has been lamented by none
more sincerely than by our race. In country, in town, in state, in
every section, the Negro is broadly American. Nothing that concerns
this country is foreign to him, but with all there is to discourage
him, what is the outcome of such steady, magnificent devotion to duty?
Geologists affirm that the wondrous chasm of Niagara is the creation
of trickling drops of water during myriads of ages. In like manner,
the fervent, unflagging patriotism of the Negro is slowly but surely
crumbling away the granite of American prejudice to give him a
permanent place in the national life of this country. A nation, the
bulb of which comes of a race whose love of fair play is proverbial
and goes with them into every land and clime, will be constrained in
the end to recognize and confirm the merit the race is developing as a
strong pillar in the edifice of state.

In the heat of that terrific contest at Waterloo where charge after
charge of the imperial guard seemed likely to consign the fate of
Europe to the absolute sway of the little Corsican, Wellington
exclaimed, to such of his staff as still remained around him, "Hot
pounding this, gentlemen." But the day was at last won, and the
endangered constitutional liberty of Europe leaped forth from the sea
of blood, to inspire man with new hope and aspiration. As a race, we
are struggling for life. Our hopes and fears are trembling in the
balance against might, power, and moss-covered prejudices. A
continuous pounding, directed by the impulse of a will to do, dare and
succeed, will bring us victory.

But, says the carping critic, if the Negro were less patient,
forbearing and more combative, if he risked less for country, and
gloried more in deeds of heroism for his personal defense, he would
lie truer to his self-preservation. Other races placed in condition
quite similar to the Negroes have tried the experiment, and failed.
They opposed simple brute force to intelligence, and they went down in
the contest either to extinction or to servitude. The Britons gave way
to Saxon numbers and tougher sinews, the latter bent the neck to
Norman intelligence, bided their time and brought the victor down to
an equality of rights and privileges. If the Negro should attempt
another way, he would soon be undone.

ADAPTABILITY TO ENVIRONMENTS.

Again the adaptability of the race to environments constitutes one of
the means of his endurance. In servitude as in freedom, no