The daily gazette., 1877-05-14
Letter from Washington.
Correspondence eff the Baltimore SUM-
WASHINGTON, D. G., May IS.
Fred. Douglass's Lecture-More Of the
Safe Burglary. iO

WASHINGTON, D. C., May IS.
Fred. Douglass's Lecture-More of the
Safe Burglary. i1-
Fred Douglass has written letters ex-
planning the Objectionable language used
by him in regard to the people of Wash
ington city in his lecture delivered recent
ly in Baltimore. He evidently desires to
ease himself down and drop the matter.
While he complains that the Baltimore
papers did not print the complimentary
passages towards the national capitol
which were in his lecture, he has declined
| to furnish for publication his entire lee
ture as delivered from his manuscript, al
though two of the papers of this city
nave requested it. Douglass, in his letter
published to-day, adheres to his attack on
Mr.. Corcoran, and insists that he is not
philanthropist in the general meaning of
| the term, having, he says, never contrib
uted anything towards the colored race.
| 1t is regarded as remarkable that Doug
lass should thus deny Mr.. Corcoran's lib
erality, as it is universally known here
that he has assisted financially every col
| ored church and many charitable organi-
cations in this city. In addition to Civ
ing sums of money to several colored
churches, he has given three or four of
them the lots on which the churches have
been built. Besides this, he has in other
ways aided the colored race.
The circulation OF the petitions ask
| ing for the removal OF Douglass still
goes on, the signatures now reaching
I'D into the thousands. With the ex-
ception of about half dozen every
merchant and business firm on Penn
sylvania avenue aud Seventh street,
the principal business streets of the
city have signed petitions asking forhis
removal. These petitions will be pre-
sented to the President by committee
appointed by the leading business men
on Tuesday. In relation to the state
ment of Douglass contained in his ex-
planatioas thai he delivered the same
lecture in tins city several years since
and that it was favorably noticed by
the press of this city at that time, per
sons who have copies of the lectures
of address as delivered then, and
which was known as the "Hlllsdale
speech" say that on the occasion he
made no reference to any imaginary
peculiarly of the residents of this city.
He did, however, speak in an unfa-
vorable manner of the people OF Mary
land, but made no special reference
to WashiDgtonsans. In his Hillsdale
speech, which was very extensively
copied all over the country. he warned
the colored people to beware of the
carpet-baggers, and criticised severely
the board of public works, which body
he now praises. .9i .a .
To sooth Douglass at the time he was
promised that he would be appointed
secretary of this district, and In carry
ing out their promisesthe board of pub
| lie works had MIN appoirted member
of,tbe district council, which bsdy has
since been abolished. Dick Harring-
ton was made secretary of the district.
Douglass managed afterwards to have
his son Lewis 81, Douglass appointed
to succeed him. Two of the judges of
the Supreme Court of the district have
expressed themselves as in favor of
having Douglass removed.
Another strong effort is now being
made here TO secure the dimissal of
the indictment pending against Rich
ard Harrington in the safe burglary
case. The movement is based upon
an alleged confession of Somerville,
the New York attorney VINO was in
dicted in the case, by which Whitley
| is represented as the author of the plot
and Harrington as his dupe. Harring
ton is understood to be at his home in
Delaware. There is said to be another
charge against him of receiving bribe
of $i1 900 in the Slatter-Hussey muir
der case. 1t is also said that Somcr-
ville's statement duplicates him deeper
than ever, besides duplicating Others.