up from slavery-第35部分

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by　cheating　a　Negro　out　of　his　ballot　soon　learns　to　cheat　a　white　man　out　of　his；　and　that　the　man　who　does　this　ends　his　career　of　dishonesty　by　the　theft　of　property　or　by　some　equally　serious　crime。　In　my　opinion；　the　time　will　come　when　the　South　will　encourage　all　of　its　citizens　to　vote。　It　will　see　that　it　pays　better；　from　every　standpoint；　to　have　healthy；　vigorous　life　than　to　have　that　political　stagnation　which　always　results　when　one…half　of　the　population　has　no　share　and　no　interest　in　the　Government。

As　a　rule；　I　believe　in　universal；　free　suffrage；　but　I　believe　that　in　the　South　we　are　confronted　with　peculiar　conditions　that　justify　the　protection　of　the　ballot　in　many　of　the　states；　for　a　while　at　least；　either　by　an　education　test；　a　property　test；　or　by　both　combined；　but　whatever　tests　are　required；　they　should　be　made　to　apply　with　equal　and　exact　justice　to　both　races。



Chapter　XV。　The　Secret　Of　Success　In　Public　Speaking

As　to　how　my　address　at　Atlanta　was　received　by　the　audience　in　the　Exposition　building；　I　think　I　prefer　to　let　Mr。　James　Creelman；　the　noted　war　correspondent；　tell。　Mr。　Creelman　was　present；　and　telegraphed　the　following　account　to　the　New　York　World：

Atlanta；　September　18。

While　President　Cleveland　was　waiting　at　Gray　Gables　to…day；　to　send　the　electric　spark　that　started　the　machinery　of　the　Atlanta　Exposition；　a　Negro　Moses　stood　before　a　great　audience　of　white　people　and　delivered　an　oration　that　marks　a　new　epoch　in　the　history　of　the　South；　and　a　body　of　Negro　troops　marched　in　a　procession　with　the　citizen　soldiery　of　Georgia　and　Louisiana。　The　whole　city　is　thrilling　to…night　with　a　realization　of　the　extraordinary　significance　of　these　two　unprecedented　events。　Nothing　has　happened　since　Henry　Grady's　immortal　speech　before　the　New　England　society　in　New　York　that　indicates　so　profoundly　the　spirit　of　the　New　South；　except；　perhaps；　the　opening　of　the　Exposition　itself。

When　Professor　Booker　T。　Washington；　Principal　of　an　industrial　school　for　coloured　people　in　Tuskegee；　Ala。　stood　on　the　platform　of　the　Auditorium；　with　the　sun　shining　over　the　heads　of　his　auditors　into　his　eyes；　and　with　his　whole　face　lit　up　with　the　fire　of　prophecy；　Clark　Howell；　the　successor　of　Henry　Grady；　said　to　me；　〃That　man's　speech　is　the　beginning　of　a　moral　revolution　in　America。〃

It　is　the　first　time　that　a　Negro　has　made　a　speech　in　the　South　on　any　important　occasion　before　an　audience　composed　of　white　men　and　women。　It　electrified　the　audience；　and　the　response　was　as　if　it　had　come　from　the　throat　of　a　whirlwind。

Mrs。　Thompson　had　hardly　taken　her　seat　when　all　eyes　were　turned　on　a　tall　tawny　Negro　sitting　in　the　front　row　of　the　platform。　It　was　Professor　Booker　T。　Washington；　President　of　the　Tuskegee　（Alabama）　Normal　and　Industrial　Institute；　who　must　rank　from　this　time　forth　as　the　foremost　man　of　his　race　in　America。　Gilmore's　Band　played　the　〃Star…Spangled　Banner；〃　and　the　audience　cheered。　The　tune　changed　to　〃Dixie〃　and　the　audience　roared　with　shrill　〃hi…yis。〃　Again　the　music　changed；　this　time　to　〃Yankee　Doodle；〃　and　the　clamour　lessened。

All　this　time　the　eyes　of　the　thousands　present　looked　straight　at　the　Negro　orator。　A　strange　thing　was　to　happen。　A　black　man　was　to　speak　for　his　people；　with　none　to　interrupt　him。　As　Professor　Washington　strode　to　the　edge　of　the　stage；　the　low；　descending　sun　shot　fiery　rays　through　the　windows　into　his　　face。　A　great　shout　greeted　him。　He　turned　his　head　to　avoid　the　blinding　light；　and　moved　about　the　platform　for　relief。　Then　he　turned　his　wonderful　countenance　to　the　sun　without　a　blink　of　the　eyelids；　and　began　to　talk。

There　was　a　remarkable　figure；　tall；　bony；　straight　as　a　Sioux　chief；　high　forehead；　straight　nose；　heavy　jaws；　and　strong；　determined　mouth；　with　big　white　teeth；　piercing　eyes；　and　a　commanding　manner。　The　sinews　stood　out　on　his　bronzed　neck；　and　his　muscular　right　arm　swung　high　in　the　air；　with　a　lead…pencil　grasped　in　the　clinched　brown　fist。　His　big　feet　were　planted　squarely；　with　the　heels　together　and　the　toes　turned　out。　His　voice　range　out　clear　and　true；　and　he　paused　impressively　as　he　made　each　point。　Within　ten　minutes　the　multitude　was　in　an　uproar　of　enthusiasmhandkerchiefs　were　waved；　canes　were　flourished；　hats　were　tossed　in　the　air。　The　fairest　women　of　Georgia　stood　up　and　cheered。　It　was　as　if　the　orator　had　bewitched　them。

And　when　he　held　his　dusky　hand　high　above　his　head；　with　the　fingers　stretched　wide　apart；　and　said　to　the　white　people　of　the　South　on　behalf　of　his　race；　〃In　all　things　that　are　purely　social　we　can　be　as　separate　as　the　fingers；　yet　one　as　the　hand　in　all　things　essential　to　mutual　progress；〃　the　great　wave　of　sound　dashed　itself　against　the　walls；　and　the　whole　audience　was　on　its　feet　in　a　delirium　of　applause；　and　I　thought　at　that　moment　of　the　night　when　Henry　Grady　stood　among　the　curling　wreaths　of　tobacco…smoke　in　Delmonico's　banquet…hall　and　said；　〃I　am　a　Cavalier　among　Roundheads。〃

I　have　heard　the　great　orators　of　many　countries；　but　not　even　Gladstone　himself　could　have　pleased　a　cause　with　most　consummate　power　than　did　this　angular　　Negro；　standing　in　a　nimbus　of　sunshine；　surrounded　by　the　men　who　once　fought　to　keep　his　race　in　bondage。　The　roar　might　swell　ever　so　high；　but　the　expression　of　his　earnest　face　never　changed。

A　ragged；　ebony　giant；　squatted　on　the　floor　in　one　of　the　aisles；　watched　the　orator　with　burning　eyes　and　tremulous　face　until　the　supreme　burst　of　applause　came；　and　then　the　tears　ran　down　his　face。　Most　of　the　Negroes　in　the　audience　were　crying；　perhaps　without　knowing　just　why。

At　the　close　of　the　speech　Governor　Bullock　rushed　across　the　stage　and　seized　the　orator's　hand。　Another　shout　greeted　this　demonstration；　and　for　a　few　minutes　the　two　men　stood　facing　each　other；　hand　in　hand。


So　far　as　I　could　spare　the　time　from　the　immediate　work　at　Tuskegee；　after　my　Atlanta　address；　I　accepted　some　of　the　invitations　to　speak　in　public　which　came　to　me；　especially　those　that　would　take　me　into　territory　where　I　thought　it　would　pay　to　plead　the　cause　of　my　race；　but　I　always　did　this　with　the　understanding　that　I　was　to　be　free　to　talk　about　my　life…work　and　the　needs　of　my　people。　I　also　had　it　understood　that　I　was　not　to　speak　in　the　capacity　of　a　professional　lecturer；　or　for　mere　commercial　gain。

In　my　efforts　on　the　public　platform　I　never　have　been　able　to　understand　why　people　come　to　hear　me　speak。　This　question　I　never　can　rid　myself　of。　Time　and　time　again；　as　I　have　stood　in　the　street　in　front　of　a　building　and　have　seen　men　and　women　passing　in　large　numbers　into　the　audience　room　where　I　was　to　speak；　I　have　felt　ashamed　that　I　should　be　the　cause　of　peopleas　it　seemed　to　mewasting　a　valuable　hour　of　their　time。　Some　years　ago　I　was　to　deliver　an　address　before　a　literary　society　in　Madison；　Wis。　An　hour　before　the　time　set　for　me　to　speak；　a　fierce　snow…storm　began；　and　continued　for　several　hours。　I　made　up　my　mind　that　there　would　be　no　audience；　and　that　I　should　not　have　to　speak；　but；　as　a　matter　of　duty；　I　went　to　the　church；　and　found　it　packed　with　people。　The　surprise　gave　me　a　shock　that　I　did　not　recover　from　during　the　whole　evening。

People　often　ask　me　if　I　feel　nervous　before　speaking；　or　else　they　suggest　that；　since　I　speak　often；　they　suppose　that　I　get　used　to　it。　In　answer　to　this　question　I　have　to　say　that　I　always　suffer　intensely　from　nervousness　before　speaking。　More　than　once；　just　before　I　was　to　make　an　important　address；　this　nervous　strain　has　been　so　great　that　I　have　resolved　never　again　to　speak　in　public。　I　not　only　feel　nervous　before　speaking；　but　after　I　have　finished　I　usually　feel　a　sense　of　regret；　because　it　seems　to　me　as　if　I　had　left　out　of　my　address　the　main　thing　and　the　best　thing　that　I　had　meant　to　say。

There　is　a　great　compensation；　though；　for　this　preliminary　nervous　suffering；　that　comes　to　me　after　I　have　been　speaking　for　about　ten　minutes；　and　have　come　to　feel　that　I　have　really　mastered　my　audience；　and　that　we　have　gotten　into　full　and　complete　sympathy　with　each　other。　It　seems　to　me　that　there　is　rarely　such　a　combination　of　mental　and　physical　delight　in　any　effort　as　that　which　comes　to　a　public　speaker　when　he　feels　that　he　has　a　great　audience　completely　within　his　control。　There　is　a　thread　of　sympathy　and　oneness　that　connects　a　public　speaker　with　his　audience；　that　is　just　as　strong　as　though　it　was　something　tangible　and　visible。　If　in　an　audience　of　a　thousand　people　there　is　one　person　who　is　not　in　sympathy　with　my　views；　or　is　inclined　to　be　doubtful；　cold；　or　critical；　I　can　pick　him　out。　When　I　have　found　him　I　usually　go　straight　at　him；　and　it　is　a　great　satisfaction　to　watch　the　process　of　his　thawing　out。　I　find　that　the　most　effective　medicine　for　such　individuals　is　administered　at　first　in　the　form　of　a　story；　although　I　never　tell　an　anecdote　simply　for　the　sake　of　telling　one。　That　kind　of　thing；　I　think；　is　empty　and　hollow；　and　an　audience　soon　finds　it　out。

I　believe　that　one　always　does　himself　and　his　audience　an　injustice　when　he　speaks　merely　for　the　sake　of　speaking