brother of whatever race or nationality, is going to be found so sadly deficient. It is a great race. It has done many wonderful things. All the greater is the reason, therefore, why it should not permit itself to be controlled by such an ignoble spirit. It has done, too, many wonderful things to have its greatness marred by settling down permanently on the low level of race prejudice. No; I cannot believe that the white man is so hopelessly bad, so absolutely possessed by this demon of race hatred that there is no honorable future in this country for the colored man. The Tillmans, Vardamans, Hoke Smiths are not always going to be the leaders of even Southern public sentiment. A better day is coming, with truer, saner, wiser leaders. Dr. Josiah Strong, in his last volume, "Our World," in the chapter on "The New Race Problem," after some remarks on the improbability and the undesirability of blending all races into one says,—"If we recognize any plan in creation, we must accept a differentiation of the human family as an expression of the divine purpose, infinitely wise and benevolent. And it behooves us as colaborers together with God to find that purpose, if possible, that we may work with him and not against him."

23

"This conclusion affords not the slightest excuse for race antipathy. The experience of mankind has convinced all peoples that close consanguinity must be a bar to marriage; and scientific 24observation seems likely to show that the mixture of races most widely divergent is perhaps hardly less a violation of nature. But there is in this fact no reason why there should not be as genuine respect and esteem and fellowship between the races as between brother and sister; no reason why the spirit of brotherhood which obtains in the home should not extend to the family of nations and races." And Hamilton W. Mabie, in his article in the Outlook for August 2nd on "Americans and the Far East," says: "Race differences must be clearly and frankly recognized; economical differences must be candidly faced; but race hatred must be driven beyond the pale of civilization; it is a survival of barbarism and it must go back where it belongs."

24

This great white race will some day, I believe, in its sober second thought, recognize the truth of these words; and will augment its greatness by emancipating itself from this detestable spirit of race hatred. It cannot be that this great white race is always going to be content to prostrate itself before this mean and degrading spirit. It owes it to itself, as well as to this black race and to all the other races to 

 Prev. P 25/26 next