up from slavery-第36部分

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I　believe　that　one　always　does　himself　and　his　audience　an　injustice　when　he　speaks　merely　for　the　sake　of　speaking。　I　do　not　believe　that　one　should　speak　unless；　deep　down　in　his　heart；　he　feels　convinced　that　he　has　a　message　to　deliver。　When　one　feels；　from　the　bottom　of　his　feet　to　the　top　of　his　head；　that　he　has　something　to　say　that　is　going　to　help　some　individual　or　some　cause；　then　let　him　say　it；　and　in　delivering　his　message　I　do　not　believe　that　many　of　the　artificial　rules　of　elocution　can；　under　such　circumstances；　help　him　very　much。　Although　there　are　certain　things；　such　as　pauses；　breathing；　and　pitch　of　voice；　that　are　very　important；　none　of　these　can　take　the　place　of　soul　in　an　address。　When　I　have　an　address　to　deliver；　I　like　to　forget　all　about　the　rules　for　the　proper　use　of　the　English　language；　and　all　about　rhetoric　and　that　sort　of　thing；　and　I　like　to　make　the　audience　forget　all　about　these　things；　too。

Nothing　tends　to　throw　me　off　my　balance　so　quickly；　when　I　am　speaking；　as　to　have　some　one　leave　the　room。　To　prevent　this；　I　make　up　my　mind；　as　a　rule；　that　I　will　try　to　make　my　address　so　interesting；　will　try　to　state　so　many　interesting　facts　one　after　another；　that　no　one　can　leave。　The　average　audience；　I　have　come　to　believe；　wants　facts　rather　than　generalities　or　sermonizing。　Most　people；　I　think；　are　able　to　draw　proper　conclusions　if　they　are　given　the　facts　in　an　interesting　form　on　which　to　base　them。

As　to　the　kind　of　audience　that　I　like　best　to　talk　to；　I　would　put　at　the　top　of　the　list　an　organization　of　strong；　wide…awake；　business　men；　such；　for　example；　as　is　found　in　Boston；　New　York；　Chicago；　and　Buffalo。　I　have　found　no　other　audience　so　quick　to　see　a　point；　and　so　responsive。　Within　the　last　few　years　I　have　had　the　privilege　of　speaking　before　most　of　the　leading　organizations　of　this　kind　in　the　large　cities　of　the　United　States。　The　best　time　to　get　hold　of　an　organization　of　business　men　is　after　a　good　dinner；　although　I　think　that　one　of　the　worst　instruments　of　torture　that　was　ever　invented　is　the　custom　which　makes　it　necessary　for　a　speaker　to　sit　through　a　fourteen…course　dinner；　every　minute　of　the　time　feeling　sure　that　his　speech　is　going　to　prove　a　dismal　failure　and　disappointment。

I　rarely　take　part　in　one　of　these　long　dinners　that　I　do　not　wish　that　I　could　put　myself　back　in　the　little　cabin　where　I　was　a　slave　boy；　and　again　go　through　the　experience　thereone　that　I　shall　never　forgetof　getting　molasses　to　eat　once　a　week　from　the　〃big　house。〃　Our　usual　diet　on　the　plantation　was　corn　bread　and　pork；　but　on　Sunday　morning　my　mother　was　permitted　to　bring　down　a　little　molasses　from　the　〃big　house〃　for　her　three　children；　and　when　it　was　received　how　I　did　wish　that　every　day　was　Sunday！　I　would　get　my　tin　plate　and　hold　it　up　for　the　sweet　morsel；　but　I　would　always　shut　my　eyes　while　the　molasses　was　being　poured　out　into　the　plate；　with　the　hope　that　when　I　opened　them　I　would　be　surprised　to　see　how　much　I　had　got。　When　I　opened　my　eyes　I　would　tip　the　plate　in　one　direction　and　another；　so　as　to　make　the　molasses　spread　all　over　it；　in　the　full　belief　that　there　would　be　more　of　it　and　that　it　would　last　longer　if　spread　out　in　this　way。　So　strong　are　my　childish　impressions　of　those　Sunday　morning　feasts　that　it　would　be　pretty　hard　for　any　one　to　convince　me　that　there　is　not　more　molasses　on　a　plate　when　it　is　spread　all　over　the　plate　than　when　it　occupies　a　little　cornerif　there　is　a　corner　in　a　plate。　At　any　rate；　I　have　never　believed　in　〃cornering〃　syrup。　My　share　of　the　syrup　was　usually　about　two　tablespoonfuls；　and　those　two　spoonfuls　of　molasses　were　much　more　enjoyable　to　me　than　is　a　fourteen…course　dinner　after　which　I　am　to　speak。

Next　to　a　company　of　business　men；　I　prefer　to　speak　to　an　audience　of　Southern　people；　of　either　race；　together　or　taken　separately。　Their　enthusiasm　and　responsiveness　are　a　constant　delight。　The　〃amens〃　and　〃dat's　de　truf〃　that　come　spontaneously　from　the　coloured　individuals　are　calculated　to　spur　any　speaker　on　to　his　best　efforts。　I　think　that　next　in　order　of　preference　I　would　place　a　college　audience。　It　has　been　my　privilege　to　deliver　addresses　at　many　of　our　leading　colleges　including　Harvard；　Yale；　Williams；　Amherst；　Fisk　University；　the　University　of　Pennsylvania；　Wellesley；　the　University　of　Michigan；　Trinity　College　in　North　Carolina；　and　many　others。

It　has　been　a　matter　of　deep　interest　to　me　to　note　the　number　of　people　who　have　come　to　shake　hands　with　me　after　an　address；　who　say　that　this　is　the　first　time　they　have　ever　called　a　Negro　〃Mister。〃

When　speaking　directly　in　the　interests　of　the　Tuskegee　Institute；　I　usually　arrange；　some　time　in　advance；　a　series　of　meetings　in　important　centres。　This　takes　me　before　churches；　Sunday…schools；　Christian　Endeavour　Societies；　and　men's　and　women's　clubs。　When　doing　this　I　sometimes　speak　before　as　many　as　four　organizations　in　a　single　day。

Three　years　ago；　at　the　suggestion　of　Mr。　Morris　K。　Jessup；　of　New　York；　and　Dr。　J。L。M。　Curry；　the　general　agent　of　the　fund；　the　trustees　of　the　John　F。　Slater　Fund　voted　a　sum　of　money　to　be　used　in　paying　the　expenses　of　Mrs。　Washington　and　myself　while　holding　a　series　of　meetings　among　the　coloured　people　in　the　large　centres　of　Negro　population；　especially　in　the　large　cities　of　the　ex…slaveholding　states。　Each　year　during　the　last　three　years　we　have　devoted　some　weeks　to　this　work。　The　plan　that　we　have　followed　has　been　for　me　to　speak　in　the　morning　to　the　ministers；　teachers；　and　professional　men。　In　the　afternoon　Mrs。　Washington　would　speak　to　the　women　alone；　and　in　the　evening　I　spoke　to　a　large　mass…meeting。　In　almost　every　case　the　meetings　have　been　attended　not　only　by　the　coloured　people　in　large　numbers；　but　by　the　white　people。　In　Chattanooga；　Tenn。；　for　example；　there　was　present　at　the　mass…meeting　an　audience　of　not　less　than　three　thousand　persons；　and　I　was　informed　that　eight　hundred　of　these　were　white。　I　have　done　no　work　that　I　really　enjoyed　more　than　this；　or　that　I　think　has　accomplished　more　good。

These　meetings　have　given　Mrs。　Washington　and　myself　an　opportunity　to　get　first…hand；　accurate　information　as　to　the　real　condition　of　the　race；　by　seeing　the　people　in　their　homes；　their　churches；　their　Sunday…schools；　and　their　places　of　work；　as　well　as　in　the　prisons　and　dens　of　crime。　These　meetings　also　gave　us　an　opportunity　to　see　the　relations　that　exist　between　the　races。　I　never　feel　so　hopeful　about　the　race　as　I　do　after　being　engaged　in　a　series　of　these　meetings。　I　know　that　on　such　occasions　there　is　much　that　comes　to　the　surface　that　is　superficial　and　deceptive；　but　I　have　had　experience　enough　not　to　be　deceived　by　mere　signs　and　fleeting　enthusiasms。　I　have　taken　pains　to　go　to　the　bottom　of　things　and　get　facts；　in　a　cold；　business…like　manner。

I　have　seen　the　statement　made　lately；　by　one　who　claims　to　know　what　he　is　talking　about；　that；　taking　the　whole　Negro　race　into　account；　ninety　per　cent　of　the　Negro　women　are　not　virtuous。　There　never　was　a　baser　falsehood　uttered　concerning　a　race；　or　a　statement　made　that　was　less　capable　of　being　proved　by　actual　facts。

No　one　can　come　into　contact　with　the　race　for　twenty　years；　as　I　have　done　in　the　heart　of　the　South；　without　being　convinced　that　the　race　is　constantly　making　slow　but　sure　progress　materially；　educationally；　and　morally。　One　might　take　up　the　life　of　the　worst　element　in　New　York　City；　for　example；　and　prove　almost　anything　he　wanted　to　prove　concerning　the　white　man；　but　all　will　agree　that　this　is　not　a　fair　test。

Early　in　the　year　1897　I　received　a　letter　inviting　me　to　deliver　an　address　at　the　dedication　of　the　Robert　Gould　Shaw　monument　in　Boston。　I　accepted　the　invitation。　It　is　not　necessary　for　me；　I　am　sure；　to　explain　who　Robert　Gould　Shaw　was；　and　what　he　did。　The　monument　to　his　memory　stands　near　the　head　of　the　Boston　Common；　facing　the　State　House。　It　is　counted　to　be　the　most　perfect　piece　of　art　of　the　kind　to　be　found　in　the　country。

The　exercises　connected　with　the　dedication　were　held　in　Music　Hall；　in　Boston；　and　the　great　hall　was　packed　from　top　to　bottom　with　one　of　the　most　distinguished　audiences　that　ever　assembled　in　the　city。　Among　those　present　were　more　persons　representing　the　famous　old　anti…slavery　element　that　it　is　likely　will　ever　be　brought　together　in　the　country　again。　The　late　Hon。　Roger　Wolcott；　then　Governor　of　Massachusetts；　was　the　presiding　officer；　and　on　the　platform　with　him　were　many　other　officials　and　hundreds　of　distinguished　men。　A　report　of　the　meeting　which　appeared　in　the　Boston　Transcript　will　describe　it　better　than　any　words　of　mine　could　do：

The　core　and　kernel　of　yesterday's　great　noon　meeting；　in　honour　of　the　Brotherhood　of　Man；　in　Music　Hall；　was　the　superb　address　of　the　Negro　President　of　Tuskegee。　〃Booker　T。　Washington　received　his　Harvard　A。M。　last　June；　the　first　of　his　race；〃　said　Governor　Wolcott；　〃to　receive　an　honorary　degree　from　the　oldest　university　in　the　land；　and　this　for　the　wise　leadership　of　his　people。〃　When　Mr。　Washington　rose　in　the　flag…filled；　enthusiasm…warmed；　pat