[Little Sopes] July 29, 1852.

Mr. Frederick Douglass: Sir:—The writer of this, not long since, read Mrs. Stowe's "Life among the Lowly," and gloried in the suggestive story of Geo. Harris' escape, which he understands to say, "Fugitives arm yourselves in the most efficient manner that you can," AND IF YOU ARE ASSAULTED, FIGHT: and on this text he wishes to make a suggestion to "The Committee of Thirteen;" or some other committee, that it is proper and necessary to provide arms for fugitives at convenient places, and to encourage and instruct them in their use; and that for this purpose "material aid" should be called for to constitute a fund to be called "The Fugitives' Arms Fund" or any other appropriate name: such a call ought, and the writer thinks would, receive a prompt and hearty response. With an eye to the contemplated result; effectual resistance to any and every attempt at recapture, a suggestion in relation to the kind of arms; every one who has ever seen the use of pistols, with which weapons the authoress of "Uncle Tom's Cabin" arms George, knows that they are not reliable, unless very large, for any considerable distance, say ten steps:—small ones are so notoriously inaccurate that no resolute man regards them, and at hand to hand they are less efficient than the bowie knife or any other kind of broad heavy dagger: the pistol, if so it be named, ought to be very large or in other words, it should be a short gun, as long as could be consistent with convenience and concealment and carrying an ounce ball; such a weapon for distance and such a companion for it as the heavy bowie kinfe for a close fight, in the hands of each determined man, would soon make Gorsuch cases so plent[i]ful as to cause the profession of men-hunter to fall into [illegible]. And now the suggestions are made! Will you give them publicity? If not, why not? Ought any one making or publishing such be denounced?—Not by those who adopt Patrick Henry's appeal for a motto, "Give me liberty or give me death!" and this is what the glorious writer of Uncle Tom suggests as proper, and to this motto the writer of this for one would shout his amen. If men have "certain inalienable rights, and liberty is one of these rights; this, says the Declaration of Independence, is a self-evident proposition. Every human being's consciousness at once and without argument [recognizes] its truth; and all concede that of all kinds of liberty, personal is the dearest; "no matter," says the English Orater and Statesman, "in what disastrous battle his liberty may have been cloven down, no matter with what formalities he may have been devoted on the altar of slavery." Every man from whom this right has been wrested may resume it, he may fight for it or he may run for it at his own [illegible]; he ought to be governed in the attempt and in the choice of means by discretion; but he has always he natural and moral right to regain his wrested right, and if he run he ought to [illegible] FIGHT [illegible] [...]; therefore let him be provided with efficient arms.

There are four editors whose several comments on this communication the writer would like well to see, viz, F. Douglass, G. Baily, H. Greeley and E[illegible] Fisher.

Yours,

Sans Nom.