up from slavery-第44节

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It　has　been　mentioned　that　Mr。　Washington　is　the　first　of　his　race　to　receive　an　honorary　degree　from　a　New　England　university。　This；　in　itself；　is　a　distinction。　But　the　degree　was　not　conferred　because　Mr。　Washington　is　a　coloured　man；　or　because　he　was　born　in　slavery；　but　because　he　has　shown；　by　his　work　for　the　elevation　of　the　people　of　the　Black　Belt　of　the　South；　a　　genius　and　a　broad　humanity　which　count　for　greatness　in　any　man；　whether　his　skin　be　white　or　black。


Another　Boston　paper　said：

It　is　Harvard　which；　first　among　New　England　colleges；　confers　an　honorary　degree　upon　a　black　man。　No　one　who　has　followed　the　history　of　Tuskegee　and　its　work　can　fail　to　admire　the　courage；　persistence；　and　splendid　common　sense　of　Booker　T。　Washington。

Well　may　Harvard　honour　the　ex…slave；　the　value　of　whose　services；　alike　to　his　race　and　country；　only　the　future　can　estimate。


The　correspondent　of　the　New　York　Times　wrote：

All　the　speeches　were　enthusiastically　received；　but　the　coloured　man　carried　off　the　oratorical　honours；　and　the　applause　which　broke　out　when　he　had　finished　was　vociferous　and　long…continued。


Soon　after　I　began　work　at　Tuskegee　I　formed　a　resolution；　in　the　secret　of　my　heart；　that　I　would　try　to　build　up　a　school　that　would　be　of　so　much　service　to　the　country　that　the　President　of　the　United　States　would　one　day　come　to　see　it。　This　was；　I　confess；　rather　a　bold　resolution；　and　for　a　number　of　years　I　kept　it　hidden　in　my　own　thoughts；　not　daring　to　share　it　with　any　one。

In　November；　1897；　I　made　the　first　move　in　this　direction；　and　that　was　in　securing　a　visit　from　a　member　of　President　McKinley's　Cabinet；　the　Hon。　James　Wilson；　Secretary　of　Agriculture。　He　came　to　deliver　an　address　at　the　formal　opening　of　the　Slater…Armstrong　Agricultural　Building；　our　first　large　building　to　be　used　for　the　purpose　of　giving　training　to　our　students　in　agriculture　and　kindred　branches。

In　the　fall　of　1898　I　heard　that　President　McKinley　was　likely　to　visit　Atlanta；　Georgia；　for　the　purpose　of　taking　part　in　the　Peace　Jubilee　exercises　to　be　held　there　to　commemorate　the　successful　close　of　the　Spanish…American　war。　At　this　time　I　had　been　hard　at　work；　together　with　our　teachers；　for　eighteen　years；　trying　to　build　up　a　school　that　we　thought　would　be　of　service　to　the　Nation；　and　I　determined　to　make　a　direct　effort　to　secure　a　visit　from　the　President　and　his　Cabinet。　I　went　to　Washington；　and　I　was　not　long　in　the　city　before　I　found　my　way　to　the　White　House。　When　I　got　there　I　found　the　waiting　rooms　full　of　people；　and　my　heart　began　to　sink；　for　I　feared　there　would　not　be　much　chance　of　my　seeing　the　President　that　day；　if　at　all。　But；　at　any　rate；　I　got　an　opportunity　to　see　Mr。　J。　Addison　Porter；　the　secretary　to　the　President；　and　explained　to　him　my　mission。　Mr。　Porter　kindly　sent　my　card　directly　to　the　President；　and　in　a　few　minutes　word　came　from　Mr。　McKinley　that　he　would　see　me。

How　any　man　can　see　so　many　people　of　all　kinds；　with　all　kinds　of　errands；　and　do　so　much　hard　work；　and　still　keep　himself　calm；　patient；　and　fresh　for　each　visitor　in　the　way　that　President　McKinley　does；　I　cannot　understand。　When　I　saw　the　President　he　kindly　thanked　me　for　the　work　which　we　were　doing　at　Tuskegee　for　the　interests　of　the　country。　I　then　told　him；　briefly；　the　object　of　my　visit。　I　impressed　upon　him　the　fact　that　a　visit　from　the　Chief　Executive　of　the　Nation　would　not　only　encourage　our　students　and　teachers；　but　would　help　the　entire　race。　He　seemed　interested；　but　did　not　make　a　promise　to　go　to　Tuskegee；　for　the　reason　that　his　plans　about　going　to　Atlanta　were　not　then　fully　made；　but　he　asked　me　to　call　the　matter　to　his　attention　a　few　weeks　later。

By　the　middle　of　the　following　month　the　President　had　definitely　decided　to　attend　the　Peace　Jubilee　at　Atlanta。　I　went　to　Washington　again　and　saw　him；　with　a　view　of　getting　him　to　extend　his　trip　to　Tuskegee。　On　this　second　visit　Mr。　Charles　W。　Hare；　a　prominent　white　citizen　of　Tuskegee；　kindly　volunteered　to　accompany　me；　to　reenforce　my　invitation　with　one　from　the　white　people　of　Tuskegee　and　the　vicinity。

Just　previous　to　my　going　to　Washington　the　second　time；　the　country　had　been　excited；　and　the　coloured　people　greatly　depressed；　because　of　several　severe　race　riots　which　had　occurred　at　different　points　in　the　South。　As　soon　as　I　saw　the　President；　I　perceived　that　his　heart　was　greatly　burdened　by　reason　of　these　race　disturbances。　Although　there　were　many　people　waiting　to　see　him；　he　detained　me　for　some　time；　discussing　the　condition　and　prospects　of　the　race。　He　remarked　several　times　that　he　was　determined　to　show　his　interest　and　faith　in　the　race；　not　merely　in　words；　but　by　acts。　When　I　told　him　that　I　thought　that　at　that　time　scarcely　anything　would　go　father　in　giving　hope　and　encouragement　to　the　race　than　the　fact　that　the　President　of　the　Nation　would　be　willing　to　travel　one　hundred　and　forty　miles　out　of　his　way　to　spend　a　day　at　a　Negro　institution；　he　seemed　deeply　impressed。

While　I　was　with　the　President；　a　white　citizen　of　Atlanta；　a　Democrat　and　an　ex…slaveholder；　came　into　the　room；　and　the　President　asked　his　opinion　as　to　the　wisdom　of　his　going　to　Tuskegee。　Without　hesitation　the　Atlanta　man　replied　that　it　was　the　proper　thing　for　him　to　do。　This　opinion　was　reenforced　by　that　friend　of　the　race；　Dr。　J。L。M。　Curry。　The　President　promised　that　he　would　visit　our　school　on　the　16th　of　December。

When　it　became　known　that　the　President　was　going　to　visit　our　school；　the　white　citizens　of　the　town　of　Tuskegeea　mile　distant　from　the　schoolwere　as　much　pleased　as　were　our　students　and　teachers。　The　white　people　of　this　town；　including　both　men　and　women；　began　arranging　to　decorate　the　town；　and　to　form　themselves　into　committees　for　the　purpose　of　cooperating　with　the　officers　of　our　school　in　order　that　the　distinguished　visitor　might　have　a　fitting　reception。　I　think　I　never　realized　before　this　how　much　the　white　people　of　Tuskegee　and　vicinity　thought　of　our　institution。　During　the　days　when　we　were　preparing　for　the　President's　reception；　dozens　of　these　people　came　to　me　and　said　that；　while　they　did　not　want　to　push　themselves　into　prominence；　if　there　was　anything　they　could　do　to　help；　or　to　relieve　me　personally；　I　had　but　to　intimate　it　and　they　would　be　only　too　glad　to　assist。　In　fact；　the　thing　that　touched　me　almost　as　deeply　as　the　visit　of　the　President　itself　was　the　deep　pride　which　all　classes　of　citizens　in　Alabama　seemed　to　take　in　our　work。

The　morning　of　December　16th　brought　to　the　little　city　of　Tuskegee　such　a　crowd　as　it　had　never　seen　before。　With　the　President　came　Mrs。　McKinley　and　all　of　the　Cabinet　officers　but　one；　and　most　of　them　brought　their　wives　or　some　members　of　their　families。　Several　prominent　generals　came；　including　General　Shafter　and　General　Joseph　Wheeler；　who　were　recently　returned　from　the　Spanish…American　war。　There　was　also　a　host　of　newspaper　correspondents。　The　Alabama　Legislature　was　in　session　in　Montgomery　at　this　time。　This　body　passed　a　resolution　to　adjourn　for　the　purpose　of　visited　Tuskegee。　Just　before　the　arrival　of　the　President's　party　the　Legislature　arrived；　headed　by　the　governor　and　other　state　officials。

The　citizens　of　Tuskegee　had　decorated　the　town　from　the　station　to　the　school　in　a　generous　manner。　In　order　to　economize　in　the　matter　of　time；　we　arranged　to　have　the　whole　school　pass　in　review　before　the　President。　Each　student　carried　a　stalk　of　sugar…cane　with　some　open　bolls　of　cotton　fastened　to　the　end　of　it。　Following　the　students　the　work　of　all　departments　of　the　school　passed　in　review；　displayed　on　〃floats〃　drawn　by　horses；　mules；　and　oxen。　On　these　floats　we　tried　to　exhibit　not　only　the　present　work　of　the　school；　but　to　show　the　contrasts　between　the　old　methods　of　doing　things　and　the　new。　As　an　example；　we　showed　the　old　method　of　dairying　in　contrast　with　the　improved　methods；　the　old　methods　of　tilling　the　soil　in　contrast　with　the　new；　the　old　methods　of　cooking　and　housekeeping　in　contrast　with　the　new。　These　floats　consumed　an　hour　and　a　half　of　time　in　passing。

In　his　address　in　our　large；　new　chapel；　which　the　students　had　recently　completed；　the　President　said；　among　other　things：

To　meet　you　under　such　pleasant　auspices　and　to　have　the　opportunity　of　a　personal　observation　of　your　work　is　indeed　most　gratifying。　The　Tuskegee　Normal　and　Industrial　Institute　is　ideal　in　its　conception；　and　has　already　a　large　and　growing　reputation　in　the　country；　and　is　not　unknown　abroad。　I　congratulate　all　who　are　associated　in　this　undertaking　for　the　good　work　which　it　is　doing　in　the　education　of　its　students　to　lead　lives　of　honour　and　usefulness；　thus　exalting　the　race　for　which　it　was　established。

Nowhere；　I　think；　could　a　more　delightful　location　have　been　chosen　for　this　unique　educational　experiment；　which　has　attracted　the　attention　and　won　the　support　even　of　conservative　philanthropists　in　all　sections　of　the　country。

To　speak　of　Tuskegee　without　paying　special　tribute　to　Booker　T。　Washington's　genius　and　perseverance　would　be　impossible。　The　inception　of　this　noble