On the evening that I spoke before the Association there must have
been not far from four thousand persons present. Without my knowing
it, there were a large number of people present from Alabama, and some
from the town of Tuskegee. These white people afterward frankly told
me that they went to this meeting expecting to hear the South roundly
abused, but were pleasantly surprised to find that there was no word
of abuse in my address. On the contrary, the South was given credit
for all the praiseworthy things that it had done. A white lady who
was teacher [sic] in a college in Tuskegee wrote back to the local
paper that she was gratified, as well as surprised, to note the credit
which I gave the white people of Tuskegee for their help in getting
the school started. This address at Madison was the first that I had
delivered that in any large measure dealt with the general problem of
the races. Those who heard it seemed to be pleased with what I said
and with the general position that I took.
When I first came to Tuskegee, I determined that I would make it
my home, that I would take as much pride in the right actions of the
people of the town as any white man could do, and that I would, at the
same time, deplore the wrong-doing of the people as much as any white
man.
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