ITHACA, April, 1853.

FRIEND DOUGLASS:—Notwithstanding all
that has been said and written upon the unity
of the race, there still exists about as much
prejudice as ever against the poor descend
ant from "Afric's burning sand." It is det
rimental to the moral and religious growth
of the human soul, and keeps it groveling in
the dust of ignorance. It exists in every
clime, and amongst all classes; and we see
it perhaps as strongly manifested against the
poor colored man, as in any other instance.
He is for this reason made a slave for life.—And why? Because he has committed some
flagrant crime for which he should be sold
for a slave, and even after be deprived of his
freedom? No such thing is pretended—no
one alleges anything against him, save that
the same God who made me to have a white
skin, made him a black one. It is this im
press, which he has received from the hand of
God, which has caused his fellow-man to de
prive him of the common blessing guaran
teed by the Constitution of the United States,
which says, that "all men are born free and
equal, and are endowed with certain unalien
able rights, among which are Life, Liberty,
and the pursuit of happiness."

However much he may urge his constitu
tional claims for freedom, he is said to have
none; that they do not reach his case; that
he is not a man, (and him free;) and the
eye of the law of the State made for man gener
ally, (and not for horses and cattle,) in which
case he is considered a man, and fully pun
ished. For instance, does the black slave in
the South commit murder, he is considered a
man, and must pay the penalty (who ever
heard of a law made to hang a horse for kill
ing his driver? which would be just as con
sistent as to hang a negro slave for doing the
same thing) to the full extent of the law.—However much he may urge the claim of
brotherhood, by saying that "we have all
one Father—that one God hath created us,
and hath made of one blood all nations of
men for to dwell upon the face of the earth,
and claim protection because God is no re
specter of persons;" yet he must, so long as
the present custom of society remain un
changed, and prejudice reigns on the throne
of the human mind, remain down-trodden
and oppressed. How long, O Lord! shall
these things be?

But I would call your attention to another
species of slavery which is far more degrad
ing, because it is voluntary or at least so
to a great extent because mankind generally
have an opportunity to free themselves if
they would do so. I allude to that of mental
slavery.

We see the followers of the Pope so com
pletely bound in mind, that they will suffer
their bodies put to the rack, and suffer them
to be severed in two, ere they will renounce
their Popish dogma. They are influenced by
their selfish priests, and put implicit confi
dence in them; hence the priests, knowing
that their craft is in danger if light is in
troduced, manage to keep them in darkness.
I would to God I could confine the above to the
Roman Catholics entirely; but I think there
are many priests (Protestant) who strive to
keep their hearers equally in the dark, and
if any new theory comes up, are not willing
their hearers should hear for themselves; and
in fact many times I have known them to
make an appointment apparently on purpose
to keep their hearers from hearing any re
ligious sentiments which they (the priests) do
not preach. In a conversation a few months
since with a worthy member of the Dutch
Reformed Church upon the subject of sla
very, I said to him, "although I agree with
you, and you are consistent on that subject,
yet you are very inconsistent in not carrying
the principle through in your religious
views. Whilst you consistently oppose the
slavery of the South, you inconsistently glory
in endless slavery, (if you glory in what you
call gospel.) You acknowledge that the poor
slave is forced into and out of this world—that he is abused, whipped and sold, and this
we agree; but you say that some of them
will in the immortal world be continued in a
state which I call endless slavery, and in this
you glory." His reply was simply, "the
Bible teaches such a doctrine, and we have
nothing to do with it."

Now I want to ask that brother one ques
tion. If the Bible taught the doctrine of
Southern slavery, would you believe it to be
the word of God? Would you not discard
it? Suppose you that it would mitigate the
sufferings of the slave, or make his task any
easier? Would it stop the crimson current
from following the driver's task? Would it
sooner heal his wounds, or hush the heaving
sigh of the heart-broken mother, whose in
fant has been torn from her breast and sold
into bondage? No, sir; I think he would
be among the first to discard it as not worthy
of his perusal. Such would be my case if
I believed that it taught the doctrine of end
less slavery. But happily I do not believe so.

G. W. S.