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unity　for　both　races　to　show　what　advance　they　had　made　since　freedom；　and　would　at　the　same　time　afford　encouragement　to　them　to　make　still　greater　progress。

I　tried　to　emphasize　the　fact　that　while　the　Negro　should　not　be　deprived　by　unfair　means　of　the　franchise；　political　agitation　alone　would　not　save　him；　and　that　back　of　the　ballot　he　must　have　property；　industry；　skill；　economy；　intelligence；　and　character；　and　that　no　race　without　these　elements　could　permanently　succeed。　I　said　that　in　granting　the　appropriation　Congress　could　do　something　that　would　prove　to　be　of　real　and　lasting　value　to　both　races；　and　that　it　was　the　first　great　opportunity　of　the　kind　that　had　been　presented　since　the　close　of　the　Civil　War。

I　spoke　for　fifteen　or　twenty　minutes；　and　was　surprised　at　the　close　of　my　address　to　receive　the　hearty　congratulations　of　the　Georgia　committee　and　of　the　members　of　Congress　who　were　present。　The　Committee　was　unanimous　in　making　a　favourable　report；　and　in　a　few　days　the　bill　passed　Congress。　With　the　passing　of　this　bill　the　success　of　the　Atlanta　Exposition　was　assured。

Soon　after　this　trip　to　Washington　the　directors　of　the　Exposition　decided　that　it　would　be　a　fitting　recognition　of　the　coloured　race　to　erect　a　large　and　attractive　building　which　should　be　devoted　wholly　to　showing　the　progress　of　the　Negro　since　freedom。　It　was　further　decided　to　have　the　building　designed　and　erected　wholly　by　Negro　mechanics。　This　plan　was　carried　out。　In　design；　beauty；　and　general　finish　the　Negro　Building　was　equal　to　the　others　on　the　grounds。

After　it　was　decided　to　have　a　separate　Negro　exhibit；　the　question　arose　as　to　who　should　take　care　of　it。　The　officials　of　the　Exposition　were　anxious　that　I　should　assume　this　responsibility；　but　I　declined　to　do　so；　on　the　plea　that　the　work　at　Tuskegee　at　that　time　demanded　my　time　and　strength。　Largely　at　my　suggestion；　Mr。　I。　Garland　Penn；　of　Lynchburg；　Va。；　was　selected　to　be　at　the　head　of　the　Negro　department。　I　gave　him　all　the　aid　that　I　could。　The　Negro　exhibit；　as　a　whole；　was　large　and　creditable。　The　two　exhibits　in　this　department　which　attracted　the　greatest　amount　of　attention　were　those　from　the　Hampton　Institute　and　the　Tuskegee　Institute。　The　people　who　seemed　to　be　the　most　surprised；　as　well　as　pleased；　at　what　they　saw　in　the　Negro　Building　were　the　Southern　white　people。

As　the　day　for　the　opening　of　the　Exposition　drew　near；　the　Board　of　Directors　began　preparing　the　programme　for　the　opening　exercises。　In　the　discussion　from　day　to　day　of　the　various　features　of　this　programme；　the　question　came　up　as　to　the　advisability　of　putting　a　member　of　the　Negro　race　on　for　one　of　the　opening　addresses；　since　the　Negroes　had　been　asked　to　take　such　a　prominent　part　in　the　Exposition。　It　was　argued；　further；　that　such　recognition　would　mark　the　good　feeling　prevailing　between　the　two　races。　Of　course　there　were　those　who　were　opposed　to　any　such　recognition　of　the　rights　of　the　Negro；　but　the　Board　of　Directors；　composed　of　men　who　represented　the　best　and　most　progressive　element　in　the　South；　had　their　way；　and　voted　to　invite　a　black　man　to　speak　on　the　opening　day。　The　next　thing　was　to　decide　upon　the　person　who　was　thus　to　represent　the　Negro　race。　After　the　question　had　been　canvassed　for　several　days；　the　directors　voted　unanimously　to　ask　me　to　deliver　one　of　the　opening…day　addresses；　and　in　a　few　days　after　that　I　received　the　official　invitation。

The　receiving　of　this　invitation　brought　to　me　a　sense　of　responsibility　that　it　would　be　hard　for　any　one　not　placed　in　my　position　to　appreciate。　What　were　my　feelings　when　this　invitation　came　to　me？　I　remembered　that　I　had　been　a　slave；　that　my　early　years　had　been　spent　in　the　lowest　depths　of　poverty　and　ignorance；　and　that　I　had　had　little　opportunity　to　prepare　me　for　such　a　responsibility　as　this。　It　was　only　a　few　years　before　that　time　that　any　white　man　in　the　audience　might　have　claimed　me　as　his　slave；　and　it　was　easily　possible　that　some　of　my　former　owners　might　be　present　to　hear　me　speak。

I　knew；　too；　that　this　was　the　first　time　in　the　entire　history　of　the　Negro　that　a　member　of　my　race　had　been　asked　to　speak　from　the　same　platform　with　white　Southern　men　and　women　on　any　important　National　occasion。　I　was　asked　now　to　speak　to　an　audience　composed　of　the　wealth　and　culture　of　the　white　South；　the　representatives　of　my　former　masters。　I　knew；　too；　that　while　the　greater　part　of　my　audience　would　be　composed　of　Southern　people；　yet　there　would　be　present　a　large　number　of　Northern　whites；　as　well　as　a　great　many　men　and　women　of　my　own　race。

I　was　determined　to　say　nothing　that　I　did　not　feel　from　the　bottom　of　my　heart　to　be　true　and　right。　When　the　invitation　came　to　me；　there　was　not　one　word　of　intimation　as　to　what　I　should　say　or　as　to　what　I　should　omit。　In　this　I　felt　that　the　Board　of　Directors　had　paid　a　tribute　to　me。　They　knew　that　by　one　sentence　I　could　have　blasted；　in　a　large　degree；　the　success　of　the　Exposition。　I　was　also　painfully　conscious　of　the　fact　that；　while　I　must　be　true　to　my　own　race　in　my　utterances；　I　had　it　in　my　power　to　make　such　an　ill…timed　address　as　would　result　in　preventing　any　similar　invitation　being　extended　to　a　black　man　again　for　years　to　come。　I　was　equally　determined　to　be　true　to　the　North；　as　well　as　to　the　best　element　of　the　white　South；　in　what　I　had　to　say。

The　papers；　North　and　South；　had　taken　up　the　discussion　of　my　coming　speech；　and　as　the　time　for　it　drew　near　this　discussion　became　more　and　more　widespread。　Not　a　few　of　the　Southern　white　papers　were　unfriendly　to　the　idea　of　my　speaking。　From　my　own　race　I　received　many　suggestions　as　to　what　I　ought　to　say。　I　prepared　myself　as　best　I　could　for　the　address；　but　as　the　eighteenth　of　September　drew　nearer；　the　heavier　my　heart　became；　and　the　more　I　feared　that　my　effort　would　prove　a　failure　and　a　disappointment。

The　invitation　had　come　at　a　time　when　I　was　very　busy　with　my　school　work；　as　it　was　the　beginning　of　our　school　year。　After　preparing　my　address；　I　went　through　it；　as　I　usually　do　with　those　utterances　which　I　consider　particularly　important；　with　Mrs。　Washington；　and　she　approved　of　what　I　intended　to　say。　On　the　sixteenth　of　September；　the　day　before　I　was　to　start　for　Atlanta；　so　many　of　the　Tuskegee　teachers　expressed　a　desire　to　hear　my　address　that　I　consented　to　read　it　to　them　in　a　body。　When　I　had　done　so；　and　had　heard　their　criticisms　and　comments；　I　felt　somewhat　relieved；　since　they　seemed　to　think　well　of　what　I　had　to　say。

On　the　morning　of　September　17；　together　with　Mrs。　Washington　and　my　three　children；　I　started　for　Atlanta。　I　felt　a　good　deal　as　I　suppose　a　man　feels　when　he　is　on　his　way　to　the　gallows。　In　passing　through　the　town　of　Tuskegee　I　met　a　white　farmer　who　lived　some　distance　out　in　the　country。　In　a　jesting　manner　this　man　said：　〃Washington；　you　have　spoken　before　the　Northern　white　people；　the　Negroes　in　the　South；　and　to　us　country　white　people　in　the　South；　but　Atlanta；　to…morrow；　you　will　have　before　you　the　Northern　whites；　the　Southern　whites；　and　the　Negroes　all　together。　I　am　afraid　that　you　have　got　yourself　in　a　tight　place。〃　This　farmer　diagnosed　the　situation　correctly；　but　his　frank　words　did　not　add　anything　to　my　comfort。

In　the　course　of　the　journey　from　Tuskegee　to　Atlanta　both　coloured　and　white　people　came　to　the　train　to　point　me　out；　and　discussed　with　perfect　freedom；　in　my　hearings；　what　was　going　to　take　place　the　next　day。　We　were　met　by　a　committee　in　Atlanta。　Almost　the　first　thing　that　I　heard　when　I　got　off　the　train　in　that　city　was　an　expression　something　like　this；　from　an　old　coloured　man　near　by：　〃Dat's　de　man　of　my　race　what's　gwine　to　make　a　speech　at　de　Exposition　to…morrow。　I'se　sho'　gwine　to　hear　him。〃

Atlanta　was　literally　packed；　at　the　time；　with　people　from　all　parts　of　the　country；　and　with　representatives　of　foreign　governments；　as　well　as　with　military　and　civic　organizations。　The　afternoon　papers　had　forecasts　of　the　next　day's　proceedings　in　flaring　headlines。　All　this　tended　to　add　to　my　burden。　I　did　not　sleep　much　that　night。　The　next　morning；　before　day；　I　went　carefully　over　what　I　planned　to　say。　I　also　kneeled　down　and　asked　God's　blessing　upon　my　effort。　Right　here；　perhaps；　I　ought　to　add　that　I　make　it　a　rule　never　to　go　before　an　audience；　on　any　occasion；　without　asking　the　blessing　of　God　upon　what　I　want　to　say。

I　always　make　it　a　rule　to　make　especial　preparation　for　each　separate　address。　No　two　audiences　are　exactly　alike。　It　is　my　aim　to　reach　and　talk　to　the　heart　of　each　individual　audience；　taking　it　into　my　confidence　very　much　as　I　would　a　person。　When　I　am　speaking　to　an　audience；　I　care　little　for　how　what　I　am　saying　is　going　to　sound　in　the　newspapers；　or　to　another　audience；　or　to　an　individual。　At　the　time；　the　audience　before　me　absorbs　all　my　sympathy；　thought；　and　energy。

Early　in　the　morning　a　committee　called　to　escort　me　to　my　place　in　the　procession　which　was　to　march　to　the　Exposition　grounds。　In　this　procession　were　prominent　coloured　citizens　in　carriages；　as　well　as　several　Negro　military　organizations。