habitual. If it were natural, children would manifest it with the
first signs of consciousness; but with them, all are alike
affectionate and beloved. They have not the feeling, because it
is a creature of education and habit.

"While we write, there are now playing at our right, a few steps
away, a colored and white child, with all the affection and
harmony of feeling, as though prejudice had always been unknown.

"Prejudice overlooks all that is noble and grand in man's being.
It forgets that, housed in a dark complexion is, equally alike
with the whites, all that is lofty in mind and noble in soul,
that there lies an equal immortality. It reaches to grade mind
and soul, either by the texture of the hair, or the form of the
features, or the color of the skin. This is an education fostered
by prejudice; consequently, an education almost universally
prevalent in our country; an education, too, subverting the
principles of our humanity, and turning away the dictates of our
noble being from what is important, to meaner things.[10]

"THIS COUNTRY, OUR ONLY HOME.

"When we say, 'our home,' we refer to the colored community. When
we say, 'our only home,' we speak in a general sense, and do not
suppose but in individual cases some may, and will take up a
residence under another government, and perhaps in some other
quarter of the globe. We are disposed to say something upon this
subject now, in refutation of certain positions that have been
assumed by a class of men, as the American people are too well
aware, and to the reproach of the Christian church and the
Christian religion, too, viz.: that we never can rise here, and
that no power whatsoever is sufficient to correct the American
spirit, and equalize the laws in reference to our people, so as
to give them power and influence in this country.

"If we cannot be an elevated people here, in a country the resort
of almost all nations to improve their condition; a country of
which we are native, constituent members; our native home, (as we
shall attempt to show) and where there are more means available
to bring the people into power and influence, and more territory
to extend to them than in any other country; also the spirit and
genius of whose institution we so well understand, being
c