Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1853-10-15
dOIen occasions through which hi. passed

and sympathies were cold If not adverse TO the
sapuaticns by which it was animated, it would have
eccompiishcd great good for its constituents This
much It assuredly dds there is no conflict of iudQ-
went or Of testimony upon it, II Is Impossible. in
the nature Of things, for the written record to be
equally effective. Nevertheless we think il will be
Impossible for any one, however preudced to
perose this pamphlet aud not be softcncd by the
melancholy earncstness with which the disadyun-
e2es weighing upon the free basks arc recognized
and impressed by the manly sclfroliancc in which
they rSly their unassised energies to suimount
thcu- Nor, unless his opinion of the intellectual
power oil the negro is much above that in common
gv., will he fail to be surprised by the degree Of
ability manifested in several Of the Reports o Conn
pittccs, embodied in the proceedings.
The specific being actually effected by the Con
vention is the appointment Of National Council
of twenty members, two from each Of the ton States
represented, tthc members from Ncv.York are Dr..
MvCunc Smith of this CITY and Frederick Douglas
Of Rochcstcr 10 be increased hereafter by tho cleo
tion OF additional members, in the proportion Of
ono 10 Ave thoucand Of the coloicl population o
each State, to be appointed by State Councils which
are themselves to be chosen hy the vote of cycry
eolored nhabitant who shall pay ten cents ms poll
tar,
The most prominent purpose and duty Of the
National Council is the establishment Of nh Indus
trial College for the education OF coOrcd youth in
the mechanic arts It's immediate charge is assign
cd 30 n Committee of Five. who are to constitute
The Board Of Trustees. There is also Committee
charged with the establishment Of Protective
Union, with auxiliary hr1nchcl, for Ito purchase
and sale Of articles ct domestic consump,on
Committee Of Business Rotations, which is to cs-
tablish and maintain an Office fof thc registry oI
colored mechanics artisans and business men
throughout the Union, Of ali pcrsous wiling TO cn
ploy colored mon in business or 60 teach colUrcd
boys mechanical trades and farming and OF c0lorcd
men and youth seeking employment or instruction
TO report on any avenues of busiuess which they
asasa u. u 4 -NaH
and to receive for exhibition or sale products Of the
skill and labor Of coorcd people finally, q Com
mittee on Publication. Each Committee is 60 have
absolute control over It's special department. and
70 fill vacancies, subject 10 the confirmation Of the
Council. In short, the object is the estahis ishmcnt
Of tho appropriate executive departments Of gem
eral association Of the frcemcn Of color TO deycope
their Industrial power, and thus amelioratc their
economic condition, as the necessary preliminary
Of their social elevation.
Poverty, ignorance and degradation" says Fred
eric Douglass IN an admirable letter TO Mrs Stowe
embodied in the proceedings, constitute the So
cia disease Of the free colored people" While the
whites are not unwilling to give their black fellow
brothers in humanity some opportunities for gen
oral education, as in the Common Schools, and even
for special education in tho liberal professions yet
they have obstinately barred the doors against odu
cation in the mechanic trades. On t!is point Doug
lass SAYS "Preiudco against the free colered peg
pie in the United States has shown itself nowhere
90 invincible as among mechanics. Tic farmer
and the professional man cherish no feeling so Bit
ter as that cherished by these. The Latter would
starye out Of the country entirely. At this mo-
ment ! can more easily get my son iato lawyers
cihco to study law, than | can into blacksmith
shop to blow the bellows and TO wieId tho 5lcige
hammer. Denied the means Of learning useful
trades, pressed into the narrOwest limits to-
obtain a livelihood. In times past we have been
tho hewers of wood and the drawers Of water for
American society, and we once enjoyed a monopo-
ly in mcnial cmployments but this is so no longer
--oven these employments are rapidly passing out
OF our hands. The fact is (every day begins with
thc lesson and ends with the lesson) that colored
men must learn trades-muit ind new empoymen' s
new modes of usefulness to soccty-or that they
m ist decay under the pressing wants 10 which
their condition is rapidly bringing them
The same views pressed in n report by Pro-
fessor Reason, from the Committee on the Manual
labor Schools, which is very able and scholar
like production. The only fault We have to fnd
with it is that it argues rather toomurh the intel
lectual aud too little the purely economical bene-
fits Of such an institution, vcnal fault perhaps IN
scholar like Mr.. Reason. Tho wants Of the
blacks demand that it should be as much Of q
workshop rs possible, and only 30 far an academy
as comports with the main design.
The letter of Douglass to Mrs. Stowe, urging
the Importance of an industrial school, was writ
ton upon her request for his advice in regard t
the best method in which she could permanently
contribute to the improvement of tho free blacks
II is understood that the money collected by her il
Europe had this destination, but this, Of course
will go but small way. Its establishment anc
its success depend upon the enterprise and goot
management Of the blacks themselves To us i
seems of the first importance that it should b.
made q profitable, and not an elocmosynary institu
ton. In order that tho greatest possible numbe
Of young men should be taught to make shoes
cabinetware, &C.. il is necessary that they shoul,
make enough Of those articles to repay the cxpen
nc oir ft.it aud 81 go ,,,l
the means Of giving similar tuition to their sue
ecssors Ii must be able 10 establish branches
and extend its operation. Moreover, the samo ur
worthy prejudice which now excludes colored me
from learning trades will, for time, manifest i
self in efforts 10 curtail the employment Of thos
who shall acquire them and to limit the sales
their products. For these reasons it will probabl
be- il not necessary, at all events eXpedient, thi
the graduates Of the Industrial College should col
tinue TO work in combination after their course
instruction has ended. 1t is every way desirabl
too, that the black man should cease 10 be n sell
of immediate personal services, and become Il
seiler of national products The first alwal
6nget tyith sable, aud are depressed in the mark
by prejudice which cannot iasten upon puir
bolts, simply beca Ise there need be nothing to j
Sieste the color Of their mafer. These will SC
Just as well even in New-orleans provided the
is no obnoxious label ON TIE box in which they a
packed, rs if they caiae from Lynn.
To manage industrial operations 30 rs most efie
tualy TO avoid the disadvantages affect men oi co
or without reference TO the economical adyantag
common to them with the whites, it is requis
they should be done in way involving the use
considerable capital. IL is plainly better that Il
Industrial College should accumulate that capit
than that separate agencies should be devised f
the purpose. To our apprehension the problem
put as many aspossible, and in rs short tin
as possible in condition TO earn something MOI
than subsistence. That once done they will pr
vide for their own education and, in an increasin
degree for that Of their children.
After all this it is superfuous for us TO invok
The hearty sympathy Of all toward the first con
blned effort Of the free blacks to ameliorate tlie
own condition by becoming in higher degrc
shaa before productive citizens. They arel anon
M and stay-count that settled Let him that
determined TO hate them do so, but he must eithe
hate and pay, or may enjoy the luxury of hadn
without pay, according to their poverty or prosper
ity.
q II