Communipaw [James McCune Smith] to Frederick Douglass, June 1857
For Frederick Douglass' Paper
FROM OUR NEW YORK CORRESPONDENT.
MR. EDITOR:—There is a coolness between Fylbel and I: it commenced as far back as last autumn, when the pure and limpid waters of Rockland Lake, began to crystalize under the lowering temperature, and sharp spiculae at angles of 60 degrees grew to each other, checking the elastic flow of the aqueous particles; just so and just then sprang up this coolness between my friend and I; it was not his fault, nor mine: it was rather the result of those subtle laws which govern this planet: for be it known to you, Fylbel and I were fast friends long before certain old women found us each in a hollow tree, and brought us home to our mammies. In that literature which may be found in the caudal appendages of the coming comet, is it not written
"Fylbel! 'tis years, since you and I
Began to float life's stream between us
A pair of crack nucleoli
Upon the frantic planet Venus!"
How a friendship dating so far back, so fervent, so constant, should suffer a coolness to creep in and separate us, passes my comprehension: and I will make it public, in the hope that this coolness may melt away. To be sure, in city politics Fylbel is a Wood man: he stands up like a Londoner of old, for chartered rights: and altho' he voted the black Republican ticket, and goes Fred Talmadge, (as well as Fred. Douglass,) he thinks the party has over-shot the mark at Albany, and will not assent that a clique from Albany, nor from a place farther South shall step on our paving stones and interfere with our city magistrates—scoundrels tho' they be:
"But Fyl," I mildly interposed, "look at our streets, they are ripe for pestilence, we will have yellow fever"—
"Yellow——!" quoth Fylbel "let it come! Any thing rather than have overseers appointed over us as if we were utterly incapable of self government!"
I said no more. For I know that when he reaches the sulphureous expressions, there is no reasoning with him. But I think I see the coolness between us, which commenced at Rockland Lake, and grew in the winter time into a solid lump of ice, and which now tinkles in the huge pitcher before us. I say I think I see this coolness gradually melting, under this June temperature and Fyl's glowing eloquence.
We have had one or two sensations, quite new and quite astonishing, in our village since my last: a "dark ladye" who rattles the original Greek, not as Hudibras profanely insinuates, but with the ease and volubility of that Athenian Blacksmith who excited the envy, I forget whether of Porson or Sir William Jones. She is a pupil
of Dr. Lively's of this city; the Professor and I attended the examination, as well as some gentlemen from the Free Academy. And a brunette lady who sings divinely: Fylbel can tell you whether her voice be soprano, contralto or mezzotinto, for I, you know, altho' inclined to adipose accumulations, have no music in my soul.
Philo has been running backward and forward between here and Providence, and the consequence is that we have quite a muss among the celestials: but as neither you nor I belong to the Masonic Order, we need not "fash" with their difficulties.
I have done a power of reading since March, but do not go to Baillieres so frequently now, while the Professor does: he rather gave it me under the fifth rib, when he handed me "Johannes Von Gumpach on the moon's revolution" &c., quietly remarking, "when you have made this matter clear to yourself, let us talk it over." Now the fact is, after a month's hard reading, of Von Gumpach, the subject of the moon's rotation, on which I had clear and decided convictions before, is now worse than foggy in my mind's eye.
We have nothing further of interest, or novelty, down this way, except that, in spite of the Tribune's prognostications to the contrary, our city, the Doctors say, is provokingly healthy. You western people think you have us at your mercy in the matter of beeves, and hold back the supply in order to realize fabulous prices. Some one here proposes that we send one or two fast sailing propellors to Venezuela (fifteen days off) where live cattle can be had at five dollars a head; and thence have them delivered at our docks at a cost of fifteen dollars a head: we are now paying ninety dollars for lame cattle: I go in for this move: and may be classified, in regard to it as "a Northern man with Southern feelings."
The good people of Boston, I see, have got rid of Byles: how long will it be before they break out with the measles? I suppose Gov. Gardiner and the Sims Brigade may venture to show their noses out of doors. What a relief it must be in these dog days!
Yours,
COMMUNIPAW.
NEW YORK, June among the teens, 1857