Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1892-05-05

lie was n leader and nn inspiration to
his race, and his successes serve
To acccntuatc the obstacles ho
surmountcd lie was known rs "the
colorcd orator OF the West" he had
taken high rank in the Masonic order,
he had dahbled actively and influen-
italy in politics, he had risen to n posi-
ton of influence. Yet the father OF
this man was slave. Alexander was
born Feb, %, 1926, in Washington
county, Penn. His father was the
son of his master an lrishman Of
the name OF George Darncr.
The boy Alexander had few oppor-
tunitics for systematic study, and Mt 10
he was working in barber shop In
Cincinnati. Here he attended school
in dcsultory way until October, lsii,
when he became bartender on the old
steamer George Washington. But life
on the river did not suit him, aud In
1872 he settled In Muscatine, then u
raw frontier town, and opened u
barber shop, which he conducted
until 1863 lie had been frugal all
these ycnrs, and 40 when ill-health
mcnaCcd him he had little capital
paved up with which 20 embark in u
lnorc active avocntion. He bought u
little town property, leased timber
lands, contracted to supply steamers
on the river with wood, specialized
here and there when opportunity
offered to earn an honest penny--and
30 came finally To position OF indie
pcndencc bordering on aiilucnce.
II was the exigcncy Of war, however,
which first called young Clark into
prominence. lie enlisted in 1868 in the
First Iowa colored cavalry and received
the appointment Of sergeant-majo r, but
was refused muster on account OF
physical disability. Deferred from go
ing To the front he became one of the
most active agents in the West In
gathering recruits for the army.
In 1869 he was appointed by the col
orcd State convention delegate to the
National Republican convention of his
race at Washington, and by this latter
organization he was appointed chair
man of the committee charged with
the duty of bringing To the attention
Of Congress the claims of colored
soldiers and sailors TO an equality with
their white copatriots In the matter Of
pensions and bountics. Another honor
bestowed upon him In this convention
was his appointment rs member Of
the committee TO wait upon President
Grant and Vice-President Colfax to
a.. Int intN n
the colored people of the United States
upon their election.
In 1860 he was Vice President of the
Iowa Republican convention, and from
then on he was usually n delegate and
could generally be heard upon the
floor at some time during the delibera-
tions. In 1872 he was appointed by
The Republican State convention n
delcgate-at-large to the Philadelphia
convention which nominated Grant and
Wilson. Following this other political
honors were ut one time or another
thrust upon him, but his first recogni-
zion from the President came in 1873,
when he was appointed Consul Mt Aux
Cages, Ilayti. lie declined the position
owing to the smallness Of the salary,
remarlsing to friends that 'if he could
not live rs well while an officer of the
United States he would rather remain
n private citizen and retain his self
respect"
The wife Of Alexander Clark was
Miss Catherine Griffin, of mixed Afri-
can and Indian blood, to whom he was
welded at Iowa City in 1913, and by
whom he has had five children.
Late in life he studied law and grad
mated from the law department Of the
Iowa State University. In fact, the
predominatiDg characteristic of the
man was his indomitable determination
not TO be thwarted in the achievement
of any end by age. lie wanted to fill
every sphere open to him-to blaze out
the way that other members of his race
coming after might find the struggle
not SO hard. In this he was largely
successful, for he will be remembered
as most upright man and citizen and
his example will long remain to afford
encouragement to other self-reliant,
ambitious member of his race.