THE NEGRO'S NEEDS.
149
here's a spot." What about the spot ? The world
knows all about it. It is a spot, an ugly spot, an in¬
delible spot on the character of this nation. But it
can't be removed. You may stand around it until
the last trumpet sounds, rubbing your hands and
exclaiming, " Out damned spot. Out I say!"
But it will not out for anybody- Let us leave
the spot. Let us address ourselves to the vital
issues which are before us. The whole nation is
responsible for that spot; but the whole nation
cannot erase that spot. There Is a spot, however,
which it can erase, which it can wipe out. I mean
that black spot of ignorance which so disfigures the
map of the Southern section of this country. The
nation not only can, but ought to do its part of this
work, and the sooner it does it the better. It ought
to begin at the very next sitting of Congress, by mak¬
ing an appropriation of twenty millions for that pur¬
pose. It would be the best appropriation that Con¬
gress ever made. What is the improvement of rivers?
What is the improvement of harbors, compared with
the improvement of the intellect, with the improve¬
ment of the morals of the people ? The true strength
of a nation does not lie in its rivers, nor in its harbors,
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