Samuel Ringgold Ward to Frederick Douglass, January 1855
For Frederick Douglass' Paper.
THE MODERN NEGRO.—NO. I.
FREDERICK DOUGLASS, ESQ: MY DEAR SIR:—One of your many admirers in this country, has recently given me the pleasure of reading your "Ethnological Address," upon the negro race. Allow me to thank you for that able, masterly document. And allow me to avail myself of our ancient and unbroken friendship, to thank you, as a mulatto, for the honor you do me, as a negro.—That you are the former, and I the latter, is certainly a fact for which neither of us is responsible, praiseworthy, or blameworthy.—But this variety gives us both abundant and varied, and I know, that so far as you and I are personally concerned, united opportunities of illustrating and defending the manhood and the equality of our African ancestry, and our Africo-American brethren.
In this particular connexion, I will add, that Canada and the United States are too closely allied in feeling, as well as in geographical position, to make the cause of the black man otherwise than one, on both sides of the line. You, from your stand point, we from ours, are alike enabled to vindicate our race, and to repel the vile, foul slanders by which that race has been—by the baser half of the Anglo-Saxon race—aspersed. You, I hope, will never be ashamed to point your maligners to the condition and prospects of the entirely free British negro; while we, I hope, shall always be proud of the advancing progress of the nominally free in the United States—uniting our testimony practically and undeniably, in behalf of those still remaining in chains.
I cannot help thinking that such a theme as that you brought before the Western Reserve College Literary Society, needs, at this time, to be especially, distinctly, and emphatically pressed upon the public attention, by gentlemen of our own color. I think so:
1st. Because no better time than the present was ever given for this purpose. This and cognate subjects are matters of universal enquiry and consideration. Here, and all over Europe, this, in spite of "wars and rumors of wars," is the question of the day. Men and women everywhere, are having their day, proand con, on this topic. It is a part of the missionary theme; it enters, as well, into general politics. If you speak of the improvement of our West India colonies, and the "experiment"—as some call it—of freedom in these islands, up comes this question
If the American character is under review, the American idea of the negro, and the consequent American treatment of the negro is almost certain to claim attention.—At no past time was this so, to the same extent. Now, therefore, is the time to press this matter, by taking advantage of this state of enquiry concerning it.
2d. It has so intimate a connexion with the great question of negro slavery. The Anglo-Saxon, who is mean enough—and unfortunately there are far too many such—to hide and skulk behind any refuge of lies, in defending slavery, generally flies to this.—"The negro is inferior to us." Those who justify slavery from their Bible, on the authority of their God, intend to say that they hold a Bible and worship a God of their own views and feelings on the question of negro inferiority. Hence, a Congretational minister in Connecticut—a paid agent of the Connecticut Colonization Society—told the Rev. A. G. Beman and myself, that it was his (Rev. Mr. Orcutt's) opinion, that "were Christ living in a house capable of holding two families, He would prefer not to have a colored family in the opposite end."
Those who say the negro is unfit for freedom, and who, like the Rev. Dr. Spring, would not, on that account, dare to pray a prayer that would be answered by our immediate emancipation, have the same view, as do those who prate of the contentment of the negro with, and in, slavery. Those who regard slavery as at once our blessing and our "manifest destiny," and who believe we can flourish in no other condition, are, of course, beneath the reach of any argument. They will only be convinced when they wake up as Dives did, where Dives did. "All liars," &c.
Now, doubtless, a bold push on this matter will do much to trample in the dust the defences cast up about the Old Bastile.
3d. We must do it, or who will? Where is the history of the negro? Alas! the history of our unhappy people consists of a single term and its cognate—slavery—slave trade—there is negro history, and what is more, some of the darkest and most diabolical pages and chapters of other history as well; and while this has been our lot, and that of our fathers, how were we to raise up historians? That is done but by people in far different circumstances. Who was to write about us? Alas! who cared enough about us to write for us or of us? Yet, there are patches and shreds of our ancient life.—I was delighted to find that the founder of Assyria, whose capitol, Nineveh, has recently been exhumed, and whose relics have
immortalised Layard, was a son of Ham.—And here and there a fact can be gleaned so
forcible, that the more intelligent of our
disparagers will yield the point, as to the ancient
negro, but they put us upon our proof
as to the modern negro. Well, there we are
sadly at fault. We have nothing but Mott's
Sketches, Mr. Armistead's Tribute, Mr.
Knell's Military Heroes, and a few anecdotes.
Confessing this, I think we need not despair,
for we have our glorious fatherland, Africa,
with her 150 millions of as ancient heathen
as the world ever saw—far superior to the
progeniters of the proud and abuseful Anglo-
Saxons; (which is saying very little;)
and they are, as we shall see, quite equal to
some of the very tallest of your modern,
christian, Anglo-Saxons, (which is saying but
precious little more.) We have 14 millions
of our people who have survived the bad
oppression, the worse example, and worst of
all, the amalgamation of the unspeakably bad
Anglo-Saxon blood, and are, in all respect,
in spite of this treble curse—this fruitful
matrix of curses—somebody.
If you have patience for it, I will second
the noble efforts you are making in a like
direction, by following this paper with some
crude ideas (you know i never had any other)
on this subject.
I have the honor to be, dear sir,
Your obedient servant,
SAMUEL RINGGOLD WARD.
LONDON, Jan., 1855.