“I don’t see how any one can help thinkin’ that Christianity and education are the best solutions of this problem that can possibly be found if the black man remains here,” or wherever he is, I added reasonably, in my own mind.
“These, with an educated sufferage, that includes the best of black and white, male and female, bond and free, is, in my opinion, the only hope of this Nation under these circumstances.
“But,” sez I, “religion, though it can do almost anything, yet there are some things it hain’t never done, and I don’t spoze ever will do: it hain’t never took the spots offen a leopard’s back or made a jackal coo like a dove or a serpent walk upright, or a turkle dove mate with a tiger.
“The One who made all nater and true religion, who holds the heavens and earth and seas in His hands, has laid down certain laws ever sence the creation of the world. And it is perfectly impossible for us to break down them laws, or climb over ’em, or creep under ’em.
“There they are, firm, immutible, not to be stirred one jot or tittle by all the strength that can be brought to bear aginst ’em. And Hypocrisy and Cant hain’t a goin’ to help any by sayin’ that Religion is a doin’ sunthin’ that it can’t do.
“So, what can we do? All we have got to do in this matter is to acknowledge them laws and submit to ’em; ignorin’ ’em or walkin’ by ’em with our heads up in the air a pretendin’ we don’t see ’em don’t amount to anything at all, only we are liable to stumble and fall down ourselves.
“And one of these laws is the inherient difference between the black and the white races.
“There is no use a arguin’ on it and a sayin’ that it is onreasonable, and it ort to be overcome, etc.
“Who sez it is reasonable? I don’t. It would be awful convenient sometimes if water would run up hill; but it won’t. And I have to accept the plain fact and lug the water up hill in a pail. For me to stand on top of the hill and holler for it to come up would be foolish. I might yell all my life, and couldn’t start a drop up hill, and my lungs would be tired out for nuthin’. And you might think sometimes that a good old childless cat might adopt a mouse; but she won’t, only in one way. Mebby it hain’t Christian in her, but she wuz made that way. If she accepts it at all, it will be inside of her. I can’t help it, and she can’t. She wuz made that way before the mountains wuz formed, like as not.
“Religion can do much, but it never has made black white or put the nater of a eagle into a snail, or the virtues of a angel under the hide of a bear.