Part 5 (2/2)
Ward has embraced the legal profession, and intends to practise law.
Governor Seward said of him, that he ”never heard true eloquence until he heard Samuel R. Ward speak.” Mr. Ward has recently left the United States, for Canada West, and is destined to be a great statesman.
Rev. Henry Highland Garnett, was also the pastor of a white congregation, in Troy, N.Y. Mr. Garnett is a graduate of Oneida Inst.i.tute, a speaker of great pathetic eloquence, and has written several valuable pamphlets. In 1844, Mr. Garnett appeared before the Judiciary Committee of the Legislature at the capital, in behalf of the rights of the colored citizens of the State, and in a speech of matchless eloquence, he held them for four hours spell-bound.
He has also been co-editor of a newspaper, which was conducted with ability. As a token of respect, the ”Young Men's Literary Society of Troy,” elected him a life-member--and he was frequently solicited to deliver lectures before different lyceums. Mr. Garnett left the United States in the summer of 1849, and now resides in England, where he is highly esteemed.
Rev. James William Charles Pennington, D.D., a clergyman of New York city, was born in Maryland,--left when young--came to Brooklyn--educated himself--studied divinity--went to Hartford, Conn.;--took charge of a Presbyterian congregation of colored people--went to England--returned--went to the West Indies--returned--was called to the s.h.i.+loh Presbyterian Colored Congregation--was sent a Delegate to the Peace Congress at Paris, in 1849, preached there, and attended the National Levee at the mansion of the Foreign Secretary of State, Minister De Tocqueville; and had the degree of _Doctor of Divinity_ conferred on him by the ancient time-honored University of Heidleburg, in Germany.
Dr. Pennington is very learned in theology, has fine literacy attainments, and has written several useful pamphlets, and contributed to science, by the delivery of lectures before several scientific inst.i.tutions in Europe.
He has, by invitation, delivered lectures before the ”Glasgow Young Men's Christian a.s.sociation”; and ”St. George's Biblical, Literary, and Scientific Inst.i.tute,” London. In one of the discourses, the following extract will give an idea of the style and character of the speaker:--”One of the chief attributes of the mind is a desire for freedom; but it has been the great aim of slavery to extinguish that desire.”
”To extinguish this attribute would be to extinguish mind itself. Every faculty which the master puts forth to subdue the slave, is met by a corresponding one in the latter.”... ”Christianity is the highest and most perfect form of civilization. It contains the only great standard of the only true and perfect standard of civilization. When tried by this standard, we are compelled to confess, that we have not on earth, one strictly civilized nation; for so long as the sword is part of a nation's household furniture, it cannot be called strictly civilized; and yet there is not a nation, great or small, black or white, that has laid aside the sword.”--pp. 7-14. The Doctor has been editor of a newspaper, which was ably conducted. He belongs to the Third Presbytery of New York, and stands very high as a minister of the Gospel, and gentleman.
Rev. John Francis Cook, a learned clergyman of Was.h.i.+ngton City, has taught an academy in the District of Columbia for years, under the subscribed sanction and patronage of many of the members of Congress, the Mayor of Was.h.i.+ngton, and some of the first men of the nation, for the education of colored youth of both s.e.xes. Mr. Cook has done a great deal of good at the Capitol; is highly esteemed, and has set as Moderator of a body of Presbyterian Clergymen, a.s.sembled at Richmond, Va., all white, except himself.
Charles L. Reason, Esq., a learned gentleman, for many years teacher in one of the Public Schools in New York, in 1849, was elected by the trustees of that inst.i.tution, Professor of Mathematics and Belles Lettres in Centre College, at McGrawville, in the State of New York.
After a short connection with the College, Professor Reason, for some cause, retired from the Inst.i.tution, much to the regret of the students, who, though a young man, loved him as an elder brother--and contrary to the desire of his fellow-professors.
Mr. Reason is decidedly a man of letters, a high-souled gentleman, a most useful citizen in any community--much respected and beloved by all who know him, and most scrupulously modest--a brilliant trait in the character of a teacher. We learn that Professor Reason, is about to be called to take charge of the High School for the education of colored youth of both s.e.xes, now in course of completion in Philadelphia. The people of New York will regret to part with Professor Reason.
Charles Lenox Remond, Esq., of Salem, Ma.s.sachusetts, is among the most talented men of the country. Mr. Remond is a native of the town he resides in, and at an early age, evinced more than ordinary talents. At the age of twenty-one, at which time (1832) the cause of the colored people had just begun to attract public attention, he began to take an interest in public affairs, and was present for the first time, at the great convention of colored men, of that year, at which the distinguished colonization gentlemen named in another part of this work, among them, Rev. R.R. Gurley, and Elliot Cresson, Esqs., were present.
At this convention, we think, Mr. Remond made his virgin speech. From that time forth he became known as an orator, and now stands second to no living man as a declaimer. This is his great forte, and to hear him speak, sends a thrill through the whole system, and a tremor through the brain.
In 1835, he went to England, making a tour of the United Kingdom, where he remained for two years, lecturing with great success; and if we mistake not was presented the hospitality of one of the towns of Scotland, at which he received a token of respect, in a code of resolutions adopted expressive of the sentiments of the people, signed by the town officers, inscribed to ”Charles Lenox Remond, Esq.,” a form of address never given in the United Kingdom, only where the person is held in the highest esteem for their attainments; the ”Mr.” always being used instead.
To C.L. Remond, are the people of Ma.s.sachusetts indebted for the abolition of the odious distinction of caste, on account of condition.
For up to this period, neither common white, nor genteel colored persons, could ride in first cla.s.s cars; since which time, all who are able and willing to pay, go in them. In fact, there is but one cla.s.s of cars, (except the emigrant cars which are necessary for the safety and comfort of other pa.s.sengers) in Ma.s.sachusetts.
Mr. Remond, appeared at one time before the legislature of Ma.s.sachusetts, in behalf of the rights of the people above named, where with peals of startling eloquence, he moved that great body of intelligent New Englanders, to a respectful consideration of his subject; which eventually resulted as stated. The distinguished Judge Kelley, of Philadelphia, an accomplished scholar and orator, in 1849, in reply to an expression that Mr. Remond spoke like himself, observed, that it was the greatest compliment he ever had paid to his talents.
”Proud indeed should I feel,” said the learned Jurist, ”were I such an orator as Mr. Remond.” Charles Lenox Remond is the soul of an honorable gentleman.
Robert Morris, Jr., Esq., attorney and counsellor at law, is a member of the Ess.e.x county bar in Boston. Mr. Morris has also had the commission of magistracy conferred upon him, by his excellency George N.
Briggs, recent governor of the commonwealth of Ma.s.sachusetts, a high honor and compliment to an Attorney; the commission usually being conferred on none but the oldest or most meritorious among the members of the bar. He also keeps the books of one of the wealthy rail road companies, a business almost entirely confined to lawyers in that city.
Mr. Morris is a talented gentleman, and stands very high at the Boston bar. He sometimes holds the magistrate's court in Chelsea, where his family resides, and is very highly esteemed by the whole community of both cities, and has a fine practice.
Macon B. Allen, Esq., attorney and counsellor at law, is also a member of the Ess.e.x bar. He is spoken of as a gentleman of fine education.
Robert Dougla.s.s, Jr., for many years, has kept a study and gallery of painting and daguerreotype in the city of Philadelphia. Mr. Dougla.s.s is an excellent artist--being a fine portrait and landscape painter, which art he practised before the discovery of daguerreotype. He is also a good lithographer, a gentleman of fine educational attainments, very clever talents, and highly esteemed in that city. Mr. Dougla.s.s has been twice to the West Indies and Europe.
J. Presley Ball is the princ.i.p.al daguerreotypist of Cincinnati, Ohio.
Mr. Ball commenced the practice of his art about seven years ago, being then quite young, and inexperienced, as all young beginners are, laboring under many difficulties. He nevertheless, persevered, until he made a business, and established confidence in his skill; and now he does more business than any other artist in the profession in that city.
His gallery, which is very large, finely skylighted, and handsomely furnished, is literally crowded from morning until evening with ladies, gentlemen, and children. He made some valuable improvements in the art, all for his own convenience. There is none more of a gentleman than J.
Presley Ball. He has a brother, Mr. Thomas Ball, and a white gentleman to a.s.sist him. Few go to Cincinnati, without paying the daguerrean gallery of Mr. Ball, a visit.
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