Unfettered: A NovelGriggs, Sutton E. (Sutton Elbert)
General
Unfettered: A Novel
Griggs, Sutton E. (Sutton Elbert)
African Americans -- Fiction; United States -- Race relations -- Fiction
"Beautiful, beautiful dream. But it is my fear that enthusiasm over
expansion may cause us to lose sight of fundamental tenets of our political
faith. This leads me to state the point of difference between myself and
the Republican party," said Dorlan.
The subject was one, as may be seen, of absorbing interest to Morlene, and
she leaned forward slightly, eager to catch each word that Dorlan might
utter. He began: "The Republican party has not informed the world as to
what will be the ultimate status of the Filipino. In the final adjustment
of things, whatever _that_ may be, will the Filipino be able to say that he
stands upon the same plane, politically and otherwise, with all other free
and equal human beings. I labored earnestly to have the Republican party to
declare that no violence would be done to our national conception that
every man is inherently the political equal of every other man. The party
has promised that full physical, civil and religious liberty shall be
guaranteed. On the question of political liberty there is silence. Because
of this silence I leave it."
"In what manner, Mr. Warthell, do you hope to affect the result in the
pending campaign?" enquired Morlene.
"The Negroes, you know, are vitally affected by the issues in this
campaign. With England imposing its will upon India, with the Southern
whites imposing their will on the Negroes, only one great branch of the
white race exists which is not imposing its will upon a feebler race. I
allude to the white people of the North.
"Should our nation impose its will upon the Filipinos, by the force of arms
and without the underlying purpose of ultimately granting to them full
political liberty, the weaker peoples the world over will lose their only
remaining advocate in the white race, namely the people of the North.
"I hope to be able to show the Negroes that they, of all citizens in this
country, cannot afford to permit either silence as to, or the abandonment
of, the doctrine of the inherent equality of all men. The Negroes of the
pivotal states, when, united, can easily decide the election in whatever
direction they choose. It is my purpose to attempt to weld together the
Negroes in the hope of defeating any man that will not unequivocally and
openly declare in favor of the ultimate political equality of the
Filipinos."
"Are you not leaning on a broken reed, Mr. Warthell?" asked Morlene in
earnest tones. "Have the Negroes acquired sufficient self-confidence to
feel justified in pitting their judgment against that of the Republican
party? Can the recent beneficiary be so soon transformed into a dictator?
More important still, can you uproot those tender memories which flourish
in the sentimental bosom of the Negro, associating, indissolubly his
freedom with the Republican party?" she asked.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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