Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1859-07-09
LETTER FROM ELLEN WATKINS.

HAGERsTowN, June 90.
RESPECTED FRIEND: My last letter for the Bugle
was from Wilberforce Institute. stopped over
Sunday and held q meeting and had O collection
taken up for the Oberlin rescuers; although the no.
tice was short, l was able to send 500 to the men
who were brave enough to throw themselves across
the track of the General Government and rescue
one fellow-being from the gaping jaws of Americ-
an slavery. From thence l went to Cincinnati
where held one meeting in Mr.. Erwing's church
Leaving Cincinnati, l came to Indiana, and held
my first meeting in Starr Hall, Richmond. 1t was
not largely attended. My second meeting was in
the basement of The Methodist Church. but owing,
probably. in part, to the shortness of the notice, it,
also, was not very largely attended. However, /
have made some pleasant acquaintance, and been
the recipient of an amount of kindness l did not
expect. Since then l have been almost constantly
employed, speaking part Of the time to crowded
houses sometimes speaking in the day and some
times day and night. Last Monday week l spoke
three times, aad almost every day and night since.
This part of the country is a fine field for Anti
Slavery effort. The people are ready and willing
to hear, and if other laborers would only enter
this field after harvest, much might be done for the
cause Of freedom.
There are a number Of colored persons who are
farming in this State, owning among them l be
lieve hundreds of acres and giving the lie to thu
base SANDER that they ''cannot take care of them
selves. And yet, Notwithstanding their ability
to take care of themselves, they are taxed withcu
being represented, denied their testimony and pro
scribed the common schools. How foolish, indeed
is this negro-hate, when, in the North, it permits
the children of our race to live in ignorance be
cause of the outlawed blood in their veins. l car
understand the wicked sagacity of the slave powe,
when it perpetuates Ignorance by law. Slavery
wants trained hands, but not restless, aspiring ant
developed minds. Ignorance and brute force ar
it's strong allies, and potent helps-ths handmade
of it's inferior civilization and ~cowardly barOarism
But here in Indiana where the colored maj
is. nominally, free what advantage can the Stat,
derive from leaving him in Ignorance. Here ar,
more than eleven thousand colored people, ant
how much more humane and civilized it would be
how much better political economy, to build fo
them schools and academies, to educate them il
virtue and in morality, and teach them to add t
the productive industry Of a commonw ealth which
would treat them as citizens, and not worse thar
strangers, than to press them down in the scale O
life, and then build prisons, pentenitiaries; anc
gallows to punish them for their crimes. Well
we may earnestly hope from the presen. iDdica
lions, that a better day is to dawn on Indiana, anc
that she will so change her ~legistion that %justic,
and right shall be not merely her notices, but he
living, practical principles, interviewer with he
life, and acted out in all its relations, whethe
State, national or ecclesiastical.
FRANCES ELLEN WATKINS.