The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1875-12-04
FROM OHIO.
OBERLIN, O., Nov. 2S, 1878.


the co-education Of the colored and whitt
races, happened IN his wise In journey
ing from New Haven to Oberlln, Ohio
via Saratoga Springs, leaving my homt
July 3, 1888, crossed Lake Erie from
Buffalo, n. Y. in a schooner, and being at
the time in very poor health, and unable
to wait upon myself on my passage, the
colored cook on board observed it, and
was afterwards AS kind to me as brother
OF other f.ieud or relative need to have
been The passage being somewhat rough,
and | So feeble, 1t appeared to me quite
likely, | owed my life to this sable son of
Africa. He was, by the way, one Uf the
blachest men ever saw. perceived he
was a man in the noblest sense lis had
he informed me, served as cook gu a
steamboat plying rn the Ohio and Mississ
sippi rivers. Before parting company
| inquired Of him if he would like to study,
provided the opportunity offered, and he
declared he should very much like to do
so. then told rim where | vas bound
and said thought he would he received
there, from the knowledge | had If the
principles Of the institution, and It was ar
raL.ed tina: 1 should write him at Buffalo,
~ time for hlm to get the letter On his re-
turn there, making 1t necessary for ME 10
attend t. the matter at the earliest Oppor-
tunity after my arrival in OberlIn, which
| did hy inquiring Of Rev. J. j. Shipherd,
Nhu WAS head man here at the time HIS
reply was, OberlIn itself Is an experiment,
and 1t does not answer to multiply expert
ments, for If Se do they will, like house
II corncobs, topple over when built too
high. pr heaped one upon the other |
scquIesced IN his decision, for the time,
saying he was older and wiser than ! was,
and | might therefore be IN he wrong per-
haps and here the matter rested until Mr..
Shiphrrd started east, via Cincinnati, on
an expedition te procure teachers. In
Cincinnati he met with Rev. Asa Mahan,
who would accept Of the presidency only
on condition that cOlured students should
be received on equal terms with the whites;
~ distinction on account Of color; well;
he proceeded on his mission to New York
city, and there met Rev G. g. Flnney,
who made the same proposition, and the
rebel theOloglans Of Lane Seminary also
waited on the decision, with Rev. John
Morgan at their head. Mr.. Shipherd
wrote as the circumstances, | think, be
fore leaving Cincinnati, and meeting was
called IT the colUnists, at which the head
Of the school attended, Rev Mr. Waldo,
who opposed the project with all his might.
and there were found but three 10 favor Il,
of whom your humble servant was one.
We did our best in defense OF the rights OF
the colored people. It was not shown that
there was any money IN u at this meeting,
but very soon it began to be asserted there
was The Tappans would aid us If we
acceded to the proposition, etc, etc, and
then men began to prick up their ears and
the trustees decided, by a single vote, in
favor 1T the colortd man, this one vote
being cast BY Rev John Keep, my convert
to 0berlin principles. Singular, was it
not. and 0berin sustained DR.. Bailey
while IN Cincinnati, without which aid he
could not stood. Neither could the
cause uf anti siavery have trlumphed with
out her aid; moreover providence sent us,
in the spring of 1887, to DIR. David Mel
son, of Mission Institute fame, and author
Of Cause and Cure Of Inhdelity, to sus
tain him in his work al the very crisis,
dined with Lovejoy at his house just be-
fore he was murdered. Circulated an anti
slavery petition on my way to the conven-
ton, for which | was honored with a mob
at Griggsville, Ill
took an agency for the Philanthropist
Of Dr. Bailey, at Cincinnati, and circulated
all could from that time forth, returning
again from Illinois to Oberlin III 1889
The following is the Oberlin Covenant,
to which is due her fame and prosperity
Lamenting the degeneracy Of the Church.
and the deplorable condition Of our per
ishing world, and ardently desirous of
bringing both under the entire influence
of the blessed gospel Of peace; and view
ing with peculiar interest the influence
which the valley of the Mississippi must
exert over our nation and the nations eff
the earth; and having, As we trust, been
guided by the Spirit IF the Lord the un-
dersigned covenant together, under the
name of the Oberhn Colony, subject to
the following regulations, which may be
amended by vote Of two-thirds of the
colonists D.
| l. Providence permitting, We may en-
gage, as soon as practicable, to remove to
the Oberlin Colony, in Russia, Lorain Co.,
o., and there to fix our residence for the
exI Iress purpose Of glorifying God, and
doing good to man, to the extent Of our
ability.
2. We will hold and manage our estates
personally, but pledge as perfect com
munity Of interest as if we held com
munity Of property.
3. We will hold in possession no more
property than we believe we can profitably
manage for God, as his faithful stewards.
T. We will, by industry, economy, and
Christian self-denial obtain as much 81
we can above our necessary family expen-
ses, and faithfully appropriate the same
for the spread Of the Gospel
8. That we may have time and health
for the Lord 4 4service wa will eat only