The southern press., 1851-07-29

wooo euA 0FaWers Of wafer, ~ we're vic 7s"<1's0~
OF Egypt Yours. very truly. &c..
JOHN H. SIiERBURNE,
William Farmer, an Enelishman, has fur
nished the Boston I.iberator with an accc unit Of
visit to the Great Exhibition, made by William
and Ellen Csafts, and William w. Brown, fugi-
tive slaves from the United States. We ex-
tract a portion Of the letter. Mr. Farmer says
A small party of anti-slavery friends was
formed to accompany the fugitives through the
Exhibition Mr. and Mrs Estn, Of Bristol, and
lady friend, Mr.. and Mrs Richard Webb, OF
Dublin, and son and daughter, Mr. Mcdonnell,
Ga most influential member of the executive
committee of the national reform association
together with myself, met at Mr.. Thompson's
house, and, in company with Mrs. Thompson,
Miss Thompson, and Miss Amelia Thompson,
the Crafts and Brown proceeded thence to the
Exhibition. Saturday was selected as day upon
which the largest number of the aristocracy and
wealthier classes at the Crystal Palace; and the
company was, on this occasion, the most dis
tinguished that had been gathered within its
walls since its opening day. Some $4,000,
mostly Of the upper classes, were there congre-
gated, including the Queen, Prince Albert and
the royal children, the anti-slavery Duchess OF
Southerland, (by whom the fugitives were evi-
dently most favorably regardedD the Duke Of
Wellington, the Bishops of Winchester and st.
Asaph, a large number of peers, peeresses, mem
bers of Parliament merchants and bankers, and
distinguished men from almost all parts of the
world, surprising, in variety of tongue, charac-
ter and costume, the description Of the popula.
ton Of Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost.
In addition to the American exhibitors, it so
happened that the American visitors were parti-
cularly numerous among them the experienced
eyes of Brown and the Crafts enabled them to
detect shareholders by dozens.
Mr. Mcdonnell escorted Mrs Craft and Mrs.
Thompson; Miss Thompson, at her own request,
took the arm of VIM. Wells Brown, whoes &C m
panion she elected to be for the day. VIM.
Craft walked with Miss Amelia Thompson and
myself. This arran.. ement was purposely made,
in order that there might be no appearance of
patronizing the fugitives, but that it might be
| shown that we regarded them as our equals, and
honored them for their heroic escape from
slavery
Quite contrary to the feeling of ordinary visi-
tors, the American department was the chief at
traction. Upon arriving at Powers Greek slave,
our glorious anti-slavery friend Punch's "Virginia
slave" was produced. The comparison of the
two soon drew small crowd, including several
Americans, around and near us. Although they
refraned from any audible expression of feeling,
the object of the comparison was evidently un-
derstood and keenly felt. 1t would not have
been prudent in US to have challenged, in words,
anti slavery discussion in the Worlds Conven-
tion but everything that we could with propriety
do was done to induce them To break silence
upon the subject. We had no intention verbally
of taking the initiative in such discussion we
confined ourselves to speaking at them, in order
that they might be led to speak to u.s. but our
efforts were of no avail.
The gauntlet which was Enthusiastically thrown
down by our party, the Americans were too
| wary to take up. We spoke among each other
Of the wrongs of the slave it was in vain We
dscoursed freely upon the iniquity of profess
edly Christian republic holding three millions OF
| its population in cruel and degrading bondage
yon might as we'll have preached to the winds
William Wells Brown took Punch's "Virginia
slave" and deposited il within the inclosure by
the Greek slave, saying audibly, "As an Ameri-
can fugitive slave, place this Virginia slave by
| the side of the Greek slave, as its most fitting
companion" Not a word of reply or. remon-
STRANGE from Yankee or Southerner We had
not however, proceeded many steps from the
placc DcloTe Tile NHptula siaNe WAS Icuo'tu.-
| We returned to the statue, and stood near the
American by whom it had been taken up, to give
him an opportunity of making any remarks he
chose upon the matter Whatever were his feel
ings, his policy was to keep his lips closed. We
promenaded theExhibition between six and seven
hours, and visited nearly every portion of the vast
ediice. Among the thousands whom we met in
our perambulations, who dreamed of any i'm
propriety in gentleman of character and stand
ing, like Mr. Mcdonnell, walking arm in-arm
with colored woman: or an elegant and ac-
complished young lady like Miss Thompson, be-
coming the promenading companion of colored
man. Did the English peers and peeresses
Not the most aristocratc among them. Did the
representatives of any other conntry have their
notions of proprety shocked by the matter
| None but Americans To see the arm of beau
| tiful English young lady passed through that OF
"a nigger," taking ices and other refreshments
with him, upon terms of the most perfect equali
ty, certainly was enough to "rile," and evidently
did rile, the shareholders who beheId it; bu,
there was no help for it.
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