For The Signal Of Liberty

Messrs Editors: - In ths Signal of Liberty of the 17th inst. which has been sent te me I find an article of nearly two columns in length, from an nnnonymous cor respondent, headcd in an imposing manner with the tillo of "Deplorable Exhibition of Negro Hatred in Detroit," professing to give an account of circumstances which transpired in tlus ci.y, in relation to ourlastSabbath Sclioo! Celebration, which statements you have been pJeosed to endorse, and then cali all specially to nolice tliat these Negro Haters are all Móüiodisls, (a name I know which is very offensive to some a name, however, which wiih all the bitter and malevolent fceling that is manifested lowards us from various quartere, I am happy to have the honor to bear. ) As one of tbes (ayled by yowsdves and correspondent Co. A'egro Haters) who have been arranged, condemned, and on whom an attempt ia being made to execute by this & co., I deern it proper to say io yourselves fc co., and all others interosted, that the article in quesüon is about as devoul of truth as Christian Spirit, an.d about as well calculated toconvince men oftheir errorí, and advance a cause as vituperation and falsehood usually are. It may seem strangc to ?ome that an humble individual jlike rayself, and a Methodist too, shold dare deny statements made, as you say, by a gentleman who may be relied upon. Yet such is the fact, and though not honored with the tule of M. D. or a candidaíe for Congress, over my own signature, (which will go for what il is worth where it is known) I feel compelled to &ny to you gemlemen, and all others interested, ihat there are a number of misstatements in this attempt to array one portion of the Chrislian community against anothcr, which I shall attempt to notice, without calling your attentiou to some of the fine and true thingsthat are written about Celebrations &c, but that on the SOth dayofJune, A. D. J343, in the nineteenth century - the age of Miessipn - Millerite? - Millenarmns Stc. Sta, that no delegnlion of colored men waited upon the joint commitee of arrangements of the Baptist, Methodist and Presbyterian Sunday Schools, soliciting permission for the two Colored Schools (Baptist and Methodist) to unite with us in celebrating our nation's jubilee. Perhaps some may ask, what did you do? What disgraceful act did you commit that your names should bc spread ! out with yeas and nays, and that has become such a matter of notoriety among this outraged community of Wilberforce $ CuV 1 will try and inform you, and leave it for a candid public to decide how far the Methodist brcthren are entitled to the vndivided honor of this f act of unparallcllcd mcauncs$ and cnutty. 1 jsímil state nolhing but what I think can be s proved by oalh or otherwise. On tlie evening of the 2Oth of June, Frida) c previous to the 4th of July, the Committee of Arrangements met to close up their business, L he Marshalls hnd been appointed, the places t he schools were to occupy in the church, in t he proccssioj:, and on the ground, arranged, ( and all other business arranged as heretofore, I vhen one of the committee stated that a 1 ored man had called upon him during the I !fi3r, requesiing permission for their school, I fnot schools, for with much opposition n M. Colored Sabbath School has been started this eason, and yet lives and prospers, despite its enemies,) to imite with us in the Celebratiou. One of the committee who are stvled ncra miers, stated that if one of the schools was nvifed, the like invitation should bc exteitfed o the other; this was assented to, and after discussing the matter, and a request rnade thnt ime might be g-iven to consider the suliject, as it was one entirely new, and io consult the schools, whose servants the commitle were, he molion must then be put, and the vote taken, and though by cilling in the absent members of the committee at another meeting (as .heyinform us)they might hnvehad a mnjority. Yet without time to consult the schools cither ! colored or white, after all the arrangemenls were made, without any previous notice, just at that time the matter was brought up and mist be driven through, fthe reason 1 leave others to judge of, I have my own opinión,) and which resulted in deciding that under the circumstances it was inexpedient to invite Ihem. This is the head and front of our offence. So far from delegations being appointed by the two schools, and sent to ask permission, a number of respectable colored men connected with the schools have informed me that they had not heaid of the matter in this outraged community until informed by this & Co. in their attempt to make capital out of it.and some connected with the Methoodist Colored Sunday School have informed us that they not only knew nothing about it, but had they been invited at that late day, they would not have accepted the invitation. One of the committee in the minority has since stated to me, that he sent this coloree man to the gentleman who presentcd the business before the committee on purpose to have him make the request. So much for the delegation from the tico Schools, and so far as thiscommuniiy is outraged, but very fewüeea nave neard oí the matter until tlr.s & Co. have made ex 'ra exertions to circuíate the Signal of Liberty with this kind imposing ar ticle. Not content with this, some in an nttempt to array the coloree! population against us, assert as a reason, why they were not invited is, because "we do nol likellieir smcll" this of course goes for what il is worth, showing indeed what manner of spirit they are of. The langnage or objection atínbuíed to Mr. Owen, I heard nothing of, (he can answer for himself,) and others in theminority as well as majority state ihac ha made no such allusion. I have r onversed w tb a number of teachers in the Presbytenan Schools, as wel! as our own (some ofwhomare waim abolitionists.) and they have all said that under the eircumstances they would have voted as the majority did, and entirely approve of their course. In relation to the Union S. School 1 have never heard of it,or of any invitatation being extended to it. The ailusion to the peculir.r glory of the Method ist Church and her sending out polite cards of invitaiion to the genteel, comes with a poor grace from a mon who will falselv and wantonly assail others in an anonymous newspaper article. The Methodists will piobably attend to their appropriate work, while he vents his spleen. How far thecommunity may bc disposed to condem us and cali us negro haters Sec. I know not. I nm content lo have the assurance at least that I shail fiel as much for my fellow men, and do as mich according to my ability for the suffering-, as tliose who would excite the prejudices, and array one portion of the Christian Community agninst another,and ïf these are the argumenta and this the spirit that is lïianifested by your correspondent Sc Co. to convince men of their errors, I shnll fail tobe convinced of mine. - I address this communication to you, gentlemenjB.s the endorsers of your anonymous correspondent. Respectfully Yours, &c.REM ARK S. 1. Admittipg for argument '5 sake, that 'Wilberforce &. Co.' had used langnage unnecessarilv severe, we Jo not perceive that he will be instructotl in 'the most excellent way' by the writer of this nrticle. 2. We do not sec that Mr. Phelps denies any material part of the statement of our correspondent. Ho does not deny that npphcation was made by the coloree! people to join the celebration- that the matter was discussed ia the committee, and lic voted against if. Out correspondent states tliese focts, and requests the majorily to stafelheir reasons for their course, The reasons of'iMr. PJielps are subslnntially, l. Thut the arrangement for Ibp othesschools hfid been nearly corïipleted. L. Ne time wasgiven to consult the schools or to consider of the subject. Whether the reasons are satisfactorv, we j shall Jeave to our readers. We have no conIroversy with the mnjority of the Committee. All we contend is, that the exclusión of the colored children on account of tkeir color, (if that was the reason,) was 'a deplorable exhibition of Negro-hatred1 in professing1 Christians. If that was not the reason, our torial remarkg were inapplicable