Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1895-09-05
TITLED NEGROES.

MISSOURI.

mere Are some Who Have Been Honore<
by Royalty.
1nere have been many negroes il
Europe and the West Indies who havs
received distinguished consideration in
the way of decorations from the
crowned heads of the old world. The
BLACK Roscius-Ira Aldridge-whe
created such furore in Europe many
Years ago as a tragedian, and who was
eqaently carried from the theater.
IN which he performed upon the shout
oers OF his enthusiastic auditors to his
hotel, was loaded down with medals.
the Insignias of various royal orders,
the gifts of kings and queens whom
ne had charmed and delighted by his
magnificent representations of the char.
-Acters he assumed.
Aidridge was a Maryland negro. and
nrst went to Europe some time in the
4o's In the capacity of a valet to dis
tlnguished American tragedian. who.
discovering his talents and bent of
mind, encouraged him to become an
actor. He performed in the principal
cities of Europe, and it is recorded of
him that when he played Iago. in the
city of Moscow in Russia, a number of
students who had witnessed the per-
formance unhitched the horses from
the actors carriage after the play was
over and dragged him in triumph 20
his lodgings In Sweden and Germany
and England his name was house
hold word He stood in the front IA nix
among the greatest actors of his day,
and the nobility of Europe held him
In the same regard and treated him
with the same consideration that
Americans bestow upon any great actor
who mas made himself famous Ira
Aldrldge gave no performances in Eu-
rope which were not witnessed by one
or more mem bers of the royal family of
the country he was in. In personal
appearance he was very dark in COM
plexion. with full. round face. which
was covered with closelv-shaven
beard He was nearly six feet in
height He had large, lustrous eyes.
and a resonant voice, which he kept
under perfect control
As Aaron. in Titus Andronicus, and
as the Moor, in .'Othello," he estab-
1ished his fame as the most realistic
actor who up to that period had ever
essayed those roles The newspapers
OF that period showered unstinted
praise upon this remarkable negro,
and he was lionized in fashionable So
ciety and feted by the nobility: the
king of Sweden knighted him and the
emperor of Russia conferred a decora-
ton upon him His medals and deco
rations from other personages were
estimated at the time of his death.
1867, to be worth over two hundred
and fifty thousand dollars. Al
bridge owned nine villas situated in
various parts of Europe. and each of
them was handsomely furnished His
principal residence was III the CITY of
London, England, where he enter
tanned In royal manner the legions of
friends who sought his company and
that of his charming wife, Swedish
baroness. by whom he had three chill
dren- He died in 1867 as Sir 81. AL
bridge. r c. NJ, and a host of other
titles given him at various times.
An article in Wilkes Spirit of the
Times for 1859. among other things. in
speaking of Aldridge, says that The
was one of the most polished and mod
est of men, thoroughly refined, unos-
and manner"
In 1877 Edward wilmot Blyden. a
ful1-blooded negro, born in the Danish
West Indies, was appointed by the
president of the republic of Liberia
minister plenipotentiary of that gov
eminent at the court of St James and
was received with marked considera-
ton by her gracious majesty, Queen
Victoria at Osborne. July 80, 1873.
The marquis of Salisbury, at that time
secretary of state for foreign affairs
and now prime minister of England,
introduced DR. Blyden to her majesty
DR.. Blyden was soon after elected an
honorary member of the aristocratic
Athenaeum club Of London He is an
author and linguist of worldwide rep
utation-
Queen Victoria has recently con-
ferred the Victoria Cross upon a coal
black negro, corporal in one of the
West India regiments, for having
saved the life Of his commanding off,
Ger by throwing himself in front of the
latter and receiving in his own body
the bullets that would have otherwise
found 1odgment in that of his captain
Peter Salem did something like this
during our revolutionary war.
In 1878 or 1879 the president of the
republic of Liberia conferred upon the
American minister, Hon John Il
Smith, in consideration of friendly
services to the republic, the title OF
knight of the Order of African Re
demption- Transcript