UNWRITTEN HISTORY.
Belton, smiling, locked his arm in Bernard's and said: "Come with me.
I will explain it all to you." They walked down the aisle together.
At the sight of these two most conspicuous representatives of all that
was good and great in the race, moving down the aisle side by side,
the audience began to cheer wildly and a band of musicians began
playing "Hail to the Chief."
All of this was inexplicable to Bernard; but he was soon to learn what
and how much it meant. Belton escorted him across the campus to the
small but remarkably pretty white cottage with green vines clinging
to trellis work all around it. Here they entered. The rooms were
furnished with rare and antique furniture and were so tastefully
arranged as to astonish and please even Bernard, who had been
accustomed from childhood to choice, luxuriant magnificence.
They entered a side room, overlooking a beautiful lawn which could
boast of lovely flowers and rose bushes scattered here and there. They
sat down, facing each other. Bernard was a bundle of expectancy. He
had passed through enough to make him so.
Belton said: "Bernard, I am now about to put the keeping of the
property, the liberty, and the very lives of over seven million five
hundred thousand people into your hands."
Bernard opened his eyes wide in astonishment and waited for Belton to
further explain himself.
"Realize," said Belton, "that I am carefully weighing each remark
I make and am fully conscious of how much my statement involves."
Bernard bowed his head in solemn thought. Viola's recent death, the
blood-curdling experiences of the day, and now Belton's impressive
words all united to make that a sober moment with him; as sober as
any that he had ever had in his life. He looked Belton in the face and
said: "May revengeful lightning transfix me with her fiercest bolts;
may hell's most fiery pillars roll in fury around me; may I be
despised of man and forgotten of my God, if I ever knowingly, in
the slightest way, do aught to betray this solemn, this most sacred
trust."
Belton gazed fondly on the handsome features of his noble friend and
sighed to think that only the coloring of his skin prevented him
from being enrolled upon the scroll containing the names of the very
noblest sons of earth. Arousing himself as from a reverie he drew near
to Bernard and said: "I must begin. Another government, complete in
every detail, exercising the sovereign right of life and death over
its subjects, has been organized and maintained within the United
States for many years. This government has a population of seven
million two hundred and fifty thousand."
"Do you mean all that you say, Belton?" asked Bernard eagerly.
"I shall in a short time submit to you positive proofs of my
assertion. You shall find that I have not overstated anything."
"But, Belton, how in the world can such a thing be when I, who am
thoroughly conversant with every movement of any consequence, have not
even dreamed of such a thing."
"All of that shall be made perfectly clear to you in the course of the
narrative which I shall now relate."
Bernard leaned forward, anxious to hear what purported to be one of
the most remarkable and at the same time one of the most important
things connected with modern civilization.
Belton began: "You will remember, Bernard, that there lived, in the
early days of the American Republic, a negro scientist who won an
international reputation by his skill and erudition. In our school
days, we spoke of him often. Because of his learning and consequent
usefulness, this negro enjoyed the association of the moving spirits
of the revolutionary period. By the publication of a book of science
which outranked any other book of the day that treated of the same
subject, this negro became a very wealthy man. Of course the book is
now obsolete, science having made such great strides since his day.
This wealthy negro secretly gathered other free negroes together and
organized a society that had a two-fold object. The first object
was to endeavor to secure for the free negroes all the rights and
privileges of men, according to the teachings of Thomas Jefferson.
Its other object was to secure the freedom of the enslaved negroes
the world over. All work was done by this organization with the sole
stipulation that it should be used for the furtherance of the two
above named objects of the society, and for those objects alone.
"During slavery this organization confined its membership principally
to free negroes, as those who were yet in physical bondage were
supposed to have aspirations for nothing higher than being released
from chains, and were, therefore, not prepared to eagerly aspire to
the enjoyment of the highest privileges of freedom. When the War of
Secession was over and all negroes were free, the society began to
cautiously spread its membership among the emancipated. They conducted
a campaign of education, which in every case preceded an attempt at
securing members. This campaign of education had for its object the
instruction of the negro as to what real freedom was. He was taught
that being released from chains was but the lowest form of liberty,
and that he was no more than a common cur if he was satisfied with
simply that. That much was all, they taught, that a dog howled for.
They made use of Jefferson's writings, educating the negro to feel
that he was not in the full enjoyment of his rights until he was on
terms of equality with any other human being that was alive or had
ever lived. This society used its influence secretly to have appointed
over Southern schools of all kinds for negroes such teachers as would
take especial pains to teach the negro to aspire for equality with all
other races of men.
"They were instructed to pay especial attention to the history of the
United States during the revolutionary period. Thus, the campaign of
education moved forward. The negroes gained political ascendancy in
many Southern states, but were soon hurled from power, by force in
some quarters, and by fraud in others. The negroes turned their eyes
to the federal government for redress and a guarantee of their
rights. The federal government said: 'Take care of yourselves, we are
powerless to help you.' The 'Civil Rights Bill,' was declared null and
void, by the Supreme Court. An 'honest election bill' was defeated
in Congress by James G. Blaine and others. Separate coach laws
were declared by the Supreme Court to be constitutional. State
Constitutions were revised and so amended as to nullify the amendment
of the Federal Constitution, giving the negro the right to vote.
More than sixty thousand defenseless negroes were unlawfully slain.
Governors would announce publicly that they favored lynching. The
Federal Government would get elected to power by condemning these
outrages, and when there, would confess its utter helplessness. One
President plainly declared, what was already well known, 'that
the only thing that they could do, would be to create a healthy
sentiment.' This secret organization of which we have been speaking
decided that some means must be found to do what the General
Government could not do, because of a defect in the Constitution. They
decided to organize a General Government that would protect the negro
in his rights. This course of action decided upon, the question was as
to how this could be done the most quickly and successfully. You well
know that the negro has been a marvelous success since the war, as a
builder of secret societies.
"One member of this patriotic secret society, of which we have been
speaking, conceived the idea of making use of all of these secret
orders already formed by negroes. The idea met with instant approval.
A house was found already to hand. These secret orders were all
approached and asked to add one more degree and let this added degree
be the same in every negro society. This proposition was accepted, and
the Government formed at once. Each order remained, save in this last
degree where all were one. This last degree was nothing more nor less
than a compact government exercising all the functions of a nation.
The grand purpose of the government was so apparent, and so needful of
attention, that men rushed into this last degree pledging their lives
to the New Government.
"All differences between the race were to be settled by this
Government, as it had a well organized judiciary. Negroes, members
of this Government, were to be no longer seen fighting negroes before
prejudiced white courts. An army was organized and every able-bodied
citizen enlisted. After the adjournment of the lodge sessions, army
drills were always executed. A Congress was duly elected, one member
for every fifty thousand citizens. Branch legislatures were formed
in each state. Except in a few, but important particulars, the
constitution was modeled after that of the United States.
"There is only one branch to our Congress, the members of which are
elected by a majority vote, for an indefinite length of time, and may
be recalled at any time by a majority vote.
"This Congress passes laws relating to the general welfare of our
people, and whenever a bill is introduced in the Congress of the
United States affecting our race it is also introduced and debated
here.
"Every race question submitted to the United States judiciary, is also
submitted to our own. A record of our decisions is kept side by side
with the decisions of the United States.
"The money which the scientist left was wisely invested, and at the
conclusion of the civil war amounted to many millions. Good land at
the South was offered after the war for twenty-five cents an acre.
These millions were expended in the purchase of such lands, and
our treasury is now good for $500,000,000. Our citizens own about
$350,000,000. And all of this is pledged to our government in case it
is needed.
"We have at our disposal, therefore, $850,000,000. This money can he
used by the Government in any way that it sees fit, so long as it is
used to secure the recognition of the rights of our people. They are
determined to be free and will give their lives, as freely as they
have given their property.
"This place is known as Jefferson College, but it is in reality the
Capitol of our Government, and those whom you have just left are the
Congressmen."
"But, Belton," broke in Bernard, "how does it happen that I have been
excluded from all this?"
"That is explained in this way. The relation of your mother to the
Anglo-Saxon race has not been clearly understood, and you and she have
been under surveillance for many years.
"It was not until recently deemed advisable to let you in, your
loyalty to the race never having fully been tested. I have been a
member for years. While I was at Stowe University, though a young man,
I was chairman of the bureau of education and had charge of the work
of educating the race upon the doctrine of human liberty.
"While I was at Cadeville, La., that was my work. Though not
attracting public attention, I was sowing seed broadcast. After my
famous case I was elected to Congress here and soon thereafter chosen
speaker, which position I now hold.
"I shall now come to matters that concern you. Our constitution
expressly stipulates that the first President of our Government should
be a man whom the people unanimously desired. Each Congressman had
to be instructed to vote for the same man, else there would be no
election. This was done because it was felt that the responsibility
of the first President would be so great, and have such a formative
influence that he should be the selection of the best judgment of the
entire nation.
"In the second place, this would ensure his having a united nation at
his back. Again, this forcing the people to be unanimous would have
a tendency to heal dissensions within their ranks. In other words, we
needed a George Washington.
"Various men have been put forward for this honor and vigorous
campaigns have been waged in their behalf. But these all failed of
the necessary unanimous vote. At last, one young man arose, who was
brilliant and sound, genial and true, great and good. On every tongue
was his name and in every heart his image. Unsolicited by him, unknown
to him, the nation by its unanimous voice has chosen him the President
of our beloved Government. This day he has unflinchingly met the test
that our Congress decreed and has come out of the furnace, purer than
gold. He feared death no more than the caress of his mother, when he
felt that that death was to be suffered in behalf of his oppressed
people. I have the great honor, on this the proudest occasion of my
life, to announce that I am commissioned to inform you that the name
of our President is Bernard Belgrave. You, sir, are President of the
Imperium In Imperio, the name of our Government, and to you we devote
our property, our lives, our all, promising to follow your banner into
every post of danger until it is planted on freedom's hill. You are
given three months in which to verify all of my claims, and give us
answer as to whether you will serve us."
* * * * *
Bernard took three months to examine into the reality and stability
of the Imperium. He found it well nigh perfect in every part and
presented a form of government unexcelled by that of any other nation.