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When　I　first　came　to　Tuskegee；　I　determined　that　I　would　make　it　my　home；　that　I　would　take　as　much　pride　in　the　right　actions　of　the　people　of　the　town　as　any　white　man　could　do；　and　that　I　would；　at　the　same　time；　deplore　the　wrong…doing　of　the　people　as　much　as　any　white　man。　I　determined　never　to　say　anything　in　a　public　address　in　the　North　that　I　would　not　be　willing　to　say　in　the　South。　I　early　learned　that　it　is　a　hard　matter　to　convert　an　individual　by　abusing　him；　and　that　this　is　more　often　accomplished　by　giving　credit　for　all　the　praiseworthy　actions　performed　than　by　calling　attention　alone　to　all　the　evil　done。

While　pursuing　this　policy　I　have　not　failed；　at　the　proper　time　and　in　the　proper　manner；　to　call　attention；　in　no　uncertain　terms；　to　the　wrongs　which　any　part　of　the　South　has　been　guilty　of。　I　have　found　that　there　is　a　large　element　in　the　South　that　is　quick　to　respond　to　straightforward；　honest　criticism　of　any　wrong　policy。　As　a　rule；　the　place　to　criticise　the　South；　when　criticism　is　necessary；　is　in　the　Southnot　in　Boston。　A　Boston　man　who　came　to　Alabama　to　criticise　Boston　would　not　effect　so　much　good；　I　think；　as　one　who　had　his　word　of　criticism　to　say　in　Boston。

In　this　address　at　Madison　I　took　the　ground　that　the　policy　to　be　pursued　with　references　to　the　races　was；　by　every　honourable　means；　to　bring　them　together　and　to　encourage　the　cultivation　of　friendly　relations；　instead　of　doing　that　which　would　embitter。　I　further　contended　that；　in　relation　to　his　vote；　the　Negro　should　more　and　more　consider　the　interests　of　the　community　in　which　he　lived；　rather　than　seek　alone　to　please　some　one　who　lived　a　thousand　miles　away　from　him　and　from　his　interests。

In　this　address　I　said　that　the　whole　future　of　the　Negro　rested　largely　upon　the　question　as　to　whether　or　not　he　should　make　himself；　through　his　skill；　intelligence；　and　character；　of　such　undeniable　value　to　the　community　in　which　he　lived　that　the　community　could　not　dispense　with　his　presence。　I　said　that　any　individual　who　learned　to　do　something　better　than　anybody　elselearned　to　do　a　common　thing　in　an　uncommon　mannerhad　solved　his　problem；　regardless　of　the　colour　of　his　skin；　and　that　in　proportion　as　the　Negro　learned　to　produce　what　other　people　wanted　and　must　have；　in　the　same　proportion　would　he　be　respected。

I　spoke　of　an　instance　where　one　of　our　graduates　had　produced　two　hundred　and　sixty…six　bushels　of　sweet　potatoes　from　an　acre　of　ground；　in　a　community　where　the　average　production　had　been　only　forty…nine　bushels　to　the　acre。　He　had　been　able　to　do　this　by　reason　of　his　knowledge　of　the　chemistry　of　the　soil　and　by　his　knowledge　of　improved　methods　of　agriculture。　The　white　farmers　in　the　neighbourhood　respected　him；　and　came　to　him　for　ideas　regarding　the　raising　of　sweet　potatoes。　These　white　farmers　honoured　and　respected　him　because　he；　by　his　skill　and　knowledge；　had　added　something　to　the　wealth　and　the　comfort　of　the　community　in　which　he　lived。　I　explained　that　my　theory　of　education　for　the　Negro　would　not；　for　example；　confine　him　for　all　time　to　farm　lifeto　the　production　of　the　best　and　the　most　sweet　potatoesbut　that；　if　he　succeeded　in　this　line　of　industry；　he　could　lay　the　foundations　upon　which　his　children　and　grand…children　could　grow　to　higher　and　more　important　things　in　life。

Such；　in　brief；　were　some　of　the　views　I　advocated　in　this　first　address　dealing　with　the　broad　question　of　the　relations　of　the　two　races；　and　since　that　time　I　have　not　found　any　reason　for　changing　my　views　on　any　important　point。

In　my　early　life　I　used　to　cherish　a　feeling　of　ill　will　toward　any　one　who　spoke　in　bitter　terms　against　the　Negro；　or　who　advocated　measures　that　tended　to　oppress　the　black　man　or　take　from　him　opportunities　for　growth　in　the　most　complete　manner。　Now；　whenever　I　hear　any　one　advocating　measures　that　are　meant　to　curtail　the　development　of　another；　I　pity　the　individual　who　would　do　this。　I　know　that　the　one　who　makes　this　mistake　does　so　because　of　his　own　lack　of　opportunity　for　the　highest　kind　of　growth。　I　pity　him　because　I　know　that　he　is　trying　to　stop　the　progress　of　the　world；　and　because　I　know　that　in　time　the　development　and　the　ceaseless　advance　of　humanity　will　make　him　ashamed　of　his　weak　and　narrow　position。　One　might　as　well　try　to　stop　the　progress　of　a　mighty　railroad　train　by　throwing　his　body　across　the　track；　as　to　try　to　stop　the　growth　of　the　world　in　the　direction　of　giving　mankind　more　intelligence；　more　culture；　more　skill；　more　liberty；　and　in　the　direction　of　extending　more　sympathy　and　more　brotherly　kindness。

The　address　which　I　delivered　at　Madison；　before　the　National　Educational　Association；　gave　me　a　rather　wide　introduction　in　the　North；　and　soon　after　that　opportunities　began　offering　themselves　for　me　to　address　audiences　there。

I　was　anxious；　however；　that　the　way　might　also　be　opened　for　me　to　speak　directly　to　a　representative　Southern　white　audience。　A　partial　opportunity　of　this　kind；　one　that　seemed　to　me　might　serve　as　an　entering　wedge；　presented　itself　in　1893；　when　the　international　meeting　of　Christian　Workers　was　held　at　Atlanta；　Ga。　When　this　invitation　came　to　me；　I　had　engagements　in　Boston　that　seemed　to　make　it　impossible　for　me　to　speak　in　Atlanta。　Still；　after　looking　over　my　list　of　dates　and　places　carefully；　I　found　that　I　could　take　a　train　from　Boston　that　would　get　me　into　Atlanta　about　thirty　minutes　before　my　address　was　to　be　delivered；　and　that　I　could　remain　in　that　city　before　taking　another　train　for　Boston。　My　invitation　to　speak　in　Atlanta　stipulated　that　I　was　to　confine　my　address　to　five　minutes。　The　question；　then；　was　whether　or　not　I　could　put　enough　into　a　five…minute　address　to　make　it　worth　while　for　me　to　make　such　a　trip。

I　knew　that　the　audience　would　be　largely　composed　of　the　most　influential　class　of　white　men　and　women；　and　that　it　would　be　a　rare　opportunity　for　me　to　let　them　know　what　we　were　trying　to　do　at　Tuskegee；　as　well　as　to　speak　to　them　about　the　relations　of　the　races。　So　I　decided　to　make　the　trip。　I　spoke　for　five　minutes　to　an　audience　of　two　thousand　people；　composed　mostly　of　Southern　and　Northern　whites。　What　I　said　seemed　to　be　received　with　favour　and　enthusiasm。　The　Atlanta　papers　of　the　next　day　commented　in　friendly　terms　on　my　address；　and　a　good　deal　was　said　about　it　in　different　parts　of　the　country。　I　felt　that　I　had　in　some　degree　accomplished　my　objectthat　of　getting　a　hearing　from　the　dominant　class　of　the　South。

The　demands　made　upon　me　for　public　addresses　continued　to　increase；　coming　in　about　equal　numbers　from　my　own　people　and　from　Northern　whites。　I　gave　as　much　time　to　these　addresses　as　I　could　spare　from　the　immediate　work　at　Tuskegee。　Most　of　the　addresses　in　the　North　were　made　for　the　direct　purpose　of　getting　funds　with　which　to　support　the　school。　Those　delivered　before　the　coloured　people　had　for　their　main　object　the　impressing　upon　them　the　importance　of　industrial　and　technical　education　in　addition　to　academic　and　religious　training。

I　now　come　to　that　one　of　the　incidents　in　my　life　which　seems　to　have　excited　the　greatest　amount　of　interest；　and　which　perhaps　went　further　than　anything　else　in　giving　me　a　reputation　that　in　a　sense　might　be　called　National。　I　refer　to　the　address　which　I　delivered　at　the　opening　of　the　Atlanta　Cotton　states　and　International　Exposition；　at　Atlanta；　Ga。；　September　18；　1895。

So　much　has　been　said　and　written　about　this　incident；　and　so　many　questions　have　been　asked　me　concerning　the　address；　that　perhaps　I　may　be　excused　for　taking　up　the　matter　with　some　detail。　The　five…minute　address　in　Atlanta；　which　I　came　from　Boston　to　deliver；　was　possibly　the　prime　cause　for　an　opportunity　being　given　me　to　make　the　second　address　there。　In　the　spring　of　1895　I　received　a　telegram　from　prominent　citizens　in　Atlanta　asking　me　to　accompany　a　committee　from　that　city　to　Washington　for　the　purpose　of　appearing　before　a　committee　of　Congress　in　the　interest　of　securing　Government　help　for　the　Exposition。　The　committee　was　composed　of　about　twenty…five　of　the　most　prominent　and　most　influential　white　men　of　Georgia。　All　the　members　of　this　committee　were　white　men　except　Bishop　Grant；　Bishop　Gaines；　and　myself。　The　Mayor　and　several　other　city　and　state　officials　spoke　before　the　committee。　They　were　followed　by　the　two　coloured　bishops。　My　name　was　the　last　on　the　list　of　speakers。　I　had　never　before　appeared　before　such　a　committee；　nor　had　I　ever　delivered　any　address　in　the　capital　of　the　Nation。　I　had　many　misgivings　as　to　what　I　ought　to　say；　and　as　to　the　impression　that　my　address　would　make。　While　I　cannot　recall　in　detail　what　I　said；　I　remember　that　I　tried　to　impress　upon　the　committee；　with　all　the　earnestness　and　plainness　of　any　language　that　I　could　command；　that　if　Congress　wanted　to　do　something　which　would　assist　in　ridding　the　South　of　the　race　question　and　making　friends　between　the　two　races；　it　should；　in　every　proper　way；　encourage　the　material　and　intellectual　growth　of　both　races。　I　said　that　the　Atlanta　Exposition　would　present　an　opportunity　for　both　races　to　show　what　adva