Unfettered: A NovelGriggs, Sutton E. (Sutton Elbert)
General
Unfettered: A Novel
Griggs, Sutton E. (Sutton Elbert)
African Americans -- Fiction; United States -- Race relations -- Fiction
The exponents in the Anglo-Saxon race, of justice, liberty, equality and
progress, have contended most zealously for the freedom of the press and
have evinced in every way a keen appreciation of the value of this
instrumentality developed among them for the utilization of the force of
public sentiment. In discussing the manner of effecting results in problems
of the general nature of ours, Benjamin Kidd remarks: "* * * * In like
manner the effect produced on the minds of the British people by
descriptions of the wrongs and sufferings of oppressed nationalities, has
been one of the most powerful influences affecting the foreign policy of
England throughout the nineteenth century; and any close student of our
politics during this period would have to note that this influence, so far
as the will of the people found expression through the government in power,
has been a far more potent factor in shaping that policy than any clear
conception of those far reaching political motives so often attributed to
the British nation by other countries."
Resolved upon the enlistment of the enlightened sentiment of the world, our
racial organization must utilize the talent of the race for oratory and
send able men with burning hearts to speak with flaming tongues of such
wrongs as the South wittingly or unwittingly imposes upon us. Negro
newspapers must be supported, until their unquestioned excellence makes a
way for them into homes without regard to race. Daily newspapers and
magazines, favorable to the highest interests of the race, must be
established so that the outpourings of the souls of Negro writers may have
better opportunities of reaching the world. The poem, the novel, the drama
must be pressed into service. The painter, the sculptor, the musical
composer must plead our cause in the world of aesthetics. The bird that
would live must thrill the huntsman with its song. With the sympathies of
the world thus enkindled, there are none who would wish to withhold our
rights. Even a Cain cries out against a situation in which every man's hand
would be against him. Our racial organization must gird itself for the
stupendous task of thus winning our great battle, of thus inducing the iron
hand to relax its grasp.
THE END DRAWETH NIGH.
Such is the program of endeavor to be set before our great racial
organization. Local organizations modeled after it, having in view similar
aims will be created and put in operation. It is evident that the task
before us involves the expenditure of enormous sums of money. It is true
that the organization once in operation would be cheerfully and adequately
supported by the Negroes. But the placing of it upon such a basis as will
disclose its value and secure devotion will require great sums of money.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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