No man who continues to add
something to the material, intellectual, and moral well-being of
the place in which he lives is long left without proper reward.
This is a great human law which cannot be permanently nullified.
The love of pleasure and excitement which seems in a large
measure to possess the French people impressed itself upon me. I
think they are more noted in this respect than is true of the
people of my own race. In point of morality and moral earnestness
I do not believe that the French are ahead of my own race in
America. Severe competition and the great stress of life have led
them to learn to do things more thoroughly and to exercise
greater economy; but time, I think, will bring my race to the
same point. In the matter of truth and high honour I do not
believe that the average Frenchman is ahead of the American
Negro; while so far as mercy and kindness to dumb animals go, I
believe that my race is far ahead. In fact, when I left France, I
had more faith in the future of the black man in America than I
had ever possessed.
From Paris we went to London, and reached there early in July,
just about the height of the London social season. Parliament was
in session, and there was a great deal of gaiety. Mr. Garrison
and other friends had provided us with a large number of letters
of introduction, and they had also sent letters to other persons
in different parts of the United Kingdom, apprising these people
of our coming.
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