ry
inquisitive.

When the hour of the lecture was over he was deeply impressed with
three thoughts: First, his heart went out in love to those who had
given so freely of their means and to those who had dedicated their
lives to the work of uplifting his people.

Secondly, he saw an immense army of young men and women being trained
in the very best manner in every section of the South, to go forth to
grapple with the great problems before them. He felt proud of being a
member of so promising an army, and felt that they were to determine
the future of the race. In fact, this thought was reiterated time and
again by the president.

Thirdly, Belton was impressed that it was the duty of those receiving
such great blessings to accomplish achievements worthy of the care
bestowed. He felt that the eyes of the North and of the civilized
world were upon them to see the fruits of the great labor and money
spent upon them.

Before he retired to rest that night, he besought God to enable him
and his people, as a mark of appreciation of what had been done for
the race, to rise to the full measure of just expectation and prove
worthy of all the care bestowed. He went through school, therefore, as
though the eyes of the world were looking at the race enquiringly; the
eyes of the North expectantly; and the eyes of God lovingly,--three
grand incentives to his soul.

When these schools were first projected, the White South that
then was, fought them with every weapon at its command. Ridicule,
villification, ostracism, violence, arson, murder were all employed
to hinder the progress of the work. Outsiders looked on and thought
it strange that they should do this. But, just as a snake, though a
venomous animal, by instinct knows its enemy and fights for its life
with desperation, just so the Old South instinctively foresaw danger
to its social fabric as then constituted, and therefore despised
and fought the agencies that were training and inspiring the future
leaders of the Negro race in such a manner as to render a conflict
inevitable and of doubtful termination.

The errors in the South, anxious for eternal life, rightfully feared
these schools more than they would have feared factories making
powder, moulding balls and fashioning cannons. But the New South, the
South that, in the providence of God, is yet to be, could not have
been formed in the womb of time had it not been for these schools. And
so the receding murmurs of the