The weekly Anglo-African., 1860-02-04
LETTER FROM KEY WEST.
KEY WEST, Fla, Jan. 20, 1860.

LEI1Eh NUN AE1 w EO4.
KEY WEST Fla, Jan. 20, 1860.
DEAR ANGLO: that the excitement
attending the New Year has subsided, and
New York, with all its busy life, its fuctu-
ations, and its vast concerns enters upon
the speculations of another year; while
pleasure and misery, wealth and poverty,
luxury and starvation, hold their respec-
tive courts, with an increase of votaries to
the one and of victims to the other, and the
ladies have had time to forget the stale
compliments and the stereotyped nonsense
so profusely lavished by their gentlemen
visitors on the first day of the happy
New Year, and the gentlemen disgorged
the stale sponge-cake and sour wine with
which they were regaled by the fair dam
oiselles in exchange for said compliments;
and while still the cold, uncharitoble mon
ster, Winter, is lowering with icy wings
over and around you, it may be pleasant to
remind you that you have friend in this
land of flowers and perpetual summer.
Yes, here today, on every side the wild
roses cluster, and sway their vermilion
tinted heads in sweet unison with the light
winds that come fresh from the blue bosom
of the mighty ocean, whose pillows surge
upon the shell-covered beach of this, the
garden of the western world. Yet, with
all this panorama Of beauty spread out be-
fore the eye-with all the sweet music of
rustling leaves, shrubs and beauteous flow
ers, accompanied by the melodious warb-
lings Of countless birds, sadness fills the
soul that no flowers or music can dispel.
The very soil upon which stand has been
soaked, enriched and the flowers that bloom
upon it have been nourished by the negro's
blood. No wonder that the flowers should
all be red-ft type and fit fruit of the un-
hallowed baptism!
Key West has changed within the past
two years, and more especially since the
fire of May last, which is referred to as
'the great fire." There have been erected
some fifteen or twenty houses to replace
those destroyed, which, for Key West, are
very fine specimens of gothic architecture
Yet, ye inhabitants of this sea-girt isle,
cannot stand with you for hours in the
monday sun and gaze with rapture upon
them--eremsf If they a0ere built principally
By colored men !; and when you, with that
sublime ignorance so characteristic of your
selves, assert that they are the greatest
achievements of architectural skill that ev-
er graced fair earth, | cannot say amen
/ have said that Key West has changed.
1t has changed much, but only in its ap-
pearance 1t is not that the white inhabi-
tants have learned to read and write their
own or any body else's names. 0, no
The idea of such accomplishments rarely
ever disturbs the brain of the black mans |
superiors in this corner of our great and |
free republic 1t is not that the shackles |
of bondage no longer mingle their discord-
ant clank with the murmurings of the free
winds of heaven, though many whom l left
at their post Of unpaid toll are now sleep
ing with their heads upon the cofin's pill
low, and their places filed by strangers
yet there are many familiar faces still at
their posts of toll, unpaid, halfclothed, half
fed, still without murmur laboring from
early dawn until dark-still that impress
of hopeless misery upon their brows-still
that look of unutterable anguish which tells
that the soul within longs for that rest from
which it can hope for only in
the unbroken slumbers of the silent
grave!
Yes, Key West is changed, but not the
people. And her dear, good pastors how
steadfastly they follow in the footsteps of
Him who came to preach comfort to
The broken-hearted, liberty to the slave,
and hope of everlasting life 70 all mankind,
whose doctrines they profess to preach.
Yes, they opreaeh the doctrines of Christ,
but with variations. During the six days
Of labor these selfrighteous shepherds can
be seen with sanetimonious faces and mea-
'ured steps, walking from one locality to
another, their heads bowed as though con-
'tantly engaged in the prayer that Provi-
lence would, in consideration of their la
bors in the cause of religion and humani-
", enable them to own some of the stall
wart negroes around them; and on the
seventh day, like their Judean prototypes