New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-08-10
LETTER FROM MR.. GERRTT SMITH.

To the Editor Of The ~ y. Tvibsss'
SiR In your leader respecting my gifts Of land to
colored men you find more occasion for commencing
me and fer blaming them than the case really AFFORDS.
1t ives not l, but my father, who tsied to pay Tor
the land 1t is easy t. give away what We easily get
sold the best and gave away the poorest Of my
land. Some of was given to schools, some OF 70
white mep, and some of it to oolored men. My con.
sentipg to fell any Of it shows that was perhsps
better and-refolmer in theory than in practice.
Iconfess that my expectations from this measure
have rot been fully realized OF the three thossand
colored men TO whom gave Land probably lees than
6ftv have taken and continue TO hold possession OF
their grants What is wore, half Of the three thou.
sand az Judge have either sold their land, or been
20 careless as to allow it to be sold for taxes.
Much. however, can be said in excuse for them.
The great booy Of the land which gave TO colored
men, is in the Counties Of Essex and Franklin some
20 TO 30 miles west of Lake Champlain. The Win
ters there are long, the deep and the soil thin
White men who dwell there can support their families
only by very hard work and very frugal habits. Why,
tber the character Of the colorea people,
should we expect them 10 do much In such country
Most Of the parcels gave them 10 the central part Of
the State they occupying. IL il unreasonable to
suppose that they would be occupying the other par
cels also had they been equally inviting
referred to the character Of the coored people, II
is improving but stl far from what Il should be.
Amorg them are intelligent and noble men and women,
but the maze are ignorant and thiftless. You and
have The right complain Of them, since We have de-
manded justice in their behalf and have not contrib
uted TO form and perpetuate their undesirable charac-
ter. They have not this right who deny their man
hood ard shut them away from the ballotbox, and
school, and omnibus and table; and thus do what
they can TO necessate bad character in the coored
people.
Our eolored people complain Of your treatment Of
them. l think myself that II Is sometimes too fgor.
GUS, though in the main. candidly approve Il. You
are their friend in demanding that they shall, By their
own good conduct redeem themselves from their deep
debasement. You deal but Justly with them, when
you declare that their own bad influence goes further
than the arts of the worst shareholders to uphold
Slavery. .lI1J sf'
So far from making their wrongs and outrsges "a
excufe for their continued degradation the free coIoed
people should in view Of these wrongs and ourages,
arouse themselves to the irresistible determination 70
equal and surpas their prosecutors IN al that hono
manhood They should that they win be PsrisAs
and lepers no longer To this end, they should qa1
the towns in which they wont TO congregats, and
where they are but servants and should scatter them
selves over the country in the capacity OF farmers end
mechanics. They should ces.e from the habit Of
wasting their earnings in periodical bsas They
should never wet their lips with Intoxicating drinks NOT
de6le them with tobacco. They should never 20 war
upon their self respect join schurch which spares
Slavery, or Join political party which knows Law Tor
Slavery. .l . l 20 3 4Ha,
twas, perhaps, needless for me to cay ewes this
little in reply 10 your srticle before Our coIorsd
people well know that, for nearly quarter Of cen
tury. nv lips and pen have been urging them TO save
themselves and deliver their enslsved race. III
Peterboro, Aug. 5, 1887. 0ERhiT SMITH