up from slavery-第2章

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　in　spite　of　the　ignorance　of　one　race　and　the　prejudice　of　the　other。

No　man　living　had　a　harder　task；　and　a　task　that　called　for　more　wisdom　to　do　it　right。　The　true　measure　of　Mr。　Washington's　success　is；　then；　not　his　teaching　the　pupils　of　Tuskegee；　nor　even　gaining　the　support　of　philanthropic　persons　at　a　distance；　but　thisthat　every　Southern　white　man　of　character　and　of　wisdom　has　been　won　to　a　cordial　recognition　of　the　value　of　the　work；　even　men　who　held　and　still　hold　to　the　conviction　that　a　mere　book　education　for　the　Southern　blacks　under　present　conditions　is　a　positive　evil。　This　is　a　demonstration　of　the　efficiency　of　the　Hampton…Tuskegee　idea　that　stands　like　the　demonstration　of　the　value　of　democratic　institutions　themselvesa　demonstration　made　so　clear　in　spite　of　the　greatest　odds　that　it　is　no　longer　open　to　argument。

Consider　the　change　that　has　come　in　twenty　years　in　the　discussion　of　the　Negro　problem。　Two　or　three　decades　ago　social　philosophers　and　statisticians　and　well…meaning　philanthropists　were　still　talking　and　writing　about　the　deportation　of　the　Negroes；　or　about　their　settlement　within　some　restricted　area；　or　about　their　settling　in　all　parts　of　the　Union；　or　about　their　decline　through　their　neglect　of　their　children；　or　about　their　rapid　multiplication　till　they　should　expel　the　whites　from　the　Southof　every　sort　of　nonsense　under　heaven。　All　this　has　given　place　to　the　simple　plan　of　an　indefinite　extension　among　the　neglected　classes　of　both　races　of　the　Hampton…Tuskegee　system　of　training。　The　〃problem〃　in　one　sense　has　disappeared。　The　future　will　have　for　the　South　swift　or　slow　development　of　its　masses　and　of　its　soil　in　proportion　to　the　swift　or　slow　development　of　this　kind　of　training。　This　change　of　view　is　a　true　measure　of　Mr。　Washington's　work。

The　literature　of　the　Negro　in　America　is　colossal；　from　political　oratory　through　abolitionism　to　〃Uncle　Tom's　Cabin〃　and　〃Cotton　is　King〃a　vast　mass　of　books　which　many　men　have　read　to　the　waste　of　good　years　（and　I　among　them）；　but　the　only　books　that　I　have　read　a　second　time　or　ever　care　again　to　read　in　the　whole　list　（most　of　them　by　tiresome　and　unbalanced　〃reformers〃）　are　〃Uncle　Remus〃　and　〃Up　from　Slavery〃；　for　these　are　the　great　literature　of　the　subject。　One　has　all　the　best　of　the　past；　the　other　foreshadows　a　better　future；　and　the　men　who　wrote　them　are　the　only　men　who　have　written　of　the　subject　with　that　perfect　frankness　and　perfect　knowledge　and　perfect　poise　whose　other　name　is　genius。

Mr。　Washington　has　won　a　world…wide　fame　at　an　early　age。　His　story　of　his　own　life　already　has　the　distinction　of　translation　into　more　languages；　I　think；　than　any　other　American　book；　and　I　suppose　that　he　has　as　large　a　personal　acquaintance　among　men　of　influence　as　any　private　citizen　now　living。

His　own　teaching　at　Tuskegee　is　unique。　He　lectures　to　his　advanced　students　on　the　art　of　right　living；　not　out　of　text…books；　but　straight　out　of　life。　Then　he　sends　them　into　the　country　to　visit　Negro　families。　Such　a　student　will　come　back　with　a　minute　report　of　the　way　in　which　the　family　that　he　has　seen　lives；　what　their　earnings　are；　what　they　do　well　and　what　they　do　ill；　and　he　will　explain　how　they　might　live　better。　He　constructs　a　definite　plan　for　the　betterment　of　that　particular　family　out　of　the　resources　that　they　have。　Such　a　student；　if　he　be　bright；　will　profit　more　by　an　experience　like　this　than　he　could　profit　by　all　the　books　on　sociology　and　economics　that　ever　were　written。　I　talked　with　a　boy　at　Tuskegee　who　had　made　such　a　study　as　this；　and　I　could　not　keep　from　contrasting　his　knowledge　and　enthusiasm　with　what　I　heard　in　a　class　room　at　a　Negro　university　in　one　of　the　Southern　cities；　which　is　conducted　on　the　idea　that　a　college　course　will　save　the　soul。　Here　the　class　was　reciting　a　lesson　from　an　abstruse　text…book　on　economics；　reciting　it　by　rote；　with　so　obvious　a　failure　to　assimilate　it　that　the　waste　of　labour　was　pitiful。

I　asked　Mr。　Washington　years　ago　what　he　regarded　as　the　most　important　result　of　his　work；　and　he　replied：

〃I　do　not　know　which　to　put　first；　the　effect　of　Tuskegee's　work　on　the　Negro；　or　the　effect　on　the　attitude　of　the　white　man　to　the　Negro。〃

The　race　divergence　under　the　system　of　miseducation　was　fast　getting　wider。　Under　the　influence　of　the　Hampton…Tuskegee　idea　the　races　are　coming　into　a　closer　sympathy　and　into　an　honourable　and　helpful　relation。　As　the　Negro　becomes　economically　independent；　he　becomes　a　responsible　part　of　the　Southern　life；　and　the　whites　so　recognize　him。　And　this　must　be　so　from　the　nature　of　things。　There　is　nothing　artificial　about　it。　It　is　development　in　a　perfectly　natural　way。　And　the　Southern　whites　not　only　so　recognize　it；　but　they　are　imitating　it　in　the　teaching　of　the　neglected　masses　of　their　own　race。　It　has　thus　come　about　that　the　school　is　taking　a　more　direct　and　helpful　hold　on　life　in　the　South　than　anywhere　else　in　the　country。　Education　is　not　a　thing　apart　from　lifenot　a　〃system；〃　nor　a　philosophy；　it　is　direct　teaching　how　to　live　and　how　to　work。

To　say　that　Mr。　Washington　has　won　the　gratitude　of　all　thoughtful　Southern　white　men；　is　to　say　that　he　has　worked　with　the　highest　practical　wisdom　at　a　large　constructive　task；　for　no　plan　for　the　up…building　of　the　freedman　could　succeed　that　ran　counter　to　Southern　opinion。　To　win　the　support　of　Southern　opinion　and　to　shape　it　was　a　necessary　part　of　the　task；　and　in　this　he　has　so　well　succeeded　that　the　South　has　a　sincere　and　high　regard　for　him。　He　once　said　to　me　that　he　recalled　the　day；　and　remembered　it　thankfully；　when　he　grew　large　enough　to　regard　a　Southern　white　man　as　he　regarded　a　Northern　one。　It　is　well　for　our　common　country　that　the　day　is　come　when　he　and　his　work　are　regarded　as　highly　in　the　South　as　in　any　other　part　of　the　Union。　I　think　that　no　man　of　our　generation　has　a　more　noteworthy　achievement　to　his　credit　than　this；　and　it　is　an　achievement　of　moral　earnestness　of　the　strong　character　of　a　man　who　has　done　a　great　national　service。

Walter　H。　Page。



UP　FROM　SLAVERY

Chapter　I。　A　Slave　Among　Slaves

I　was　born　a　slave　on　a　plantation　in　Franklin　County；　Virginia。　I　am　not　quite　sure　of　the　exact　place　or　exact　date　of　my　birth；　but　at　any　rate　I　suspect　I　must　have　been　born　somewhere　and　at　some　time。　As　nearly　as　I　have　been　able　to　learn；　I　was　born　near　a　cross…roads　post…office　called　Hale's　Ford；　and　the　year　was　1858　or　1859。　I　do　not　know　the　month　or　the　day。　The　earliest　impressions　I　can　now　recall　are　of　the　plantation　and　the　slave　quartersthe　latter　being　the　part　of　the　plantation　where　the　slaves　had　their　cabins。

My　life　had　its　beginning　in　the　midst　of　the　most　miserable；　desolate；　and　discouraging　surroundings。　This　was　so；　however；　not　because　my　owners　were　especially　cruel；　for　they　were　not；　as　compared　with　many　others。　I　was　born　in　a　typical　log　cabin；　about　fourteen　by　sixteen　feet　square。　In　this　cabin　I　lived　with　my　mother　and　a　brother　and　sister　till　after　the　Civil　War；　when　we　were　all　declared　free。

Of　my　ancestry　I　know　almost　nothing。　In　the　slave　quarters；　and　even　later；　I　heard　whispered　conversations　among　the　coloured　people　of　the　tortures　which　the　slaves；　including；　no　doubt；　my　ancestors　on　my　mother's　side；　suffered　in　the　middle　passage　of　the　slave　ship　while　being　conveyed　from　Africa　to　America。　I　have　been　unsuccessful　in　securing　any　information　that　would　throw　any　accurate　light　upon　the　history　of　my　family　beyond　my　mother。　She；　I　remember；　had　a　half…brother　and　a　half…sister。　In　the　days　of　slavery　not　very　much　attention　was　given　to　family　history　and　family　recordsthat　is；　black　family　records。　My　mother；　I　suppose；　attracted　the　attention　of　a　purchaser　who　was　afterward　my　owner　and　hers。　Her　addition　to　the　slave　family　attracted　about　as　much　attention　as　the　purchase　of　a　new　horse　or　cow。　Of　my　father　I　know　even　less　than　of　my　mother。　I　do　not　even　know　his　name。　I　have　heard　reports　to　the　effect　that　he　was　a　white　man　who　lived　on　one　of　the　near…by　plantations。　Whoever　he　was；　I　never　heard　of　his　taking　the　least　interest　in　me　or　providing　in　any　way　for　my　rearing。　But　I　do　not　find　especial　fault　with　him。　He　was　simply　another　unfortunate　victim　of　the　institution　which　the　Nation　unhappily　had　engrafted　upon　it　at　that　time。

The　cabin　was　not　only　our　living…place；　but　was　also　used　as　the　kitchen　for　the　plantation。　My　mother　was　the　plantation　cook。　The　cabin　was　without　glass　windows；　it　had　only　openings　in　the　side　which　let　in　the　light；　and　also　the　cold；　chilly　air　of　winter。　There　was　a　door　to　the　cabinthat　is；　something　that　was　called　a　doorbut　the　uncertain　hinges　by　which　it　was　hung；　and　the　large　cracks　in　it；　to　say　nothing　of　the　fact　that　it　was　too　small；　made　the　room　a　very　uncomfortable　one。　In　addition　to　these　openings　there　was；　in　the　lower　right…hand　corner　of　the　room；　the　〃cat…hole；〃　a　contrivance　which　almost　every　mansion　or　cabin　in　Virginia　possessed　during　the　ante…bellum　period。　The　〃cat…hole〃　was　a　square　opening；　about　seven　by　eight　inches；　provided　for　the　purpose　of　letting　the　cat　pass　in　and　out　of　the　house　at　will　during　the　night。　In　the　case　of　our　particular　cabin　I　could　never　understand　the　necessity　for　this　convenience；　since　there　were　at　least　a　half…dozen　other　places　in　the　cabin　that　would　have　accommodated　the　cats。　There　was　no　wooden　floor　in　our　cabin；　the　naked　earth　being　used　as　a　floor。　In　the　centre　of　the　earthen　floor　there　was　a　large；　deep　opening　covered　with　boards；　which　was　used　as　a　place　in　which　to　store　sweet　potatoes　during　the　winter。　An　impression　of　this　potato…hole　is　very　distinctly　engraved　upon　my　memory；　because　I　recall　that　during　the　process　of　putting　the　potatoes　in　or　taking　them　out　I　would　often　come　into　possession　of　one　or　two；　which　I　roasted　and　thoroughly　enjoyed。　There　was　no　cooking…stove　on　our　plantation；　and　all　the　cooking　for　the　whites　and　slaves　my　mother　had　to　do　over　an　open　fireplace；　mostly　in　pots　and　〃skillets。〃　While　the　poorly　built　cabin　caused　us　to　suffer　with　cold　in　the　winter；　the　heat　from　the　open　fireplace　in　summer　was　equally　trying。

The　early　years　of　my　life；　which　were　spent　in　the　little　cabin；　were　not　very　different　from　those　of　thousands　of　other　slaves。　My　mother；　of　course；　had　little　time　in　which　to　give　attention　to　the　training　of　her　children　during　the　day。　She　snatched　a　few　moments　for　our　care　in　the　early　morning　before　her　work　began；　and　at　night　after　the　day's　work　was　done。　One　of　my　earliest　recollections　is　that　of　my　mother　cooking　a　chicken　late　at　night；　and　awakening　her　children　for　the　purpose　of　feeding　them。　How　or　where　she　got　it　I　do　not　know。　I　presume；　however；　it　was　procured　from　our　owner's　farm。　Some　people　may　call　this　theft。　If　such　a　thing　were　to　happen　now；　I　should　condemn　it　as　theft　myself。　But　taking　place　at　the　time　it　did；　and　for　the　reason　that　it　did；　no　one　could　ever　make　me　believe　that　my　mother　was　guilty　of　thieving。　She　was　simply　a　victim　of　the　system　of　slavery。　I　cannot　remember　having　slept　in　a　bed　until　after　our　fam