Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1860-09-29
0be Anti 9Idberp BueIe.
From Porneys Philadelphia Press.
THE COLORED PEOPLE OF THIS CITY.

UPON THEIR SOCIAL CONDITION.
Walks WITH THE DEGRADED
VISITS TO THE EDUCATED AND THE
INTELLIGENT.
THEIR WEALTH, NUMBERS, HABITS, RE.
FINEMENT AND DIFFICULTIES.
The question of the abstract right or wrong OF
African slavery has received 30 much attention du-
ring late years that topics of more practical phi
lanthropy have been but lightly discussed. The
moral and so,ial effects Of bondage upon the negro
might proftablS give place to another inquiry
viz His condition n state Of freedom.
II the negro be less happy in freedom than in
servitude, it will be useless to agitae the question
Of his emancipation. review of the social con-
diSion of the colored population in any one of the
largo Northern cities, may do something toward
determining the capacity OF the race for improve.
ment.
We have singled out our city for this 2ur.
pose and in some moments stolen from more press
ing rsportorial duties have made impartial obser-
vations Of life among the lowly
EMBARRASSING NATURE OF THE INQUIRY.
What we may state is liable to be varedly mis-
construed. The courteous treatment which we
have received at the hands of some colored men
may make the delicate revelations of our visits
among them appear like ngrati,ude. On tie 9th
or side, there those who hear with dislike any
Sxtenuatug statements Of the free colored man s
condition, who have no feelings of sympathy with
his social struggles, and had rather find him de.
graded and unhappy than civilized and aspiring.
For the latter class we have no scrup Piles and
" G., a.,
mis- wretchedness and encourage his advancement;
for if, with faculties and will to learn, the free
negro be still degraded the stain and the shadow
of his ssnsuality fall upon his white neighbors
STATISTICS OF coLoKED PnILADELrHIANs.
of the seventy-odd thousand free cclored people
OF Pennsylvania probably twenty thousand reside
here. We have a larger colored element than any
other Of the gres. Northern cities. The condition
of our colored classes is supposed to be inferior
only to those Of New Bedford, Cleveland, and some
other Eastern towns.
Some quarters of this city nre populated to a
large extent by the lower order of blacks. But a
portion Of the town is inhabited by an intelligent
GLASS; who have accumulated money, and are re-
spected by their white neighbors.
The free blacks of Philadelphia owned, BY CEN
su' Of 1885, 100000 of property, divided among
10000 persons.
BY some statistics which were published few
years since, there were 4,0l9 families of coored
people, Of whom 24l were living in their own
houses. OF these there were about s 1000 able
bodied men over 2l-of whom 5Sl were Iaborers.
256 mechanics, 240 mariners, l66 shopkeepers, 276
coachmen and carriers, 557 walters, l56 hairdress-
ers.
The present colored population Of the city is
from twenty thousand to twenty-five thousand.
They own property to the amount of nearly three
millions Of dollars. and have churches and schools
valued at from four hundred thousand to five hun
dred thousand dollars.
The great majority of negroes are poor. They
seldom inherit money; many of them come to the
city direct from slavery. destitute of capital where
with to mako business beginnings and without
education.
1t cannot be expected that men of this race
who are said, BY certain statesmen, to be, in their
best estate. mere animals-should struggle sud
denly on to fortune. That many Of them have
made money and advanced themselves socially is
miraculous; for. be it said to the shame of our
people, free colored man has more powerful dis
advantages with which to contend in tho free
States than in the slave.
THE coLoRED MANS DISADVANTAGES.
Philadelphia is the only Northern city, we be-
lieve. in which public conveyances are forbidden
to the black man. On the suburban or sural rail-
roads, small portion Of the smoking car is parti-
toned of to the negro, and he has no other resort
Bundled with his wife into that foul apartment.
in hearing of brutal ess, liable to insult he must
feel, it he have feelings, the hopeIessness of his
degradation. The city passenger railways refuse,
as a general thing, to carry colored passengers.
We know Of several cases where colored men, who
are stockholders in certain railways, have been
forbidden to ride to the railway terminus to collect
the dividends upon their shares. A few days
ago, We noticed q neatly-dressed mulatto woman,
who took seat with her child in a Frankiord
car. Sneers and jss:s at once passed from pas
senger to passenger. Two or three delicate par
ties shifted their seats. as to be removed from
the prescribed woman She eat unmoved amid
these insults for they had probably become 10 her
ordinary occurrences. When the conductor came
to collect fares, she was refused an exchange tick
et. The people of her color could not pass over
the city section Of the road. She was politely pu,
out of the car at Second street. to wait in the rain
for the one-horse conveyances These difficulties
in travelling necessate focslisation centraliza
tion of the oolored classes.
An intelligent black man lately informed us thai
he owned a pleasan. country residence in the
northern suburbs bat that he could not occupy it
as 1t would be impossible to ride over the railways
to and from his place Of business. To this central
ixation H,ost Of the wretehodnesS remarked in 81
Mary's, Bedford, Baker and similar streets. il
duo. The denizens of these places, being laborinl
men, porters, barkeepers, etc., must be near thu
business centre. Wtre the railways thrown opor
10 tbsu, they wOold scatter TO various remote sec