The Potter journal. [volume] (Coudersport, Pa.) 1857-1872, 1857-08-20
gtlfrtfn Misrellaug.
Letter from Mr. GerrIt Smith.
To The Editor Of Tie v. Y. Tribune:

SIR: In your leader respecting my
gifts of land to colored men, YOU find more
occasion for commencing me and for
blaming them than the case really affords.
1t was not 1, but my father, who toiled
to pay for the land. 1t is easy to give
away what We easily get
/ | sold the best and gave away the poor
est Of my land. Some of it was given to
schools, some of it to white men, and
some of it to colorcd men Ny consent
ing to sell any of it shows that WAS per-
haps better land-retormcr in theory than
III practice.
confess that my expectations from this
measure have not been fully realized OF
the three thousand colorcd men to whom
gave land, probably less than fifty have
taken and continue to hold possession of
their grants. What is worse, half of the
three thousand, as | judge, have either
sold their land, or been so careless as to
allow it to be sold for taxes.
/ Much, however, can be said in excuse
for them. The great body of the land.
which | gave to colorcd men, is in the
Counties of Essex and Franklin, some 20
to 80 miles west of Lake Champlain.
The Winters there are long, the SHOWS
deep. and the soil thin White men who
dwell there can support their families only
by very hard work and very frugal habits.
Why, then, considering the character OF
the colored people, should we expect them
to do much i'll such country? Most of
the parcels gave them in the central
part Of the State they are occupying. Is
it unreasonable to suppose that they would
he occupying the other parcels also had
| they been equally inviting?
/ | referred to the character Of the col
ored people. 1t Is improving, but still far
from what it should be- Among them
are intelligent and noble men and women,
but the mass are ignorant and thriitless
You and | have the right to complain of
them, since we have demanded justice in
! their behalf, and have not contributed to
form and perpetuate their undesirable
character They have not this ri ght who
dany their nlanhnod and shut them away
from the ballot-box, and school, and ON
nibus, and table and thus do what they
can to necessitatc bad character in the
colorcd people.
+. Our colored people complain of your
treatment Of them. think myself that
it is sometimes too rigorous, though, i'll
the mcin, | candidly approve it. You
are their friend in demanding that they
shall, by their own good conduct, redeem
themselves from thoir deep debascmcnt
You deal but Justly with them, when you
declare that their own bad influence goes
further than the arts of the worst slave
holders to uphold Slavery.
So far from making their wrongs and
outrages an excuse for their continued
degradation, the free colored people should
in view of these wrongs and outrages,
arouse themselves to the irresistible de-
termination to equal and surpass their per
secutors i'll all that honors manhood. They
should swear that they will be Pariahs
and lepcrs no longer To this end, they
should quit the towns in which they are
wont tu congrcgate, and where they are
but servants, and should scatter themselves
over the country in the capacity OF far
mcrs and mechanics. They should cease
from the habit of wasting their earnings
in periodical balls. They should neyes
wet their lips with Intoxicating drinks MOI
detile them with tobacco. They should
never SO war upon their selt-respect as t.
join church which spares Slavery, Gl
join a political party which knows law fol
Slavery.
1t was, perhaps, needless for me to say
even this little in reply 10 your article be
fore me. Our colored people well know
that, for nearly aquarter of a ooutury. my
lips and pen have been urging them t,
save themselves and deliver their enslay
cd race. GERRlT SMITH.
Peterboro, Aug. >, 1857.