Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1859-12-16
cANApA CORRESPONDENCE


.ne ~NVANui buu tANhaihk ai1V lnAo heNuia
lominiOns, il may be worth a passing notice to
describe one held in this city yesterday (sSb-
BATH afternoon The St. Lawrencs Hall--about
ono hundred feet long-was densely packed
aith an audience who met to hear something of
Tie eveutful lie Of the Hero Of o ssawatomie," !"
aud to record their sympathy for his noble
widow, BY tsking up collection; and sum
little less than $40 was obtained. The speaker.
Rev. Mr.. Kincaid, an old friend Jf John Brown,
spoke for upwards Of an hour to as attentive
congregation as you often see. He said he had
learned much from that truth-loving, Christian
man while enjoying visit from him some two
years ago ltsecms that, as much as two years
ago the martyr counted not his life DEAR for
he decided az that time that his duty was plainly
marked out, and whatever tho result might be,
he was to aid every slave that came in his way
to obtain his freedom, and would thSt every
man in the land was as faithful in the discharg1
Of duty as was cur murdered friend. The
speaker was high in his cuI2gies, for knowing
the man well, he spoke Of that which he knew.
The Hall was draped in mourning, and eyes
mostened even in q monarchial land for the
friend of the oppressed Several fac old tunes
were sung, and the meeting quietly dispersed
Since Writing my last, have been asked to
state in what condition the iugitves in Canada
now are, and what their moral state is as COM
pared with their condition in the least Objec~
tionablo Of the Southern States, say Kentucky,
Tennessee or Virginia. Some years ago my
business called me, for months tgether, into
those States; my sympathies continually went
out towards every BOndman, yet knew it was
impolitic, to say the least, 20 utter word 10
the slaves on the subject Of their freedom, and
ouly now and then would question be put to
me on the subject but l could see the cOntin-
ual working Of the mind, fettered as it was, aud
longing for liberty especially that the family
relations might be secured to them. ! do
therefore know their condition 20 a considera-
bic extent-ds It uds--aud for some weeks past
l have been most accurately noting them as
ihsy are Every town, with one or two eXceP-
tions, on the Great Western Railway, from
Windsor to the Suspension Bridge a distance
of about two hundred and thirty miles, has, in
and near il, about one half of their population
made up of fugitiyes from the above named
States, men and women, who did not know their
letters when they left and landed without, on
an average, gToat in their pockets; an yet
these "chattes who could not take care of
themselves" in Kentucky, have in from three
to ten years learned to figure and read their
way into good property, stocks of goods ali paid
for, doing healthlul, prosperous business, and
are now ready to most willingly open their
heart strings and purse strings both. to aid
their fellow fugitive as he comes along, or to
send money TO any who may be willing to keep
! up the "irrepfessible conflict"
Before / go farther must just say to any
Of your readers who may reside South Of "the
line, that there is an influence and pressure
| such as no hydraulic has yet attained, going out
from these same "qHiet sPiritlesS, tOTbearIng ne
groes" that they used TO know and order round
as they would an intelligent shepherd dog;
and l would have the holders of the kin of these
same men, now freemen, mark one thing, that
ia as true as the Gospel which effected it, that
the man of color, free and untrammeled in the
! climate of the Cauadas, with a full view of the
| early, and best part of his life having had ona
continued wrong inflicted upon him, to wit,
that he is another kind of foe to what he would
| have been had he remained in servitude. There
are SAID TO be sixty thous nd fugitiyes in Can
ada West In one week ten thousand Of these
could easily get to point on the south.
srn shore of their Province, and 10
another within slght of Virginia and Kentucky
mountains ] hope for better things, though
thus write, but if twenty, and part of these
weTesbOys, can make "such muss what may
not be achieved by thousand
| A few evenings sgO / met very unexpectedly
some two hundred men and women who had
congregated together to hear an outline of thC
doings of honest John Brown, both in Kansas
and at Harper's Ferry, and in the crowd was
the last of Nat. Turner's men; man full oi
vgor as well as Of years. He told me he was
97 years of age, Il think he must be mistaken
however,) yet he is full of grit, and looks with
! much interest 10 our affairs. This two hundred
could not be induced to disperse much short OF
three hours,so interested were they in the'c
1icl."
| met one of these fugitives from Kentucky
who twelve years ago crossed the river Ohio al
or near Maysville, who got to Canada and sOor
went to study ing medicine, and now is in good
practice amongst tie most wealthy of the white
population, and has large practice among his
own color. He has fine property aud is sai'
to be worth from 20 900 to 40 600 dollars. II
intends moving to South America as soon Of
| he thinks it safe for him to do 50.
| 10 st. GATHERINGS there are some very thrifty
industrious sons of Virginia. Six to ter
of them have good property worth from $1,000
to $1,000, and live comfortably, as their out
ward appendages clearly indicate. Many o
the recent comers arrive without anything more
than is on them, but they are ready to go I,
work Immediately though at low wages, an
when ask them ifthey do not wish they were
back among the f. F VS. Ogain, there is on
ly one reply, and an emphatic one7-"No sir "
have spoken freely with them respecting the
climate of Canada, and their answers surprised
me. They say to a man that they do not suffel
with cold any more than in the part Of ViTgini
and Kentucky that they came from. nov
most readily believe this, Tor they are only sil
to eight degrees north, and being better clothe,
and much better fed, they are able TO stand tn
cold much better: still the great secret is the,
make something and its their own; aud the
have their places Of worship where they do no
fear the soft hand of the trader, tapping theE
on the shoulder while they are on their kneei
aud the pleasant voice saying "come PompsJ
| want you to go along with me-" as was don
within the past sixty days in certain State
The question is often asked of me, "do no
the negroes prove to be great thieves as ger
eral thingl" reply, by hurling back this &c
cusatiOn, and sly from the information / II
ceive from the best citizens (whitel Of O W
that ! is libel Some Of those just arrived haN
been found to have taken provisions and ho
can it be wondered al however much they wei
TO be condemned HOlo have they been robbet
] therefore be charitable
e OF Canada and the Canadians more anon
+ Yours. 80,
-
OIening OF the VfetOrIR Bridge.