The Twin City star. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1910-19??, 1913-10-31
DIRE. ". BLYDEN'S'
GREAT CAREER. !
lIberian Statesman Who Held
Many Important Posts
row he ROSE TO FAME

tsUW III stVO6 " uHsMke
Psrnsss Secretary Of STATE sf llbsrja
Was . Potent Factor In Our Racial
lNs-Man Of Wonderful Intsllsee
Whess Moral Courage Was sublisns
Under the Most Trying ordsais.
@.# ny JOHN H.BRUcH.
At this time. when the colored raeo
In America Is celebrating the 6ftieth
anniversary Of the emancipation proc.
lamation which legally freed the racs
from the curse Of human slavery %
goods and chattels. 1t is quite In keepins
with the spirit OF the times to give %
the American people the record Of cob
ored men and women who have achiey.
ed success. Although not q native
American. Edward Wilmot Blyden
was intimately associated with ths
struggles and aspirations Of the col
ored race in America and other parts
Of the world during his whole life. u
Born In the Danish island Of 81.
Thomas seventy-nin years ago. the
late Edward Wilmot Blyden came 70
the United States when seventeen
years Of age to seek an education. but.
finding prejudice against his race.
he turned his face toward Liberia.
where. after few months residence.
hs entered the high school under the
care Of Rev. David Wilson. He soon
rose to the headship Of this school and
In 1862 was elected to q prOfessorship
In the newly founded Liberian college.
In 1854 he was appointed secretary
OF state by the president OF Liberin.
and for two years he combined the
duties Of both Offices. In 1909 he msds
. Journey to the east. visiting Egypt
and Syria chiefly with view to study
ing Arabic. In 1871 he resigned his
professorship. and after brief viSt
TO Europe he spent two years In Sierra
Leone. during which time he WAS sent
by the governor Of the colony. Sir John
Pope Hennessy. ON two Diplomatic
missions to the powerful chiefs of the
inferior. His report on one OF these
expeditions tx published at length in
the proceedings Of the Royal Geograph-
ical society.
In 1877 he was made minister pleni-
potentiary Of the republic Of Liberia
at the court Of st. James and was re-
eeived by Queen Victoria at Osborne
July 30. 1S7S. being introduced by tho
Marquis Of Salisbury. then secretary
of state for foreign affairs. He was
soon after elected an honorary men,
Der. Of the famous Athenaeum club of
London. In 1890 be was elected fei-
low Of the American Pathological asso-
citation. In 1882 he was made a CORE
spending member of the Society Of sci-
snces and Letters Of Bengal.
He knew personally Lord Brougham.
W. q. Gladstone. Dean Stanley. Charles
Dickens and Charles Sumner. Freder.
lex Douglass and Frederic Harrison.
When the question Of the delimita-
don Of the Liberian boundary was
raised by France some eight or nine
years ago he was appointed by the
government Of Liberia as ambassador
10 France to negotiate with the French
government In the settlement Of that
question and was received by the pres
ldent of France July 4, 1905. in his
Office as ambassador Of the black
republic. In 1911 he was elected
member Of the Negro
Society For Historical Research, Yon-
kers. N. T.. in recognition Of which he
sent collection Of his published
works. 'Christianity. Islam and tho
Negro Race" africa Before Europe"
Liberals Offering" and pamphlets ON
Kindred subjects. At the time Of his
death he was an associate editor Of
The African Mail. published at Liver.
pool. Some years ago Dr.. J. d. Hen
derson In an article In the Colored
American at Washington said: "Ds.
Blyden Ia a man without q country.
he allies himself neither with the Ne
gro Of Africa nor the Afro-American."
on this brilliant outburst
In letter to the writer. he said: "Now.
this In absurd. II In not what q man
allies himself with. but what he real
y 10. that counts. DR.. Henderson allies
himself with the Negro race. but only
because be ls not allowed to ally him.
Deif with the white race. But his al.
lance with the Negro race does not
make him Negro.
~On the other hand. DR.. Blyden's
country In Africa by race and heritage.
whatever he pleases to ally himself
NTH. .Nob0dy who has ever seen him
Win think that be can pass for indian
y European. As soon an he is seen hs
3 known at once az an African-iden-
d6ed on sight. II weuld require only
ne microscopic insight Of the south b
1sntify >Dr. Henderson at sight" J