Unfettered: A NovelGriggs, Sutton E. (Sutton Elbert)
General
Unfettered: A Novel
Griggs, Sutton E. (Sutton Elbert)
African Americans -- Fiction; United States -- Race relations -- Fiction
When all essential factors in the situation have been cancelled our racial
organization will find that there remains to be overthrown pride of race,
prejudice and self-interest. The Anglo-Saxon race has so long enjoyed the
thought of superiority over the Negro, that there will be those to oppose
the unfettering of the Negro through the sheer force of race pride. There
will be others who will continue in opposition, as a result of prejudice,
for which they can assign absolutely no reason. There will still be others
who have profited by race antagonisms, who have come into place and power
by their ability to crush out Negro aspirations. An era of peace would rob
this class of an occupation, and self-interest will influence them to
oppose the untrammeling of the Negro.
Against pride of race, prejudice and selfishness, then, our racial
organization will find itself pitted in the last instance.
Here, again, we are face to face with a situation that calls for somewhat
of a change of front on the part of the Negro. In the days of slavery the
Negro who sought for freedom fixed his eye upon the "North Star" and
journeyed thitherward. When freedom at last came to the Negro in the South
it came from Northern climes. His mind has grown accustomed to looking to
forces external to the South to bring him his desires.
Enlightened communities are in great measure self-governing, and too much
reliance must not be placed on foreign forces. The Negro must more largely
seek to utilize forces present in the Southland. There are broadminded men
there that are able to rise above all considerations of pride, prejudice
and selfishness, and deal with all men according to the mandates of the
Golden Rule.
Our racial organization must form an alliance with such white
neighbors--must labor with them in matters looking to the highest interests
of our common country. As evidence that there is a possibility of such an
alliance, we quote the following from "The Washington Post," a leading
newspaper in the nation's capital, and a recognized champion of Southern
interests: "So far as we are concerned--and we believe that the best
element of the South in every State will sustain our proposition--we hold
that, as between the ignorant of the two races, the Negroes are preferable.
They are conservative; they are good citizens; they take no stock in
social schisms and vagaries; they do not consort with anarchists; they
cannot be made the tools and agents of incendiaries. * * * Their influence
in government would be infinitely more wholesome than the influence of the
white sansculotte, the riffraff, the idlers, the rowdies, and the outlaws."
MIGHTIER THAN THE SWORD.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account