In all of these things, the speaker declared, his race had
chosen the better part. And then he made his eloquent appeal to
the consciences of the white Americans: "When you have gotten the
full story or the heroic conduct of the Negro in the Spanish-
American war, have heard it from the lips of Northern soldier and
Southern soldier, from ex-abolitionist and ex-masters, then decide
within yourselves whether a race that is thus willing to die for
its country should not be given the highest opportunity to live
for its country."
The part of the speech which seems to arouse the wildest and most
sensational enthusiasm was that in which I thanked the President for
his recognition of the Negro in his appointments during the Spanish-
American war. The President was sitting in a box at the right of the
stage. When I addressed him I turned toward the box, and as I
finished the sentence thanking him for his generosity, the whole
audience rose and cheered again and again, waving handkerchiefs and
hats and canes, until the President arose in the box and bowed his
acknowledgements. At that the enthusiasm broke out again, and the
demonstration was almost indescribable.
One portion of my address at Chicago seemed to have been
misunderstood by the Southern press, and some of the Southern papers
took occasion to criticise me rather strongly.
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