The Black Man: His Antecedents, His Genius, and His AchievementsBrown, William Wells
History
The Black Man: His Antecedents, His Genius, and His Achievements
Brown, William Wells
African Americans -- Biography
Professor C. L. Reason has for many years been connected with the
educational institutions of New York and Philadelphia. In 1849, he
was called to the professorship of Mathematics and Belles Lettres
in New York Central College. This situation he held during his own
pleasure, with honor to himself and benefit to the students. A man of
fine education, superior intelligence, gentlemanly in every sense of
the term, of excellent discrimination, one of the best of students,
Professor Reason holds a power over those under him seldom attained by
men of his profession. Were I a sculptor, and looking for a model of
a perfect man in personal appearance, my selection would be Charles L.
Reason. As a writer of both prose and poetry he need not be ashamed of
his ability. Extremely diffident, he seldom furnishes any thing for the
public eye. In a well-written essay on the propriety of establishing
an industrial college, and the probable influence of the free colored
people upon the emancipated blacks, he says, "Whenever emancipation
shall take place, immediate though it be, the subjects of it, like
many who now make up the so-called free population, will be, in what
geologists call, the 'transition state.' The prejudice now felt against
them for bearing on their persons the brand of slaves, cannot die out
immediately. Severe trials will still be their portion: the curse of
a 'taunted race,' must be expiated by almost miraculous proofs of
advancement; and some of these miracles must be antecedent to the great
day of jubilee. To fight the battle upon the bare ground of abstract
principles will fail to give us complete victory. The subterfuges of
pro-slavery selfishness must _now_ be dragged to light, and the last
weak argument, that the negro can never contribute any thing to advance
the national character, 'nailed to the counter as base coin.' To the
conquering of the difficulties heaped up in the path of his industry,
the free colored man of the north has pledged himself. Already he sees,
springing into growth, from out his foster _work-school_, intelligent
young laborers, competent to enrich the world with necessary products;
industrious citizens, contributing their proportion to aid on the
advancing civilization of the country; self-providing artisans,
vindicating their people from the never-ceasing charge of fitness
for servile positions." In the "Autographs for Freedom," from which
the above extract is taken, Professor Reason has a beautiful poem,
entitled "Hope and Confidence," which, in point of originality and
nicety of composition, will give it a place with the best productions
of Wordsworth.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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