Miss Shadd's Pamphlet.

Philadelphia, April 23, 1849.

Frederick Douglass:—Dear Sir—Miss Shadd has published a small pamphlet, containing twelve pages, called "Hints to the colored People of the North." I had a number of them in my possession to dispose of; but I have not been able, as yet, to sell more than three or four in about two months. As a reader of the North Star, I have been watching very carefully, for the last six months, for some of our able and distinguished writers in this city to take some notice of this little document, but have watched in vain. It has been widely circulated in this city, but I believe very little money has been paid for it. In fact some have said that had they known that the work contained some things which it does, they would not have had it as a gift; but what the objectionable part is, I have yet to learn, unless it be its telling too much truth—particularly in setting the condition of our people in its true light.

I understand that the author of this pamphlet is a daughter of A. D. Shadd, Esq., of Westchester, in this State. She says:—

"Feeling, as I do, that my destiny is that of my people, it is a duty to myself, setting aside the much-ridiculed maxim that 'charity begins at home,' to expose every weakness, to exclaim against every custom that helps prolong our day of depression. I shall, therefore, not by raillery or ridicule, seek to arouse you; but as one who, by assent, if not by actual participation, has aided in this complexion of things, speak plainly and without fear. We thought, in connection with professional men, as the whites had such, we should, as they do, make a grand display of ourselves; we should have processions, expensive entertainments, excursions, public dinners and suppers, with beneficial institutions, a display of costly apparel, and churches on churches, to minister to our vanity; we forget that 'circumstances alter cases;' we forget that we are, as a people, deficient in the 'needful' to support such things. The praise that would be bestowed upon us, was incense to our susceptible imaginations, instead of gall and wormwood to our souls, as it should have been, and as it really is to our hopes, if we continue to follow this policy. What profits a display of ourselves? Is it to be seen by one another? How does that better our condition as a people? Is it to be seen and admired by the whites? Why, the very people who tell you, 'Your people eclipsed ours on a public occasion;' 'your ladies and gentlemen compare favorably with ours in appearance on the street;' 'your society's regalia looked becoming and neat when Mr. or Mrs. was buried;' say ' the colored people are spending their money for velvet and gold now, and in winter they will be dependent on public charity.' 'The colored caricature the whites, their employers; silly people! they attend all to their exterior!' Negroes and Indians set more value on the outside of their heads than on what the inside needs: 'They (blacks) are glad when one of their number dies, that they may walk in procession, and show their regalia.' There is a continual criticism on our actions being indulged in contempt of us, and abuse showered lavishly upon us, by our avowed enemies and pretended friends; while our true friends are sad at heart because of our weakness—this 'grasping at straws.'"

What think you of the language of this young sister, who is now residing in a slave-holding State? Does she tell the truth or not? As one man I am sorry that I have to answer in the affirmative: yes, well may she say that our true friends are sad at heart because of our weakness, which cause she has so handsomely demonstrated in the foregoing extract. I do not know of any of our true friends who give any countenance to these unnecessary and expensive regalia displays; but I do not know that whenever one of those regalia institutions turns out in the street to a funeral, or on any other occasion, the pro-slavery newspapers puff them up to a great extent—yes, the very newspapers that, in by-gone days, had aided in the burning of our chures, halls and private dwellings when we had dared to utter a single complaint against the oppressors of our race, and are ready to do it now.

J. B. Y.