The Journal of Negro History, Volume 4, 1919Various
History
The Journal of Negro History, Volume 4, 1919
Various
African Americans -- Periodicals
In later years, however, Abbe Gregoire's _De la Litterature des
Negres_ fell into the hands of a more sympathetic man. This was D. B.
Walden of Brooklyn, New York, then secretary to the legation at Paris.
Interested in the abolition of the slave trade and the welfare of the
blacks, Walden translated Gregoire's _De la Litterature des Negres_,
that friends of the race unacquainted with the French language might
have additional information as to what the Negro had done to
demonstrate that the race is not intellectually inferior to others.
This translation, however, is unfortunate because of the numerous
faults throughout the work and largely on account of its omissions.
Exactly why the translator did not desire to bring before the American
public all of the facts set forth in this book has never been exactly
cleared up. It has been said, however, that the facts omitted were too
favorable to the Negro race to be received by the American public at
that time. The whole work should be translated as soon as some scholar
can direct his attention to it, but, in the absence of such an effort,
I am submitting herewith a translation of the most striking omission,
chapter five, which gives an interesting sketch of the career of
Angelo Solimann.
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF THE NEGRO ANGELO SOLIMANN
Although Angelo Solimann has published nothing[1] he deserves,
because of his extensive learning and still more by the morality
and excellence of his character, one of the first places among
the Negroes who have distinguished themselves by a high degree of
culture.
He was the son of an African prince. The country subject to the
latter's domination was called Gangusilang; the family,
Magni-Famori. Besides the little Mmadi-Make (this was Angelo's
name in his native country) his parents had another younger
child, a daughter. He remembered with what respect his father,
surrounded by a large number of servants, was treated; he had,
like every prince's child of that country, certain marks
imprinted on his two legs, and for a long time he hoped that he
would be sought for, and recognized by these marks.
Even in his old age, the memories of his childhood, of his first
practice in shooting arrows, in which he surpassed his comrades,
the memory of the simple customs and the beautiful blue sky of
his native country, often recurred to his mind with a pleasure
not unmixed with sorrow. He could not sing, without being
profoundly affected, those songs of his native land which his
good memory had very well conserved.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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