Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1862-09-27
rADvERT1sENrENT.J

| der the caption Of % First of August in Ober-
lin" read with astonishment and surprise
the preamble and the resolution, and the ar
gument OF Mr.. Cowles-if argument it can
be called. He calls it the " indictment" +"
and that seems to be proper name for it.
1t is, according to the editors showing, an
assault upon the character of private eiti-
Zen, and an attemptt to control him in his pri-
vate business and domestic arrangements.
Having known Mr.. Palmer for many years,
and having at several different times been a
guest at his table in Oberlin, when the " gen
tIeman" referred to in the preamble sat at
the table with the other guests, I felt a
desire to know what could have called forth
this terrible denunciation from men who
claim to have reaehedperfeetiOn in holiness
for the wrath of such men must be a holy in
dignation.
a friend of mine has sentme what are said
to be the facts, which, if they are, will dis
pose of one item in the resolution, to wit:
couseless for We read in scripture that " the
curse causeless shall not come" There was
a sufficient cause in this case.
The disturbance with the " gentle men, :"
which led to this outburst Of holy indignation
occurred some three months before the reso
lutions we're passed, SO that Professor c. and
his friends had ample time to investigate the
case, and to have called on Mr.. Palmer and
received his version Of the matter. This
would have been more in accordance with the
teachings of the Savior; more in the spirit
of the rule of doing to others as we would
have them do to US. This should have been
done before it was brought before the grand
inquest in the form of an ''indictment in
a public assembly, on mere hear-say, or er-
pdrte evidence. But such a course would not
satisfy the wounded feelings Of the gentle
men Of color. The facts are said to be
these: Early in the season, two gentle
men," as Professor Cowles calls them, came
to the Hotel in the evening and called for
lodgings. At that time there were more
than the usual number of boarders, and sew
eraI strangers had put up for the night. The
custom Of the house has always been, that,
whenever there are more persons than can be
seated at the public table, a side table for
three or four persons is set for extra guests,
furnished with the same kind and variety Of
food, and waited upon by the same walters.
It is customary in all hotels, for the regular
boarders TO occupy the same seats at the ia
bic each day. Of course the new COM
ers, if there be not sufficient room at
the common table, must take the side
table. In the morning, as the public
table was filed the night before, the
side table was prepared for four persons,
and the gentlemen" were shown to the
side table-not on account of their color,
but because the boarders and other guests
would fill the table. Immediately one of the
" gentlemen" rushed out, declaring he would
not sit down to Jim Grow table, and went
off leaving his baggage behind. He after
wards came back and called for his baggage,
but refused to pay for his lodging. lie was
very abusive, and said he would 60 into the
dining room when he pleased, and sit where
he pleased, and behaved in a very rude insO-
lent manner.
These are said to be the facts. It has
stirred up the bile of the gentlemen con
nected with the College, and in large pub
lie assembly they poured out their wrath and
indignation upon man who claims the right
to rule his own house, and manage his do
nestle concerns as he sees proper. Mr..
Palmer does not admit that the College Fac
ulty or the community, has any right to say
who shall sit down to his table, or who he
shall receive as his guests. He often has
strangers as his guests, whose notions of So
eial equality differ materially and justly
from Professor Cowles'; and Mr. Palmer
cannot compel his guests to sit at the table
or occupy the same bed with every specimen
of humanity. There are many men, as white
as Professor Cowles, with whom I would not
eat, at home or abroad.
Three months or more after the affair, this
preamble and resolution, which the Profess
sor denominates the Indictment" were
read and discussed in public assembly, and
if no better reasons or more applicable ref
erences to scripture can be found than the
editorial Professor mas given US, they are to
be pitied in their blind zeal to force upon
the public " social eq1ality" that must be
Bepugnant to the more enlightened and bet
ter informed Of both races. IF the theology
of the Professor is his argument, be the the
olOgy of that institution, the less the world
has of it, the better.
After reading and discussing the resOlu-
ton, committee of five was appointed to
wait upon Mr.. Palmer. After having SLAM
dered the man publicly, and declared that
his conduct was " causeless, cruel and IN
christian, an outrage upon the usages Of 4
true civilization" they send a committee to
the prisoner at the bar, whether to receive
his plea Of guilty or notgrihy, my correspon-
dent saith not.
What constitutes 4 gentleman? Not his
color. In this country the term is applied to
men of education, good breeding, politeness,
and civil manners as distinguished from the
vulgar and the clown. Do the Professors
gentlemen - come within the range of what
constitutes a gentleman? A gentleman who
felt himself insulted by being directed to
take a particular seat or place, would submit
in silence and afterwards avoid the house
where he had been unkindly treated.
The resolution and its appendages are a
literary curiosity. The Indictment charges
Mr.. Palmer with debarring "geHHemen from
his table for no cause, save that they belong
to the oppressed race" Where is the proof
to sustain this count In the absence of all
proof, they assume to judge a mans motives /;
they judge his heart, and say it is because
the gentlemen belong to a particular race.
But hundreds can testify that Mr.. Palmer
has always allowed "tho gentlemen" TO sit
at his table. The charge is false, and not
only unsustained by proof, but abundant tcs-
timOny can be had to show the contrary. The
Professor himself must know this to be 30.
Whether Prof. C. drew the indictment or not
care not. He has made himself RESPONSE
bic. He stands as the pubhcprOseoutor, and
has indorsed it by giving it place in his
paper and advocating its passage. He is,
therefore, guilty of a base and infamous libel
upon his neighbor. He takes it for granted
that the charge is true. His argument is
not to prove the charge, but 10 show its ia
grant enormity-that it is "cruel, unchris-
tain, and an outrage upon civilization"
Then, as if apprehensive that he had gone
perhaps too far, he stultifes himself by
adding, that all this "cruel, unchristain
conduct and outrage upon Christian civiliza-
tion "has no reference to the personal char
acter Of Mr.. Palmer, further than is involved
in the acts referred to, and would apply
equally to any other man doing the same
thing in the same circumstances" There is
a sGblimity in this saving clause that is be-
yond my comprehension. The Professor and
his associates should by all means secure
copyright. It must be charm to Mr.. P
1t means just this: "Mr. P. you did steal
horse and picked a mans pocket, but we do
not impeaoh your personal character, any
further than it is involved III these outra-
gsOus acts, and would apply to any other
horse-thief or pickpOcket."
Now a word about the Professors elabo-
rate argument, and his Scriptural questions.