For Frederick Douglass' Paper.

CHARLOTTE K————vs. ODD-FELLOWSHIP.
—
DEAR DOUGLASS:—That bright dame, your
fair correspondent Charlotte K ———, hav
ing recovered from her sickness, for whom
the prayers of the church had gone up,
presents herself before the foot lights, to
dance with the agility of an Elssler. It is
to be hoped that "little Jimmy" presents
fairer proportions than doth his mother's
arguments; they are deformed, untimely;
well might Charlotte exclaim, A shawl—a
shawl to cover them. It is shrewdly suspect
ed by a large circle of Communipaw'sSmith, James McCune

James McCune Smith (1813–65), a prominent black physician, abolitionist, and writer, was born in New York City to an enslaved father and a self-emancipated mother. He attended the New York African Free School, but was denied admission to Columbia University, Geneva Medical College, and the New York Academy of Medicine. He turned to the University of Glasgow in Scotland, where he received a B.A. (1835), M.A. (1836), and M.D. (1837). Upon returning to New York, he opened a pharmacy and medical practice that catered to both blacks and whites. He became involved in the abolitionist movement, serving as an associate editor of the Colored American in 1839, contributed regularly to the Anglo-African Magazine, and wrote correspondence for the North Star and Frederick Douglass’ Paper under the pseudonym “Communipaw.” Smith also wrote the introduction to Douglass’s second autobiography, My Bondage and My Freedom (1855). In 1861, Smith helped finance the revival of the Weekly Anglo-African to oppose black colonization and emigration, and he was a prominent member of the New York City Young Men’s Association, the American and Foreign Anti-Slavery Society, and the New York African Society for Mutual Relief. He was the sole attending physician of the Society for the Promotion of Education Among Colored Children, a member and vestryman of St. Philip’s Episcopal Church, and a trustee of the New York Society for the Promotion of Education Among Colored Children. In 1863 Wilberforce College appointed Smith professor of anthropology, but illness kept him from assuming his post. Lib., 1 June 1838; FDP, 18 May 1855; Douglass Papers, ser. 2:7–19; Miller, Search for a Black Nationality, 243; Pease and Pease, They Who Would Be Free, 90–92, 103, 110; Quarles, Black Abolitionists, 115, 134; Rhoda G. Freeman, “The Free Negro in New York City in the Era before the Civil War” (Ph.D. diss., Columbia University, 1966), 40–42, 177, 186, 195, 200, 247, 276, 286, 325, 353, 393; DAB, 27:288–89. ac
quaintances that the "little un" looks like
that distinguished personage. Can you en
lighten us, Mr. Editor? A female looks so
dottingly upon all that is hers, that it would
be effort on my part to convince her of any
deformity, equalled only perhaps by the
celebrated combined effort of our friends,
Dr. James M'Cune Smith and P. A. Bell,
in ejecting the old lady, the Doctor's neigh
bor.

That bad men have crept into Odd-Fel
lowship, as into other good institutions, and
made too true many of the inssertions of
Charlotte K———, I'll not deny. Neverthe
less, there is Odd-Fellowhip—examine it—
behold its principles, which are like the ev
erlasting hills, which have their origin in the
breast of Divinity itself. Shall the Pro
testant Episcopal Church be denounced as
foul and damning, because a Morris has
crept in, and preaches to his colored con
gregation obediance [sic] to the Fugitive Slave
Law?—because a white one of his vestry
men, with a sanctimonious grin, exclaims
Amen ! to the Reverand's [sic] exclamations?—
Surely, this would be unjust. What think
you, dear Charlotte?

Dear sister, you are mistaken in asserting
that "Odd Fellowship destroyed the New
York Literary Societies." If there was any
life remaining in those Societies, at the time
in question, it would have been an act of
mercy to relieve the Philomathean Society
in its dying struggles. The Ladies' Literary
Society came to save it, but was carried
down with the deadly grasp with which a
drowning object embraces what ever it comes
in contact with. No, no; its requiem had
been sung before that day; it had but at
best a ghostly existence. I might present
the evidence of Charlotte, when she used to
dress in part Bloomer, some time back, when
she was an Editor or Editress of the People's
Press, to prove other reasons than the one cit
ed by her above, as the cause of the demise

of the Literary Societies of New York.—
Doth she recollect some lines of hers, com
mencing,

"Rock the cradle, Lucy!"

As to balls, suppers, hatreds, &c., spoken
of by our inveterate sister, they are not ne
cessarily connected with, are not legitimately
the results of Odd-Fellowship, although Odd
Fellowship is of a social nature.

As for Peter Ogden, he became estranged
from the Order some time before his death
—had not fellowshiped with the Order for a
time. The most that our most amiable
Charlotte can say, is, that the Order did not
attend his funeral—did not display on the
occasion that regalia of which she spoke so
feelingly in her previous communication.—
Well, did Charlotte K———— know, that be
fore she moved to No. 4, Iron Alley, Pitts
burgh, when she was a New Yorker, that
Brothers followed the remains of "those who
had not paid their dues in the Lodge" to
their last resting place. Will Charlotte K.
be kind enough to enlighten us as to the
name of her first husband, and what rela
tion he sustained to Communipaw? Did
the Order turn out when he was buried?

It was my honest opinion that the organ
ization called Odd-Fellowship might be the
agent to organize our people, to make ef
fective to bring about what is the mest
anxious desire of Dr. James M'Cune Smith,
(my reason for using his name is because he
is the father of the National Council;)—
more so, perhaps, than any other movement
of our people; its design was to bring in
to union and communion our people, scatter
ed all over the country as it did, even into
the slaves States, to incite all to virtue and
benevolence, to education and wealth—re
ligion and hope being its trestle board.

A few words, Mr. Editor, relative to a sub
ject which, while odd, has no relation to
Odd-Fellowship. The Liberator of the 24th
ult. contains certain resolutions presented
by Wm. C. Nell at the meeting of the Mas
sachusetts State Council, held Jan. 2d. One
of his resolutions says, "That as colored
Americans, desirous of obtaining our equal
ity, we know of no more appropriate sphere
of action, with a view to that result, than to
co-operate faithfully with the various anti
slavery organizations." While it may be
fit and desirable that we should "co-oper
ate faithfully with the various anti-slavery
organizations," nevertheless, I question
whether there is "no more appropriate
sphere of action" for colored Americans un
der all the circumstances. A resolution,
proposed by the same Mr. Nell, at the same
time, would give rise to the query, if not oth
erwise suggested, wherein Mr. Nell says—

"The colored Americans . . . . . to become
elevated, they must cultivate and practice
the same traits which are elevating others
around them . . . . . urge their way thro'
the various avenues of commercial, mechan
ical and social advancement, and eventually
the summit of succes will be attained."—
For the sake of harmony between these two
resolutions, proposed by Mr. Nell, it becomes
necessary that he should show that "the va
rious anti-slavery organizations" stand ready
or have assisted in the above, which I am not
ready to affirm; and in proof of my doubts,
do not find it necessary to go beyond this
very Mr. Nell himself, and his connexion
with the "Anti-Slavery Organization" of
Boston. What relation has he sustained to
this anti-slavery organization? He has as
it were grown up under the very auspices of
the same; he has served it, and in serving
it for many and many a year made himself
eminently competent to fill offices of trust,
respectability and importance; but he has
invariably been thrust aside, and been com
pelled to fill menial or inconsiderate posi
tions, while others have been imported to
fill lucrative and important offices. Nor has
any encouragement on the part of anti-sla
very societies manifested itself much more
so out of Boston. There are, however, hon
orable exceptions amoung abolitionists. I do
not assert it as positive; yet I am impress
ed that there is an indifference as to our
elevation, that the great considerations is,
the relieving of the country of the blight
and curse of slavery. Mrs. H. B. Stowe
was disposed to do something with funds at
her command, for the benefit of the free col
ored man. She is counciled to withhold the
same, and let the influence be directed tow
ards freeing the slave—an end must devout
ly to be hoped for—worthy of a life of holy
devotion; still, why not assist and encour
age the nominally free in making them
really free?

A word relative to another resolution, pro
posed by the same Mr. Nell. Speaking of
the late National Convention at Rochester,
he says in his resolution, that he looks upon
it "not as realizing our highest idea." I
would first ask, Was he not a full member of
that Convention, possessing all the power,
rights and influences of each other member
thereof? Would not any preposition or sug
gestion of his have been received and con
sidered?—in fact, were not propositions and
considerations proposed by him, which were
adopted? [W?]as any proposition, proposed
by him and refused, which, if adopted,
would have elevated, in his opinion, the Con
vention to his "highest idea." Did not this
same Mr. Nell, the representative from the
great city of Boston, do all that in him laid
to cause the Convention to come up to his
"highest idea?" If he cannot say, yes,
then I would respectfully enquire, is he not
in honor precluded form casting the least
imputation thereupon? This unjustifiable
thrust comes with ill grace from the agent
used. PHILO.