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I return herewith Mr. Metcalf's letter. I appreciate his words of commendation, and am sorry he could not accept the article. I shall read Prof. Scarborough's article with interest, and revise my MSS. in view of it. I was thinking that the title of my article, "The Negro's Answer &c", might sound rather large in view of the fact that Scarborough is, I presume, speaking in the same character: but I can tell better when I have read his paper. If you succeed with the Century, I shall regard it as a very good change from the Forum—I presume the Century is read by ten people to the Forum's one.
The "Symposium" in this week's
it is your example and your influence have done more than any other one thing to stimulate the growth of the school of thought represented by the Independent's Symposium.
I am glad that you asked Scarborough to write. I think there is a good deal of latent talent, literary and otherwise, among the colored people of this country, which needs only a decent degree of encouragement and recognition to stimulate it to activity.