BURLINGTON, Vt., 1853.

FREDERICK DOUGLASS, ESQ.: DEAR SIR:—I
take the liberty of sending you a few lines,
and, though a stranger to you, I trust I am
not so to the noble cause you so faithfully
and zealously advocate. I am greatly inter
ested in reading your valuable paper, which
comes to me as regularly as the week rolls
by; and I am rejoiced to see it so well filled
with good news from all parts of the country,
in relation to the success and progress of the
cause of freedom. I wish to express to you
my belief that the great National Conven
tion, held in August last, will accomplish
more good through its influence upon the
minds of all classes of the people, than any
thing else which has been done since the or
ganization of the Liberty Party; yet, per
haps some may think I should make here
two exceptions, one in favor of Uncle Tom's
Cabin, the other in favor of the Fugitive
Slave Law—these have done a mighty work
towards liberating the oppressed from an ig
noble and almost helpless bondage. Our
thanks and our gratitude are due to Mrs.
Stowe, for the great and good work, while
the most commanding intellects of the age
are merely exerting their talents to amuse
the people; her's have been exerted to in-

struct them in the path of duty—to enlight
en their moral reception—and to excite their
sympathies in favor of a helpless and op
pressive people. Uncle Tom has paid a visit
to almost every family in the country; and
his earnest and tearful appeal to all of the
best, and purest, and noblest feelings of hu
man nature will never be forgotten by those
who have given him a candid hearing. This
leaven is silently, but surely working its way
to the hearts of the great mass of the Ameri
can people. The Fugitive Slave Law, in
tended, by its framers, to operate in favor
of slavery, is doing much for universal lib
erty; it has lighted anew the torch of sla
very agitation; and the severity of its enact
ments, and their execution, have raised up,
in favor of the oppressed, a host of friends
who are willing to sacrifice their lives and
their fortunes to know the fetters from
their shackled limbs; it has driven many a
victim to the land of freedom, where, on
British soil, he enjoys the rights and immu
nities of a free-born citizen, which he cannot
find in this great republic—it may well be
considered a stepping-stone to liberty. In
relation to the Convention, I will add, it
seems to have imparted new action, and in
creased energy to the members of that body;
and it is greatly to be hoped that a spirit of
harmony will prevail through all the delib
erations of the Council, and that they may
be guided in their motives by disinterested
benevolence. Before us lies a great and glorious work to be accomplished, and the time
has fully come when energetic action seems

to be indispensible. Resolutions are good,
but right action is better. Let the spirit of
reform be carried into action, and the good
work will roll on to its consummation.—Friend J. W. Loguen has been recently la
boring in our State, and, I hope, with good
success. I am glad to find him a faithful and
fearless champion of liberty. May the good
spirit who guides and protects the faithful
servant bless his labors. I hope to hear a
good report of his doings in this section of
the country.

Yours for the oppressed,

JAMES L. TAYLOR.