eakness, but it is the Negro I am
discussing, not the white man. Individually, the Negro is strong.
Collectively, he is weak. This is not to be wondered at. The ability
to succeed in organised bodies is one of the highest points in
civilisation. There are scores of coloured men who can succeed in any
line of business as individuals, or will discuss any subject in a most
intelligent manner, yet who, when they attempt to act in an organised
body, are utter failures.

But the weakness of the Negro which is most frequently held up to the
public gaze is that of his moral character. No one who wants to be
honest and at the same time benefit the race will deny that here is
where the strengthening is to be done. It has become universally
accepted that the family is the foundation, the bulwark, of any race.
It should be remembered, sorrowfully withal, that it was the constant
tendency of slavery to destroy the family life. All through two
hundred and fifty years of slavery, one of the chief objects was to
increase the number of slaves; and to this end almost all thought of
morality was lost sight of, so that the Negro has had only about
thirty years in which to develop a family life; while the Anglo-Saxon
rate, with which he is constantly being compared, has had thousands of
years of training in home life. The Negro felt all through the years
of bondage that he was being forcibly and unjustly deprived of the
fruits of his labour. Hence he felt that anything he could get from
the white man in return for this labour justly belonged to him. Since
this was true, we must be patient in trying to teach him a different
code of morals.

From the nature of things, all through slavery it was life in the
future world that was emphasised in religious teaching rather than
life in this world. In his religious meetings in _ante-bellum_ days
the Negro was prevented from discussing many points of practical
religion which related to this world; and the white minister, who was
his spiritual guide, found it more convenient to talk about heaven
than earth, so very naturally that to-day in his religious meeting it
is the Negro's feelings which are worked upon mostly, and it is
description of the glories of heaven that occupy most of the time of
his sermon.

Having touched upon some of the weak points of the Negro, what are
his strong characteristics? The Negro in America is different from
most people for whom missionary effort is made, in that he