St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1888-10-25
PROFESSOR BRANDON.
A Good Man but not Adapted to HI
Il inc


| surroundings.
Joel Chandler Harris, in Atlanta Constitution.
If you should meet on the street to
day a man rather under medium hight
with a full beard, dreamy, far-away
look in his blue eyes and an elusive
manner that is sometimes called timid
ity by those who talk at random-i
you should meet such man, stop and
speak to him. You will find that his
name is Professor Brandon. You will
also discover from his conversation
that he is an Englishman, and you will
gather the impression that he is a man
of learning and great traveller. 1922
You will also discover that the pro
fessor is character that under his
mild and shrinking exterior is con-
cealed the stuff out of which martyrs
are made. In quiet way the profess
or has had considerable career in
Georgia. He came south to take the
position of principal of an academy in
little village not q hundred miles
from Atlanta. So far as his scholar
ship and his literary attainments were
concerned, he was admirably fitted to
fill the position, and he gave unbound
ed satisfaction until the night when
ed it's doors to the public and invited
the citizens and their families to hear
the young men discuss the grave ques-
tons that are usually settled on these
occasions. Naturally, the professor, as
the head of literary institution, was
asked to participate in the debate, and i,
quite as naturally, he gave his consent.
The matter under discussion had
l,n
have forgotten its exact terms, but it
related to the social differences and
the social prejudices that exist between
the whites and the negroes. Every
body turned out to hear the discussion,
which was in the nature of an event.
| am told that numb Der of the young
men who participated gave evidence
of remarkable forensic ability, discuss
ing the question with degree of pow
er rarely displayed on such occasions !;
time, for when Professor Brandon arose
proceeded with his remarks, every
thing else was forgotten. The audi
ence, shocked and paralyzed, sat and
heard in the village before, and will
| doubt if there is any official report
of the professors remarks extant. If
there was a reporter present, he prob
ably dropped his pencil and neglected
his duties. There are those, however,
who have somewhat vague remem-
brance of the plea which the professor
made. According to good authority it
was about as follows:
"My friends, the time has come when
civilization and progress ought to shed
Il new and searching light on the mat
ters which have been engaging our at
tention. | shall keep you but little
while. have tendency to hoarse-
ness and my voice is naturally not
strong, but | desire to say to You here
and now that | think you have totally
miscOnceived the grave and far-reach-
ing character of this discussion. 1t
goes far beyond the temporary ques-
ton of social equality. | think, my
friends: that before l am done You will
be convinced that the white man is
not ethnOlogically superior to the ne
gro. 1t is common, | am told, for
those who hold the views that l am
now endeavOrlng to maintain, to be
asked whether they would be willing
for their daughters to marry negro.
am frank to say that should be per-
fectly willing for daughter of mine to
marry respectable negro"
"To show you why | am of this
opinion, | will relate little circum-
stance which | think is interesting
apart from any bearing it may have on
this discussion. Not very long ago
was present at the meeting of one of
the most prominent pathological asso-
Citations. In close proximity-at my |
side, in fact-sat a jet-b black negro,
who, at one stage of the proceedings,
arose, and, with the most perfect pro
priety, announced that GrOte had mis-
interpreted passage from Thucydides,
and the fact that the jet-black negro |
was correct in his criticism has been
shown by subsequent historical events. |
Now, my friends, do You not think it |
would be an honor to claim such |
negro as that as member of your |
family Z"
/ need not say that the professors |
eloquence failed to elicit storm of ap-
plause, nor was there any riot when he
took his seat. Shocked, the people
slowly dispersed paralyzed, they
made their way home. A great silence
fell on the town, 1t had been out
ragged; but SO affably and innocently
had the deed been done that there was
no protest.
But at midnight that night Professor
Brandon was aroused by knock at
the door of his lodging He arose,
dressed himself, and admitted one of