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en　too　liberal　in　my　remarks　toward　the　Southern　whites；　and　that　I　had　not　spoken　out　strongly　enough　for　what　they　termed　the　〃rights〃　of　my　race。　For　a　while　there　was　a　reaction；　so　far　as　a　certain　element　of　my　own　race　was　concerned；　but　later　these　reactionary　ones　seemed　to　have　been　won　over　to　my　way　of　believing　and　acting。

While　speaking　of　changes　in　public　sentiment；　I　recall　that　about　ten　years　after　the　school　at　Tuskegee　was　established；　I　had　an　experience　that　I　shall　never　forget。　Dr。　Lyman　Abbott；　then　the　pastor　of　Plymouth　Church；　and　also　editor　of　the　Outlook　（then　the　Christian　Union）；　asked　me　to　write　a　letter　for　his　paper　giving　my　opinion　of　the　exact　condition；　mental　and　moral；　of　the　coloured　ministers　in　the　South；　as　based　upon　my　observations。　I　wrote　the　letter；　giving　the　exact　facts　as　I　conceived　them　to　be。　The　picture　painted　was　a　rather　black　oneor；　since　I　am　black；　shall　I　say　〃white〃？　It　could　not　be　otherwise　with　a　race　but　a　few　years　out　of　slavery；　a　race　which　had　not　had　time　or　opportunity　to　produce　a　competent　ministry。

What　I　said　soon　reached　every　Negro　minister　in　the　country；　I　think；　and　the　letters　of　condemnation　which　I　received　from　them　were　not　few。　I　think　that　for　a　year　after　the　publication　of　this　article　every　association　and　every　conference　or　religious　body　of　any　kind；　of　my　race；　that　met；　did　not　fail　before　adjourning　to　pass　a　resolution　condemning　me；　or　calling　upon　me　to　retract　or　modify　what　I　had　said。　Many　of　these　organizations　went　so　far　in　their　resolutions　as　to　advise　parents　to　cease　sending　their　children　to　Tuskegee。　One　association　even　appointed　a　〃missionary〃　whose　duty　it　was　to　warn　the　people　against　sending　their　children　to　Tuskegee。　This　missionary　had　a　son　in　the　school；　and　I　noticed　that；　whatever　the　〃missionary〃　might　have　said　or　done　with　regard　to　others；　he　was　careful　not　to　take　his　son　away　from　the　institution。　Many　of　the　coloured　papers；　especially　those　that　were　the　organs　of　religious　bodies；　joined　in　the　general　chorus　of　condemnation　or　demands　for　retraction。

During　the　whole　time　of　the　excitement；　and　through　all　the　criticism；　I　did　not　utter　a　word　of　explanation　of　retraction。　I　knew　that　I　was　right；　and　that　time　and　the　sober　second　thought　of　the　people　would　vindicate　me。　It　was　not　long　before　the　bishops　and　other　church　leaders　began　to　make　careful　investigation　of　the　conditions　of　the　ministry；　and　they　found　out　that　I　was　right。　In　fact；　the　oldest　and　most　influential　bishop　in　one　branch　of　the　Methodist　Church　said　that　my　words　were　far　too　mild。　Very　soon　public　sentiment　began　making　itself　felt；　in　demanding　a　purifying　of　the　ministry。　While　this　is　not　yet　complete　by　any　means；　I　think　I　may　say；　without　egotism；　and　I　have　been　told　by　many　of　our　most　influential　ministers；　that　my　words　had　much　to　do　with　starting　a　demand　for　the　placing　of　a　higher　type　of　men　in　the　pulpit。　I　have　had　the　satisfaction　of　having　many　who　once　condemned　me　thank　me　heartily　for　my　frank　words。

The　change　of　the　attitude　of　the　Negro　ministry；　so　far　as　regards　myself；　is　so　complete　that　at　the　present　time　I　have　no　warmer　friends　among　any　class　than　I　have　among　the　clergymen。　The　improvement　in　the　character　and　life　of　the　Negro　ministers　is　one　of　the　most　gratifying　evidences　of　the　progress　of　the　race。　My　experience　with　them；　as　well　as　other　events　in　my　life；　convince　me　that　the　thing　to　do；　when　one　feels　sure　that　he　has　said　or　done　the　right　thing；　and　is　condemned；　is　to　stand　still　and　keep　quiet。　If　he　is　right；　time　will　show　it。

In　the　midst　of　the　discussion　which　was　going　on　concerning　my　Atlanta　speech；　I　received　the　letter　which　I　give　below；　from　Dr。　Gilman；　the　President　of　Johns　Hopkins　University；　who　had　been　made　chairman　of　the　judges　of　award　in　connection　with　the　Atlanta　Exposition：

Johns　Hopkins　University；　Baltimore；

President's　Office；　September　30；　1895。

Dear　Mr。　Washington：　Would　it　be　agreeable　to　you　to　be　one　of　the　Judges　of　Award　in　the　Department　of　Education　at　Atlanta？　If　so；　I　shall　be　glad　to　place　your　name　upon　the　list。　A　line　by　telegraph　will　be　welcomed。

Yours　very　truly；

D。C。　Gilman

I　think　I　was　even　more　surprised　to　receive　this　invitation　than　I　had　been　to　receive　the　invitation　to　speak　at　the　opening　of　the　Exposition。　It　was　to　be　a　part　of　my　duty；　as　one　of　the　jurors；　to　pass　not　only　upon　the　exhibits　of　the　coloured　schools；　but　also　upon　those　of　the　white　schools。　I　accepted　the　position；　and　spent　a　month　in　Atlanta　in　performance　of　the　duties　which　it　entailed。　The　board　of　jurors　was　a　large　one；　containing　in　all　of　sixty　members。　It　was　about　equally　divided　between　Southern　white　people　and　Northern　white　people。　Among　them　were　college　presidents；　leading　scientists　and　men　of　letters；　and　specialists　in　many　subjects。　When　the　group　of　jurors　to　which　I　was　assigned　met　for　organization；　Mr。　Thomas　Nelson　Page；　who　was　one　of　the　number；　moved　that　I　be　made　secretary　of　that　division；　and　the　motion　was　unanimously　adopted。　Nearly　half　of　our　division　were　Southern　people。　In　performing　my　duties　in　the　inspection　of　the　exhibits　of　white　schools　I　was　in　every　case　treated　with　respect；　and　at　the　close　of　our　labours　I　parted　from　my　associates　with　regret。

I　am　often　asked　to　express　myself　more　freely　than　I　do　upon　the　political　condition　and　the　political　future　of　my　race。　These　recollections　of　my　experience　in　Atlanta　give　me　the　opportunity　to　do　so　briefly。　My　own　belief　is；　although　I　have　never　before　said　so　in　so　many　words；　that　the　time　will　come　when　the　Negro　in　the　South　will　be　accorded　all　the　political　rights　which　his　ability；　character；　and　material　possessions　entitle　him　to。　I　think；　though；　that　the　opportunity　to　freely　exercise　such　political　rights　will　not　come　in　any　large　degree　through　outside　or　artificial　forcing；　but　will　be　accorded　to　the　Negro　by　the　Southern　white　people　themselves；　and　that　they　will　protect　him　in　the　exercise　of　those　rights。　Just　as　soon　as　the　South　gets　over　the　old　feeling　that　it　is　being　forced　by　〃foreigners；〃　or　〃aliens；〃　to　do　something　which　it　does　not　want　to　do；　I　believe　that　the　change　in　the　direction　that　I　have　indicated　is　going　to　begin。　In　fact；　there　are　indications　that　it　is　already　beginning　in　a　slight　degree。

Let　me　illustrate　my　meaning。　Suppose　that　some　months　before　the　opening　of　the　Atlanta　Exposition　there　had　been　a　general　demand　from　the　press　and　public　platform　outside　the　South　that　a　Negro　be　given　a　place　on　the　opening　programme；　and　that　a　Negro　be　placed　upon　the　board　of　jurors　of　award。　Would　any　such　recognition　of　the　race　have　taken　place？　I　do　not　think　so。　The　Atlanta　officials　went　as　far　as　they　did　because　they　felt　it　to　be　a　pleasure；　as　well　as　a　duty；　to　reward　what　they　considered　merit　in　the　Negro　race。　Say　what　we　will；　there　is　something　in　human　nature　which　we　cannot　blot　out；　which　makes　one　man；　in　the　end；　recognize　and　reward　merit　in　another；　regardless　of　colour　or　race。

I　believe　it　is　the　duty　of　the　Negroas　the　greater　part　of　the　race　is　already　doingto　deport　himself　modestly　in　regard　to　political　claims；　depending　upon　the　slow　but　sure　influences　that　proceed　from　the　possession　of　property；　intelligence；　and　high　character　for　the　full　recognition　of　his　political　rights。　I　think　that　the　according　of　the　full　exercise　of　political　rights　is　going　to　be　a　matter　of　natural；　slow　growth；　not　an　over…night；　gourd…vine　affair。　I　do　not　believe　that　the　Negro　should　cease　voting；　for　a　man　cannot　learn　the　exercise　of　self…government　by　ceasing　to　vote；　any　more　than　a　boy　can　learn　to　swim　by　keeping　out　of　the　water；　but　I　do　believe　that　in　his　voting　he　should　more　and　more　be　influenced　by　those　of　intelligence　and　character　who　are　his　next…door　neighbours。

I　know　coloured　men　who；　through　the　encouragement；　help；　and　advice　of　Southern　white　people；　have　accumulated　thousands　of　dollars'　worth　of　property；　but　who；　at　the　same　time；　would　never　think　of　going　to　those　same　persons　for　advice　concerning　the　casting　of　their　ballots。　This；　it　seems　to　me；　is　unwise　and　unreasonable；　and　should　cease。　In　saying　this　I　do　not　mean　that　the　Negro　should　truckle；　or　not　vote　from　principle；　for　the　instant　he　ceases　to　vote　from　principle　he　loses　the　confidence　and　respect　of　the　Southern　white　man　even。

I　do　not　believe　that　any　state　should　make　a　law　that　permits　an　ignorant　and　poverty…stricken　white　man　to　vote；　and　prevents　a　black　man　in　the　same　condition　from　voting。　Such　a　law　is　not　only　unjust；　but　it　will　react；　as　all　unjust　laws　do；　in　time；　for　the　effect　of　such　a　law　is　to　encourage　the　Negro　to　secure　education　and　property；　and　at　the　same　time　it　encourages　the　white　man　to　remain　in　ignorance　and　poverty。　I　believe　that　in　time；　through　the　operation　of　intelligence　and　friendly　race　relations；　all　cheating　at　the　ballot…box　in　the　South　will　cease。　It　will　become　apparent　that　the　white　man　who　begins　by　cheating　a　Negro　out　of　his　ballot　soon　learns　to　cheat　a　white　man　out　of　his；　and　that　the　man