after　having　taught　school　in　Malden　for　two　years；　and　after　I　had　succeeded　in　preparing　several　of　the　young　men　and　women；　besides　my　two　brothers；　to　enter　the　Hampton　Institute；　I　decided　to　spend　some　months　in　study　at　Washington；　D。C。　I　remained　there　for　eight　months。　I　derived　a　great　deal　of　benefit　from　the　studies　which　I　pursued；　and　I　came　into　contact　with　some　strong　men　and　women。　At　the　institution　I　attended　there　was　no　industrial　training　given　to　the　students；　and　I　had　an　opportunity　of　comparing　the　influence　of　an　institution　with　no　industrial　training　with　that　of　one　like　the　Hampton　Institute；　that　emphasizes　the　industries。　At　this　school　I　found　the　students；　in　most　cases；　had　more　money；　were　better　dressed；　wore　the　latest　style　of　all　manner　of　clothing；　and　in　some　cases　were　more　brilliant　mentally。　At　Hampton　it　was　a　standing　rule　that；　while　the　institution　would　be　responsible　for　securing　some　one　to　pay　the　tuition　for　the　students；　the　men　and　women　themselves　must　provide　for　their　own　board；　books；　clothing；　and　room　wholly　by　work；　or　partly　by　work　and　partly　in　cash。　At　the　institution　at　which　I　now　was；　I　found　that　a　large　portion　of　the　students　by　some　means　had　their　personal　expenses　paid　for　them。　At　Hampton　the　student　was　constantly　making　the　effort　through　the　industries　to　help　himself；　and　that　very　effort　was　of　immense　value　in　character…building。　The　students　at　the　other　school　seemed　to　be　less　self…dependent。　They　seemed　to　give　more　attention　to　mere　outward　appearances。　In　a　word；　they　did　not　appear　to　me　to　be　beginning　at　the　bottom；　on　a　real；　solid　foundation；　to　the　extent　that　they　were　at　Hampton。　They　knew　more　about　Latin　and　Greek　when　they　left　school；　but　they　seemed　to　know　less　about　life　and　its　conditions　as　they　would　meet　it　at　their　homes。　Having　lived　for　a　number　of　years　in　the　midst　of　comfortable　surroundings；　they　were　not　as　much　inclined　as　the　Hampton　students　to　go　into　the　country　districts　of　the　South；　where　there　was　little　of　comfort；　to　take　up　work　for　our　people；　and　they　were　more　inclined　to　yield　to　the　temptation　to　become　hotel　waiters　and　Pullman…car　porters　as　their　life…work。

During　the　time　I　was　a　student　at　Washington　the　city　was　crowded　with　coloured　people；　many　of　whom　had　recently　come　from　the　South。　A　large　proportion　of　these　people　had　been　drawn　to　Washington　because　they　felt　that　they　could　lead　a　life　of　ease　there。　Others　had　secured　minor　government　positions；　and　still　another　large　class　was　there　in　the　hope　of　securing　Federal　positions。　A　number　of　coloured　mensome　of　them　very　strong　and　brilliantwere　in　the　House　of　Representatives　at　that　time；　and　one；　the　Hon。　B。K。　Bruce；　was　in　the　Senate。　All　this　tended　to　make　Washington　an　attractive　place　for　members　of　the　coloured　race。　Then；　too；　they　knew　that　at　all　times　they　could　have　the　protection　of　the　law　in　the　District　of　Columbia。　The　public　schools　in　Washington　for　coloured　people　were　better　then　than　they　were　elsewhere。　I　took　great　interest　in　studying　the　life　of　our　people　there　closely　at　that　time。　I　found　that　while　among　them　there　was　a　large　element　of　substantial；　worthy　citizens；　there　was　also　a　superficiality　about　the　life　of　a　large　class　that　greatly　alarmed　me。　I　saw　young　coloured　men　who　were　not　earning　more　than　four　dollars　a　week　spend　two　dollars　or　more　for　a　buggy　on　Sunday　to　ride　up　and　down　Pennsylvania　Avenue　in；　in　order　that　they　might　try　to　convince　the　world　that　they　were　worth　thousands。　I　saw　other　young　men　who　received　seventy…five　or　one　hundred　dollars　per　month　from　the　Government；　who　were　in　debt　at　the　end　of　every　month。　I　saw　men　who　but　a　few　months　previous　were　members　of　Congress；　then　without　employment　and　in　poverty。　Among　a　large　class　there　seemed　to　be　a　dependence　upon　the　Government　for　every　conceivable　thing。　The　members　of　this　class　had　little　ambition　to　create　a　position　for　themselves；　but　wanted　the　Federal　officials　to　create　one　for　them。　How　many　times　I　wished　them；　and　have　often　wished　since；　that　by　some　power　of　magic　I　might　remove　the　great　bulk　of　these　people　into　the　county　districts　and　plant　them　upon　the　soil；　upon　the　solid　and　never　deceptive　foundation　of　Mother　Nature；　where　all　nations　and　races　that　have　ever　succeeded　have　gotten　their　start；a　start　that　at　first　may　be　slow　and　toilsome；　but　one　that　nevertheless　is　real。

In　Washington　I　saw　girls　whose　mothers　were　earning　their　living　by　laundrying。　These　girls　were　taught　by　their　mothers；　in　rather　a　crude　way　it　is　true；　the　industry　of　laundrying。　Later；　these　girls　entered　the　public　schools　and　remained　there　perhaps　six　or　eight　years。　When　the　public　school　course　was　finally　finished；　they　wanted　more　costly　dresses；　more　costly　hats　and　shoes。　In　a　word；　while　their　wants　have　been　increased；　their　ability　to　supply　their　wants　had　not　been　increased　in　the　same　degree。　On　the　other　hand；　their　six　or　eight　years　of　book　education　had　weaned　them　away　from　the　occupation　of　their　mothers。　The　result　of　this　was　in　too　many　cases　that　the　girls　went　to　the　bad。　I　often　thought　how　much　wiser　it　would　have　been　to　give　these　girls　the　same　amount　of　maternal　trainingand　I　favour　any　kind　of　training；　whether　in　the　languages　or　mathematics；　that　gives　strength　and　culture　to　the　mind　but　at　the　same　time　to　give　them　the　most　thorough　training　in　the　latest　and　best　methods　of　laundrying　and　other　kindred　occupations。



Chapter　VI。　Black　Race　And　Red　Race

During　the　year　that　I　spent　in　Washington；　and　for　some　little　time　before　this；　there　had　been　considerable　agitation　in　the　state　of　West　Virginia　over　the　question　of　moving　the　capital　of　the　state　from　Wheeling　to　some　other　central　point。　As　a　result　of　this；　the　Legislature　designated　three　cities　to　be　voted　upon　by　the　citizens　of　the　state　as　the　permanent　seat　of　government。　Among　these　cities　was　Charleston；　only　five　miles　from　Malden；　my　home。　At　the　close　of　my　school　year　in　Washington　I　was　very　pleasantly　surprised　to　receive；　from　a　committee　of　three　white　people　in　Charleston；　an　invitation　to　canvass　the　state　in　the　interests　of　that　city。　This　invitation　I　accepted；　and　spent　nearly　three　months　in　speaking　in　various　parts　of　the　state。　Charleston　was　successful　in　winning　the　prize；　and　is　now　the　permanent　seat　of　government。

The　reputation　that　I　made　as　a　speaker　during　this　campaign　induced　a　number　of　persons　to　make　an　earnest　effort　to　get　me　to　enter　political　life；　but　I　refused；　still　believing　that　I　could　find　other　service　which　would　prove　of　more　permanent　value　to　my　race。　Even　then　I　had　a　strong　feeling　that　what　our　people　most　needed　was　to　get　a　foundation　in　education；　industry；　and　property；　and　for　this　I　felt　that　they　could　better　afford　to　strive　than　for　political　preferment。　As　for　my　individual　self；　it　appeared　to　me　to　be　reasonably　certain　that　I　could　succeed　in　political　life；　but　I　had　a　feeling　that　it　would　be　a　rather　selfish　kind　of　successindividual　success　at　the　cost　of　failing　to　do　my　duty　in　assisting　in　laying　a　foundation　for　the　masses。

At　this　period　in　the　progress　of　our　race　a　very　large　proportion　of　the　young　men　who　went　to　school　or　to　college　did　so　with　the　expressed　determination　to　prepare　themselves　to　be　great　lawyers；　or　Congressmen；　and　many　of　the　women　planned　to　become　music　teachers；　but　I　had　a　reasonably　fixed　idea；　even　at　that　early　period　in　my　life；