Observer [James N. Still] to Frederick Douglass, February 1855
F.D.P. 16 Feb., 1855 p.1 c. 6-7
Affairs with the 'Longshoremen (white)
remain yet very unsettled, although the
result of their last Sabbath evening meeting
was to go to work at the price proffered by
the leading ship-owners ($1.50 per day.)—
But their having surrendered the field, gave
rise to new difficulty. They found, on their
return, that colored men had been employed
in their stead. Under ordinary times, this
itself would have been no difficulty—for
they would have soon got rid of them by
throwing them overboard. But not so now.
"Things aint as they used to be." Though
one or two attempts were made to molest
the colored laborers, still they manifested
real irresistible Turkish defiance, with an
indication that they would be supported by
the "allied powers." This, with the very
recently learned character of our very recently
elected chief magistrate, from the decision
and determination he has shown in dealing
with the liquor dealers, shows that he is not
a very desirable customer to deal with,
particularly when dealing out law to law-breakers.
I once heard it suggested, during the
official career of a previous Mayor, that a
mud monument should be raised by the city
to perpetuate his memory, for cleaning not
the streets. Why not raise a pyramid of
rum barrels in honor of our present Mayor,
and do it now as an encouragement for him
to [hold out?]? The Mayor says that he has
taken three things in hand—the streets—the
police—and Sunday liquor selling. On the
first Sunday after his assumption of office,
there were 280 liqour shops open; on the
second, 130; on the third, 26—the license
being taken from twelve of the last number.
The Mayor of Brooklyn is no less vigilant
and determined. Among the arrests made
one night last week, was a gang of colored
men and boys, playing at dice or some other
species of gambling. In recording this,
(with regret, as we do,) we can't refrain from
a word of warning and counsel to "teachers,
preachers, and parents," not particularly for
those of "Siloam," but for all. There were
some of these young men, among the most
intelligent in our city. We recollect that
several of them attended the first meetings
of the Brooklyn Library Association, and
were very anxious to take an active part,
which they did on one occasion with marked
interest and evidence of being young men
of mind and thought. But "ministers" held
themselves aloof, and said that "no such a
Society was needed," "what the church and
prayer could not do, nothing else would"—
"besides, it interferes with our (numerical)
attendance at church." Teachers said,
"these gentlemen are not exactly of the
cloth; we want to select the elect; we don't
care any thing about their attendance."
Parents said, "are you going to have such
fellows as these in your Society—any body
and every body, Tom, Dick, and Harry—if
you do, I won't come." Consequently,
finding no cordial response in the bosom of
Christians and pretended reformers, they
sought relaxation and amusement wherever
they could find it. Even our large cities are
wanting in places of wholesome amusement
and recreation for the young. It is either
the church and the "prayer meeting," or the
porter house and gambling table—nothing
between these—either a saint of the first
water, professionally at least, or a sinner of
the deepest die, irresistibly. Without using
the means to civilize and moralize, we
strive to christianize.
A congratulatory meeting to the Mayors
of the two cities is now in contemplation,
by the colored people, for the determined
manner they are enforcing the laws,
irrespective of creed or color.
A heavy fall of snow yesterday and last
night has greatly increased the sadness of
the sorrowful, and the mirth of the merry,
as may be seen by the street that leads to
the "soup-house," and the avenues that lead
to the country. The former, by the increased
number of terrified and heart-broken
widows, crushed, neglected and forsaken
wives, who, impelled by a more stern decree
than that which replenishes the wasting
ranks of the Czar of the Russians, the Queen
of the Britons, or the Emperor of the
French, sally forth, armed alone with
fortitude, to encounter that which is sharper than
the steel of the Cossack, the scimitar of the
Moslem, or the sabre of the Celt—bound by
a stronger tie than can bind an Emperor to
his subject, still in keeping with a loftier
dignity than an Emperor over lost or won,
she goes forth to ask—not for the repeal of
abrogated treaties, unjustly made by men—
but for the fulfilment of the irrepealable
laws of God—she goes to ask for that for
which she has an undaunted and indisputed
right—she asks for bread for her fatherless
and famishing children.
Protracted meetings have been held in
both the Methodist (Rev. A. M. Williams')
and the Presbyterian (Rev. A. N. Freeman's)
Churches, during the present week and are
yet going on. A large fire occurred last night
in South Brooklyn. The petition of the
Williamsburgh Convention, in behalf of the
elective franchises, was sent last Monday,
accompanied by letters, &c., from distinguished
gentlemen, and numerously signed.
OBSERVER.