civilization.

This is indicated by the progress he has made in the few years in
which he has had any chance for development as an American citizen.
Almost everything has been against him. Every possible effort has been
employed by his enemies to keep him down; but in spite of all he
rises. Like Israel of old, the more he is oppressed the more he
prospers.

His possibility is indicated by the stock from which he comes.

It is the impression of many that the Negro has no history to which he
can point. There could be no greater mistake than this. If it had been
in the power of modern historians of the Caucasian race to rob him of
his history it would have been done. But the Holy Bible has stood as
an everlasting rock in the black man's defense. God himself has
determined that the black man shall not be robbed of his record which
he has made during the ages past.

The first and most illustrious of earth's historians has left on
record statements which set forth the fact beyond reasonable doubt
that an ancestor of the Negro race was the first of the earth's great
monarchs; and that that race ruled the world for a long period; and
the statements of Moses are confirmed by the testimonies of the
earliest secular historians, whose writings have come down to our
time. Ethiopia and Egypt were first among the early monarchies, and
these countries were peopled by the descendants of Ham, through Cush
and Mizraim.

Palestine was peopled by Canaan, the younger son of Ham, upon whom the
curse was pronounced; and, notwithstanding the curse, his posterity
ruled that land for hundreds of years. They were in it when the
promise of it was made to Abraham; and four hundred years later, when
Israel came out of Egypt, they were still in full possession of it.
And, although the land was promised to Israel, yet two tribes, the
Jebusites and Sidonians, resisted the attacks of Israel for more than
four hundred years after they entered upon their promised possessions.
Neither Joshua, nor the Judges of Israel, could drive them out. Not
until David became King were the Jebusites driven out from the
stronghold of Zion. (Even David failed to drive out the Sidonians.) It
was from the ancient seat of the Jebusites, Jerusalem, also called
Salem, the seat of royalty and power, that Melchizedek, the most
illustrious king, priest and prophet of that race, came forth to bless
Abraham, as seen in Gen. XIV., 18:19. There have been many wild
notions resp