Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1853-04-02
hsply Of Wendell Phillips ESQ. to Hon. HOr.
ace Mann.
BosroS, March 81, 1853,


same temper in which he addresses me. Tho
na1enals are ample, far more ample than he
imasines. To such an one os he has fanoied
me, they would be tempting. shall not touch
them. retain. however, the right to remcm-
Der the spirit and tone of his letters as facts
from which to form, in future, my estimate of
his character. If my speech or letter had any
ioree' 1t came from the facts l stated, not from
the cpithets in which they were wrapped.
shall observe that rule now, and commend It to
Me- Mann for adoption.
Mr.. Mann is much excited by my speaking
Of his pas; relations to the anti-slayery cause.
He says l have not stated the facts correctly.
1 have looked over my statement, and re affirm
It. leave that statement and his denial to the
judgement Of the anti slavery public, and will
chcerfully abide the verdict lie considers my
reference to these facts unnecessary porsonali-
~. do not think so. lie had claimed, in his
FIRST letter, that his services to the anti slavery
cause has been so marked, and his course so
decisive and outspokon, that was not justified
in suspccting him of want Of frankness, even
II his language looked like il. This claim
might possibly have some weight with those IA
young in tho movement as himself. / felt
bound, therefore, to show that his past history
and conduct had been such that had no rea-
son to be surprised at his course in Congress, or
to hold back from the judgment to which his
language naturally led. Words take much Of
their hue from the character that stands behind
them.
Mr.. Mann is equally offended with my re-
buko Of him five years ago, in regard to the
colorcd School question. lie says that came
up sealthily behind him and struck him das-
tard blows, when the planning and execution
his hands, and he was oncountering tho opposi-
OF great educational enterprise was conflod to
ton and hostlitics Of sclHshness in a thousand
FORMS hardly know what he means by steal.
thiiy and 'das'Grd.' l never had the pleasure
of any per 'onal acquaintance with Mr.. Manu.
and hence could not address him privately
BESIDES, he was tho Officer Of Commonwealth
Of which was citizen, and entitled, there
fore, to criiciso his public acts through the
press. published my remarks in the Liberia
tor, the appropriate organ through which to ar
raign any man who commits a crimo against
the colored race. / should have been glad to
have printed them in tho Daily Adreytiser or Bos-
fon Atlas; but Mr.. Mann knows well they would
not publish line from me. gave my remarks,
therefore, all the publicity could. So much
for 'steaittily.' AS for the time l chose can
only say, criticised his Reports the moment
saw them; and. in one case, the moment his
Report was out of tho press. In those very
criticisms, spoke with admiration of his de-
voted zeal and untring labor as Secretary and
expressed my 'dccp sympathy in all his efforts
and trials For somo twenty years, the cruel,
degrading, injurious, and utterly illegal system
of sopeTate schools for colored childron,--tho
result Of American prejudice against COLOR
had prevailed in our cities and large towns. A
few Of us had been besieging. for some ton
years, Legislative committees and City commit
tees, to get such schools abolished In our al
most hopeless effort, we had borne tho insults
of politicians and the jeers of the press; but
STILL at great cost and effort, we persevcrcd.-
All this while Mr.. Mann was vt the head of
the School system of Massachusetts,, and il was
suspected that, in private, he entirely agreed
with us in our views. Such an officer we had
right to expect would lead our van. Such
knew, was tho state of public opinion in the
rural districts, that few pages in his Annual
Reports would be mighty help to us. Instead
of this, he never gave US one word of recogni-
ton, countcnance or aid. At last, when he
did speak on the subject at all. his language
was calculated to do so much harm, that felt
called on to protest against it.
knew he had great educational enterprise
on his hands. thought that he faucied he
should increase his ability TO serve that, by
smothcring his convictions as to the wrong done
tho colored man. This false philosophy was
all that charged him with. never charg-
ed him with personal or low ambition. But
when Mr. Mann has been longer acquainted
with the Gnti-slayery enterprise, he will learn
that we never grant any one leave to sacrifice
tho rights of the colored man. in the idea of
being thereby better able to benefit the white /:
leave, that's, to do evil that good may come
This is tho universal excuse for not helping the
slave Many man says, If / touch the slave
question, shall be less able to serve my church
my party-my business-my college, &c. For
ths,we have criticised Webster ard Beecher-
oven Adams, Rantoul and Hale. What claim
had Horace Mann to be an exceptions He will
observe that did not bring this old matter for
ward till he forced me to do SO by his allusion
TO the past.
This is no personal matter between Mr. Mann
and myself The seperate Colored Schools
still exist in Boston, with all its cruel, degrsd-
ing and injurious effects. How much the guilt
of its continuance is chargeable on Horace
biann's silence. not to use a stronger term, no
nnn cnn fnll The criticiam of the anti .slnYerY