ventions,
let one white Bishop be the bond of unity." The same answer comes as a
practical matter from men who differ widely from the above theory. It
comes from those who look too much, it seems to me, at the mass of the
negroes, the lower majority of whom I have spoken; it comes from those
who are hopeless of doing much for or with the negroes, who regard them
as children, careless and unreliable, with different aspirations from
those that actuate the white man. They say, "we must have a white man;
no negro is fit to be a Bishop."

The other answer comes from the men who think that we are confronted by
facts, not theories, and that theories must be given up in the face of
opposing facts; who think that the Church in her wisdom must rise up to
meet this opportunity and responsibility, must adapt and adjust her
system to the facts; who say that if a negro Bishop is acknowledged to
be the best means to Christianize and save the negroes, then we must
have a negro Bishop. This answer, again, comes from those who are
looking more closely at the few, better, advancing negroes, thinking of
them as men, with manly hopes and powers and aspirations, believing that
races must be lifted by their own race leaders, that they can only truly
understand and follow their own heroes. We say, "Remember Frederick
Douglass, look at Booker Washington, know that wonderful Presbyterian
Missionary, William H. Shepherd, consider the African Methodist
Bishops, strong men, leaders of their fellows, against whom no murmur of
scandal is raised. Surely among our own men in the Church, or our system
is woefully at fault, we can find one or two honest, true, able, pure
men, fit to be Bishops to their own race." Such a man would be a Bishop
indeed to his race, such a Bishop as no white man can possibly be. He
will enter, as only a negro can, into their perplexities, their hopes
and their joys, sharing really in their social life, of which their
religious life forms so great a part. He and his people will be a real
part of the Holy Catholic Church, all worshipping according to her
incomparable liturgy, all living under the same Canon law. He and his
Deputies will come into close contact with their white brethren in the
General Convention, and will gain much from such association and
consultation. He will meet with the white Bishops, from whom his
Jurisdiction is taken, in brotherly conference as his Council of Advice.
From such friendly contact and advic