up from slavery-第25章

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l　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　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　powe