“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.
“And the spellin’ book is extremely desirable and good, and highly worthy, and to be praised. But then there are things too strong for education to overcome. For instance, to draw up the simely that I have drawed before—it hain’t poetick, but one which is familiar to men or wimmen: Education can’t put a number seven foot into a number three shoe.
“No, it can’t be did, and education may orate to them big toes in Greek or Latin, and it may read essays to ’em in words of seven or eight syllables, and quote all the poets to ’em, livin’ or dead, but it hain’t a goin’ to quell ’em down, and make ’em any smaller. It hain’t a goin’ to get ’em into that shoe.
“And when folks talk too much about the sudden miracles that education and Christian teachin’ is going to do to the black race, and seem to expect ’em to become perfect all to once, I want to ask ’em why it hain’t made our own race perfect?