New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1848-12-29
PHILADELPHIA IN SLICES.
slice lX...THE ColonEp PovclArIo-

ing up and requiring him to establish himself upon
new bases approach this subject with hesitation.
spprehensiyo that we must inevitably be missppre'
herded and condemned by somebody whatever we rnsy
say. However having undertaken 70 present some Of
tee leading features Of Philadelphia they are
least As they appear TO us. should be guilty OF
glazing omission # failed 10 notice important
feature Of the city as us Colorcd Population. Il may
be- too that tine facts shall offer and the observs
ons shall make will afford slight assistance
to those who wish to form honest and Just opinions
spectiug the question Of the condition Of the Coored
Race in contact with free whites To avoid doing
ght that could in the slightest degree misesd any
have taken unusual pains and spen, unusual time In
nvesti eating the actual condition Of the CoOred POpu
ation OF this city shsl the results Of OBJ
servations without favor prejudice 10 this or that
opinion
The hrst thing necessary 10 observe IL that TINS PEG
pie divided into almost many classes as the
whites and that these distinctions are generally kept
up AZ least with As much rgor rs any white people
The better class OF colored men and women in Phis
dephis yrtuous clearly industrious as in
tegent and in every wsyss worthy as the correspond
ing class OF whites In point OF soorety and economy
they AZ least equal to their white brethren, and ole
charge their duties ne citizens fathers husbands
people Of good character and standing. They ua,e
schools and churches in which the intellectual and
spiritual phenomena OF development, and worship take
place exactly as in our own. They have odd Fellows
snd Mssons Lodges carried On with spirit and IN
hounshing condition They have also. in Winter nu
merous debating societies among the colored people
where questions Of the grsves interest discussed
and that too with quite much dignity and ability As
frequently charaotenzo owsi Legislative bodies We
have attended several OF these debates and although
we did certainly now and then detect big word lying
about the il il was lost and trying to get back
to its place yet rarely never have heard an un
civil word personal attack in the course OF de-
bate. While much Of what was said was of course
common place trhing and occasionally ludricously
maquiloquent yet have heard quite much oi all
this and quite 10 little sense to compensate for IT, in
many political white meeting one thing have
especially obscryed-the pronunciation OF our language
by tie colorsd people is generally quite as good and
quite free from yulgsrisms among the grea, ma
ority of their lghter-colored brethren.
Expounding aud augmentation are the delight and
the special gift of a coored man Any one who will
20 about much among them will be surprised at the ts-
clty Of language and quickness of apprehension by
which they distinguished. In this particular they
have generally been entirely misunderstood or mis-
represented There is old colored preacher who
sells cakes week days who often visits us in our
sanctum, for the purpose OF arguiyng various sub
ects with which he and his race are interested We
used a, first to try to puzzle him by various devices
known to those much given to logicchopping. But
although he might be occasionally posed, yet there was
always such vein of genuine good feeling and sense
in sha, he said that We soon learned respect the
sincerity and openness OF his mind, and fen much
greater disposition 10 assist than to perplex him. Al
though generally incindcd be laxative, yet il is not
unusual to find quiet and tsciturn colored per
sons of intelligence and character William Rice, the
well known bartender at the United States Hotel Is al
instance that will at to such of our readers
as are acquainted in Philadelphia lie is person Of
much more than ordinary education and natural talents
has family and Owns a farm; can make Julep or
write an article; deliver message or speech with
the same ease and proprey. He is remarkably silent
though good tempered and is, altogether about the
airest specimen Of the colored race we have ever en-
countcred
But now the other side OF the story is TO be told
The number of the csss Of colored people we have
been describing is quite small compared with the great
mass Of their brethren OF totally opposite chsrscte
risiics or with the relative proportion OF the same
classes smong the whites. With US. not more than
oneeiehih are unmitgatedly vicious and depraved
more than one eighth otherwise. It will readily
ngse. itself to every one that there great excuses
for hi. state of things in the oppressed condition IN
which The coored race 50 long have lain and in the
fact th., great numbers Of the Of our coored
nopua,on are runaway slaves from whose souls every
spsrk of deHcscy selfIespect and honesty has been
crushed ana beaten ever since infancy Aud after g.
they sre not actusy any than thousands Of white
foks in every large city All this Is true but without
forgetting Importance conhne ourselves u sim
PIE facts Let others draw conclusions
The colored population scattered all over the |
CITY and districts but the and largest collections
OF them reside in Lombard stree, and its vicinity
being ike al poor people IN cities crsmmed into ios
gsrrets and cellars In blind seys snd narrow courts
with advantages Of sewerage, gas or wsier, and
with not fresh pure breath Of air from one weekso
another Under these circumstances they cannot help
being horribly Immoral ana dsgustngly hthy. one |
Of the 6rs, lessons that the Acsn has been taught by
white men Is ihst chastity snd marriage a mockery
ana consequently the Social and domestic life OF tbs
degraded class is monsTous- utterly filthy and beasiy
and beyond hope Of redemption in this generation
Prostitution in is mos, revolving form Is the common
occupation Of the women, while The men exc out their
miserable earning. by begging, working H,tle, and
especsy stealing The hotels are extensive sufferers
tom the depreas,ions Of their wsiiers white 40 wen
i. colored upon the remains OF the table either In
h.hslf Of themselves or their friends waiter II
a,hiopsble hotel who cannot crib enough dan, to cup
,,,, hi. own wife and children land they al have
-. and ehndren) besides laying by something hsai
so,,e for occasions OF receiving company, 80. Acs
,.i5ered altogether too green TO be reeosnized 3,
member OF the ireemody
The colored people are naturally strongly ~"aie'e'
4, music and dancing-s propensity which viii one dsy
be developed into the most astounding re'nl" Al
presep,. however their requirements are mostly con
lined 10 4 Htie-or good desl-oi Saving upon 'ne
fiddle snd 81 Intense passion Tor the real Old
yir.inny breakdown, Tbs dance houses Of 'ae's