The Booker T. Washington Papers, Vol.2, page 56, 10 June 1875, U. of Illinois Press

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The BOOKER T. WAS HINGTON Papers There was no copying from one another, and no help from the teacher, but each performed the work perfectly. Another class in algebra were almost equally successful. Geography was also well done, and map-drawing, though I missed here Guyot's~ system. A spelling match called out much interest, but the crowning examination was to be one in a most difficult study, some metaphysical lectures on man, by President Hopkins.2 Gen. Armstrong evidently felt nervous in conducting it. One can judge of its scope when it is remembered that within half an hour the students were compelled to give their ideas on such topics as the ''Difference between the Animal and the Vegetable,'' the ''Distinction between Animal and Man,'' the ''Definition of Higher and Lower Orders of Life,'' the objections to the ''Development Theory,''3 and the ''Analysis of the Nature of Man,'' besides numerous other points. On the whole, the young men did as well as could any college class of white students on such abstruse topics, the only deficiency observable being of vocabulary, owing probably to their less range of reading. The student who distinguished himself most, bore the name of ''Washington.'' The thought, however, crossed one's mind, whether this tasting of science was in any way useful to such youth. When we listened afterwards to the songs of these young men and maidens, all born in slavery, wherein there were tones which thrilled the very heartstrings, and which seemed to be vibrating with the incredible pain and longing of the years of bondage, and then heard those sweet and moving words which drew tears from every eye, picturing the heaven of peace and brotherhood they had never known on earth, and looked on the solemn, earnest, dusky faces, wherein the history of generations of white wrong-doing seemed written, and then thought of science sweeping away their only hope and consolation, we felt the of such Paul's words would be pre-eminently true, ''They are of all men most miserable,'' and that a little learning would be a wretched compensation. For, after all, such armor as President Hopkins can furnish against modern skepticism is but weak, and it were a pity to disturb faith by raising objections. In the afternoon we met in the grand new Memorial Hall, (just endowed by a bequest,) which I have before described. A large audience of blacks and whites, the colored visitors usually sitting (though not in all cases) on the side with the students, and many colored working people crowding at the doors, listening with intense interest to the words of their young orators. 56