The Portland daily press., 1862-09-29
PORTLAND DAILY PRESS
Capacity of Blacks.

Whether or not the African is endowed
with natural powers equal to those of the Cau-
casian, he is evidently capable of high de-
gree of improvement. History informs us that
the ancient Britons were exceedingly degrad-
ed before Christianity was introduced among
them. Cicero, in letter TO friend, alludes
to ship load Of them that had Just arrived at
the mouth of the Tiber, to be sold as slaves,
and advised him not to purchase any of them,
for the reason that they were too inferior even
to make slaves OF. Who can tell what the
Africans would have become in this and other
countries, had they had our advantages? Who
can tell what they may yet become?
here give few of the many instances in
which blacks have shown great capacity for
improvement, which should encourage all the
friends of human progress in this country to
labor for the education of that large class of
our fellow-beings. Hannibal, an African, (not
of course, the Carthagnian General rose to
the rank of Lieutenant-General under Peter
the Great, of Russia. His son, a mulatto, was
also a Lieutenant General i'm the Russian corps
of artillery. Francis William, black in Ja-
maica, was educated in the University of Cam
bridge; after his return to Jamaica he taught
Latin and mathematics. Anthony Williams
Amo, born in Guinea, took the degree of Doc
tor of Philosophy, at the University of Wit
tenberg, and distinguished himself in meta
physics; he was also skilled in the learned
languages. job Ben Solomon. son of the Mo-
hammedan king of Banda, was taken in 1870.
and sold in Maryland. He found his way TO
England, and became acquainted with Sir
Hanse Sloane, for whom he translated Arabic
manuscripts.
James Eliza John Capitien, an African, was
carried as slave to Holland, where he ac-
guired several learned languages. and took de-
grees in theology at the University of Lev
den. He was sent out as a missionary to Gui-
nea lgnatius Sancho, who died in 1880. dis
tinguished himself as writer, IN England
Thomas Fuller, an African, although unable
to read or write, performed difficult arithmet-
ical calculations with amazing facility. Belin-
da, after being slave for years, in Massachu-
sets, addressed, in 1882, an eloquent petition to
the Legislature, for the freedom of herself and
daughter. The petition has been preserved in
one OF the volumes of the American Museum.
Othello, published in 1874, at Baltimore. an ell
oquent essay against the slavery of Africans.
Cesar, a black of North Carolina. wrote sever
al pieces of poetry of high order.
In view of these facts. no one can reasonably
doubt that large portion of the blacks of the
South as well as Of the North, are capable. not
only of working, but Of being trained so as to
render valuable seavice as soldiers. Gen. Jack
son found black soldiers so brave and efficient
at the battle of New Orleans, that he bestow-
ed on them high public expression of praise.
One of the greatest military heroes that ever
appeared in connection with the history of
this continent, was Touissaint, negro. who,
IL Hayti, led his army of blacks to victory in
field fights and regular seiges against the vet
eran soldiers of France. How evident is it
that Gen. Hunter knows what he is about
Providence Journal