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L[ewis] Woodson to Frederick Douglass, October 21, 1853

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Doing Something.

MR. EDITOR:—The reading of the article
in the Tribune, mentioned at the close of my
former letter, ended my deliberations on the
time and mode of doing something for our
general welfare, and brought me at once to
a decision. I resolved to do something, to

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begin then, and at once proceeded.

Having long made the best of my race my
study, I was not at a loss for a plan of oper-
ation; but whether mine was the wisest plan
which could be devised, or if the wisest,
whether I was best qualified to promote it,
was not for me alone to decide, but for those
with whom I must necessarily be associated
as co-workers; hence my first concern was
to find them, and ascertain their views.

A great number of gentlemen, of acknowl-
edged intelligence and patriotism, were then
in the city attending the Anniversaries of
the national benevolent institutions; and I
thought it advisable, before leaving the city
and returning to their respective homes, that
we hold a meeting, and have an interchange
of views. Accordingly, I got the consent of
the owner for the use of the front parlor
of my boarding house, for holding a meet-
ing, at ten o'clock, A. M., on Wednes-
day, the 8th of May; and proceeded at once
to solicit the attendance of every gentleman
then in the city, who had in any way dis-
tinguished himself in promoting the best in-
terests of his race.

At the hour appointed, some twenty gen-
tlemen attended. A much larger number
would have attended, as the sequel will show,
but as the business meetings of both the na-
tional anti-slavery societies were still in pro-
gress, and they were in attendance on them,
they were necessarily prevented. Hence the

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meeting did not organize and proceed in the
regular way, but spent some three hours and
a half in exchanging views on the best
means of promoting our general welfare,
and then adjourned to meet again on the
next morning at ten o'clock. And as it was
expected that the meeting would be too large
for a parlor, the lecture room of Zion Church,
corner of Church and Leonard Streets, was
solicited, and kindly and gratuitously grant-
ed, for the use of the meeting. And allow
me here to bear a highly deserved testimony
to the generous conduct of my landlady,
Mrs. Petit. When I engaged her parlor for
holding the meeting just mentioned, I prom-
ised her two dollars for the use of it; but
after learning the nature and design of the
meeting, when I offered her the pay, she gen-
erously refused to accept it, allowing the use
of her parlor gratuitously.

According to adjournment, a meeting of
about sixty gentlemen, from nine different
States, assembled in the lecture-room of the
Church, at ten o'clock on Thursday morning,
May 9th, 1850; and was organized by ap-
pointing Samuel R. Ward, of Massachusetts
Chairman, and Henry Bibb, of Michigan,
Secretary. Prayer was offered by Rev. C.
W. Gardner, of New Jersey.

The writer stated the object of the meet-
ing, and then presented the following docu-
ment for its consideration:

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Whereas, a number of the free colored cit-
izens of the United States, who have long
made the best interest of their race their
study, are now in the city of New York, at-
tending the Anniveraries of the national
benevolent institutions, and being anxious
before separating and returning to their re-
spective homes, to have an interchange of
views on their present general condition, and
the best means of improving it; and believ-
ing the period in their history has arrived
when they are called upon to take a more
active part in promoting such measures as
are designed for their general welfare; and
whereas, having met, and after due delibera-
tion, being satisfied that in our work of im-
provement hitherto, our efforts to acquire
WEALTH have not been equal to our efforts to
acquire knowledge; and being anxious, with-
out further loss of time, to commence the
work of correcting this error, and deeply im-
pressed with the importance of union and
harmony in our work, DO AGREE in the fur-
ther prosecution of it, to be governed by the
following decisions:

1. It is manifest that one of the greatest
evils now suffered by the free colored people
of the U. S., is the want of wealth.

2. The most certain way of obtaining
wealth is by labor.

3. Colored men should engage in such la-
bor as is most profitable.

4. That labor is most profitable which can

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be most assisted.

5. The assistance of labor is from capital
animals, and machinery.

6. Any man who has learned a useful
trade, and is capable of conducting it on his
own account, ought so to conduct it; because
all the nett profits would then be his. But
if he has not the means of setting up in
trade on his own account, and is a man of
integrity, then the means should be loaned
to him.

7. Hence, a national friend should be es-
tablished, with branches in every commun-
ity needing them, for the purpose of loaning
sums of money to colored men of integrity
to enable them to go into business on their
own account, or to form such partnerships
as they may find most convenient and pro-
fitable.

8. We recommend skilful, productive, hon-
orable labor, not merely because it is pro-
ductive of wealth, and all its accruing ad-
vantages, but because it is absolutely indis-
pensable to our development and perfection
as men.

9. To further stimulate industry, and grat-
ify that ambition to excel common to us, as
it is to all men, we recommend the holding
of National and State fairs, for the exhibi-
tion of the products of the industry, skill
and enterprise of colored men.

10. We believe the free people of color are
already duly impressed with the importance

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of educating their youth in the sciences—this we commend as highly favorable to our
advancement and elevation; but science with-
out a trade, or some way of turning it to
useful account, is comparatively valueless[;]
we therefore recommend them in future to
be as careful to instruct their youths in the
trades, as in the sciences.

11. Finally, while we are seeking for that
knowledge and wealth, which will give us
favor in the eyes of man, let us not forget
that virtue and piety, which will give us fa-
vor in the eyes of God.

This document was considered and de-
bated for near four hours, during which some
alterations and additions were made, but none
to change its original character, and then
adopted.

This, I believe, was the first time that the
necessity of possessing wealth, as a means
of our elevation, was, as a distinct proposi-
tion, presented to the consideration of such
a meeting. It may have been thought of
and mentioned by individuals, but it never
was before published as a part of the delib-
erations of a general meeting.

As I intend, in my next, to speak of the
proceedings of our late National Convention,
allow me, in conclusion, briefly to allude to
its general character. It was composed of

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men of the highest respectability, for virtue,
intelligence and patriotism, then in the na-
tion. The Editors of all our papers, that
published, four in number, were present
and so were all our public lecturers, together
with many of our most eminent ministers.
A meeting of such character and dignity
might justly rank with a National Conven-
tion, and its proceedings be considered of
equal weight.

Yours, &c.,

L. WOODSON.

PITTSBURGH, Oct. 21, 1853.

Creator

Woodson, Lewis

Date

1853-10-21

Description

L[ewis] Woodson to Frederick Douglass. PLSr: Frederick DouglassP, 28 October 1853. Enumerates the resolutions of a meeting in New York City; includes steps for improving the economic situation of free blacks.

Publisher

This document was calendared in the published volume and has not been published in full before.

Collection

Frederick Douglass' Paper

Type

Letters

Publication Status

Unpublished

Source

Frederick Douglass' Paper