Out now in the great world of America, my ambition was to secure a professorial chair.  That any man having the slightest tinge of color, nay, without tinge of color, with only a drop of African blood in his veins, let his accomplishments be what they may, should aspire to such a position, I soon found was the very madness of madness.  But something must be done.  I repaired at once to the city of Boston, and entered the law office of E. G. L——­, Esq. a distinguished barrister, who had already shown his regard for the colored race by having brought to the bar a colored young man—­now practising with much success in Boston.  Black men may practice law—­at least in Massachusetts.  I remained in the office of this gentleman two years, and was just entering my third and last year, when, unsolicited on my part and to my great surprise, I received the appointment of Professor of the Greek Language and Literature in New York Central College—­a college of recent date, and situated in the town of M’Grawville, near the centre of the State of New York.  This was the first college in America that ever had the moral courage to invite a man of color to occupy a professor’s chair; and, so far as I know, it is also the only one.

The college was founded by a few noble-minded men, whose object was to combat the vulgar American prejudice, which can see no difference between a man and his skin.  They sought to illustrate the doctrine of Human Equality, or brotherhood of the races; to elevate the nation’s morals, and give it more exalted views of the aims and objects of Christianity.  Such a college, in the midst of corrupt public sentiment, could not fail to meet with the greatest opposition.  It was persecuted on all sides, and by all parties, showing how deep-seated and virulent is prejudice against color.  The legislature countenanced the college so far as to grant it a charter, and empowered it to confer degrees, but would not, seemingly on no earthly consideration, give it the slightest pecuniary patronage.  The debates which took place in the State House at Albany when the bill relating to the college came up for consideration, would, in vulgar flings at “negroes,” cries of “amalgamation,” and such like, have disgraced a very assemblage of pagans.  However the college held on its way, and is still doing its work, though its efficiency is of course greatly marred.  All the other professors were white; so also were the majority of the students.

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I was four years in connexion with this college as professor, and in all probability would have been in M’Grawville still, but for the following circumstances.