The Kansas City sun. (Kansas City, Mo.) 1908-1924, 1919-05-17
A MODERN AFRICAN SCHOLAR.
BY Prof. VIM. H. Dawley.

Just POI years after the disembark.
ing of the Negroes from the Dutch
SLAYER on the coast of Virginia, ship
with So black pilgrims retraced the
course across the Atlantic and landed
at Liberia. On this spot in 1847 the
Negro Republic of Liberia was estab-
lished. With her little army of 400
this state entered the great war
against German autocracy and at it's
conclusion took her place at the Peace
table to assist in making the world a
decent place to live in.
The history of this little common
wealth has not been smooth but with
sacrifices and varying untoward vicis.
situdes she has reached her present
stand and is hopeful. This war has re
laxed the blighting grip of Germany
upon her Yet she has declined the
preferred assistance of England and
France but accepted the solicited aid
of the United tSates of America. 1t
may be for two reasons: first, she was
originally a colony of the United
States and second, she regards the
Negroes of the United States as broth
ers in exile, and longs for them with
their training in various lines to come
and develop. the resources of Liberia
as no other people on earth can do,
Liberia thinks.
ust one year after the abolition Of
slavery in the United States the Col
lege of Liberia was founded to develop
leaders for this little state and grand
ly has this college met the demand.
Which would have been realized had
she produced Edward Wilmot Blyden
alone, that scholar, linguist, diplomat,
philosopher and author of interna-
tional reputation. But Liberia College
has produced others, notably Cassell,
who in 1918 was made president OF
Liberia College and who is at present
honoring our country with his pres
ence on a tour of Educational inspec-
tion.
President Cassell was born in Mon
rovia, the capital of Liberia December
13, 1872. His maternal grand mother
was from Virginia, his maternal grand
father from Georgia. His father was
carried to Liberia a small boy. There.
fore the President is a product that
the United States produces in the third
generation on foreign soil. His entire
education was acquired on African
soil. The public schools, the college
and the Episcopal Divinity school
equipped him. Such was his ability
that shortly after his graduation from
the Episcopal, the leading, theological,
school in Liberia, he was gwen a chair
there.
In his untiring zeal for research he
has acquired a library that is super.
ior to any in the state. AS one feasts
upon the conversation of President
Cassell he seems rather a Commission
er of Education. For while jealous of
the traditions of his beloved Alma
Mater, he is keenly alive to the needs
of technical, scientific, as well as in
dustrial training for the youth of his
country, that its mines may be de-
veloped, that its rich soil may produce
the maximum to the acre in the most
advanced scientific manner.
Though an eminent Episcopal clergy
man, yet he believes that the priests
nilsson is to take the gospel to the
people and like Wesley of old, is not
ashamed to practice that belief, His
sermons are not recitations in mono
tone, but are meant to carry convic'
tion and her voice, he uses, to wake
men up and stir their souls. Yet all
this is done in way that compromises
in no way the solemnity of the Prayer
book, the prayer book that has made
England and that Dr. Cassell feels is
destined to make Liberia.
An ardent disciple of DR.. Blyden
like him, President Cassell is thor
oughly imbued with the idea of the
lofty Mission of the Negro, that he
must soon break away from his sub
ject condition and be about the mis-
sion, destined for him; that Africa is
the arena for the perfection Of that
sion is to be launched. Especially is
this favorable to the American Negro;
for his language is the language of Lii