The Booker T. Washington Papers, Vol.3, page 497, Jan. 1895, U. of Illinois Press

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JA N U. ARY · I 8 9 5 lively. Like yourself, I have heard whispers which tended to cast a doubt upon his moral soundness, but whether they are well founded or not, I cannot say; or whether they have reference to what occurred, or is alleged to have occurred, twenty-five or thirty years ago, in Africa, or to something that may have occurred in more recent years, I do not know. I know nothing personally, against his character, though, as I have said, these whispers against him I have heard. I read with the greatest interest your last Report to the Trustees, and would be obliged to you if you would send me a few copies for distribution. Hoping that you are well, and with kindest regards for yourself and Mrs. Washington, and with best wishes for your continued success in the great work in which you are engaged, I am as ever, Your sincere friend. Francis J. Grimke TLS Con. 8 BTW Papers ATT. Original destroyed. ~ Edward Wilmot Blyden (~83~-~9~) was born a free black in the Danish West Indies. He came to the United States in 1850 to study at Rutgers Theological College but was refused admittance because of his color. The New York Colonization Society heard of his plight and sent him to Liberia to be educated by Presbyter~an missionaries. As a teacher and clergyman Blyden became Liberia's major spokesman in the United States and Europe, encouraging blacks to emigrate to West Africa. Blyden toured the United States in 1889, sponsored by the American Colonization Society, to urge support of the Butler bill to aid emigration to Africa. BTW and Blyden met in Washington, D.C., in 1890 through their mutual friend Francis J. Grimke. Their views on race pride and self-help were similar. They differed sharply, however, regarding African emigration. In 1894 Blyden wrote to BTW and expressed agreement with the Tuskegean's philosophy of eschewing politics in favor of industrial education. He admitted to BTW that any general exodus of black Americans remained in the distant future. BTW publicly praised Blyden as an outstanding intellectual. Blyden's nationalistic views, however, included the notion that mulattoes could play no important role in fostering nationalism; only pure blacks could lead the way. This viewpoint was a common one in the West Indies. The idea strained Blyden's relationship with most black American leaders. Blyden's position of cooperation with European powers persisted in spite of strong opposition on the part of the other African leaders to the increasing European imperialism in Africa in the late nineteenth century. After BTW's dinner at the White House in egos, Blyden decided he was a race amalgamator like other mulattoes and turned against him. He once sought to interest southern whites in a school for blacks to compete with Tuskegee. He fell into disrepute as a Liberian leader and died poor and isolated from power. Black leaders in America and Africa continued to praise Blyden because of his lifelong advocacy of black unity and race pride. (See Lynch, Edward Wilmot Blyden, and Redkey, Black Exodus.) 497