the whole people becomes a matter of public interest and national 

 <:<>ncern. I am, however, no advocate of a governmental system of 

 education except by the States; but I do advocate tlu* extension to 

 all of the States the policy which has uniformly obtained in the 

 organization of new States. The public lands are the common pro- 

 perty of the whole people of the Union, held by it in trust for their 

 benefit and behoof, and if there be reason and sound statesmanship 

 in reserving a portion of this property for educational purposes in 

 the sparsely populated but prosperous new States, does not the 

 same reason and statesmanship, in a far higher degree, dictate the 

 appropriation of a portion of this property to the education of the 

 larger and poorer populations of the older States of the South '( 



But I do not go to the length of urging even this very just and 

 correct view of the subject, based though it may be upon the 

 soundest and most substantial and patriotic reasoning. All I seek 

 and all I demand is equality with all of the other States of the 

 Republic in this as in all other respects. I merely advocate the 

 performance of what I believe to be a solemn and imperative duty 

 by the Federal government to the black race and to the people of 

 the whole country, and that duty consists in appropriating the en- 

 tire proceeds derived from the sales of the public lands to educational 

 purposes. And while I would devote a portion of these proceeds to 

 the further endowment of colleges of this character, and the balance 

 to the support and maintenance of free, primary schools, I would so 

 apportion all as to confer the greatest benefit upon the greatest 

 numbers. 



The details of the manner in which this duty shall be executed, 

 whether this property shall be divided among the several States 

 equally, or according to population or illiteracy, or upon what I 

 should esteem the wiser, more comprehensive and equitable basis of 

 present needs and prospective demands, and how much shall be ap- 

 portioned to primary and how much to technical schools, may be 

 safely confided to that Congress which shall possess the wisdom, the 

 integrity and the patriotism to adopt this policy. 



As one of its faithful friends and earnest advocates, I shall ever 

 hold myself in seadiness, with whatever of influence I may be able 

 to wield, not only to secure the permanent establishment of this 

 policy, but when established, to see to it that the State of my adop- 

 tion, which has hon6red me with her highest and most sacred trusts, 

 and whose soil is to be my future and final resting place, shall be 

 dealt with as becomes her exalted position and high deserts. With 

 these means, and through these instrumentalities, I shall hope to see 



