The weekly Anglo-African., 1860-06-09
A Request.
Our Enterprise.


happens that it came SO slowly. Possibly Uncle
Sans mails, like most of his officials, have hor-
rbe negrophobia, and SO spewed out this work
of dark-colored hands and heads and hearts, leav-
ing this one copy to chance escape in some out
ofthe-way corner of the mail pouch, whence it
has at last got to hand. Well, however it be, we
are always glad to see this little work of the
wronged and lcwly people. Though few bid God
speed and most affect to despise their effort to rise
in the social scale by devotion to literary pur-
suits and higher moral and intellectual culture,
we hope much from the beginnings indicated in
this very magazine. There is talent genius, and
fine taste in these pages, we avow, though the de-
spised authors are negroes only There are sweet
and touching verses too, written by young col
ored woman, and we give them place here that
those who rudely initiate the slang of slave-driv-
ers and oYerseers, by speaking of such people
contemptuously as ringers, may learn to be
ashamed of such cruel coarseness."
The above is from the Pittsburg "Dis-
PATCH" paper distinguished for its plain
out-speaking, and sets forth no small de-
gree of truth worth, few moments con-
sideration. Whether we regard the para
graph as whole or taken in the abstract,
we can but arrive at the same conclusion
VIZ: that ''they who would be free, them
selves must strike the blow" We find
ourselves laboring in the cause of the OPP
pressed. We find ourselves the hardest
oppressed of the oppressed. We look
round and find others who also are labor
ing in the same cause, recognizing this
same palpable fact; but do they make use
of the best means for the prosecution of
our and their own labors? By no means.
Properly sought out and suitably position
ed, we are the very best means in this
country whereby the work Of the common
elevation of man can be carried on.
The giant wrong of America is oppres-
sion. We are mainly we may say we
are entirely-the oppressed. We, then, if
competent to the task, ought to be made as
much as possible the instrument for the re-
moval of that oppression. Would anything
but selfish motive overlook this great
TRUTH Are the protested friends of humani-
ty entitled to credit for sincerity ifthey over
look it? We know that there is such a
thing as cutting and carving and trimming
and explaining away when the black man
is squarely in the foreground as such, as
man, to do the work of man, or to be re.
cognized as man; but we know also that
there is such thing as obtaining political
and even religious status from off the SYM
pathies of the black man, without contrib
uting one iota to his real elevation, giving
the idea at the same time that it is rather
an uphill business.
Institutions containing quite degree of
power have been built up in this way, and
while welding considerable influence in
the land ignore the similar labors of the
black man, and even his claims to similar
labors. We make every allowance for
our white friends in this matter-or rather
their leaders. We can take into the &C
count their notions of their own SUPERIOR
ty, their Anglo-Saxon largeness, and their
truly very many advantages over us; but
we fail to recognize the reasons based on
any foundation Of right or justice, for their
unfrequent God-speed and their almost en-
tire attempt to despise our efforts to rise
in the social scale by devotion to literary
pursuits and higher moral and intellectu-
al culture.
These men, to be successful in this
cause, which they profess to love and labor
to advance, should give us every advan-
tage of muscle and brain, and give to the
world the result. Were it with them a
matter Of mere pecuniary gain-were it an
attempt on their part to thrive upon the
misfortunes of their fellows, then they
could afford to withhold both; but, as it is,
what motive could have induced these
leaders of the anti-slavery cause to such
seuere silence, while even pro-slavery men
and journals have acknowled our literary
efforts2 What could have induced the
"Anti-Slavery Standard" the "Liberator,'
the Independent and journals OF like
stripe, to have never known, and certainly
o have never let their readers know tc
any extent, of the claims of such journals
as the "Anglo-African Magazine" and the
Weekly Anglo-African2" Our claims are
those of the common cause, and should be
spread broadcast over the abolition field
and from thence effectually over the coun
try-in the language of the dispatch,
"that by such course it might come abou
that those who now rudely initiate tn.
slang of the slave-drivers and overseers by
IL oolo~a1 ,>oo,l1