The Twin City star. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1910-19??, 1913-10-24

tlbaTlan Statesman Who Held
u Many Important Posts. 1.
how HE ROSE 70 FAME

asNt- 40 J.. 1913 ~ vSsft5sl z
HOW ne ROSE TO FAME,
Former Secretary Of STATE Of Llbsria
Was . Potent Factor, In Our Raeial
Lifs--ManZ Of Wonderful lntsilset
Whose Moral Courage Was sublins
Under the Most Trying ordsaIs. Z
80, BY JOHN e. BRUCE.
At this time. when the colored race
In America is celebrating the nftieth
anniversary of the emancipation proc
lamation which legally freed the race
from the curse Of human slavery 40
goods and chattels. 1t is quite in keeping
with the spirit Of the times to give 10
the American people the record Of col
ored men and women who have achiev.
ed success. Although not q native
American, Edward Wilmot Blyderi
was intimately associated with the
struggles and aspirations Of the coli
ored race In America and other parts
Of the world during his whole life.
Born In the Danish island Of 81
Thomas seventy-nine years ago. the
late Edward Wilmot Blyden came %
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.
he 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 a professorship
In the newly founded Liberian college.
In 1884 he was appointed secretary
OF state by the president Of Liberia.
and for two years he combined the
. journey; to the east. visiting Egypt
and Syria chiefly with view to study
ing Arabic. In 1877 he resigned his
professorship. and after a brief visit
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
interior. His report ON one Of these
expeditions IL published at length in
the proceedings Of the Royal Geograph-
ical society. t@." - |S5 -.'
In 1877 he was made minister pleni-
potentiary Of the republic Of Liberia
at the court of st. James and was re-
ceived by Queen Victoria at Osborne
July 80. 1873, being introduced by the
Marquis Of Salisbury. then secretary
Of state for foreign affairs. He was
soon after elected an honorary men,
ber of the famous Athenaeum club Of
London. In 1880 he was elected fel-
low Of the American Pathological asso-
citation. In 1882 he was made CORE
spending member Of the Society OF Sci
ences and Letters Of Bengal.
He knew personally Lord Brougham,
w. Il. Gladstone, Dean Stanley. Charles
Dickens and Charles Sumner. Freder-
ick Douglass and Frederic Harrison.
, When the question Of the delimita-
tion Of the Liberian boundary was
raised by France some eight or nine
years ago he was appointed by the
government Of Liberia as ambassador
to France to negotiate with the French
government In the settlement Of that
question and was received by the pres
ident Of France July 4, 1905. in his
Office as ambassador of the black
republic. In 1911 he was elected a
corresponding member Of the Negro
Society For Historical Research. Yon-
kers. N. T.. in recognition Of which he
sent a collection Of his published
works, "Christianity, Islam and the
Negro Race" africa Before Europe"
Liberals Offering and pamphlets on
kindred subjects. At the time Of bis
death be was an associate editor Of
the African Mail. published at Liver
pool. Some years ago DR.. j. ID. Hen
derson in an article In the Colored
American at Washington said: "Dr.
Blyden is man without q country.
He allies himself neither with the Ne
gro Of Africa nor the Afro-American."
Commenting on this brilliant outburst
in letter to the writer. he said: "Now.
this Is absurd. It is not what man
allies himself with. but what he real
~ IL. that counts. DR.. Henderson allies
himself with the Negro race, but only
because he Is not allowed TO ally him
self with the white race. But his al
lance with the Negro race does not
make him Negro.
ION the other hand, DR.. Blyden's
country is Africa by race and heritage,
whatever. he pleases to ally himself
with. Nobody who has ever seen him
will think that he can pass for Indian
or European. Az soon az he is seen hs
ID known at once as an African-iden-
ti6sd on sight. It would require only
the microscopic insight Of the south 10
idsnify DR.. Henderson at sight"