The broad ax., 1904-01-02

c., Sept. 18th, 1852. Of slave parents.
He was reared upon one Of the larg-
est cotton farms in Eastern North
Carolina, working from the time he
was six years old upon this large farm
until August 1877, at which time he
ran away from the old plantation, and
went to Scotland Neck, Halifax coun-
ty, N. c. In this county Prof Small
wood commenced his most wonderful
career Of study and speech making in
1879. He mastered the manhood and
courage Of true study and went before
the Hon. William H. Day, the county
superintendent Of public instruction
for Halifax county, N. c., and made
application for a certificate to teach
a public school Maj. Day was as
tonished, and although he allowed
John" as he called him, to come in
his private room and occupy a chair
while he CCol. Day. was taking his
usual afternoon bath, he went on with
an oral examination. DR.. SmallwOod
had never gone to school He had
been sent from one of the great in
dustrial schools Of Virginia because
he was poor, and had no one to speak
for him. He had been compelled to
study at night while he worked faith
fully each day.
Tn1 M 10 gr-
oral examination, he then told the
young future school teacher to go to
the blackboard. He (Col. Day. still
arranging his toilet, At this black
board, in the office of one of the finest
scholars, the best Informed lawyer
and one of the most brilliant Demo
ocratic leaders at the South, gave the
young almost discouraged yet deter
mined future public school teacher.
traveller, orator, writer and college
founder and president q most rigid
mathematical examination. John
J. SmaIIwood passed" Col. Day
shouted: John, l am done; l will
give you a first grade certificate to
teach in the public schools of Halifax
county, n. c., as long as you will be
have yourself" DR.. SmaIlwood bowed
his thanks to Col and to Gen. NJ. W.
Ransom, ex-U. S. Senator, from North
Carolina, and withdrew himself. Up
on the following day John J. Small
wood opened a public school and
taught school, before he had ever
gone to school. In 1880 fresh from
Shaw University, DR.. Smallwood came
to Virginia to live, where he COM
menced a most brilliant public career.
He opposed the late Gen. William
Malone, then U. S. Senator. He de-
clared that Virginia could not repudi-
ate her State debt of S13,OOOO OO0
When the Hon. William E CamrOn,
late of Chicago, Ill, was nominated
as the Readjuster and Republican can
didate for Governor in 1881, Prof.
SmaIlwOod, then a mere citizen Of
Virginia, took the stump against Col.
Cameron, declaring that Virginia
could no more repudiate her honest
debts than any private citizen could
repudiate his honest debts, and re-
tain his selfrespect and the confidence
Of the best people of his community
He canvassed the entire state Of Vir-
ginia. In 1882 he again Canvassej
the Second Congressional District
against the Readjuster Candidate for
Congress, and in 1884 this time he
was instrumental in defeating Read
iustment. In 1884, Nov. 18th, Prof.
Smallwood said 81 will never make
another political speech, until I go
to school and learn some sense" AL
though at this time he was and is
called by all who knew him as the
greatest living Negro orator in this
Southland.
He is often referred to by the Nor
folk Landmark, the Petersburg Index
Appeal, the Richmond TimesDispatch,
the Raleigh IN. c. Observer, and the
Southampton Democrat, always refer
to DR.. John ]. SmallwOod as the
BLACK Cicero" ''The Eloquent Gen.
tleman Of Color" ''The brilliant schol-
ar and orator" In. 1884, Nov. 26th,
Prof. smallwood went to "old Wes-
leyan," at WiIberham. Mass, He found
himself the only Negro in this great
Institution. He Joined the Philo So
ciety, strictly a white organization.
and at once took the lead in public |
debates and in social life Of the grand
old school. Here Prof Smallwood
met his devoted friend and teacher,