Bournemouth

March 3/67

My dear M^r. Douglas

I take the opportunity of inserting a small enclosure into the letter of our mutual friend Miss Amé Draz to express the deep sympathy which I feel with the struggles your people have to undergo in their transition from slavery to freedom.

I do not doubt that often your heart faints somewhat under the accumulated difficulties and trials which spring up in your way but it is a necessity that all peoples who have to understand and value freedom should go through the severe discipline of much tribulation—"Sweet are the uses of adversity" may your people find this to be the case—the day of compensation will come and that surely

if we are able to take a wide survey of the world we see that there is upon the whole a steady advance in the right direction—the great hills of difficulty which have stood across the road of human progress are melting away and the distant hum of all nations, kindreds and tongues already breaks upon the hopeful ear marching along that road—I dont believe the black brethren will be by any means the last rank—the contact with white civilization may be painful but it will in the event prove healthful May God give wisdom to their leaders—power to their teachers and tractableness to those who have to learn so that this state of probation may soon pass away and they may prove how unfounded are the calumnies which have been cast upon them Your friend

Thomas Coote