The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-11-21

.iSA h..it OAu Nuu OHEnHlNbINs IN ~ nv
OF entering tho ministry; his ambi.
tion was TO be a lawyer. although there up
race in the legal p m1st sesr'pMh He studied uYE % Theology
10 strengthen his knowledge and to serve him
in the practice Of the law.
Inere was no law school In the country in
1862 that would accept men OF Langston's race
rs students, so that young Langston was under
Philemon Bliss of Eiyria gave him an oppor.
tunity to do this.
About this time, in 1854, Mr.. Langston mar
Carolina and also n graduate Of Oberlin College,
who bore him two daughters and three sons, all
Langston was fortunate and happy In his do: |
mestic relations. He was a devoted husband
In, the same year of his marriage no had An
ished MS law course. and been admitted to the
nam 6ar under ns TT the LEG legal fiction that he was a T Slnns
mitted to the bar in tho West. Two years be:
township. and served as such for three years;
He had great popularity in his neighborhood
law practice. He was also in great demand as
an anti-slavery lecturer, and, at one time ana
n %oas sn his home SDrS WAS VISITED a. BY ys all a Of fe sS9 fs-
aggressive, learned, and eloquent speaker, and
was thoroughly in sympathy with the anti;
the, Western Reserve Of Ohio. It was natural
that one so well equipped by native ability and
reputation. and that he should have great
weightlin the deliberations of those heroic spirits
c %aG SFo infamy the Of s siaseTy ah PdSGiS eiS 30 Sro saH a nd
deep the sentiment which ultimately destroyed
H. root and BRANCH; MT; ad L"n Rrt n was dis young
Grams service, and his race will always hold
hun IN grateful remembrance for it,, He was
respected BY his neiehbors, most of whom were
white, and trusted by them in public affairs;
He was for eleven years a member OF the Board
Of Education Of oberlin at a period th1 when pro;
were. insisting that men of his race were in
capable OF mastering the rndiments of educa-
tfpn unI for fNyn1yn yanra he pinyn1 N luRru-
tive law practice in a State which prohibited
the admission of Afro.Amerlcans to the bar.
an active part in the important work of re-
eruiting Ie9lored troops; IN this good w4 Pbs
e ee 1Gayo and s eSISnii much i rep at tiou'P bS his Z 3 e .iHe
quent appeals in behalf of the Union.
In 1857 Gen: o. Q: Howard offered Mr.. Lang.
ston the position Of General Inspector of the
Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen and Abandoned
Lands. and. after seriously considering the
law practice and his home in Ohio, he accepted
1t, and very valuable and lasting service he rem.
the constructive work Of the Freedmen's Blu
reau, the good effects of which are still felt In
In 1865 Mr.. Langston was made dean Of the
law department Of Howard University NJ Wash.
batch of Afro.American lawyers, many Of whom
have gained distinction and aitiuence in many
o owe cue ev aSs1ihii Z To Mr.. Lang ;Ssns who was al.
ways particularly interested in young men, and
used the great influence he possessed to secure
, for the members of his law classes positions In
the departments at ashington. For a while
he was the acting President OF Howard, Uniyer-
President, but failed, as the trustees Of it did
not think, and do not think now, that it would
R be s0o Of p pRe in Sc Plafs an whieh ppoTed. in at Mr. Mr.
Langston's case at least, u costly mistake for
the university. During this time, and covering
attorney of the Board of Health Of the District
of Columbia and a trustee of the Frcedmens
Savings and Trust Company.
In 1877 Mr.. Langston was appointed Minis.
ter Resident and Consul-Gencrnl. to Hayd, and
ssFSsd ye gnti he 1s Wa: m mhse R Be EsIiSpe ID the In 3 she
ginia Normal and Collegiate Institute, at
Petersburg, Va, and served for three years.
gress. but did not get his seat until the end Of
the session.: He stood for reelection, but was
defeated. The Malone Republican machine
was against him, and he could get no assist
ance from the National Republican Committee
on that account; 1t Is very generally under
stood that Mr.. Langston's excursion into Nir-
ginia politics cost him something like $40. 000,
a pretty steep price to pay for the honor Of
!: Se'~ Congress eae sfs from onu the in,s o pedfr Do 5neplsae"' M.
Langston and Gen. Malone could not agree.
Of fheir temper, ana then. Gen. Malone did
not take much stock in Afro-A Americans ex-
cept as voters and hewers of wood and draw
'f Since IN 1881 Mr.. Langston. has practiced law
in Washington; and although he took a promi,
Congress was the last and the greatest public
he had reached the highest public. honor he
could aspire to, and having an ample fortune.
he would accept no position inferior to those ho
The one great mistake q Mr. :: L SIy Gst life
raphy, the grandiloquence Of the title, From
the Virginia Plantation to the National Capi.
tai" being moderate as compared with the text.
preserved in his composition, while his DISPOSE.
ton to magnify all things Langstonian. great
qsls s%Slli to Or his sn He th anSS % SF ReFdie estr IN se Entirely Tay
any critical or historical value the. work might
otherwise. possess. ,Autobiographies are haz,
more than make themselves ridiculous for all
time by indulging in the weakness. Mr.. Lang,
than any other man i recall, dead or living.
The publication of the work did permanent
For a great. many years Mr.. Langston and
Mr.. Frederick Douglass were close and helpful
friends, laboring side by side for the abolition
Union, and, after the war, for the b~etterment OF
the condition of their race, of whom they were
diverged about twenty years ago. The fiction
grew upon MI; Langston that he was g greater
man than Mr.. Douglass, and introduced a grenl
deal Of bitterness and unhappiness into his life
Mr.. Douglass did not allow the matter tt
bother him at all. He was as modest and re
firing in all matters relating to himself as Mr.
Langston was unblushing and ~insistent in fore
ing attention to himself and to his work in pr
was never in MIR. Douglass's class for a moment
Ho belonged in the m!ddlc-weight class. Will,
Mr.. Douglass belonged in the heavyweight class
ranking rs orator and philosopher with the bes
the country has produced Of either race. He hal
the academic training, but he was no match II
logic or analysis or charm Of spoken or writer
word with the self-made giant. who paved hi
Maryland to the pinnacle of fame. Douglas
was born with the elements of greatness ii
him; Langston made himself great by using t
the fullest the splendid opportunities that h
enjoyed from his youth. and without which h
never. would have cut any figure in the world
In length of service, in native ability, in az
complished work, John Mercer Langston; afte
the death Of Frederick Douglass, easily be
came the greatest man of his race.