Things and Doings in New York and Brooklyn.

Wm. Smith and the case of his sister Frances—An Imposter caged—Jamaica (W.I.) Mission.

Brooklyn, L.I., Nov. 27th.

Mr. Editor:—I avail myself of the present moment, to take up my pen to inform you of what is going on in this region that may be interesting to your readers. We have had quite a stirring time of it in these "diggins" for the last two weeks.

First, the case of Frances Smith. The facts in the case are these: the Smith family were claimed as the property of the late Judge Gaston of Newbern, North Carolina. The younger Smiths are quadroons. Upon the death of Judge Gaston, his heirs, after considerable consultation, permitted Wm. Smith to go to work, with the view of purchasing himself, for which purpose he repaired to the city of Washington, and by his own industry, has succeeded in paying for his own freedom. At the time of the sale of the "property" of Judge Gaston's heirs, William prevailed upon one Amos Wade (merchant) of Newbern, to purchase his mother and sister, in order to save them from being sold to the far South.—He has since redeemed his mother at the price of fifty dollars, which, together with $533.00 paid for himself, makes five hundred and seventy-three dollars he has raised by his own industry. He now appeals to the liberality and humanity of the people of the North, to assist him in rescuing a young and beautiful sister from the New Orleans market, and save her from what may yet be, if she is not rescued, a condition worse than death. Amos Wade writes that "She is a good girl, and I believe a virtuous girl. She is a member of Church, and is respected by the members of her church as a christian. I have been offered one thousand dollars for her by traders, but if your object is to free her, I will reduce the price to $600.00."

A christian girl—a virtuous girl, 17 years old, and handsome, and one thousand dollars offered for her by traders! What means this? Oh, ye christians and republicans of the North, blush to think. Meetings to sympathize with and assist Mr. Smith, have been held in Brooklyn and New York. But I am ashamed to say they were very thinly attended. Had these meetings been exhibitions of a monkey with a red jacket on, the churches which were reluctantly granted for them to be held in, would have been filled to repletion; but when a brother comes to the much-boasted of, and miscalled free North, appealing for aid to protect a young and virtuous sister, all our great men (for New York is filled with great men, at least in their own estimation,) stand aloof. The meeting in Brooklyn was addressed by Messrs. Jeremiah Powers, Wm. Ray, George Hogarth, J. C. Morrell, and C. C. Harrington. The meeting in New York by the Rev. Mr. Secost, and Messrs. J. Powers, and J. C. Holly. The collections were liberal for the small numbers present. The speakers answered the several objections urged against paying for persons claimed as slaves.

1st. That we do not recognize the right of the slaveholder to property in his fellow-beings any more than the traveller recognizes the right of the robber to his purse, when he surrenders it rather than his life. 2dly. That while laboring to overthrow the whole system of slavery, we must not harden our hearts and resist individual appeals, as we would not be feeling for those in bonds as though bound with them. 3dly. That every person redeemed, even by a compliance with the unjust demands of the flesh-monger, is one less in the meshes of slavery, and one more in the host of freedom, 4thly, and lastly, That if our own mother, sister, or daughter, was about to be sold to the "harems" of the South, all other means failing to redeem her, we would not withhold the perishable dust on principle, but would meet it as a practical question, and rescue our dear relative, with a firm faith that it would be repaid in enjoyment and prosperity, and that the slaveholders would be no richer in the end.

The second topic of interest to the friends of the slave is, the capture and caging of Geo Dutton, a stout, athletic, black man, who has been going around swindling the anti-slavery public for the last twelve or fifteen months.—He represents himself as a fugitive just arrived "last night" from the South, and by this means obtains money and sympathy where ever he goes. He was caged about twelve months ago, for playing the same game. The causes that led to his arrest at this time, are these: He has been calling on gentlemen making his false representations, and when they send to the "Vigilance Committee" he walks out. He called on a gentleman of this place, and alarmed him very much with his fears of recapture. The gentleman sent to the office 61 John street, N.Y., and the ever vigilant Jacob R. Gibbs hastened to his relief; but lo' the fugitive was gone. The gentleman described him, and Mr. Gibbs informed him that he was an imposter. He afterward went out upon the street, and saw the "coon." He informed him that the gentleman where he had been wished to see him. They went to the house together, when the gentleman informed him that Gibbs would take care of him. They started for New York, but having seen Gibbs before, they had not proceeded far before he told G. that he was not going to New York with him. "But," said G., "you have applied for aid and protection, and we will protect you if you are a fugitive." He persisted in saying that he would not go, and threatened Gibbs if he did not go away; whereupon I had him arrested, and he was committed for examination. He was arrested on Friday last. On Monday last he was examined. J. R. Gibbs and J. T. Hopper identified him as a public swindler. A pettifogger rejoicing in the couplet of Col. Jack, (and, by the way, he is Jack in more than name) and who boasted of his reputation and experience as "a

lawyer" of twenty years standing, volunteered to defend this brother. He "most respectfully submitted to his Honor whether he could entertain for one moment, a charge from persons who violate the laws of the Union, and induce slaves to run away from their masters. That such people do not deserve protection, and that his client had committed no crime." One might easily see that he came by his name honestly. But notwithstanding all this [...] was re-committed for further examination on Wednesday, the 28th, when I hope he gets what he justly deserves.

A Mr. Everett lectured in the Colored Methodist Church in this place, on the subject of the [...] Mission. The Reverend gentleman said that since he had been in this country, he had been asked by both friends and [...] whether the people were any better off? He answered, "What do you mean? Do you mean to doubt that a man is better of when he owns himself than when owned by another? If to have one's Sabbath is better than to not know it from another day, they are better off. If it be better to have a school to send one's children to, than to see them driven in the field, under the lash of the cruel task master, they are bettered." He then went on to say that the Sabbath was as generally observed—more generally observed, than in Ohio and New York States. That the number of whites on the Island is about 15,000; the number of [...] or mixed, about 68,000; and the number of blacks or unmixed descendants of Africans, about 250,000. That the former are morally hopeless, falling extravagantly into all the vices of the West Indies. That the second are very poor, in consequence of having been generally free when it was regarded as disreputable for any but slaves to work, and thereby having a desire to shun work, and now having no slaves to work for them. The latter he regarded as the most hopeful class; they are rapidly improving in intelligence; are industrious and thrifty, and recently one or two have, for the first time, made their way into the Colonial Legislature. He says they are far from being civilized in their domestic habits, as the women and children rarely ever sit down at the table with the husband and father, or walk beside them. From his account, the men are perfect "Dom[illegible]."

Yours,

J. C. H.Holly, Joseph Cephas

Joseph Cephas Holly (1825–55), the elder brother of emigrationist James Theodore Holly, was a pragmatic black abolitionist who identified himself as a Garrisonian yet supported political abolitionists, including Douglass. Born to free black parents in Washington, D.C., Holly moved to Brooklyn, New York, in 1844 and became a shoemaker. Among the early subscribers to the North Star, Holly wrote five articles on American slavery for the paper between February and June 1848. He addressed antislavery appeals to northern blacks and whites and to southern nonslaveholders, linking the rights of poor whites with those of blacks. In 1850 Holly moved to Burlington, Vermont, and established a bootmaking business with the financial backing of Lewis Tappan. He embarked upon tours of Vermont, serving as an agent for Douglass’s newspaper and speaking on a number of issues related to the needs and rights of African Americans. Although Holly and his brother James held divergent views on colonization and emigration, they lectured together, debating the issues publicly. Shortly after Joseph moved to Rochester in 1853, he was a delegate to the black national convention that assembled there, and he published a volume of poetry, Freedom’s Offering (1853). NS, 4, 18 February, 10 March, 7 April, 9 June 1848, 6 July 1849, 1 February 1850; FDP, 22 January, 5 February, 23 March, 1, 15 April 1852, 17 June, 22 July, 28 October 1853, 12 January 1855; David M. Dean, Defender of the Race: James Theodore Holly, Black Nationalist Bishop (Boston, 1979), 3–20; Geraldine O. Matthews, Black American Writers, 1773–1949: A Bibliography and Union List (Boston, 1975), 148; Miller, Search for a Black Nationality, 108–10; Ripley, Black Abolitionist Papers, 4:25–26n