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52 WALL STREET,

NEW YORK CITY, May 20th, 1891.

Hon. Frederick Douglass, [handwritten]

DEAR SIR:

I beg leave to ask your kind attention to a matter in which I feel great
interest and to which for some years at Washington I have given
much attention, that is to
say, the competent and adequate education of colored young men of
the South for the
profession of law.

The law schools in that portion of our country are not accessible to
this class of our
community. But in the law department of Howard University, at
Washington, there is a
good foundation already laid for this professional education, which
may be developed and
expanded with sure promise of most fruitful results. A moderate
contribution to enlarge
a small law building now at the service of the University and to
prepare it to accommodate
the increasing number of applicants for this instruction is all that
is needed to have the
school in readiness for the October term, when it is probable as
many as a hundred
students may wish to receive this instruction. But for even this
moderate expenditure the
University is without means, as all of its funds are strictly applicable
to particular and current
use.

While the legal profession will more readily appreciate the benefits
to arise from
benevolent contribution to this end, I beg leave also to commend it
to all who take an
interest in the wise instruction of the colored people of the South, as
in my judgment
promising very great and always increasing benefits from a very
moderate charitable
expediture.

Prof. Wm. H.H. Hart, who is well known to me, has been authorized
by the trustees of Howard University to receive contributions or
subscriptions for this object, and
he is entitled to entire confidence in all he shall say or do in this
matter. Contributions
may be paid to him or remitted to his address, No. 420 Fifth Street,
N.W. Washington, D.C.

I am, very respectfully,

Your obedient servant,

(Signed) WM. M. EVARTS.

(OVER.) 966