Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-04-14

A CASTE INCIDENT OF HALF A CENTURY
AGo.-The recent exclusion of Frederick Doug
lass from the dinner table Of steamboat on the
Potomac river recalls TO a correspondent the sim
liar experience of a disinterested and intelligent
colored man at hotel in New Jersey near half
a century ago,-the results being more credit
able to all parties than those Of the present in
cident, and the whole story is quite worthy of
repetition as a lesson still needed by our peo-
Pile: In 1924, Gen. Bower, the president of Hay
ii, sent Al. Mathew Granville to this country as
an agent to solicit and facilitate the emigration
10 that country of our free col0red people. (The
colony Of American blacks at SANTANA found by
the San Domingo commissioners is one of the
results of that miSsion.) NJ. Granville was well
educated and intelligent gentleman, with COM
pleXion not greatly differing from that of Fred.
Douglass He landed at Philadelphia, and came
on to New York On his way he stopped at Il
hotel at New brunswick for supper, and sat
down to table in company with some fifty or
sixty persons. NJ. Granville happened TO be
seated next to United States naval officer, who
was entirely ignorant Of NJ. Granvie's rank
and character. When the officer observed NJ.
Granville at his side, he remarked, "Sir, are you
not aware that it is not customary for white and
colored people to eat at the same table," 10
this remark NJ. Granville made no reply. The
officer then repeated his remark in a more often
sive form, and rose from the table, declaring
that che would not cat with negro" NJ.
Granville then rose and requested the officer to
resume his seat, and addressed the company as
follows 81 am informed that it is contrary to
the custom of this country for white and colored
people to eat at lie same table. | am
stranger, gentlemen, from Hayti, and my
ignorance of the custom must be my apollo
gy." He then left the table, and as he was
leaving it, he observed the epaulette upon the
shoulder of the officer, and said to him: "Sir, |
also am an officer in my own country, and if
were there it would be my duty to take into
custody those Haytens who insult strangers"
Immediately more than half the company left
the table, and went to the proprietor of the
house and requested him to set table where
they might have the pleasure of eating with NJ.
Granville. The sequel TO this incident was that
the next morning the officer, convinced of his
mistake, wrote an apology to the Haytien, and
received in return this laconic reply: "Sir |
write insults in the sand, favors on the marble"
Subsequently, NJ. Granville, in abiding to this
matter, wrote: "The officer of the American ma
Wy, with whom this unpleasant affair occurred,
behaved the next day in the most noble manner:
and if history has not already handed down to
posterity the rcnown of American galantry, the
conduct of this officer would alone suffice to
proclaim it, for one must be truly magnanimous
to atone for ones faults when everything con-
spires to commit them with impunty," In
commenting on this affair, the journal of the
day from which this story is taken, says: of
this is a specimen of Haytien manners, it will
not be amss to send some of our young men TO
Hayti that they may learn how to behave them
selves like gentlemen and like christians" The
name of this naval officer is not given, hut from
subsequent illusions to the matter by NJ. Gran.
vile, suppose him to have been Commodore
Mckeever,