The weekly Anglo-African. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1859-1861, 1859-11-12

for one another, as belonging to proscrib-
ed and prosecuted race. Common laws
are binding all the colored race with bonds
of iron to one another.
ave are naturally warm-hearted, af-
fectionate, and unwarlike race, but a great
change is now perceptible among our peo-
pie. Men are found among us now of iron
will and desperate courage, who care no
more for death than Leonidas and his Spar
tans. We will no longer betray one an
other. Escapes, plots, and instructions
are now almost as safe in the bosom of ev-
en- a colored child, as if they were hid in
the grave. OF this I can tell you remark
able instances Several of these / have to
omit / have seen slaves come on board
steamers, for whom high reward was of
fered. Their complexion was so light that
no one could detect the slightest African
tinge. But the cabin-boys and servants
knew them, and were delighted to see the
Captains great Difference to Mr.. La Croix'
or Miss Du Bois.' Every one of those
cabin-boys would rather have died than be-
tray the refugees"
At this point gentleman who had been
listening uneasily, spoke briskly and said,
"The negroes are fools-they are much
better in slavery than in freedom. The
free negroes are poor, thieving race"
GAS for the vices of the free people of
color, they are those which are the fruits of
slavery. Slavery teaches us to cheat,
steal, deceive, lie, and break the Sabbath,
etc, etc. AS for property we are as well
to do as most of the people of the country.
Many of our people acquire wealth. But
we are people whom no one thinks of
but to despise. We are like criminals be-
fore court of justice, whom nobody knows
until charged with some crime, and then
everybody knows us-judges, lawyers, ju-
ry, and ALL Here / sat on the boat many
hours and not one of you thought of me
or spoke of me, except to say, why, there
is nigger Who cares for black man
except when he commits some crime7
Then all eyes are upon him. If we are
despised and ignorant, you must ex-
pect that the evils of slavery will follow
us through several generations. Slavery
deprives us of manhood and treats us as
cattle, or at best as children. But bad as
the case is for us, you take any one of
these towns on the Mississippi River, in
free State, where you find about an equal
number of colored people and Irish Ten
Irishmen are convicted of crime where one
colored man is condemned. Ten Irishmen
are paupers where you find one of my
people. Why, in some of these towns
there is grand Irish fight every holiday
HSS ssPbafddia yy apd alpgast every night they
said of this, for they are to vote at the
next election. But if one of my people is
thief or drunkard, we are miserable,
worthless race
But when you consider that many of us
are born in slavery, were slaves until forty
or fifty years of age, and then turned off
without dollar in the world, and that we
are doomed to the lowest employments and
frowned upon in all our efforts to gain re-
spectability-should it be a matter of seri-
Gus surprise that many of our people are
poor, and occupy the lowest position in So
ciety2 Whatever we do or become, we
are nothing but 'niggers.' Property gives
us neither rights nor honor
Here one of the company remarked that
he knew many communities of colored
men in Indiana and Ohio, who were pros
porous as farmers, and highly respected
by their neighbors
Then many others gave similar testimo-
ny to the reputable conditions of similar
communities in Pennsylvania and Michi
gan.
At this point the Southern gentleman,
who had distinguished himself, by frequent
insulting remarks, left the crowd and re-
tired to the bar to liquor.
Many remarks followed, and our colored
friend began to be regarded as man and
Christian; and it was manifest that
new interest was springing up for this long
despised race. IOWA.
From the Anglo-African Magazine
1,r~n, IN CUrarnYrTc