up from slavery-第14部分

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calls〃；　but；　for　some　reason；　my　call　never　came。

When　we　add　the　number　of　wholly　ignorant　men　who　preached　or　〃exhorted〃　to　that　of　those　who　possessed　something　of　an　education；　it　can　be　seen　at　a　glance　that　the　supply　of　ministers　was　large。　In　fact；　some　time　ago　I　knew　a　certain　church　that　had　a　total　membership　of　about　two　hundred；　and　eighteen　of　that　number　were　ministers。　But；　I　repeat；　in　many　communities　in　the　South　the　character　of　the　ministry　is　being　improved；　and　I　believe　that　within　the　next　two　or　three　decades　a　very　large　proportion　of　the　unworthy　ones　will　have　disappeared。　The　〃calls〃　to　preach；　I　am　glad　to　say；　are　not　nearly　so　numerous　now　as　they　were　formerly；　and　the　calls　to　some　industrial　occupation　are　growing　more　numerous。　The　improvement　that　has　taken　place　in　the　character　of　the　teachers　is　even　more　marked　than　in　the　case　of　the　ministers。

During　the　whole　of　the　Reconstruction　period　our　people　throughout　the　South　looked　to　the　Federal　Government　for　everything；　very　much　as　a　child　looks　to　its　mother。　This　was　not　unnatural。　The　central　government　gave　them　freedom；　and　the　whole　Nation　had　been　enriched　for　more　than　two　centuries　by　the　labour　of　the　Negro。　Even　as　a　youth；　and　later　in　manhood；　I　had　the　feeling　that　it　was　cruelly　wrong　in　the　central　government；　at　the　beginning　of　our　freedom；　to　fail　to　make　some　provision　for　the　general　education　of　our　people　in　addition　to　what　the　states　might　do；　so　that　the　people　would　be　the　better　prepared　for　the　duties　of　citizenship。

It　is　easy　to　find　fault；　to　remark　what　might　have　been　done；　and　perhaps；　after　all；　and　under　all　the　circumstances；　those　in　charge　of　the　conduct　of　affairs　did　the　only　thing　that　could　be　done　at　the　time。　Still；　as　I　look　back　now　over　the　entire　period　of　our　freedom；　I　cannot　help　feeling　that　it　would　have　been　wiser　if　some　plan　could　have　been　put　in　operation　which　would　have　made　the　possession　of　a　certain　amount　of　education　or　property；　or　both；　a　test　for　the　exercise　of　the　franchise；　and　a　way　provided　by　which　this　test　should　be　made　to　apply　honestly　and　squarely　to　both　the　white　and　black　races。

Though　I　was　but　little　more　than　a　youth　during　the　period　of　Reconstruction；　I　had　the　feeling　that　mistakes　were　being　made；　and　that　things　could　not　remain　in　the　condition　that　they　were　in　then　very　long。　I　felt　that　the　Reconstruction　policy；　so　far　as　it　related　to　my　race；　was　in　a　large　measure　on　a　false　foundation；　was　artificial　and　forced。　In　many　cases　it　seemed　to　me　that　the　ignorance　of　my　race　was　being　used　as　a　tool　with　which　to　help　white　men　into　office；　and　that　there　was　an　element　in　the　North　which　wanted　to　punish　the　Southern　white　men　by　forcing　the　Negro　into　positions　over　the　heads　of　the　Southern　whites。　I　felt　that　the　Negro　would　be　the　one　to　suffer　for　this　in　the　end。　Besides；　the　general　political　agitation　drew　the　attention　of　our　people　away　from　the　more　fundamental　matters　of　perfecting　themselves　in　the　industries　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