ANOTHER SPECIMEN!!

To the Editor of the Liberator,

DEAR SIR—The following, which was received through the Post Office a few days since, may be published in the Liberator, if you think proper. We wish to have it come before the public in order to show the opposition of certain white people to the education of their colored brethren. The letter is given, word for word, and letter for letter, as they stand in the original. It seems to us it would be well for ‘twelve’ students of a literary institution to pay some attention to spelling. In the words ‘colord’ and ‘ peacable’ for example.

To young Beman.

A no. of the students of this university, deeming it derogatory to themselves, as well as to the university to have you and other colord people recite here, do hereby warn you to desist from such a course, and if you fail to comply with this peacable request, we swear, by the ETERNAL GODS! that we will resort to forcible means to put a stop to it.

                                                                                                            Twelve of us

            Wesleyan University.

The following was on the outside of the letter:

                                    To

                                                            Beman junior

                        The P.M. will please

                        to forward this as                   Middletown

                        soon as possible

An explanation of the foregoing may not be out of place, and will place the subject in a stronger light before your readers. It is well known to those who have perused the Liberator during the past year, from the facts given in the 2d No.,of the present volume, that a colored man of the name of Ray was formerly a student in the Wesleyan University, and that he was under the necessity of leaving it (the university) on account of the prejudices of certain students. We are informed that the person who sent letters to the Liberator, which he had received relative to Mr Ray’s leaving, incurred the severest displeasure of those prejudiced students. It is probably known that he was not then a member of the university. The excitement however soon passed away, and in the course of a few months he entered the university. As the subject of the above letter wished to pursue certain studies, instruction was given him in that student’s room. Mr Beman recited three times each week, and for a considerable time was unmolested other than by the reproachful terms of a few base fellows as he passed to and fro from his recitation. His conduct towards others was ever such as to merit a gentlemanlike deportment from them, but this he did not receive. When those disaffected students found that reproaches did not deter him from pursuing his course of recitations, they resorted to other means. In going out from the university on a certain morning, a quantity of water was thrown upon him, by which he was completely drenched. Some time in the course of the next day one of the party interested in the affair caused a notice to be put up, calling a meeting of the students, that evening, the spirit of which was such as to lead many to think it was written by one not unfriendly to Mr Beman. This trick however was discovered, and exposed at the meeting before mentioned. When the meeting was opened, that very person who wrote the notice, and who, there is strong reason to believe, was concerned in insulting Mr Beman, rose and offered a resolution disapproving the conduct of those engaged in that affair. After the subject before the meeting had been with much warmth discussed, and a request having been made that the student who then instructed Mr B. would hear him recite at some other place, the meeting was dissolved.  This request, for the sake of producing harmony among the students, was, in form, complied with, but owing to the subsequent advice of some friends, the recitation went on as before, till the college vacation. Since the Commencement, for the convenience of him who is instructing Mr B, the recitation has not been heard in the university. All went on very well till this letter was received, which has produced much excitement and unpleasant feeling. It will not prevent the instruction that may be desired however.

In this letter there is one thing not very consistent, and, to a certain extent, unaccountable; that is, that such a request and such a threat should be made when the subject of it does not recite in the university. It may be that there are certain ones who are unwilling that the colored people should be educated in any way whatever, and are endeavoring to drive those who may wish to pursue any course of study from their places of instruction. But we feel thankful that the ‘Canterbury law’ has no effect in this case, for the subject is not a ‘foreigner.’ ”

The foregoing facts may be relied on, for we have received them from those who are immediately acquainted with the circumstances.

The Unionist and Emancipator will confer a favor by copying this article.                            TRUTH

MIDDLETOWN, Conn. Sept. 1833.