Ethiop (William J. Wilson) to Frederick Douglass, June 5, 1852
From Our Brooklyn Correspondent.
Dear Douglass:—Like promised showers that come not but in the form of wind and cloud, and pass away; leaving the thirsty earth more dry and parched than before, so have the anniversaries of this spring passed by us, poor Gothamites! poor miserable offenders that we are, leaving us unrefreshed and uninvigorated. True, the American and Foreign Anti-Slavery Society's Jubilee was held here, and passed off with much spirit and point; but as it is rather a home affair, there was none of that ingathering of friends from abroad; no fine, healthy, roubust, intelligent looking ladies, and portly sensible looking gentlemen, with umbrella and carpet bag in hand, issuing from every steamer that touched our wharves, and alighting from every car that wormed its way into town, men and women who gave tone and bias to just sentiment; and whose annual influence upon this modern Sodom was wont to prove its salvation. In the absence of such wholesome influences, who can estimate the amount of bane generated by most of the other associations during this Anniversary week here; poisonous influences hitherto wholly counteracted by anti-slavery and kindred influences. For, while these Anniversaries have been as usual dull, stale affairs, mere rehearsals, passing with scarcely a remembrance of twenty-four hours, still as water wear the hardest stones, so bad impressions vitiate true sentiment, if not invigorated by healthy influences, however imperceptibly felt at first.—Ethiop takes credit to himself for fanning the long smouldering embers to the flame that burst out in the midst of the Anti-Sla-
very Association here the other day; in which Dr. James McCune Smith, Rev. C. B. Ray, and Messrs. E. V. Clark, and George T. Downing took such a manly part. It will do good in a thousand ways; mainly will it lead black men hereafter to look at things for themselves, and question their propriety or impropriety as do other men. It will also lead the whites to better understand the blacks, especially the progressive class; their wants, notions, feelings and aspirations, &c.; and that they are not in any manner dissimilar to their own, and nothing short of the same treatment will, under alike circumstances, serve them.
* * * "Uncle Tom's Cabin!" "Uncle Tom's Cabin" is all the topic here, aside from the vulgar theme of politics; which (though surface-broad, penetrates no deeper ) is at present well nigh being eclipsed by its greater rivial, my "Uncle Tom's Cabin," since its entry into Gotham.
Mrs. Beecher Stowe has deserved well of her country, in thus bringing Uncle Tom's Cabin, and all its associations, from the sunny South, into these Northern regions, and placing it upon the Northern track, and
sending it thence round the land. This species of abolitionism finds its way into quarters here, hitherto so faced over with the adamant of pro-slavery politics, unionism, churchism, and every other shade of "ism" hammered out, and welded on by his satanic majesty and faithful subjects, for the last half century, that it completely staggers belief and puts credulity wholly at fault. Shopkeepers that heretofore exposed for sale, but fancy articles for Southern gentry, ponderous volumes for the benefit of Southern slavery, Webster speeches and other dough-faced articles for Southern benefits; or, exhibited in their windows Zip Coon, or JIM CROW, with his naked toes kicking out the panes, for general amusement, profit and loyalty to the Southern God; I say that these very shop-keepers are now proud to illume these very windows through the windows of my Uncle Tom's Cabin; while good Old Aunt Cloe peeps out just to see what the matter is. May she continue to look out until every Uncle Tom is restored to his God-given rights—his full manhood—till every vestige of justice is done him.
The truth is, this species of literature will soon assume its wanted place here, whih is one of high eminence, and it may yet be regretted should its march be in an invented order; the blacks (who by position ought to be the more faithful delineators of oppression, and the keenest searchers after justice, that she fully does her office-work) being found in the REAR instead of being found, not merely in the FRONT RANK, but in the very LEAD. Of one thing, however, be assured, there is something in the heart of this community deeper rooted than the teachings of
politicians, demagogues, and robed priests, and is growing, and will, if they do not mend their ways, and change their teaching, in its giant-strength, eject them from society, and consign them to their proper place—Oblivion.
One thing more; prosaic writers—white or black, may ere long lay down their pens, that are not wetted to wield in behalf of the rights, and the equality of man; for "to this complexion we must all come at last:" and high on the willows may poets hang their harps, if not attuned to sing of this noble theme:
For who that hath a soul, can longer wake their muse,
E'en now, to sing of tyrants baser deeds in praise;
Or who can longer string their harps in praise of wrong!
Base, black, unmittigated wrong, and feel he's not a thing!!
A dog whose steps are hurrying from the road where tread the truly good.
When, my dear sir, I take a perspective look up the path of the bright future, the reflection it induces, "brings the light of other days around me." * * * * Since memory, I believe men have gone abroad to seek their fortunes. China, the East and West Indies, &c., have been the fields of their former operations; more recently, however, to California, has dame fortune awarded the palm; and black men, as well as white, have repaired thither. Heretofore, white men only have been successful. Colored men have been in every part and port in the wide, wide world and which one has returned hitherto and; settled down with a competency even from this new Ophir.
Perhaps the simple story of a returned black Californian, that I chanced to stumble over the other day, will serve in some degree to explain the reason. As he was about to leave California, he was offered one hundred and ninety dollars per
month. While standing upon the wharf, (awaiting his departure,) a gentleman called to him offering two dollars per hour, which, of course, he refused, as he was just on the eve of leaving the land of gold. To his refusal the gentleman made this rejoinder: "I have plenty of employment, but am afraid to ask any colored man to work for me, as I am invariably refused, no matter what wages I offer them." Our returned Californian says, "that there are hundreds of able bodied blacks, rioting in poverty with thousands within their very grasp; that they get high wages, the very highest, for a few weeks, or a month or so; and then quit and live it up; and when again reduced to extreme penury,
seek about for something more to do." So much, my dear sir, for the inculcation of bad habits in our youth. Of himself he says, he had followed the sea most of his life; obtaining thereby a bear subsistence for himself and family; while his snug little farm was encumbered by debts, mortgages, and other cob-webs thrown round it by wiley lawyers. By some means he strayed, among others, to this land of Ophir, some three years ago; and, by industry, perseverance, and extreme caution, had tolerably well filled his pockets, and I may add his trunk, too, with the glittering stuff; and then turned his face northward, arrived in New York in safety, subscribed for Frederick Douglass' Paper and paid for it. He is about in middle life, with good, strong sense, and fine, robust constitution; and bids fair to yet enjoy many days of happiness. A hearty grasp of the hand, a wiz, a puff, and a snort from my old iron horse, and he was on his way towards his long-left, but happy HOME in the beautiful glen of SAG-HARBOR, L.I.
Where is Communipaw? where is Communipaw? is the repeated question here,
To Ethiop put, by all the Gotham folks,
As in disguise, his round he goes "o'taken notes."
So if you have, my dear sir, the slightest information of his whereabouts, do relieve an anxious public.
Yours truly,
Ethiop.
Brooklyn Heights, June 5th, 1852.