ISAIAH C. WEIR¹Isaiah C. Wears (1822-1900) of Philadelphia, whose last name was variously reported as “Ware,” “Weer,” “Weir,” and “Wier,” was a barber and close associate of William Still in that city’s Vigilance Committee. He was an active participant at the State Convention of Colored Citizens of Pennsylvania, held in Harrisburg in December 1848. In 1855, Douglass reported that Wears was scheduled to speak at a West Indian Emancipation celebration in Philadelphia. After the Civil War, Wears attended the National Convention of Colored Men in January 1869, and campaigned with Douglass for the Republican presidential ticket in New York in 1880. , ser. 1, 4:581; Christian G. Samito, (Ithaca, N.Y., 2009), 164-66; Foner and Branhan, , 375-77; Foner and Walker, , 1:119-21; Harry C. Silcox, "The Black ‘Better Class’ Political Dilemma: Philadelphia Prototype Isaiah C. Wears,” , 113:45-47 (January 1989). TO FREDERICK DOUGLASS

Philadelphia, [Pa.] 12 March 1855.

Mr. FREDERICK DOUGLASS:

DEAR SIR:—

I notice in your paper of the 23d of last month, a letter (purporting to be from a Philadelphian to the editor of the ) attempting to give some account of you and your lectures while with us.²Douglass spoke three times in Philadelphia in early 1855. He spoke at the Israel Church on Gaskill Street on 29 January; at Franklin Hall on 30 January; and at the Union Church on Coates Street on 31 January 1855. An unsigned letter to William Lloyd Garrison, published in the 3 February 1855 issue of the , was reprinted in the 23 February 1855 issue of , with the purpose of criticizing Douglass and his antislavery rhetoric. According to the author, Douglass “repeated all the stale cant and twaddle about the Anti-Sabbath and Anti-Bible, character of Mr. Garrison and his friends, and intimated that, under the garb of Humanity, they were endeavoring to uproot Christianity!—thus appealing to the lowest sectarian prejudices of his audience.” I have been expecting that something would be said in that direction; but, certainly did not anticipate anything so brazen and insulting to the colored people of our city as the letter to which I refer. I do not intend to reply to said letter, at this time, but will attempt a refutation as soon as the name of the author is known. I prefer always to know the character and quality of my name before I expend my ammunition. Nevertheless, should the name fail to appear in endorsement of said article, I shall then attend to it, as I would to any other series of unendorsed falsehoods. But 'tis proper here to say, that, should any (hitherto) respectable name appear in said connexion, I promise all the civilities that are due from one man to another, in the discussion of a subject involving similar issues.

And now a word in reference to a colored friend of great respectability, in Philadelphia,³The following insert was published in the 23 February 1855 issue of as a response to the anonymous criticism of Douglass’s antislavery lecture in Philadelphia. The insert stated, “A colored friend, of great respectability, in Philadelphia, referring to Mr. Douglass’ venomous lectures in that city, says — ‘Allow me to say, that the disaffected to our cause, and its advocates, in Philadelphia, are no mere faction. The respect, gratitude and confidence of the great body of our people are with you. How could it be otherwise?’" The identities of the “friend” and the “disaffected” are unknown. and the disaffected to our cause. If ‘tis meant by disaffected to refer to the friends, and approves of Frederick Douglass and his course, I here say, for the benefit of all whom it may concern, (and without fear of contradiction,) that a common prison car would hold all the colored men (without crowding) who do or ever have had anything to do with public affairs in our city, who are not friends, and approve Frederick Douglass and his course; and to say that such approval and friendship involve, necessarily, disaffection to the anti-slavery cause, is either silly or Vicious.

Yours truly,

ISAIAH C. WEER.

PLSr: FDP, 30 March 1855.