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ity　of　the　South；　or　we　shall　prove　a　veritable　body　of　death；　stagnating；　depressing；　retarding　every　effort　to　advance　the　body　politic。

Gentlemen　of　the　Exposition；　as　we　present　to　you　our　humble　effort　at　an　exhibition　of　our　progress；　you　must　not　expect　overmuch。　Starting　thirty　years　ago　with　ownership　here　and　there　in　a　few　quilts　and　pumpkins　and　chickens　（gathered　from　miscellaneous　sources）；　remember　the　path　that　has　led　from　these　to　the　inventions　and　production　of　agricultural　implements；　buggies；　steam…engines；　newspapers；　books；　statuary；　carving；　paintings；　the　management　of　drug…stores　and　banks；　has　not　been　trodden　without　contact　with　thorns　and　thistles。　While　we　take　pride　in　what　we　exhibit　as　a　result　of　our　independent　efforts；　we　do　not　for　a　moment　forget　that　our　part　in　this　exhibition　would　fall　far　short　of　your　expectations　but　for　the　constant　help　that　has　come　to　our　education　life；　not　only　from　the　Southern　states；　but　especially　from　Northern　philanthropists；　who　have　made　their　gifts　a　constant　stream　of　blessing　and　encouragement。

The　wisest　among　my　race　understand　that　the　agitation　of　questions　of　social　equality　is　the　extremest　folly；　and　that　progress　in　the　enjoyment　of　all　the　privileges　that　will　come　to　us　must　be　the　result　of　severe　and　constant　struggle　rather　than　of　artificial　forcing。　No　race　that　has　anything　to　contribute　to　the　markets　of　the　world　is　long　in　any　degree　ostracized。　It　is　important　and　right　that　all　privileges　of　the　law　be　ours；　but　it　is　vastly　more　important　that　we　be　prepared　for　the　exercises　of　these　privileges。　The　opportunity　to　earn　a　dollar　in　a　factory　just　now　is　worth　infinitely　more　than　the　opportunity　to　spend　a　dollar　in　an　opera…house。

In　conclusion；　may　I　repeat　that　nothing　in　thirty　years　has　given　us　more　hope　and　encouragement；　and　drawn　us　so　near　to　you　of　the　white　race；　as　this　opportunity　offered　by　the　Exposition；　and　here　bending；　as　it　were；　over　the　altar　that　represents　the　results　of　the　struggles　of　your　race　and　mine；　both　starting　practically　empty…handed　three　decades　ago；　I　pledge　that　in　your　effort　to　work　out　the　great　and　intricate　problem　which　God　has　laid　at　the　doors　of　the　South；　you　shall　have　at　all　times　the　patient；　sympathetic　help　of　my　race；　only　let　this　be　constantly　in　mind；　that；　while　from　representations　in　these　buildings　of　the　product　of　field；　of　forest；　of　mine；　of　factory；　letters；　and　art；　much　good　will　come；　yet　far　above　and　beyond　material　benefits　will　be　that　higher　good；　that；　let　us　pray　God；　will　come；　in　a　blotting　out　of　sectional　differences　and　racial　animosities　and　suspicions；　in　a　determination　to　administer　absolute　justice；　in　a　willing　obedience　among　all　classes　to　the　mandates　of　law。　This；　this；　coupled　with　our　material　prosperity；　will　bring　into　our　beloved　South　a　new　heaven　and　a　new　earth。


The　first　thing　that　I　remember；　after　I　had　finished　speaking；　was　that　Governor　Bullock　rushed　across　the　platform　and　took　me　by　the　hand；　and　that　others　did　the　same。　I　received　so　many　and　such　hearty　congratulations　that　I　found　it　difficult　to　get　out　of　the　building。　I　did　not　appreciate　to　any　degree；　however；　the　impression　which　my　address　seemed　to　have　made；　until　the　next　morning；　when　I　went　into　the　business　part　of　the　city。　As　soon　as　I　was　recognized；　I　was　surprised　to　find　myself　pointed　out　and　surrounded　by　a　crowd　of　men　who　wished　to　shake　hands　with　me。　This　was　kept　up　on　every　street　on　to　which　I　went；　to　an　extent　which　embarrassed　me　so　much　that　I　went　back　to　my　boarding…place。　The　next　morning　I　returned　to　Tuskegee。　At　the　station　in　Atlanta；　and　at　almost　all　of　the　stations　at　which　the　train　stopped　between　that　city　and　Tuskegee；　I　found　a　crowd　of　people　anxious　to　shake　hands　with　me。

The　papers　in　all　parts　of　the　United　States　published　the　address　in　full；　and　for　months　afterward　there　were　complimentary　editorial　references　to　it。　Mr。　Clark　Howell；　the　editor　of　the　Atlanta　Constitution；　telegraphed　to　a　New　York　paper；　among　other　words；　the　following；　〃I　do　not　exaggerate　when　I　say　that　Professor　Booker　T。　Washington's　address　yesterday　was　one　of　the　most　notable　speeches；　both　as　to　character　and　as　to　the　warmth　of　its　reception；　ever　delivered　to　a　Southern　audience。　The　address　was　a　revelation。　The　whole　speech　is　a　platform　upon　which　blacks　and　whites　can　stand　with　full　justice　to　each　other。〃

The　Boston　Transcript　said　editorially：　〃The　speech　of　Booker　T。　Washington　at　the　Atlanta　Exposition；　this　week；　seems　to　have　dwarfed　all　the　other　proceedings　and　the　Exposition　itself。　The　sensation　that　it　has　caused　in　the　press　has　never　been　equalled。〃

I　very　soon　began　receiving　all　kinds　of　propositions　from　lecture　bureaus；　and　editors　of　magazines　and　papers；　to　take　the　lecture　platform；　and　to　write　articles。　One　lecture　bureau　offered　me　fifty　thousand　dollars；　or　two　hundred　dollars　a　night　and　expenses；　if　I　would　place　my　services　at　its　disposal　for　a　given　period。　To　all　these　communications　I　replied　that　my　life…work　was　at　Tuskegee；　and　that　whenever　I　spoke　it　must　be　in　the　interests　of　Tuskegee　school　and　my　race；　and　that　I　would　enter　into　no　arrangements　that　seemed　to　place　a　mere　commercial　value　upon　my　services。

Some　days　after　its　delivery　I　sent　a　copy　of　my　address　to　the　President　of　the　United　States；　the　Hon。　Grover　Cleveland。　I　received　from　him　the　following　autograph　reply：

Gray　Gables；　Buzzard's　Bay；　Mass。；

October　6；　1895。

Booker　T。　Washington；　Esq。：

My　Dear　Sir：　I　thank　you　for　sending　me　a　copy　of　your　address　delivered　at　the　Atlanta　Exposition。

I　thank　you　with　much　enthusiasm　for　making　the　address。　I　have　read　it　with　intense　interest；　and　I　think　the　Exposition　would　be　fully　justified　if　it　did　not　do　more　than　furnish　the　opportunity　for　its　delivery。　Your　words　cannot　fail　to　delight　and　encourage　all　who　wish　well　for　your　race；　and　if　our　coloured　fellow…citizens　do　not　from　your　utterances　gather　new　hope　and　form　new　determinations　to　gain　every　valuable　advantage　offered　them　by　their　citizenship；　it　will　be　strange　indeed。

Yours　very　truly；

Grover　Cleveland。

Later　I　met　Mr。　Cleveland；　for　the　first　time；　when；　as　President；　he　visited　the　Atlanta　Exposition。　At　the　request　of　myself　and　others　he　consented　to　spend　an　hour　in　the　Negro　Building；　for　the　purpose　of　inspecting　the　Negro　exhibit　and　of　giving　the　coloured　people　in　attendance　an　opportunity　to　shake　hands　with　him。　As　soon　as　I　met　Mr。　Cleveland　I　became　impressed　with　his　simplicity；　greatness；　and　rugged　honesty。　I　have　met　him　many　times　since　then；　both　at　public　functions　and　at　his　private　residence　in　Princeton；　and　the　more　I　see　of　him　the　more　I　admire　him。　When　he　visited　the　Negro　Building　in　Atlanta　he　seemed　to　give　himself　up　wholly；　for　that　hour；　to　the　coloured　people。　He　seemed　to　be　as　careful　to　shake　hands　with　some　old　coloured　〃auntie〃　clad　partially　in　rags；　and　to　take　as　much　pleasure　in　doing　so；　as　if　he　were　greeting　some　millionaire。　Many　of　the　coloured　people　took　advantage　of　the　occasion　to　get　him　to　write　his　name　in　a　book　or　on　a　slip　of　paper。　He　was　as　careful　and　patient　in　doing　this　as　if　he　were　putting　his　signature　to　some　great　state　document。

Mr。　Cleveland　has　not　only　shown　his　friendship　for　me　in　many　personal　ways；　but　has　always　consented　to　do　anything　I　have　asked　of　him　for　our　school。　This　he　has　done；　whether　it　was　to　make　a　personal　donation　or　to　use　his　influence　in　securing　the　donations　of　others。　Judging　from　my　personal　acquaintance　with　Mr。　Cleveland；　I　do　not　believe　that　he　is　conscious　of　possessing　any　colour　prejudice。　He　is　too　great　for　that。　In　my　contact　with　people　I　find　that；　as　a　rule；　it　is　only　the　little；　narrow　people　who　live　for　themselves；　who　never　read　good　books；　who　do　not　travel；　who　never　open　up　their　souls　in　a　way　to　permit　them　to　come　into　contact　with　other　soulswith　the　great　outside　world。　No　man　whose　vision　is　bounded　by　colour　can　come　into　contact　with　what　is　highest　and　best　in　the　world。　In　meeting　men；　in　many　places；　I　have　found　that　the　happiest　people　are　those　who　do　the　most　for　others；　the　most　miserable　are　those　who　do　the　least。　I　have　also　found　that　few　things；　if　any；　are　capable　of　making　one　so　blind　and　narrow　as　race　prejudice。　I　often　say　to　our　students；　in　the　course　of　my　talks　to　them　on　Sunday　evenings　in　the　chapel；　that　the　longer　I　live　and　the　more　experience　I　have　of　the　world；　the　more　I　am　convinced　that；　after　all；　the　one　thing　that　is　most　worth　living　forand　dying　for；　if　need　beis　the　opportunity　of　making　some　one　else　more　happy　and　more　useful。

The　coloured　people　and　the　coloured　newspapers　at　first　seemed　to　be　greatly　pleased　with　the　character　of　my　Atlanta　address；　as　well　as　with　its　reception。　But　after　the　first　burst　of　enthusiasm　began　to　die　away；　and　the　coloured　people　began　reading　the　speech　in　cold　type；　some　of　them　seemed　to　feel　that　they　had　been　hypnotized。　They　seemed　to　feel　that　I　had　been　too　liberal　in　my　remarks　toward　the　Southern　whites；　and　that　I　had　not　spoken　out　strongly　enou