J[ermain] W[esley] Loguen to Frederick Douglass, March 14, 1853
Letter from J. W. Loguen.
FREDERICK DOUGLASS: MY DEAR FRIEND:—You would have laughed if you could have been in our city last Monday evening, and attended, with some of us, at the first Presbyterian Church, where a few of the so-called friends of "the poor Africans" were assembled. The object of their meeting was to form a County Colonization Society, auxiliary to the American Society. They had ExGovernor Pinney, as they call him, so address them. He affected great benevolence of feeling for the poor colored people, (the free ones, not the slaves.) and pictured in glowing colors, how happy they would be in Africa, and what good Christians, and respectable gentlemen and ladies they would make, if they went to that land of promise-the colored man's paradise. As long as they remain in this country they are nothing but "the filth, the scum, and offscourings of the earth." What a wonderful, transforming, and regenerating effect this journey to Africa produces, forsooth!
He said the Colonization Society was neither anti-slavery nor pro-slavery; but I suppose he would have us understand, much better than both. Oh! the poor niggers! how their benevolent hearts yearned over them! How happy they would make the slave by sending all the free colored people out of the country! And then, too, friend Douglass, the class of men who are engaged in this movement, only look at them! Who, for a moment, can doubt the purity of their benevolence, when we see that they are the very men that use every exertion in their power to carry into execution the hellish Fugitive Slave Act? The signers to the call for this meeting, and the leading actors in it, were two or three of their ministers, of our negro-hating American gospel; and nearly all of the "lay" actors were members of our negro-hating, wine-drinking churches, with that noted, temperate, chaste saint, James R. Lawrence, the negro-catcher, and champion of the Fugitive Slave Law, at their head. The same man, that a few years ago, while running for the Legislature, asked for the support of abolitionists, because he was a Simon-pure, and one they could trust to make laws for them. He was one of the first to walk up and sign his name to the Constitution. Doubt any longer, ye who dare, that this Society has the best interests of the colored man at heart, when such men are its patron saints and leaders. One fact further: this "Ex-Governor" Pinney, while here, in a private conversation, on being questioned denied that slavery was a sin, or that it was wrong to keep the bible from the slave! The person to whom these declarations were made, had always supposed before, that such charges against the Colonizationists were "abolition slanders."
These men, and their co-laborers at Christiana, Boston, and elsewhere, having been defeated in their labors of love for the slave, and in their efforts to return him to his kind master and home of plenty, from which he was so unwisely fleeing, and laying their defeat to the colored people in the free States—it is but natural that they should wish to rid themselves of these obstacles in the way of their benevolent operations. Hence this revival at this time of the Colonization scheme in all the free States. But is it true that these men owe their defeat mainly to the free colored population? So I believe. Even Jerry would have been taken back to slavery, but for the colored people of this city and vicinity. They did much, to my certain knowledge, in that glorious and never-to-be-forgotten act, in giving freedom to a brother man; and their courage gave life and vigor to some of our white friends, and induced them to lay hold and help in that glorious struggle. It is natural for us to help those who help themselves; and thus our white brethren were induced to work manfully, being stimulated, as many of them confess, by the noble deeds and courage of colored men. And I, to-day, feel as proud of such men, and love them as well as do the American people their Revolutionary Fathers. Their names, too, friend Douglass, you shall know, when they muster courage enough up to be known to the world, for such acts should be known of all, and heralded "before Israel and the sun." Hundreds of others of our white friends stood by and huzzaed at the time, and that answered as well as bugles, fifes and drums do for men, when they go forth to war, and kill each other. It is to get such colored men out of the country, that this Colonization movement is pressed at this time. This done, they think they could soon put down our white friends; and then what a religious time they would have all over the North, shooting down the poor panting fugitive-pursuing him with bloodhounds, and sending him back to his hell of slavery again. Ah, my good friend these are enemies of God. They dread one true-hearted colored man more than they do fifty white men that are in fellowship with their religion and politics in this country.—Oh, if they could get rid of Frederick Douglass, of Allen, of Remond, and other true men among us, how they would rejoice and thank the God of slavery, and take courage. This class always think best of a colored man when they see him running from a white man. Rather than see him stand and contend like a man for his God-given rights as we have done, and intend to do, they prefer to see us running and disgracing our manhood. Now and then they meet a Douglass, an Allen, or others, and they call them saucy niggers, who want to marry their beautiful daughters. Oh, what a crime! But the same gentlemen will go South, and see what they call amalgamation going on in its most hellish form, without marriage, and call it all good religion. Oh, what rotten hypocrisy! But we will give them good bail that we will never marry any of their daughters unless they first consent to marry us, and then we will think of it.
This Ex-Governor Pinney, at the meeting above named, spoke very sneeringly on this subject, and indulged in flings at the abolitionists, much to the gratification of James R. Lawrence, and other American saints present. He sneeringly termed Syracuse the Heaven of anti-slavery. If this Ex-Governor could have seen him as others saw him, he would, doubtless, as some others did, have left the house in a hurry.
Now, Mr. Editor, let me say to you, you are giving this class of sympathizers more uneasiness by your present glorious course than formerly. Now they see you have got hold of something practicable. When you urge upon our people the necessity of learning trades, &c., they see you have got hold of the only true means of their elevation in this country as a people. May the Lord help you to wield your pen with a masterly hand, until our brethren shall feel the importance of doing more in this direction.—Just so long as our people are kept out of all shops, where useful trades may be learned, and confined to barber-shops or rum-shops, just so long they will be degraded. Our enemies know this, and will prevent our equality with them, as long as they can. They will now admit to their rum-shops as long as our money lasts. When that is gone, we grow black very fast. Let our brethren all see and understand this. Let them keep aloof from this cursed rum equality, and not degrade themselves to a level with the whites in this respect. I mean this class of men, and they will much sooner attain a higher elevation. We never can be respected by others till we demonstrate our self-respect to the world.
I am, dear sir, urging these things upon our people every Sabbath, as I have opportunity, together with the doctrines contained in your paper; and I have the pleasure to know that all our most intelligent men and women are with me. I can but hope that a new and better era is about to dawn before us.—Let us thank God and take courage.
I will now conclude my long letter by assuring you and your readers that I am, by the help of the Lord, about to let the Rev. Ex-Governor Pinney, Lawrence, and others see that I am willing and ready to enter into a life-long fight for my rights, and the rights of my enslaved brethren, come rough or smooth, or come what may. If I fall-I cannot fall in a better cause. The Lord make us all true men, and worthy our high destiny among men.
Ever yours for the right,
J. W. LOGUEN.
SYRACUSE, March 14th, 1853.