But  when  race  development  is  once  appealed  to,
and    race   ambition   once   excited,   the    Negro   will


156  The  Afro-American  Group

quite  certainly  aspire  to  equality  with  the  white
man  in  every  particular.  Many  of  them  will,  there-
fore, prefer  a  Bishop  of  their  own  race,  with  an  in-
dependent jurisdiction  separate  from  the  white
man,  rather  than  a  Suffragan  Bishop,  who,  how-
ever well  qualified  for  the  Episcopate,  would  still
be  under  the  jurisdiction  of  the  white  Bishop.  For
this  reason  the  plan  of  a  Separate  Racial  District
will  make  impracticable  and  futile  any  attempt  on
the  part  of  a  Southern  Bishop  or  diocese  to  try  any
other  plan."

Thus,  our  opponents,  in  stating  their  case,  justify  us  in
our  contention,  and  almost  confess  in  advance  the  certain
failure  of  their  own  scheme.  Colored  Churchmen  do  not
object  to  one  Bishop  and  one  Convention,  in  which  all  may
share  the  same  divine  equality,  without  respect  to  race  or
color.  Since  white  Churchmen  are  the  ones  who  object  to
this  arrangement,  and  demand  a  white  Convention  with  a
white  Bishop,  they  should  be  willing  to  concede  to  their
black  brethren  the  same  liberty  and  independence  which
they  claim  for  themselves.  But  whether  they  concede  it  or
not,  we  can  not  deny  our  own  manhood  by  failing  to  contend
for  all  the  rights  of  man.
