Julia Griffiths Crofts to Frederick Douglass, September 12, 1860
LETTERS FROM THE OLD WORLD—NO. LXXI.
—
SALEM PARSONAGE, HALIFAX, (Eng.)
September 12th, 1860.
My dear friend:— Your letter of August 23d, and your September journal, have just reached me; and, in accordance with your request, I take the first opportunity of resuming my 'Old World' scriptures, which have (from divers unforseen circumstances) been discontinued very much longer than I had intended them to be; and far too long if my silence has led any of my friends to imagine that my interest in your journal itself, or in the great cause its publication is designed to subserve, has, in the slightest degree, diminished. For yourself, my friend, I am well aware that no assurances or explanations are needed on this point; but it may be well to say to such of my friends as have been accustomed to peruse my scribblings, and have latterly sought for them in vain in your columns, that I expected you would, while in this country, send to Rochester such graphic accounts of people and things in Great Britain, that there would not be space left in your paper for my letters, nor readers found for then if they were published—so I withdrew from the field while you occupied the ground; and as your British friends entertained the hope that your sojourn in our country would be a protracted one, there seemed nothing left for me to do in this respect. On your sad bereavement, the consequent interruption to all your plans, and your return home, under circumstances of great peril to yourself and of pain to your many friends on this side the ocean, it would have been wholly unwise to comment in print at the time; and no sooner had the danger ceased than the prospect of your promised return to us became near, and then I purposed reporting for your American friends some of your goings and doings, since you told them last winter so little of your British anti-slavery labors, from lack of time. Now that your decision is to remain at home through the winter, I will, without delay, comply with your wish, by resuming my letters at once, and promising (D.V.) to be more frequent in my communications in time to come than I have been of late.
Your Halifax friends are unanimous in their regrets at the postponement of your return to this country. I need scarcely say [I] share in this regret; but with such a field
of labor open before you in the States for the coming winter, it will not do to urge you to come to us at the time proposed. Nevertheless, on many accounts, the delay is unfortunate, and you must see to it that you appear on our shores early in the spring. Remember this, and arrange your plans accordingly.
Just now our Halifax Anti-Slavery Committee is scattered abroad in all directions.—Every one is on the wing, flitting about; some are on the continent, others at Scarboro', Harrowgate, &c. No meetings have lately been held, and, therefore, no arrangements relative to Dr. Cheever have yet been
made. Several of the leading ministers are away, (your friend, Rev. Mr. M. inclusive,) so, until October opens upon us, I see no probability of our doing much anti-slavery work.—I am convinced we shall all be united in an earnest desire to see and to hear that bold, dauntless, Christian champion of freedom, Dr. Cheever, and to hear from his own lips the complicity of the American churches with the foul system of slavery. I sincerely trust he will be the means of enlightening many of our British friends on this subject. His testimony I believe to be exceedingly valuable. I do not think that his defamers can, to any extent, injure him in the minds of people on this side the ocean. Rev. D. M. GRAHAM, a Free Will Baptist minister from New York, gave a lecture lately, in Halifax, on Slavery. I regretted that this 'flitting' season of the year caused his auditors to be so few—for the array of facts which he gave us, as regards the churches, was important and startling, yet not more startling than true. I hope Mr. Graham's anti-slavery labors will do much good. When our people sin by admitting a pro-slavery minister to their pulpits—'I wot that through ignorance they do it'—they need enlightening in order that they may discern a 'wolf in sheep's clothing' from a genuine sheep, (or rather shepherd.) The subject of slavery is certainly being brought considerably before our people at this time, and subscriptions towards some branch of the cause are being levied in all directions. In one town we have Mr. Mitchell begging for a chapel and school in Toronto. In another, Mr. Troy, collecting for a similar object in Canada West.
Here, there is Rev. W. King, asking contributions for Buxton Settlement; and there is Mr. Day, raising funds towards starting a newspaper. Then we have a host of colored friends going up and down the country, east, west, north and south, collecting money to buy their various relatives out of slavery. I cannot but wish that this later tribe was thinned, for my mind greatly misgives me as to the genuine nature of all the cases, and yet it is difficult for good-natured JOHN BULL to say no: and far distant be the day when a true son or daughter of England shall listen unmoved to the recital of another's wrongs, without lending a helping hand to their removal. I think with dear, good, Christian HANNAH MORE, that it is better to be deceived in ninety-nine cases, than to let the hundredth perish from want. I must say, just here, that I have read with extreme interest your first of August address, and could not fail to feel highly gratified by the just award of praise you have in it rendered to that noble band of Englishmen who were the instruments of giving liberty to eight hundred thousand of their West Indian brethren. I can verify, by my own experience, what you say in regard to 'the most ignorant slave on the banks of the Red River,' who 'has, by some means or other, come to learn that the English are the friends of the African race.' Of the many scores of fleeing fugitives that it was my privilege to see and to assist, during my sojourn in the United States, I never met one who did not smile all over his face when I said, 'Don't be afraid of me; I'm an Englishwoman.'
Many on this side the ocean are looking with intense anxiety to the Presidential election and its results. I cannot but regret exceedingly that our friend Hon. W. H. SEWARD was not nominated as the anti-slavery candidate. Of ABRAHAM LINCOLN we seem to have heard nothing until recently, and can but trust that, if successful, he may prove to have more anti-slavery principle than some of us give him credit for. Your sketch of the several Presidential candidates almost makes me hopeless for the future of the American people, since (as you have so frequently said) we must judge of a people from the character of the men they delight to honor. Still, whoever be the commanders of the various armies
in the field, it is clear that they coming battle
will be one between SLAVERY and FREEDOM.—
Thousands of eyes will be turned towards the
scene of action. 'May God defend the
right!'
It is much to be regretted that our youth-
ful Prince of Wales is to visit Washington
during the reign of Buchanan. A man so
entirely the tool of the slave party, as is the
present President will not fail to throw a soft
haze around the beloved, 'patriarchal institu-
tion,' which will carefully conceal all its hid-
eous features. Hon. W. H. Seward, or Hon.
Charles Summer, will, I trust, meet the Prince
while he is in the States. It will, indeed, be
lamentable if the natural British hatred of
wrong and oppression be lessened in so young
a breast by contact with the apologists of
slavery.
To turn to home matters for a moment.—
You will have a vivid recollection of our
charming People's Park here? therefore you
will be interested to learn that on the 14th of
August, (the anniversary of its opening,) a
very fine statue of the generous donor (FRANK
CROSSLEY, Esq., M. P. for the West Riding)
was inaugurated. It is a beautiful work of
art, and deemed an excellent likeness of the
noble and public-spirited man it represents.—
A pretty little temple, opening our of the
summer-house in the center of the terrace,
contains it. St. Swithin has, this summer,
proved a weeping saint, so our fine days have
been few; but, happily, the 14th of August
was a beautiful day. Crowds thronged to the
Park, from town and country, to witness the
ceremony of the inauguration, or rather to
look upon the really few who were near
enough to see and hear what passed! Of the
latter number was Dr. C., who heard, he says,
'every word of every speech.' It is believed
there were between thirty and forty thousand
people in the Park during this gala afternoon,
and general holiday, and every one looked in
good humor and full enjoyment. All honor
to the name of CROSSLEY! Halifax may well
be proud of such a family, and delight to
honor any of the noble band of brothers. I
wish you could have been among us on that
interesting occasion. Your Halifax friends
frequently enquire for you, and desire, from
time to time, their kindest regards, best
wishes, and earnest hopes to see you again be-
fore long.
With the full intention of writing again ere
long, I remain, as always,
Your faithful friend,
JULIA G. CROFTS.