The University Student
LUX ET VERITAS
Vol. 2. No. 6
JOHNSON C. SMITH UNIVERSITY, CHARLOTTE, N. C., APRIL, 1926
Price 10 Cents
COL. CHARLES YOUNG IN
ARLINGTON
“Attention! 0 ye Ethiopia!
Let a laudable song be sung,
In memoriam to a loyal son.
Our beloved Col. Charles Young.”
“Gone to mix forever with the elements,
and to be a brother to the insensible rock
and smouldering clay” is one who gave his
life for the great cause of his race and
country.
Colonel Charles Young was born
March 12, 1864, lived 58 years, and died
January 8, 1922, for his country. From the
age of twenty, when he entered the West
Point Military Academy, to the end of his
short life, he was in the service of and
for his country. He spent five years at
West Point, five on the frontier as Second
Lieutenant in the 10th, 25th, and 9th Cav
alry, Infantry and Cavalry, respectively,
protecting settlers from the Indians; and
then went to serve at Wilberforce Univer
sity as military instructor. These deeds,
which were large in reality, were vague
shadows when compared with his other
valiant accomplishments.
He later served as Major in the Span
ish-American War, commanded troops in
the Philippines at Samar, Blanca Aurora,
Daraga, Tobaca, Rosona, and San Joaquin;
served as Superintendent of the Sequora
and Grant National Parks of California,
and served as military attache at Port au
Prince, Haiti, and in Liberia for which ser
vice he received the Spingarn Medal.
^‘A general was he by merit,
But not in reality
Was that honor to be given to any man
Of Ethiopia, you e’er did see.'”
The next step for Colonel ''^oung was to
“Genefaldom,” but when he was dreaming
of leading the Black Legion over Flanders
Field, when the United States entered the
World War, he was suddenly retired be
cause of “physical-disability.” Impossible!
thought Colonel Young:
“And to prove that this was not so.
He rode the distance on horseback
From Xenia, O., to Washington.”
Having refused retirement, a colonel’s
pay, and a happy-go-lucky old age, Col.
Young defied death itself and went back
to Liberia and there died in the service of
his people and country.
“Besides a soldier, a poet was he,
A musician and linguist true;
He wrote the famous drama,
■“Toussaint L’ouverture.’ ”
Col. Young’s military ability was by
no means the only outlet for his great gen
ius. He was the author of 103 short po
ems, a drama, “Toussaint L’ouverture,”
composed serenades, and played several in
struments. In addition to all this he spoke
French, German and Spanish fluently.
“He is gone but not forgotten,
A truly brave ana valiant .knight
Who never dared cry: ‘Hold! Enough!’
Even in the thickest fight.”
Not forgotten? Well, where rest his re
mains ? This question is indeed out of or
der; for it is obvious that no other grounds
could contain the remains of one of such
heroic patriotism, save those of Arlington,
the historic resting place of America’s
heroic dead. “But where?” I repeat. Go
if you please with me there in this quest.
With the mind’s eye you will see there
at his grave , a high monument, whose im
maculate head is buried in the bosom of
an invisible cloud, and whose characteristic
shadows extend throughout- the bounds of
the entii’e cemetery—a monument of his
deeds! But pulling off this mental veil, you
will see with the physical eye, unless under
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EDITORIAL STAFF, JOHNSON C. SMITH UNIVERSITY STUDENT
an illusion or hallucination, just two wood
en slabs!
Well, yes, they are there indicative of
the place where rests one of .America’s, as
well as Ethiopia’s, foi'emost sons.
0, Ethiopia! We must awake to our
sense of duty! We must erect to Colonel
Young a monument peculiar to those there
at the grave of the other races’ most hon
ored dead. And, finally, 0 race or ours
And finally, O race of our^:
A sacred burden is this life we bear,
Look' bn it, lift it, bear it solemnly.
Stand up and walk beneath it steadfastly;
Fail not for sorrow, falter not for sin; . .
But onward and upward till the go.il we
win.’’ ' ■ . . f . ..
H. L. FORBES, ’27.
SOCIAL-lEREDITY
By W. W. Jones, ’28.
A survey of the physical resources of the
universe shows a world generously fur
nished for the sustenance, of life. .We find
a surplus which, if' turned and used in the
proper channel, would afford luxurious
states of living. Theologians assert that
this is the best of all possible worlds; and
we must join and say many opportunities
are afforded with modern development. It
is also true that we can join critics in say
ing something is wi'ong with a world
where the people have progressed so slowly
since the beginning of their history. The
affording of ample opportunities seem to
be a handicap. The failure to find any
sound basis upon which to construct a
strong and sturdy civilization is due to the
periods of decay, and reaction have over
balanced tha‘ of construction.
’’Social Heredity,” says Patten, “Is ex
perience transmitted from the distant past,
influencing men independently of economic
environment, which is the sum of contem
porary experiences.” Men’s minds are gen
erally moulded and restrained by a realm
differing from that found by the physical
features of nature. The races of mankind
are constantly changing their economic me
dium by migration. They often leave iho
environments and circles to which they
have been adjusted, settling in districts
which do not conform to the customs and
traits they have received by social heredi
ty. In each period of races, social institu
tions are developed and moulded which live
long after. The . assimulation of habits,
custom, manners and trend of thought often
direct and speak for the destinies more so
than direct violation with nature. The mal-
adjuating of a poor and static class of peo
ple is due to their social inh8ritan:;e. T^he
rich fields of Texas or of Georgia would
mean nothing to many people who have
not the inherited qualities which will ena
ble them to adjust themselves to the situ
ation.
The unification of many peoples came
through conquest. In many instances the
social lives of these peoples were separate,
because one class was subjected to the ser
vitude of the other. Another source was
the irregularity of supplies, which were
produced in limited amounts in the periods
just after man had emerged from the car
nivorous and cannibalistic stages. Often
such causes forced them into tribes when
“'ree individuals would have perished. A
tl^areful survey of today vrill show in the
.■•inds of men primitive desires. The natu
ral contact with things will ever.be as long
as man, exists, and we cannot as de
scendants of primitive .man throw away en
tirely social heredity.
Let us turn our attention to the every
day working of the present peoples of the
world. We find in our survey two classes.
The first class is endowed and has all that
is needed for the sustenance of a luxurious
life; while there are some who are contin
ually battling with the great menace of
poverty. With contempt and harassing
fear they look upon the other class and
wonder concerning justice and an intelli
gent supervision. This is not far from us
but is within our visual realm; and often
we administer the menace of poverty con
sciously to our fellov/men. There have
flowed side by side for generations two
streams of life, one bearing the burden of
hard and laborious v,’ork, who perpetuate
themselves through generations generated
by stress and mutual dependence of the
primitive world; the other bearing aristo
cratic social heredity predominating by
law and tradition which gives them control
over social surplus. The difference be-
tv.'Ccn these classes can be summed up in
saying satiety quenches the emotion while
prclonged want enfeebles an ddistorts the
imagination. The rich bask in the smiles
of plenty while the poor degenerate under
the throttle of want.
Turn again to the thoughts of these
ind'vi('i’.a!', of wa:it and follov/ them into
their deepest, sincere investigations of in
telligent love, supervision, justice and
right, almost in a state of madness wonder
and question human and super intelligent
love. Right has no place if justice has not
been administered. Then these classes ap
peal to Christianity which holds its head
high, clothed in a fine paraphernalia, con
formed to the wants and desires of indi
viduals. Unbelief and hatred come when
they can find no solace. I dare say the
average minded person who has given the
situation serious thought would not agree
with them.
I turn myself and question the princi
ples of Christianity, and ask if the prin
ciples are carried out. The organizations
of the civilized world seem to be for ag
grandizement or personal gain and desires,
conforming only to the wants of particular
individuals.
The tracing of anthrop'^logy shows prim
itive and superstitious religions conformed
to the thought of tribes, classes and races
of people. Ontology, I believe, has its place
in this stage as a mental and metaphysical
science. The mental states of man in that
day and time had its peculiarities and
modes. Jletempsychosis played a part in
the religious t’nought of that time as to
the hereafter of a being; and through
tran.smission and heredity of qualities we
find theories advanced today which deal
wuth the same branches Of primitive-
thought. These things have their places in
our lives as a social quality. ' It will be
only the masses rising to a" plane above su
perstition and uncertainties of income that
will give to society an improving, stable
and physical social heredity.
We are in this wmrld and we have to
live here with the different peopies. Theso
qualities which have been in the practic-e
of primitives are still in the veins of the
peoples of the world. As to our religicus
beliefs there are certain traits and develop
ments which we call and consider right and
wrong; to substantiate our beliefs as to
right and wrong we have but two ways.
First, the ethical teachings of Jesus Christ.
Second, the infringement of natural law.
If an ethical or natural law is enfringed
there comes the pay, so to speak, but if
nothing comes we have acted in harmony
with the ethical teachings and natural law.
Now as to our qualities inherited we can
only say when they ai'e subjected to the
ethical teachings or conditions of environ
ment.
New in order to promote the coming civ
ilizations and perpetuate an advantage
which will permit them through heredity
to adapt and be in harmony with ethics and
also natural law, let us strive to generate
these qualities which are necessary.
Many of the older men, v.ho know John
E. Harris, class’ 95, v/ill be glad to know
that he is employed in seme form of gov
ernment work at Washington, D. C. Mr.
Harris is familiarly known to his class
mates as “Socrates.” He was a classmate
of ‘'Uncle Lilly.” Mr. Harris recently
taught in the government Indian Schools
in Oklahoma. Ho is originally from Ire
dell County.