The broad ax., 1907-01-19
The Negro Astronomer and Mathematician,
Author of One of the First AL
rnanacs In America.
AN INTERESTING WRITTEN EXPRESSLY BROAD
Ak BY COL. CLARKE IRVINE OREGON, MO-
CHAPTER TX.

| HopS anu OlIluuS "OiS tHc aspect OF
inability to the conflict, and YOU cannot
but be led to a serious and grateful
sense of your miraculous and proyilcn-
tial preservation. You cannot but ark-
Towledge that the present freedom and
tranquility which you enjoy. you have
J mercifully received, and that it Is the
peculiar blessing of heaven.
This. sir. was a time when Won
/ clearly saw into injustice of state
of slavery, and in which you had lust
apprehensions of the horrors OF is con-
ditiOn. Ii was then that your abhor-
renee thereof was so excited that Won
publicly held forth this true and inyal-
liable doctrine, which is worthy 10 be
| rewarded and remembered in all sic
ceeding ages: I'VE hold these truths
to be self-evident, that all men are
created equal; that they are endowed
by their Creator with certain inalienable
rights, and that among these are life.
liberty, and the pursuit Of happiness"
Here was a time in which YOUR
tender feelings for yourScyc, and en-
gagged YOU thus to declare You were
then impressed with proper ideas Of
the great violation of liberty and the
free possession of those blessings 10
which you were entitled by nature: but
sir, how pitiable is It to reflect. that
although you were so fully convinced
of the benevolence of the Father OF
mankind. and of His equal and impair
tial distribution of these rights and
privileges which he hath conferred upon
them, that YOU should at the same time
counterfeit His mercies, in OBTAINING BY
fraud and violence. so numerous a part
of my brethren under groaning Captiv-
ity and cruel oppression, that you should
at the same time be found guilty Of
that most criminal act, which YOU pro-
fessedly detested in others, with re-
spect to yourselves.
Your knowledge of the situation Of
my brethren is too extensive to need
a recital here; neither shall | presume
to prescribe methods by which they
may be relieved otherwise than BY
recommending to you and all others. to
wean yourselves from those narrow
prejudices which you have imbibed with
respect to them, and as Job proposed
to his friends, put your soul in their
souls stead thus your hearts be en-
larged with kindness and bcnevOlcnce
towards them, and thus shall you need
neither the direction of myself or 9TH
ers, in what manner to proceed therein.
"And now, sir, although my Sy.9ra-
thy and affection for my brcthrer hah
caused my enlargement thus far | ar
IDENTIFY hope that your candor and gen.
crosby will plead with you in NY by-
half, when | state that it was not or
iginaily my design. but having t@len
up pen in order to present a copy OF
an Almanac which have CALCULATED TOR
the succeeding year, was unexpected
ly led thereto.
This calculation is the production OF
my arduous study, in my advanced stage
of life, for having long had unbounded
desire to become acquainted with the
secrets of nature, have had to CRAFTY
my curiosity herein through my own
assiduous application to astronomical
study, in which / need not recount to
you the many difficulties and disadvan-
tages which l have had to encounter.
"And although had almost declined
to make my calculation for the ensuing
year, in consequence of the time which
l had allotted for it being taken up at
the federal territory by the request
of Mr.. Andrew Ellicott, yet l indus
triously applied myself thereto, and hope
l have accomplished it with correctness
and accuracy, l have taken the liberty
to direct a copy to you, which hum
bly, request you will favorably re-
ceive, and although you may have the
opportunity of perusing it after its pub
LEGATION, yet l desire to send it to you
in manuscript previous thereto, that
thereby you might not only have an
earlier inspection, but that you might
also view it in my own handwriting.
"And now, sir, l shall conclude, and
subscribe myself with the most profound
respect, your most obedient humble ser
want, BENJAMIN Banneker.
Thomas Jefferson's letter to BenJa-
nan Banneker, which can be found on
page 2oI, vol III, of Mr.. Jeffersons
works, is as follows:
Philadelphia, August 90, 1871.
Sir Il thank you sincerely for your
etter of the 10Th instant, and for the
llmanic it contained Nobody wishes
more than I do to see such proofs as
you exhibit, that Nature has given to