The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1904-11-23
fiM0Us SOUTH CAE OLI INIsN.
Tribute to DR.. Leighton Wilson At
tracts Wide Attention. His
Amazing Store of knowledge

Southern Presbyterian OF New Or
leans
Mr.. John j. Dargan of South Caro-
lima has written for The State of CO.
lumbia very fine tribute to the late
Dr.. J. Leighton Wilson He brings
out very fully certain aspects Of that
great mans life and career which are
not as familiar as they should be. He
Justly places Dr.. Wilson among the
foremost men of the past century. 1t
is a singular fact that be was born in
the same year with William E. Glad
stone, Alfrd TennysoI, Elizabeth Bar
rett Browning, Lord Roughton, Char
les Darwin, Abraham Lincoln, Oliver
Wendell Holmes and Edgar Allen Poe,
a magnificent company in which be is
worthy Of g place through the extent
of his services to mankind.
1t is of his eminence as a naturalist
and explorer, however, that the au-
thor of the paper writes 1t is re-
markable fact, to which Mr.. Dargan
calls attention, that in all the enco-
miums lately passed upon Paul Du
Chaillu, who died about a year ago,
no mention whatever was made of the
man who adopted Du ChailIu in his
home, introducing him to his work,
inspired him in it, and made him the
man he became, even allowing him 20
take credit for some of the discoveries
made by his patron and benefactor.
In passing, We beg to call attention
to the fact that our owr editorial no.
tice Of Du Chaillu's death contained
reference to DR.. Wilson's relations to
him. Dr.. Wilson was called "dear
father.'' and his wife "mother,' by
tie great African explorer and natural
ist. The latter never failed, to visit
them in their American home when he
came to this country, and in 1892 he
came to spend few days at and near
their tomhs He himself testified that
the reason why he had not given Dr..
Wilson full credit for all his explora-
tions AID discoveries. and especially
of the discovery of the gorilla, Was
because Of his "dear fathers" special
request Dr. Wilson's western At
rica'' was pronounced by the greatest
of all authorities. David Livingstone,
the best book on that part Of the Dark
Continent that ever appeared. The
present writer remembers once to have
heard, in his boyhood, Short and
pleasant colloquy between DR.. Wilson
and Hinton Rowan Helper, the noted
author of "The Impending Crisis, :"
and "The Negro in Negroland," and
be easily recalls the amusing store of
knowledge that Dr.. Wilson displayed
on the occasion and the discontinue,
almost AMID the jeers Of all who were
present, of the brilliant but cratic
man who essayed to deal at long range
with racial and chronological facts, and
to draw improper differences from
them, with which Dr. Wilson was as
familiar as if they were his alphabet.
1t was but a few years after the war,
and Helpers views concerning the
negro and his origin and abilities
We're most unwholesome.
DR.. Wilson's other great work for
humanity was his part in the suppress
sion OF tie African slave trade. When
the British squadron was about to be
withdrawn from the coast of Africa,
under the allegation that it was doing
little or nothing to abate the great
evil, Dr. Wilson prepared a paper
which Lord PaImerston, then the pre-
mier, caused to be printed in an edi-
tion of many thousands and widely
distributed throughout Great Britain.
It is to be found in ,Cngland's "Blue
Book 1t had a profound effect to
England Its appeal aud the infor-
nation which it gave at once aroused
interest and commanded attention.
The squadron was not withdrawn, the
efforts to suppress the nefarious traffic
were not lessened but increased, and
the bad business found speedy end.
If any single name deserves a place in
the Hall of Fame as that of pbilan-
thropist, it is that of }. Leighton
Wilson, the plain, honest, earnest,
nnassuming Southern missionary to
Africa.
:. 1t is ..tardy justice that is done to
great man, thus late to bring out and
appreciate his great deeds. 1t has re-
quired time, however, as always, to
know the true greatness OF the man.
1t is only rs we stand off at distance
that we can take in the true proportions
Of the stately statue The greatness
of J. Leighton Wilson is just beginning
to be seen. Happy the church that
had such master hand to help shape
its early career and to start it upon
form Of activity which now distjn-
guishes it above all it's sister church
es in its glad proclamation of the glad
tidings of salvation to the nations
that sit in darkness.