Rev. James William Charles Pennington, D.D., a clergyman of New York city, was born in Maryland,—­left when young—­came to Brooklyn—­educated himself—­studied divinity—­went to Hartford, Conn.;—­took charge of a Presbyterian congregation of colored people—­went to England—­returned—­went to the West Indies—­returned—­was called to the Shiloh Presbyterian Colored Congregation—­was sent a Delegate to the Peace Congress at Paris, in 1849, preached there, and attended the National Levee at the mansion of the Foreign Secretary of State, Minister De Tocqueville; and had the degree of Doctor of Divinity conferred on him by the ancient time-honored University of Heidleburg, in Germany.

Dr. Pennington is very learned in theology, has fine literacy attainments, and has written several useful pamphlets, and contributed to science, by the delivery of lectures before several scientific institutions in Europe.

He has, by invitation, delivered lectures before the “Glasgow Young Men’s Christian Association”; and “St. George’s Biblical, Literary, and Scientific Institute,” London.  In one of the discourses, the following extract will give an idea of the style and character of the speaker:—­“One of the chief attributes of the mind is a desire for freedom; but it has been the great aim of slavery to extinguish that desire.”

“To extinguish this attribute would be to extinguish mind itself.  Every faculty which the master puts forth to subdue the slave, is met by a corresponding one in the latter."...  “Christianity is the highest and most perfect form of civilization.  It contains the only great standard of the only true and perfect standard of civilization.  When tried by this standard, we are compelled to confess, that we have not on earth, one strictly civilized nation; for so long as the sword is part of a nation’s household furniture, it cannot be called strictly civilized; and yet there is not a nation, great or small, black or white, that has laid aside the sword.”—­pp. 7-14.  The Doctor has been editor of a newspaper, which was ably conducted.  He belongs to the Third Presbytery of New York, and stands very high as a minister of the Gospel, and gentleman.

Rev. John Francis Cook, a learned clergyman of Washington City, has taught an academy in the District of Columbia for years, under the subscribed sanction and patronage of many of the members of Congress, the Mayor of Washington, and some of the first men of the nation, for the education of colored youth of both sexes.  Mr. Cook has done a great deal of good at the Capitol; is highly esteemed, and has set as Moderator of a body of Presbyterian Clergymen, assembled at Richmond, Va., all white, except himself.

Charles L. Reason, Esq., a learned gentleman, for many years teacher in one of the Public Schools in New York, in 1849, was elected by the trustees of that institution, Professor of Mathematics and Belles Lettres in Centre College, at McGrawville, in the State of New York.  After a short connection with the College, Professor Reason, for some cause, retired from the Institution, much to the regret of the students, who, though a young man, loved him as an elder brother—­and contrary to the desire of his fellow-professors.