"But, Belton," broke in Bernard, "how does it happen that I have been
excluded from all this?"

"That is explained in this way. The relation of your mother to the
Anglo-Saxon race has not been clearly understood, and you and she have
been under surveillance for many years.

"It was not until recently deemed advisable to let you in, your
loyalty to the race never having fully been tested. I have been a
member for years. While I was at Stowe University, though a young man,
I was chairman of the bureau of education and had charge of the work
of educating the race upon the doctrine of human liberty.

"While I was at Cadeville, La., that was my work. Though not
attracting public attention, I was sowing seed broadcast. After my
famous case I was elected to Congress here and soon thereafter chosen
speaker, which position I now hold.

"I shall now come to matters that concern you. Our constitution
expressly stipulates that the first President of our Government should
be a man whom the people unanimously desired. Each Congressman had
to be instructed to vote for the same man, else there would be no
election. This was done because it was felt that the responsibility
of the first President would be so great, and have such a formative
influence that he should be the selection of the best judgment of the
entire nation.

"In the second place, this would ensure his having a united nation at
his back. Again, this forcing the people to be unanimous would have
a tendency to heal dissensions within their ranks. In other words, we
needed a George Washington.

"Various men have been put forward for this honor and vigorous
campaigns have been waged in their behalf. But these all failed of
the necessary unanimous vote. At last, one young man arose, who was
brilliant and sound, genial and true, great and good. On every tongue
was his name and in every heart his image. Unsolicited by him, unknown
to him, the nation by its unanimous voice has chosen him the President
of our beloved Government. This day he has unflinchingly met the test
that our Congress decreed and has come out of the furnace, purer than
gold. He feared death no more than the caress of his mother, when he
felt that that death was to be suffered in behalf of his oppressed
people. I have the great honor, on this the proudest occasion of my
life, to announce that I am commissioned to inform you that the name
of our President is Bernard Belgrave. You, sir, are President of