The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1855-07-15

NEW YORK HERALD,
hts Of the Professors "Black Diamonds' are fAmi-
hsr in detail 10 most Of our readers, we think the
collection In It's complete form il worthy Of more
extended notice than has hitherto been given to It.
Without entering int, the question OF the natural
superiority OF the blacks 10 the whites it must bs
conceded that the former ou'strip US il the
liberal use cfthat figure Of speech which the learned
term hyperbole. The vulgar, we are aware bestow
upon this much more homely designation; but
but being unwilling to say anything rhas might %
offensive to ears polite, we shall make no Allu-
sion to "fbbiog," or what may be- termed o
passion for smplifcation. Assuredly, however. tbs
negroes do possess it par excellence. We never
Goldsmith In lying ~ Johnson said, through an iaca
thick board.
Il WAS but lately we heard an intrepid gentlemsc
Of sable color detailing to an admi-Wg audience the
history of sn ingenious French Leave" which he
had taken of his master some eighteen years sgo in
Kentucky and of his subsequent. csresr. He hal
In Liverpool made q small fortune, ($l00,) out VI
Henry Clay, when dead. by writing sketch Of him
for the newspapers, though he doubted whether the
subject OF his memoir ever worth twenty cents
TO his country when living; and the account he
gave of his reception Of his former master In Lon
don Was infinitely more amusing than that oil his
attempt on the life of the great American patriot
Sambo hearing of his arrival In town, condescend.
ingiy called upon him and gave him friendly vel.
come. He next invited him home, and politely In.
troduced him to his daughter, miss 6.,) just re-
turned from receiving refined edusasion including
the Pea.heny, in Paris; and eventually wound up
by introducing him at the Reform Club, In London,
Of which the narrator, by his own account, had
been elected an " honorary member FOX life." The
entertainment Of the astonished Southron, after he
had enjoyed the full run Of the Kitchen finally
wound up by a lecture from sambo on the subject
Of emancipation in the great hall Of the club and
before the whole Of the members, fully twelve hun
dred in number. Having been acquainted vita
London club life for at least dozen Of years, we
enjoyed heartily the boldnsss and incorporating
freedom OF the fellows assertions They did not, to
be sure, enhance the favorable view which we had
previously been inclined to take Of his seeming
truthfulness and sincerity but we Quilted his pre-.
sence impressed with an unbounded conviction Of
his ability in exaggeration.
The author Of the papers before us has ably IL
lustrated this well many other peculiarites OF
the negro character. We should have stated that
the literary form they assume is that of series of
lectures by the mythical Professor VII ,se name as
pears on the title page, and whose white w0olly
head in strong contrast with the deep sable Of his
interesting physioynomy, must be familiar to most
Of our readers. The lectures treat of the various
events and conditions Of life, and as delivered by
the learned Professor to IN audience each of whom
was uglier thsn himself must have been highly i'm
pressive. A rams head-white face with black
horns adorns the desk before him, by way of illus
tration; and Hannibal's own mouth-down which
glasS of rum and water, placed by his side, is &C.
csslonslly emptied--is evidently gulf Of elo-
quence, though not exactly, like Gibbons,
round hole in the centre Of his visage. On
the contrary, it is Of nost ample and barn door
DIMENSIONS and only 10 be matched by the eqr lily
formidable potatoe traps, male and female, which
are srTsyed before him. The Professor sometimes
addresses these interesting specimens Of humanity
as "ieller eitizans, on other occasions "bnbbsi
lsms" when the plate, which he sends around
in the course of the lecture, has been satisfactorily
repenished; at other times % "Hteemd fren's,"
when the collection has been moderately success
full; 'ladies and gemmen," or "chosen children"
when the coin has been more than usually nu-
merous; end from "dear bruddesn" he suddenly
changes his tone and pitches into them in tbs shape
of Ignorant hearers" "wooly heads." dark
end disciples and "harden'd sinners" when his
pulpit efforts chance to be welcomed with moe
coughs than coppers. The erudite lecturer shakes
his head on various topics. He invites his "fellow
trable,s" sometimes to follow him "trew dis
vale OBJ tears" occasionally ne ponders with
them on "deep reflexions;'' and when he becomes
downright indignant and, for reasons before ex'
planned feels it incumbent on him to address, them
by the name OF "rebellious scorpions" hescon-
s,ders it necessary 10 be profoundly dogmstic.
Frequently the Professor treats bis audience With
song; and on the rare occasions in which their
liberaty exceeds the uaual bounds there is little
doubt that he is ready, in the pulpit and with his
own sacred person, to indulge them in delightful
vision Of the beauties Of the dance.
Unlike other gentlemen, however, who occasion.
ally "wag their paw in pulpit--that is, shake
their heads in pulpit, as did the illustrious Do
mimic Samson of cd-the Professor, in the progress
Of bis discourses, developers no uncomfortable
store of worldly wisdom. He inculcates more con
sistency than Raymond, and more honesty thaa
GIeeley though VIC doubt not he is inferior to the
FORMER in the alacrty with which he "jumps Jim
Crow" and has not his pocket yet so we'll filled as
the o,he, with money from the deluded Irish and
conGding foreigners. Unlike Aaron Burr and
other members Of that hopeful family,
he has hearers who trust and creditors who
believe him; and we question whether the Professor,
though he has no Honorable prefxed To his name,
ever biks bis landlord, or for nonpayment is
kicked out Of his hotel after having pocketed his
coin. Unlike some importations whom We could
name, including one alleged to be from the South.
ern bench, the Professor is an honorable man,
and would pass as such in any sham democratic
assembly, whether OF hards or softs, though all
members Of these reunions are Of course "honor-
able very, very honorable men," including in
their ranks one half the pettfoggers Of New York.