JNF-The-Working-Class-Struggle-of-Half-a-Century
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the Indies is famed in song and story. Time there was when little Saint<br />
Lucia was considered <strong>of</strong> greater value than Canada, and there was<br />
great questioning at the end <strong>of</strong> one <strong>of</strong> the wars, when a treaty was to be<br />
signed, whether Saint Lucia should be ceded or not. Great Britain owes<br />
a great debt to the people <strong>of</strong> these Islands, and I think that this new imperialism<br />
is a very serious consideration.<br />
I charge you people <strong>of</strong> Saint Kitts, all <strong>of</strong> you within sound <strong>of</strong> my<br />
voice, all <strong>of</strong> you who have the intelligence to understand what I say,<br />
believe me that we are entering into a very serious epoch <strong>of</strong> West Indian<br />
history, an epoch when only team-work and togetherness <strong>of</strong> purpose<br />
will save us, because it is letters <strong>of</strong> fire: “We must unite or perish!”<br />
Those <strong>of</strong> you here tonight are hearing my voice for the first<br />
time, and it may be I tell you, for the last time: and I speak <strong>of</strong> a dying<br />
man. <strong>The</strong> day <strong>of</strong> pettiness is past. I feel that we have to unite as one<br />
people, sound one common authentic note for progress ... <strong>The</strong>n we must<br />
organise - Booker T. Washington once said – “We have to hang together<br />
or we will hang separately.” A conference is going to be held at<br />
Roseau. Dominica (October 28 th ) and the Dominicans have sent out a<br />
call to the representatives <strong>of</strong> all the West Indian Islands to meet there. I<br />
know what it will mean, within the short time, for you to send a representative,<br />
but I tell you this, and I make this appeal very conscientiously,<br />
do what you can; it will help you, and it will help us all. Our only<br />
hope lies in working together, and so I have dedicated myself to this<br />
work, to try and draw us together, so that we can all feel the common<br />
heartbeat.<br />
Are you striving to develop your gifts? We need the gift <strong>of</strong> organisation,<br />
gift <strong>of</strong> leadership, and what is just as important, the gift <strong>of</strong><br />
followship, not fellowship - followship because we want good followers.<br />
You young men <strong>of</strong> St . Kitts are you PREPARING yourselves for<br />
this great work? I know it is not a thankful work - but you will have the<br />
satisfaction <strong>of</strong> knowing that you will be helping to leave the world better<br />
than you found it, and you will have worked your way into the consciousness<br />
<strong>of</strong> your people.<br />
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