The weekly Anglo-African., 1860-04-21


dozen and half standing about the plat
form making gesticulations and adding to
the confusion by suggestions which could
not be heard.
The Secretary then commenced reading
the anonymous call, and the confusion in
stantly ceased The paper having been
read, was alternately Kissed and cheered.
Mr.. Downing put the question upon the
adoption of the following list of officers for
the meeting, and it was agreed on unani-
mously:
PreSident-Wm. A. Tyson.
Nce-P resadents-Rev Messrs. Gray,
Pennington, Hall, Dorrell and Tilmon.
Secretaries Messrs. John V. Givens,
- Marshall, John w. Hunter and DIR.
John V. De Grasse.
The name of Rev. j. N. Gloucester hav-
ing bean suggested for one of the Vice
Presidents, Mr.. Garnet informed the au-
dience that Mr.. G. was in Troy
Rev. Mr.. Gray, (the pastor of lions
church this is a public meeting. 1t has
been understood that certain matters
would be laid before this meeting, and l
go in for every man implicated or concern
ed to speak here, and not to gag any man
down. What principles | have within me
l am prepared to let the world know, and
if / am opposed to any mans principles, l
want to put him ON level platform to
speak for himself. (Applause.) Let us
adhere like gentlemen, like men prepared
to do business We have not come here
to tear up and overthrow, but to deliberate
upon the subject, and whoever is in the
wrong let the community know it. We
can do nothing while the meeting is in con-
fusion. Please to hear us, and let the
community judge.
Something like order being restored,
upon taking the stand, Mr.. Tyson said that
he was in favor of fair hearing from all
sides. Alta meeting of this character, held
in church, it would be well to ask the
presence and blessing of God. He would
therefore call upon the Rev. Mr.. Penning-
ton, who offered prayer, invoking Gods
presence, and imploring him to hasten the
time when Ethiopia shall stretch forth her
hands unto God,' and again take her place
among the nations of the earth.
The Chairman said that there had been
received several letters from men in whose
long tried friendship and services the col
ored people could not but have confidence.
Mr.. Wake then read the following let
tiers; the one from Hon. Gerrit Smith
was loudly cheered, and that of Mr.. John
F. Waugh read and re-read amid laughter
and great applause:
LETTER FROM GERRrT SMITH.
PErERBoRo', March 26, 1860.
My father thanks you for the honor
done him by your letter. He deems it no
small honor to be numbered by you among
the colored peoples friends. He would
answer you with his own hand, but he has
written no letters since his return from the
asylum. His health is, however, improv-
ing, and we trust it will soon be better
every way than it has been for years.
My father thinks that there may be good
sense as well as benevolence in these
schemes for inducing colored Americans to
emigrate to Africa, Hayti, Central Amer
lea, &c. Nevertheless, he fears they may
work great evil by the exaggerated views
of their Importance and effects. For in
stance, should these schemes contribute to
create, or rather to increase, the feeling
that this land is not the home of the great
mass of these Americans, then will they
prove very pernicious. Nothing is more
indispensable, in his Judgment, to the well
doing of these Americans than their abid-
ing sense that their native land is their
own land; and that they have as much
right and as much reason as the whites
have to look upon it as their home. One
of my fathers cherished opinions is that
his colored brethren should look with no
favor upon any of these emigrating schemes
that do not in their terms, and on the part
of their founders and upholders, expressly
acknowledge perfect equality between the
rights of the black man and the rights of
the white man. Let the black man accout
no white man as his friend, or indeed, as
other than his enemy, who does not accord
as fully to the black race as to the white,
political, civil, ecclesiastical and social
rights, as well on this soil as on any other
Accept from my father his warm regards
Your friend, ELIZABETH SMITH MILLER.
To GEORGE T. DOWNING and CHAs. L. REASON
LETTER FROM JOHN F. WAUGH.