de and loyalty to his
own race first and last, and any one who has followed his articles in
newspapers and leading magazines have surely seen that the apparently
sometimes too generous bouquet throwing to the white brother is fully
offset by the terrible blows given that same white brother for his
sins against the Negro race. This is especially seen in his symposium
article in the April number of the Arena, 1899. It would be impossible
in the limitation of this article to mention the many Negro writers
who are acceptable in leading magazines, and to a greater extent in
the great weekly journals of this country. Only one or two can be
mentioned: Rev. H. H. Proctor, pastor of the First Congregational
Church at Atlanta, Ga., is a graduate of Fisk University and Yale
Theological Seminary, and he is a young man of exceptional ability as
a writer on timely questions, but as an article writer is often seen
in the Outlook, the New York Independent, and such papers. Above them
all is Bishop Tanner, of Philadelphia. For diction, fine style,
conciseness and logical conclusions, one must go far to find his
superior. In the way of history, text books on various subjects, and
scientific presentation, not much has yet been done among us. Mr. Geo.
W. Williams, the Negro historian, has done more in that field than any
other. Dr. D. W. Culp has written a treatise on consumption and other
medical subjects that have attracted attention and favorable
criticism.

It now remains to speak of the writers in literary art. In this field
there are many who have certainly made praiseworthy attempts, and of
the ladies who cannot be classed with those who have truly made a
place among successful literary artists, but whose writing has
attracted attention and in character is literary, most complimentary
things can be said of Mrs. Frances E. W. Harper, of Philadelphia; of
Mrs. Fanny Barrier Williams, of Chicago; of Miss Edna Matthews, of New
York, and of Mrs. Cooper, Washington, D. C. Mrs. Cooper's book, "A
Voice from the South," is a work in purpose and execution of decided
merit. In real literary art, perhaps there are only two in the whole
race who have reached a place of genuine high rank among the critics,
namely, Dunbar and Chestnut. There are four poets, however, who have
attracted much attention and favorable criticism, and of these I will
speak in turn. It is in order to speak of Mr. A. A. Whitman first,
because he appeared first of all and i