world as freeman, laborer, mechanic, student, scholar, lawyer, doctor, engineer, business man, journalist, etc., under the most embarrassing circumstances, the desire of mind and heart for a complete knowledge of his development grows into a mountain of curiosity. Thus it can be said that he is to-day the cynosure of all nations.
If the above be true, (which every one in fairness will admit,) the next thought that would likely present itself is: Has the Afro-American made any commendable progress amid the multiplicity of disadvantages which have beset him? We freely assert that he has; and it is with this thought in mind that we propose to deal with the facts of his journalistic career of sixty-three years, dating from the first paper published in New York City, March 16, 1827, to the present auspicious year of 1890. And from our observations we predict that the Nineteenth Century will close with a halo of journalistic sunshine about his head, and the Twentieth Century open with succeeding new events indicative of his triumphant success.
Between the years of 1827 and 1830, there were published in New York City by an Afro-American two papers known as Freedom's Journal and Rights of All. These two papers were both edited by Mr. John B. Russwurm. They both seem to have been one and the same paper, only during publication the names were changed; thus the two names. There is some conflict of opinion among those few who now live and remember anything about the matter, as to whether The Freedom's Journal or The Rights of All was the name of Mr. Russwurm's paper. Be this as it may, the decision of those who were most intimately acquainted with Mr. Rossoworm, and upon whose breadth of intelligence and scope of memory we feel safely secure, is that The Freedom's Journal was the first publication by Afro-Americans. It was issued, Vol. I, No. 1, March 16, 1827. Of course, any paper established by Afro-Americans at that time and for the succeeding
