The colored American., 1900-10-20

In Syria, and who afterwards gave tC
Athens, Tenn the leaven OF q brave
and practical Christian ministry, was
true aud faithful counsellor. He gave
him sympsthy, treated him as an
equal, visited his humble home and in
vIted him to his own house, as well as
gave him the use of his splendid libra
ry. For ten years he was his Sunday
school teacher, directed his cours1 OF
reading and study, gave him his first
ideas OF the nature Of society and hu'
man rights, and instructed him in men
tai and moral philosophy.
As pupil he had often been called up
on to act as monitor, and frequently to
hear classes recite. and he began in his
seventeenth year to teach school at Mt
Harmony, Tenn. , raising the standard
for temperaD ce and purity. and carry
ing on a vigorous crusade against the
use of tobacco. He organized a debat-
ing society and strove to improve the
condition of the people. An enthusias
tic and success sful teacher from the be-
ginning he was employed second year
AS student teacher at Athens and az
forwards at Warner Institute, Jones'
borough, he won the highest praise.
He conducted schools at Johnson City
and at Greenevlile with remarkable
success, continuing his studies while
teaching, and occasionally reporting to
the Institute for emananitiOn and in
struction. Vacation always found him
with book in his hand.
He began to take an interest in pub
lie affairs by circulating petition mem
orialtZing Congress for the passage Of
Charles summers Supplemental Oivi
Rig hts Bill, As this was In the trying
days of Reconstruction, white ply
sician VINO favored the measure was
driven out of the town with his family
and others threatened,
Young Richards early acquired q TO
putatiOn in his native county as speak
er, having carried of the prize In an
oratoricRl contest at Forest Hill in his
sixteenth year, his competitors beioe
picked scholars three or four years bis
seniors. His first political address, de
livered In the court house at Athens In
1875, before he had reach his majority
attracted wide attention and ELECTED
much favorable comment.
In 1873 he entered Howard Univer'
sity, and during his last two years there
led his classes in most of the coliege
time a course in the Law Department
from which be graduated as valedictOr
ian, June l, 1881. President Garfield
who conferred the degrees upon th'
class, said of the valedictorian, "Tht
country will hear from that young man
And it has often been remarked tina
his address on "The Genius Of Populal
Government" remains the best that ha
yet been delivered by student OF th'
Howard University Law School during
the thirty three years OF its existence
Having considerable political inf1u
ence he was OppO1nted to $1,000 clerk
ship in the Treasury Department. nly
l, 1881. and promoted for efficiency tc
81, 900 the following year. This appoint
ment enabled him to pay of his debts
The only financial aid he had ever had
was the loan Of money from the writel
| Of this article, which money he now
returned as he had borrowed it, by in
stallments. In 1883 he completed 8
post graduate course IN law at the head
Of his class, continuing the study o1
Latin and also Of Greek, having orig
inally learned the latter language with
out teacher, and devoted himself FOL
several years, under able instructors &c
the acquisition of the French, italian
German and Spanish tongues.
On December 81, 1885, President
Cleveland dismissed Mr.. Richards from
the Treasury Department for 'offen'
ave psrtisanshIp," and on January 1,
1886, he was given school in the Dis.
trict Columbia, of which he remained
in charge till June 10. 1886, when he
returned to Tennessee, where he min
istered to the only parent he had ever