New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-09-26
THE IpLENESS AND IMPROVIDENcE
OF THE FREE BLACKS.



tie, ever made greater progress in the same space
of time than the colored people of the Northern
States have done in the last twenty years.
As The TRIBUSE is responsible for these contrsdic
tory s'sements, beg to ask which Of them Il true
Ard you maintain that the first Is true, please 'noi-
cate where the figures may be found which substan'
tate IT, For more than ten years past have COL
lected statistics concerning the free bscks OF the
North. and they abundanty prove the ru.hfuness of
the second statement and as seek the truth in the
matter. for publication in behalf Of the cause OF Free
dom, should be glad to examine your rebutlng
facts.
As one intended to be benefited thereby, l thank
you for your "Uppalstabe Counsel" Yet, be as
sured that we blacks seek the franchise not through
political cbicanery nor bindfold gift; we demand it
as right due our manhood in all its black haoih-
ments. We intend that it shalI be given US on the
right side of the blanket. We this right once In
IN when the Dresepce of adverse bayonets 50 affected
the eve-sht OF the constitution makers at kingston
that they gave equal suffrage 10 black ana whte men,
We will win it again from the good people 81 me as
of York with their eyes wide open undlstdroe1
by bostie bay orets and undismayed by toemen o9
ets. Ii may be- you indicate, some ume ere we 40
get this right but meanwhile, struggle lor IL VIII 10
M all good and will bake out of more thar one we'll
inteDtioped white man the painful Yankee ~ ldiosyn-
ciaey which hurried you out OF the Cremorne uarush
If we have a cause shall we not sgtate It =
Permit ire to add that il il not your unpaIstaole
counsel but your sweeprg charges against us, ~nicn
have caused an opa feeling OF resentment against
Won on the psrt of the free blacks. We are incapable
Of " impat able or active, hearty haired aga1s
nry one much less against one who has done sucu
service in The cause Of Freedom and Hu manly az you
have We are all alive to your strong wores ana manly
deeds in behalf of the down-Iodden OF every nue.
| have taken TIE TRIBUNE constantly since ts nrst
dave issue. There are few intelligent famine, among
l. "a - % Tho hnn
throuoh its teachings TO lead children 10 aim al
better things ard fulfill higher caings than we d0 ana
give them your paper az an adviser ana ehempar vi
wbs, our ides is We don't like 70 unsay or undo or
weaken your influence, by telling them that IHE
TRIBrsE tells unruhs about the colored people Dut
unless YOU can prove the bitter statement copied
above, what shall We cay Shall we tell them tna'
You are not only on the :" shady SIDE OF iOry "ucu
Won cannot help but also on the shady side OF the
ruth and of loving your black neighbor "a yourself
which Won can help I When The TRIBUNE OF today
is held up in triumph against JoHs IT, FEE IN nus next
lecture in Kentucky, what shall we say hold IN
nv possesson letter Of his stating that the weight OF
tbsareument in that transition State rests now on tue
CONDITION Of the Free Blacks in the Free states.
Respectfully yours, fhEh DAANh'
Reply.
Our readers will judge whether there is any
such inconsistency between the two sentences
quoted from our columns as /" A Free Black
asserts; we are willing TO take verdict on the
case as be has presented it. We do not know
that the expression quoted by our correspond
ent as from THE TRIBUNE of July ~ last ap-
peared as Editorial-in fact, he does not even
assert that it debut never mind, We viii
father il. Let us be understood, then, as
distinctly affirming both the propositions
quoted: |. That the Blacks Of our Free
State, have made decided progress within the
last twenty years; 9. That they are neverthe-
less, as compared with our White population,
"indolent, improvident, serVile and licentlous'
Ard we will again state that, while we advocate
the conces sion to them Of Equal Rights aud
Franchises as means of and indictments to
,till greater and more rapid improve
ment, and as demanded by Republican princi-
pie, even though they were certain not to grow
better, We still regard their incidence, their
improyide1 ce, their addiction to servile employ
ments and their lack of moral stamina as the
great obstacles to their admission to all the
privileges of citizenship. And We believe their
holding Conventions and Mass Meetings to agl-
tate for the Right Of Suffrage does not advance
their Cause enc hair; while like quantum OF
efft IT and expense devoted to the peoplng of
one township with an Industrious, intelligent,
moral, thrifty Black population, all engaged in
| farming ard the various mechanic trades, and
| proving themselves good wOrkmen by their pro-
ducts, would immensely promote their enffan-
chsement So believing, We shall continue to
counsel them to forsake the wrong path and
adopt the right one, though we do not expect
than IN relish the ad vice.
Were we to attempt TO give the facts on which
our conviction Of the relatively low moral, intel
lectusl and industrial standing of our Black pOpu-
lstion ia founded, our correspondent would natu-
rally wish TO review them in the light Of his ten
Years compilations, thus making demand upon
our columns which We could not well afford to
meet. We will, therefore, only ask each reader
10 call up the facts within bis own knowledge
which bear upon the disputed point, and give Judg-
mept for us or our correspondent as these facts
shall warrant.
We should have preferred to suppress so much
Of our correspondents letter as commends the
general course of this paper; but he would doubt
less consider that a mutilation OF one OF his best
points; so We let il stand, begging all correspond
emf, henceforth TO oblige US by not putting into
apy Of their communications for our columns one
SYLLABLE Of commentator Of THE TRIBUNE. We
make 10 pretensions TO perfection or infahbiLity
We are painfully conscious Of many defects and
shortcomings and it las long since ceased even to
amuse as to discover that a reader considers ours
the best paper that ever was so far as it confirms
his prepossessions and sustains his views but hnds
it very wrong, unfair, perniciOus, wherever and
wherein it expresses convictions adverse 10 MS