up from slavery-第17章

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ive　them　the　most　thorough　training　in　the　latest　and　best　methods　of　laundrying　and　other　kindred　occupations。



Chapter　VI。　Black　Race　And　Red　Race

During　the　year　that　I　spent　in　Washington；　and　for　some　little　time　before　this；　there　had　been　considerable　agitation　in　the　state　of　West　Virginia　over　the　question　of　moving　the　capital　of　the　state　from　Wheeling　to　some　other　central　point。　As　a　result　of　this；　the　Legislature　designated　three　cities　to　be　voted　upon　by　the　citizens　of　the　state　as　the　permanent　seat　of　government。　Among　these　cities　was　Charleston；　only　five　miles　from　Malden；　my　home。　At　the　close　of　my　school　year　in　Washington　I　was　very　pleasantly　surprised　to　receive；　from　a　committee　of　three　white　people　in　Charleston；　an　invitation　to　canvass　the　state　in　the　interests　of　that　city。　This　invitation　I　accepted；　and　spent　nearly　three　months　in　speaking　in　various　parts　of　the　state。　Charleston　was　successful　in　winning　the　prize；　and　is　now　the　permanent　seat　of　government。

The　reputation　that　I　made　as　a　speaker　during　this　campaign　induced　a　number　of　persons　to　make　an　earnest　effort　to　get　me　to　enter　political　life；　but　I　refused；　still　believing　that　I　could　find　other　service　which　would　prove　of　more　permanent　value　to　my　race。　Even　then　I　had　a　strong　feeling　that　what　our　people　most　needed　was　to　get　a　foundation　in　education；　industry；　and　property；　and　for　this　I　felt　that　they　could　better　afford　to　strive　than　for　political　preferment。　As　for　my　individual　self；　it　appeared　to　me　to　be　reasonably　certain　that　I　could　succeed　in　political　life；　but　I　had　a　feeling　that　it　would　be　a　rather　selfish　kind　of　successindividual　success　at　the　cost　of　failing　to　do　my　duty　in　assisting　in　laying　a　foundation　for　the　masses。

At　this　period　in　the　progress　of　our　race　a　very　large　proportion　of　the　young　men　who　went　to　school　or　to　college　did　so　with　the　expressed　determination　to　prepare　themselves　to　be　great　lawyers；　or　Congressmen；　and　many　of　the　women　planned　to　become　music　teachers；　but　I　had　a　reasonably　fixed　idea；　even　at　that　early　period　in　my　life；　that　there　was　a　need　for　something　to　be　done　to　prepare　the　way　for　successful　lawyers；　Congressmen；　and　music　teachers。

I　felt　that　the　conditions　were　a　good　deal　like　those　of　an　old　coloured　man；　during　the　days　of　slavery；　who　wanted　to　learn　how　to　play　on　the　guitar。　In　his　desire　to　take　guitar　lessons　he　applied　to　one　of　his　young　masters　to　teach　him；　but　the　young　man；　not　having　much　faith　in　the　ability　of　the　slave　to　master　the　guitar　at　his　age；　sought　to　discourage　him　by　telling　him：　〃Uncle　Jake；　I　will　give　you　guitar　lessons；　but；　Jake；　I　will　have　to　charge　you　three　dollars　for　the　first　lesson；　two　dollars　for　the　second　lesson；　and　one　dollar　for　the　third　lesson。　But　I　will　charge　you　only　twenty…five　cents　for　the　last　lesson。〃

Uncle　Jake　answered：　〃All　right；　boss；　I　hires　you　on　dem　terms。　But；　boss！　I　wants　yer　to　be　sure　an'　give　me　dat　las'　lesson　first。〃

Soon　after　my　work　in　connection　with　the　removal　of　the　capital　was　finished；　I　received　an　invitation　which　gave　me　great　joy　and　which　at　the　same　time　was　a　very　pleasant　surprise。　This　was　a　letter　from　General　Armstrong；　inviting　me　to　return　to　Hampton　at　the　next　Commencement　to　deliver　what　was　called　the　〃post…graduate　address。〃　This　was　an　honour　which　I　had　not　dreamed　of　receiving。　With　much　care　I　prepared　the　best　address　that　I　was　capable　of。　I　chose　for　my　subject　〃The　Force　That　Wins。〃

As　I　returned　to　Hampton　for　the　purpose　of　delivering　this　address；　I　went　over　much　of　the　same　groundnow；　however；　covered　entirely　by　railroadthat　I　had　traversed　nearly　six　years　before；　when　I　first　sought　entrance　into　Hampton　Institute　as　a　student。　Now　I　was　able　to　ride　the　whole　distance　in　the　train。　I　was　constantly　contrasting　this　with　my　first　journey　to　Hampton。　I　think　I　may　say；　without　seeming　egotism；　that　it　is　seldom　that　five　years　have　wrought　such　a　change　in　the　life　and　aspirations　of　an　individual。

At　Hampton　I　received　a　warm　welcome　from　teachers　and　students。　I　found　that　during　my　absence　from　Hampton　the　institute　each　year　had　been　getting　closer　to　the　real　needs　and　conditions　of　our　people；　that　the　industrial　reaching；　as　well　as　that　of　the　academic　department；　had　greatly　improved。　The　plan　of　the　school　was　not　modelled　after　that　of　any　other　institution　then　in　existence；　but　every　improvement　was　made　under　the　magnificent　leadership　of　General　Armstrong　solely　with　the　view　of　meeting　and　helping　the　needs　of　our　people　as　they　presented　themselves　at　the　time。　Too　often；　it　seems　to　me；　in　missionary　and　educational　work　among　underdeveloped　races；　people　yield　to　the　temptation　of　doing　that　which　was　done　a　hundred　years　before；　or　is　being　done　in　other　communities　a　thousand　miles　away。　The　temptation　often　is　to　run　each　individual　through　a　certain　educational　mould；　regardless　of　the　condition　of　the　subject　or　the　end　to　be　accomplished。　This　was　not　so　at　Hampton　Institute。

The　address　which　I　delivered　on　Commencement　Day　seems　to　have　pleased　every　one；　and　many　kind　and　encouraging　words　were　spoken　to　me　regarding　it。　Soon　after　my　return　to　my　home　in　West　Virginia；　where　I　had　planned　to　continue　teaching；　I　was　again　surprised　to　receive　a　letter　from　General　Armstrong；　asking　me　to　return　to　Hampton　partly　as　a　teacher　and　partly　to　pursue　some　supplementary　studies。　This　was　in　the　summer　of　1879。　Soon　after　I　began　my　first　teaching　in　West　Virginia　I　had　picked　out　four　of　the　brightest　and　most　promising　of　my　pupils；　in　addition　to　my　two　brothers；　to　whom　I　have　already　referred；　and　had　given　them　special　attention；　with　the　view　of　having　them　go　to　Hampton。　They　had　gone　there；　and　in　each　case　the　teachers　had　found　them　so　well　prepared　that　they　entered　advanced　classes。　This　fact；　it　seems；　led　to　my　being　called　back　to　Hampton　as　a　teacher。　One　of　the　young　men　that　I　sent　to　Hampton　in　this　way　is　now　Dr。　Samuel　E。　Courtney；　a　successful　physician　in　Boston；　and　a　member　of　the　School　Board　of　that　city。

About　this　time　the　experiment　was　being　tried　for　the　first　time；　by　General　Armstrong；　of　education　Indians　at　Hampton。　Few　people　then　had　any　confidence　in　the　ability　of　the　Indians　to　receive　education　and　to　profit　by　it。　General　Armstrong　was　anxious　to　try　the　experiment　systematically　on　a　large　scale。　He　secured　from　the　reservations　in　the　Western　states　over　one　hundred　wild　and　for　the　most　part　perfectly　ignorant　Indians；　the　greater　proportion　of　whom　were　young　men。　The　special　work　which　the　General　desired　me　to　do　was　be　a　sort　of　〃house　father〃　to　the　Indian　young　menthat　is；　I　was　to　live　in　the　building　with　them　and　have　the　charge　of　their　discipline；　clothing；　rooms；　and　so　on。　This　was　a　very　tempting　offer；　but　I　had　become　so　much　absorbed　in　my　work　in　West　Virginia　that　I　dreaded　to　give　it　up。　However；　I　tore　myself　away　from　it。　I　did　not　know　how　to　refuse　to　perform　any　service　that　General　Armstrong　desired　of　me。

On　going　to　Hampton；　I　took　up　my　residence　in　a　building　with　about　seventy…five　Indian　youths。　I　was　the　only　person　in　the　building　who　was　not　a　member　of　their　race。　At　first　I　had　a　good　deal　of　doubt　about　my　ability　to　succeed。　I　knew　that　the　average　Indian　felt　himself　above　the　white　man；　and；　of　course；　he　felt　himself　far　above　the　Negro；　largely　on　account　of　the　fact　of　the　Negro　having　submitted　to　slaverya　thing　which　the　Indian　would　never　do。　The　Indians；　in　the　Indian　Territory；　owned　a　large　number　of　slaves　during　the　days　of　slavery。　Aside　from　this；　there　was　a　general　feeling　that　the　attempt　to　education　and　civilize　the　red　men　at　Hampton　would　be　a　failure。　All　this　made　me　proceed　very　cautiously；　for　I　felt　keenly　the　great　responsibility。　But　I　was　determined　to　succeed。　It　was　not　long　before　I　had　the　complete　confidence　of　the　Indians；　and　not　only　this；　but　I　think　I　am　safe　in　saying　that　I　had　their　love　and　respect。　I　found　that　they　were　about　like　any　other　human　beings；　that　they　responded　to　kind　treatment　and　resented　ill…treatment。　They　were　continually