Washington sentinel. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1856, 1856-02-12
From the New York Day Book.
Letter from General Mcqueen, NJ. c., to
Lewis Tappan.
WASHINGTON, February s. 1856.

WASHINGTON, February 5, 1856.
SIR: / have for years, been in the habit Of
throwing all printed matter sent me from the
North, by vile abolitionists and incendiares, in
the fire; as consider their falsehoods as only
surpassed by the impudence of those who send
them but as you with some other fanatcs)
have seen fit to send me, over your own sigma
ture, communication accompanying petition
to Congress, expressing doubt, whether there
be, or has been, any legal slavery in the United
States" &C., will simply say to you, that am
perfectly satisfied you are aware yourself that
your every assertion on the subject of slavery
is as false and mischievous as your conduct in
sending them to me is impudent and insult
ing.
If you have humanity, as you profess, which
you cannot make me believe, you may find
around you, and perhaps in your own employ
ment, much more needy objects of your benevo-
lence than my, or other slaves in the South.
Go to sewing establishment perhaps with
in one block of you, and relieve the INDECENT
mother who makes shirt for six cents, whilst
her little ones at home are shivering for want
Of fuel to warm their whitening frames, and are
fast dropping into untimely graves for want of
food and raiment to relieve their squalid
wretchedness. Go into the cellars and under
ground abodes of hundreds in your city, of all
sexes and color, who associate together without
even rags to hide their nakedness, stepped in
every species of crime, whilst starving for every
comfort of life, and show your beneyolence to
them, and l would especially recommend to
you to bestow your benevolence on those des
nod IN olI 10 L.
public, by the Rev. L. NJ. Pease, the benevolent
head of the Five Points Mission establishment
as follows:
give winters-dark and dreary winters
have we spent upon the Five Points, surrounded
by want and suffering, by beggary, shame, and
crime. The fact of living here is not in itself
so hard as the lack of means to supply the
wants of the worthy poor, and to afford shelter
and protection to the homeless. We have been
compelled, by our relation to this people, to
witness little bare feet treading the icy pave
ments, until the nails have been frozen from
their toes, to see their skeleton fingers reached
out to us, and hear their cry for bread, when
we have no bread to give. We have been COM
PEELED TO leave the widow with her newborn
babe upon her bosom, friendless and shelter
less upon the street because we had no shelter
for her; to see boys rpen into criminal man.
hood, and girls to wanton womanhood. We
have been compelled to hear hundreds of IN.
fortunates beg in vain, even in the name Of our
Saviour, for an opportunity to reform, and when
denied, give up in despair, and afterwards die
hopeless and all for want Of a little of that on
which thousands are prodigal. This is hard
When you and your associates have verified
your professions, and relieved your suffering
neighbors, it will be time enough to send me
anything relating to my slaves, who, old and
young, are well fed clothed, and taken care Of
better, am satisfied, than thousands Of those
who are beginning to doubt whether there be,
or has ever been, any legal slavery in the
United States" Until you have done these
things, hope you will refrain from sending me
more Of your false and insulting communica-
tons.
JOHN MCQUEEN.
LEWIS TAPPAN, New York.