FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   24   25   26   27   28   29   30   31   32   33   34   35   36   37   38   39   40   41   42   43   44   45   46   47   48  
49   50   51   52   53   54   55   56   57   58   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   >>   >|  
perience has taught us, that speculations are not enough; that the _practical_ application of principles adduced, the thing carried out, is the only true and proper course to pursue. We have speculated and moralised much about equality--claiming to be as good as our neighbors, and every body else--all of which, may do very well in ethics--but not in politics. We live in society among men, conducted by men, governed by rules and regulations. However arbitrary, there are certain policies that regulate all well organized institutions and corporate bodies. We do not intend here to speak of the legal political relations of society, for those are treated on elsewhere. The business and social, or voluntary and mutual policies, are those that now claim our attention. Society regulates itself--being governed by mind, which like water, finds its own level. "Like seeks like," is a principle in the laws of matter, as well as of mind. There is such a thing as inferiority of things, and positions; at least society has made them so; and while we continue to live among men, we must agree to all _just_ measures--all those we mean, that do not necessarily infringe on the rights of others. By the regulations of society, there is no equality of attainments. By this, we do not wish to be understood as advocating the actual equal attainments of every individual; but we mean to say, that if these attainments be necessary for the elevation of the white man, they are necessary for the elevation of the colored man. That some colored men and women, in a like proportion to the whites, should be qualified in all the attainments possessed by them. It is one of the regulations of society the world over, and we shall have to conform to it, or be discarded as unworthy of the associations of our fellows. Cast our eyes about us and reflect for a moment, and what do we behold! every thing that presents to view gives evidence of the skill of the white man. Should we purchase a pound of groceries, a yard of linen, a vessel of crockery-ware, a piece of furniture, the very provisions that we eat,--all, all are the products of the white man, purchased by us from the white man, consequently, our earnings and means, are all given to the white man. Pass along the avenues of any city or town, in which you live--behold the trading shops--the manufacturies--see the operations of the various machinery--see the stage-coaches coming in, bringing the mails of inte
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   24   25   26   27   28   29   30   31   32   33   34   35   36   37   38   39   40   41   42   43   44   45   46   47   48  
49   50   51   52   53   54   55   56   57   58   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
society
 

attainments

 
regulations
 

policies

 
governed
 
behold
 
equality
 

colored

 

elevation

 

discarded


unworthy

 

associations

 

conform

 

fellows

 

individual

 

actual

 

advocating

 

understood

 

whites

 

qualified


proportion

 

reflect

 

possessed

 

trading

 
avenues
 
manufacturies
 

coming

 

bringing

 

coaches

 

operations


machinery

 
earnings
 
Should
 

purchase

 

groceries

 

evidence

 

presents

 

products

 

purchased

 
provisions

furniture
 
vessel
 

crockery

 

moment

 
However
 

arbitrary

 

conducted

 

politics

 

ethics

 
regulate