Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1856-02-27
from tho New York Day Book
LETTER FROM GEN. MCQUEEN, n c., 10 LEWIS
TAPPAN.~
WAsHIkGros. Feb. S.


WAsHlkerpN, Feb. S.
SIR: have, for years, been in: the habit of
throwing all printed matter sent:ne from the
North, BY vile abo!i,ionists and incendiarics into
tho fire, as consider their falsehood only sur
passed by the mpudsncc of those whp sent them;
but as You with some other fanatics) have
seen fit to send me, over your own signature.a
communication accompanying doubt, whether
there he, or has ever been, any legal slavery
in the United States" &C., will simply say
TO you, that am perfectly salts 6ed you are
aware yourself that your every assertioh'onj,he
subject of slavery is as false and mischievous as
your conduct in sending them to me is impu-
dent and insulting.
If you have humanity. rs you profess, which
YOU cannot make mc believe, you mny' find
around you, md perhaps in your own employ
ment, much more needy objects Of your benere-
lence than mine or other slaves in The South.
Go to n sewing establishment, perhaps within
one block of you, and relieve the INDECENT moth
er, who makes shirt for six cents, whilst her
little ones at home are s!livering for want OF
fuel to warm their whitening frames, and are fast
dropping into untimely graves for wnnt OF food
and raiment to relieve their squalid wretched.
ness. Go into the cellars. and underground
abodes of hundreds in your city, Of all sexes and
color. who associate together without even rags
To hide their nakedness, stepped in every spe-
ccs of crime, whilst starving for every comfort
Of lie, aad show your benevolencc to them; and
would especially recommend you to bestow
your benevoence on those described in a-recent
address ,u the New York public, by L. d. Pease,
the benevolent head of the Five Points Mission
establishments, as follows:
"Five winters-dark and dreary winters
have we spent upon the Five Points, surrounded
by want and suffering, by bcggary, shame and
crime. The fact Of living here ia 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 SEQ their skeleton fingers reached out to
us, and hear their cry for bread, when we have
no bread to give. We have been compelled 10
leave the widow with her newborn babe upon
hrr bosom. friendless and sheltcress upon the
street, because we had no shelter for her; 10
see bows ripen into criminal manhood, and girls
into wanton womanhood We have been COM
pcled to hear hundreds Of unfurtunates beg in
vain, even in tho 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 little of.,hat on which thousands
are prodigal. This is hard"
When you and your associates have verified
your professions, and relieved your suffering
neighbours 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 becn 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 communications
JOHN MCQUEEN.
LEWIS TAppAs, New York.