The colored American., 1901-11-09

A communication Wss published in
The Star of October 80 asking for the
authority to justify the statement Of q
corresDOndent that Thomas jefferson
entertained at dinner Benz smin Banne-
ker aud dlsputing the Statement be-
an ? the writer had failed TO find il in
Ia r,be's account OF Banneker Or in
Mrs TvsoI.'s lie of him. Now, it must
be 8 United that the absence Of such
an incident IN either al cJunt 1s not eVi-
nence one way or the Olher, and, IS is
generally the case, new fac IN regard
n the fathers of the country a 9 con-
stantly being drawn out by happenings
of today. and this is one Of them. Mrs.
Martha Tyson, who was the daughter
Of George ElIicOtt, BannekCr's warm
trend. sought ner information IN 1e-
gard to Banneker az EllicOtt's Mills
ne1.Iy fifty J ears after Banneker's desJh
nv cOnverslng with those who had
known him Il is plain that all who
personally saw him and gave her in
formation must have been quue young
when they knew h!m, anu probably
We're ltlIe likely to know OF such q
matter IS the Jefferson dinner, since
J,ffsrsOn lived sev veral hundred mil 5s
swsy. But the prot ability Of Its truth
nav be established Dy IaCLs III lhe nf>
of JeffersOn which may show that he
hsd no such antipa by or caste spirit as
would render such thing improbable.
| am not abl, to tfirm mat Jefferson
dld entertain at dim + Is B5L imln Ban
neker but l am able 10 prove that he
inVned, IN 1915, Mr.. julius MslOOurh,
a cOlOTed man, BORN slave IN Nor b
Carolina, to be one Ct dinner par y;
the others being James Monroe, after
War1 PresidenG Of the Uuite0 States;
Wm. Writ, John Randolph, etc. Mr..
NelbOurn pore q letter of introduction
To Jefferson from his friend SIR. Penuls
{ n. Tne fact that MelbJuIn uad been
born a slave was we'll knOWn to J If IL
s)n, and at the din 1er parry, Vor tn,
wine and Wslnuts, the whole company
discuss d the mat er. General G7OIge
Washington had NJ such ant1Psthy
the race with winch Banneker va
identified as is now exhib ted in sma
SoCli,n II our country, and in Ih9 small,
sec.iOl referred to the an ipsthy or aver
slOn is limited to the mal5 members
the COlOred race. General WashIUgtO
slept in bed with Primus Hall yOun,
muiattO, valet to ColOL 81 Pickering
WasLingtOn's friend The account !
will be found in GOdey's L 1dy's B0oE |
or Mag zine for 1849, the facts being
cOnu buIed by he Rev. Mr. Harring-
ton. COOr g. ou.d never among aChns
tlsn people, be made test OF merit,
Tor can l recall an instance where sn |
Il L.
ent With the examples and teaching.
VI Christ. 7 cannot rect IL where any
gen Ioman mas done so, being remind.
eu that to be a gentleman one must fO,- |
lOWlOW the prect pts OF Chcistianlty
and when one departs fr,m actir IN |
harmony with & tristan principl, IL ]
zeal ng with his felIO Wman he ceases to |
Oe gentleman a man who had nOtL- |
ing Else to recommend him save hi |
COI0T would not be an acceptable gueki |
al any gentIemsn's table, snd one whC
mas rything else should not be eX- |
Il lded. The Sermon On the MOuI |
SO~It have be u delivered ia vain had |
no practical examples Of is spirit teen |
exhlbi, ed among men. Mrs. Tyson sayt |
of BaDueker: His striking superiority |
over all men of his race Led them to dis
regsrd all prejudice Cf caste' (the same
with Booker 4. w 4shtng OD) ''He WAS
invited to sit at tabl9 with the en- ee
corps" According to the sOuther
dlc,um LAID down for President ROO'e
Yelt, neither Robert Browning no
Alexander Hamilton, were they living |
could have sat at any sCut lern white
mans able since bo b v ere O3tOTOons, |
Jefferson, r 3udOlph nor Madison could |