up from slavery-第37部分

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of　his　people。〃　When　Mr。　Washington　rose　in　the　flag…filled；　enthusiasm…warmed；　patriotic；　and　glowing　atmosphere　of　Music　Hall；　people　felt　keenly　that　here　was　the　civic　justification　of　the　old　abolition　spirit　of　Massachusetts；　in　his　person　the　proof　of　her　ancient　and　indomitable　faith；　in　his　strong　through　and　rich　oratory；　the　crown　and　glory　of　the　old　war　days　of　suffering　and　strife。　The　scene　was　full　of　historic　beauty　and　deep　significance。　〃Cold〃　Boston　was　alive　with　the　fire　that　is　always　hot　in　her　heart　for　righteousness　and　truth。　Rows　and　rows　of　people　who　are　seldom　seen　at　any　public　function；　whole　families　of　those　who　are　certain　to　be　out　of　town　on　a　holiday；　crowded　the　place　to　overflowing。　The　city　was　at　her　birthright　fete　in　the　persons　of　hundreds　of　her　best　citizens；　men　and　women　whose　names　and　lives　stand　for　the　virtues　that　make　for　honourable　civic　pride。

Battle…music　had　filled　the　air。　Ovation　after　ovation；　applause　warm　and　prolonged；　had　greeted　the　officers　and　friends　of　Colonel　Shaw；　the　sculptor；　St。　Gaudens；　the　memorial　Committee；　the　Governor　and　his　staff；　and　the　Negro　soldiers　of　the　Fifty…fourth　Massachusetts　as　they　came　upon　the　platform　or　entered　the　hall。　Colonel　Henry　Lee；　of　Governor　Andrew's　old　staff；　had　made　a　noble；　simple　presentation　speech　for　the　committee；　paying　tribute　to　Mr。　John　M。　Forbes；　in　whose　stead　he　served。　Governor　Wolcott　had　made　his　short；　memorable　speech；　saying；　〃Fort　Wagner　marked　an　epoch　in　the　history　of　a　race；　and　called　it　into　manhood。〃　Mayor　Quincy　had　received　the　monument　for　the　city　of　Boston。　The　story　of　Colonel　Shaw　and　his　black　regiment　had　been　told　in　gallant　words；　and　then；　after　the　singing　of

　Mine　eyes　have　seen　the　glory　　Of　the　coming　of　the　Lord；

Booker　Washington　arose。　It　was；　of　course；　just　the　moment　for　him。　The　multitude；　shaken　out　of　its　usual　symphony…concert　calm；　quivered　with　an　excitement　that　was　not　suppressed。　A　dozen　times　it　had　sprung　to　its　feet　to　cheer　and　wave　and　hurrah；　as　one　person。　When　this　man　of　culture　and　voice　and　power；　as　well　as　a　dark　skin；　began；　and　uttered　the　names　of　Stearns　and　of　Andrew；　feeling　began　to　mount。　You　could　see　tears　glisten　in　the　eyes　of　soldiers　and　civilians。　When　the　orator　turned　to　the　coloured　soldiers　on　the　platform；　to　the　colour…bearer　of　Fort　Wagner；　who　smilingly　bore　still　the　flag　he　had　never　lowered　even　when　wounded；　and　said；　〃To　you；　to　the　scarred　and　scattered　remnants　of　the　Fifty…fourth；　who；　with　empty　sleeve　and　wanting　leg；　have　honoured　this　occasion　with　your　presence；　to　you；　your　commander　is　not　dead。　Though　Boston　erected　no　monument　and　history　recorded　no　story；　in　you　and　in　the　loyal　race　which　you　represent；　Robert　Gould　Shaw　would　have　a　monument　which　time　could　not　wear　away；〃　then　came　the　climax　of　the　emotion　of　the　day　and　the　hour。　It　was　Roger　Wolcott；　as　well　as　the　Governor　of　Massachusetts；　the　individual　representative　of　the　people's　sympathy　as　well　as　the　chief　magistrate；　who　had　sprung　first　to　his　feet　and　cried；　〃Three　cheers　to　Booker　T。　Washington！〃


Among　those　on　the　platform　was　Sergeant　William　H。　Carney；　of　New　Bedford；　Mass。；　the　brave　coloured　officer　who　was　the　colour…bearer　at　Fort　Wagner　and　held　the　American　flag。　In　spite　of　the　fact　that　a　large　part　of　his　regiment　was　killed；　he　escape；　and　exclaimed；　after　the　battle　was　over；　〃The　old　flag　never　touched　the　ground。〃

This　flag　Sergeant　Carney　held　in　his　hands　as　he　sat　on　the　platform；　and　when　I　turned　to　address　the　survivors　of　the　coloured　regiment　who　were　present；　and　referred　to　Sergeant　Carney；　he　rose；　as　if　by　instinct；　and　raised　the　flag。　It　has　been　my　privilege　to　witness　a　good　many　satisfactory　and　rather　sensational　demonstrations　in　connection　with　some　of　my　public　addresses；　but　in　dramatic　effect　I　have　never　seen　or　experienced　anything　which　equalled　this。　For　a　number　of　minutes　the　audience　seemed　to　entirely　lose　control　of　itself。

In　the　general　rejoicing　throughout　the　country　which　followed　the　close　of　the　Spanish…American　war；　peace　celebrations　were　arranged　in　several　of　the　large　cities。　I　was　asked　by　President　William　R。　Harper；　of　the　University　of　Chicago；　who　was　chairman　of　the　committee　of　invitations　for　the　celebration　to　be　held　in　the　city　of　Chicago；　to　deliver　one　of　the　addresses　at　the　celebration　there。　I　accepted　the　invitation；　and　delivered　two　addresses　there　during　the　Jubilee　week。　The　first　of　these；　and　the　principal　one；　was　given　in　the　Auditorium；　on　the　evening　of　Sunday；　October　16。　This　was　the　largest　audience　that　I　have　ever　addressed；　in　any　part　of　the　country；　and　besides　speaking　in　the　main　Auditorium；　I　also　addressed；　that　same　evening；　two　overflow　audiences　in　other　parts　of　the　city。

It　was　said　that　there　were　sixteen　thousand　persons　in　the　Auditorium；　and　it　seemed　to　me　as　if　there　were　as　many　more　on　the　outside　trying　to　get　in。　It　was　impossible　for　any　one　to　get　near　the　entrance　without　the　aid　of　a　policeman。　President　William　McKinley　attended　this　meeting；　as　did　also　the　members　of　his　Cabinet；　many　foreign　ministers；　and　a　large　number　of　army　and　navy　officers；　many　of　whom　had　distinguished　themselves　in　the　war　which　had　just　closed。　The　speakers；　besides　myself；　on　Sunday　evening；　were　Rabbi　Emil　G。　Hirsch；　Father　Thomas　P。　Hodnett；　and　Dr。　John　H。　Barrows。

The　Chicago　Times…Herald；　in　describing　the　meeting；　said　of　my　address：

He　pictured　the　Negro　choosing　slavery　rather　than　extinction；　recalled　Crispus　Attucks　shedding　his　blood　at　the　beginning　of　the　American　Revolution；　that　white　Americans　might　be　free；　while　black　Americans　remained　in　slavery；　rehearsed　the　conduct　of　the　Negroes　with　Jackson　at　New　Orleans；　drew　a　vivid　and　pathetic　picture　of　the　Southern　slaves　protecting　and　supporting　the　families　of　their　masters　while　the　latter　were　fighting　to　perpetuate　black　slavery；　recounted　the　bravery　of　coloured　troops　at　Port　Hudson　and　Forts　Wagner　and　Pillow；　and　praised　the　heroism　of　the　black　regiments　that　stormed　El　Caney　and　Santiago　to　give　freedom　to　the　enslaved　people　of　Cuba；　forgetting；　for　the　time　being；　the　unjust　discrimination　that　law　and　custom　make　against　them　in　their　own　country。

In　all　of　these　things；　the　speaker　declared；　his　race　had　chosen　the　better　part。　And　then　he　made　his　eloquent　appeal　to　the　consciences　of　the　white　Americans：　〃When　you　have　gotten　the　full　story　or　the　heroic　conduct　of　the　Negro　in　the　Spanish…American　war；　have　heard　it　from　the　lips　of　Northern　soldier　and　Southern　soldier；　from　ex…abolitionist　and　ex…masters；　then　decide　within　yourselves　whether　a　race　that　is　thus　willing　to　die　for　its　country　should　not　be　given　the　highest　opportunity　to　live　for　its　country。〃


The　part　of　the　speech　which　seems　to　arouse　the　wildest　and　most　sensational　enthusiasm　was　that　in　which　I　thanked　the　President　for　his　recognition　of　the　Negro　in　his　appointments　during　the　Spanish…American　war。　The　President　was　sitting　in　a　box　at　the　right　of　the　stage。　When　I　addressed　him　I　turned　toward　the　box；　and　as　I　finished　the　sentence　thanking　him　for　his　generosity；　the　whole　audience　rose　and　cheered　again　and　again；　waving　handkerchiefs　and　hats　and　canes；　until　the　President　arose　in　the　box　and　bowed　his　acknowledgements。　At　that　the　enthusiasm　broke　out　again；　and　the　demonstration　was　almost　indescribable。

One　portion　of　my　address　at　Chicago　seemed　to　have　been　misunderstood　by　the　Southern　press；　and　some　of　the　Southern　papers　took　occasion　to　criticise　me　rather　strongly。　These　criticisms　continued　for　several　weeks；　until　I　finally　received　a　letter　from　the　editor　of　the　Age…Herald；　published　in　Birmingham；　Ala。；　asking　me　if　I　would　say　just　what　I　meant　by　this　part　of　the　address。　I　replied　to　him　in　a　letter　which　seemed　to　satisfy　my　critics。　In　this　letter　I　said　that　I　had　made　it　a　rule　never　to　say　before　a　Northern　audience　anything　that　I　would　not　say　before　an　audience　in　the　South。　I　said　that　I　did　not　think　it　was　necessary　for　me　to　go　into　extended　explanations；　if　my　seventeen　years　of　work　in　the　heart　of　the　South　had　not　been　explanation　enough；　I　did　not　see　how　words　could　explain。　I　said　that　I　made　the　same　plea　that　I　had　made　in　my　address　at　Atlanta；　for　the　blotting　out　of　race　prejudice　in　〃commercial　and　civil　relations。〃　I　said　that　what　is　termed　social　recognition　was　a　question　which　I　never　discussed；　and　then　I　quoted　from　my　Atlanta　address　what　I　had　said　there　in　regard　to　that　subject。

In　meeting　crowds　of　people　at　public　gatherings；　there　is　one　type　of　individual　that　I　dread。　I　mean　the　crank。　I　have　become　so　accustomed　to　these　people　now　that　I　can　pick　them　out　at　a　distance　when　I　see　them　elbowing　their　way　up　to　me。　The　average　crank　has　a　long　beard；　poorly　cared　for；　a　lean；　narrow　face；　and　wears　a　black　coat。　The　front　of　his　vest　and　coat　are　slick　with　grease；　and　his　trousers　bag　at　the　knees。

In　Chicago；　after　I　had　spoken　at　a　meeting；　I　met　one　of　these　fellows。　They　usually　have　some　process　for　curing　all　of　the　ills　of　the　world　at　once。　This　Chicago　specimen　ha