The weekly Anglo-African., 1859-08-13
COLORED PEOPLE AND THE ANTI.
SLAVERY CAUSE.

Mr.. EDIToR:-I have just read the no
tice in the Anti-Slavery Standard
of the issue of your Weekly Anglo
African" which hail with great pleasure
as one of the greatest necessities Of the
times, especially of New York City and its
immediate vicinity. l have no doubt but
it will call into practical action the ener-
gies of many now unwillingly dormant, and
expand minds, develop thought, and give a
general impetus to investigation, enter
prize, and industry in the various callings
in life in which we are engaged, and
which, / think, may considered no less ef-
ficient, and therefore quite as necessary la
Dor as that to which the STANDARD" al
ludes, in noticing your paper, AS being ig
nored. take it that the prosecution o1
any necessary labor does, directly or indi
rectly, aid the cause" even though ii
should not be what is technically and
abstractly considered Anti-Slavery There
is much for us to do outside the Anti
Slavery ranks-other subjects to be inves-
tigated, and other enterprises prosecuted.
l think, therefore, that we should reject
the inference from the Standard" that
such labor is misapplied, and the claims
of our brethren in bonds ignored or forgot"
1t should be remembered that, during al
most the entire Anti-Slavery campaign, the
efforts of colored men have been studiously
concentrated in that!particular direction
the Anti-Slavery cause-and other causes
not so denominated seem to have been ag-
1eOred or forgot.
The consequence is, that while we have
host of men, and women too, eminently
able to vie with their SuperiOrs in discuss
ing constitutions or declaiming against
Slavery, we have but few who have met
the same encouragement in other pursuits
quite as indispensable to our elevation and
the slaves emancipation.
For instance, in my own native State,
most of the colored people are farmers,
having been so brought up, as is the case
in other States. They live, as many did
in the days Of slavery, in small houses near
the farmer for whom they work by the
year, month, or day, for low wages, with
out ever, since emancipated, having i'm
pressed upon them the duty to buy ground
and cultivate for themselves.
But true, this is not the case with all.
Many, very many, do own land, and are
doing well. There are also very many
who might, but do not; while very many
others buy through some white friend
their boss, but neglect the title, and allow
it to be unjustly taken away, after paying
for it and years possession.
Now this matter of buying and retain
ing property, Il. e., land,) and learning te
farm intelligently, &c, &c, is one of great
Importance to our people living in the
country, and | think of great importance
to the success of the cause. l think thes
have claims which we cannot consistently
"igncre nor forget"
Our schools, too, in many parts, in out
the-way places, where there are not val
liant friends to press their claims, are cheat
ed out of the apportionment the law al
lows, and schools intentionally irregularly
kept and badly attended.
Now, here are two objects of vital inter
est which have got to be attended to
these are, ,.land and its uses, and education
And as they do not come within the scope
Of the anti-slavery cause, | think we may
with propriety write on these subjects, pub