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For The Signal Of Liberty

For The Signal Of Liberty image
Parent Issue
Day
28
Month
July
Year
1845
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

Mkssrs. Eüitors: - H'iv'mp for BeVértl yenr bnd my rpind deeplv inspired with tiie dejjraded ntid sufTerinjr coiuliiion ofthe colored peopie n ilie iSou'.licrn Siaies, bur beinjf unalilf to nflord tlu'm anv direct nid, nnd lenfniug ihnt a portion of them ímd PÖVcled ilieir escnoe from 'lieir Algejiffe cnpiivity in tlip.-e United Siairs to a land ot' liborty ii the youn Quren's dominion, nnd to leiirn simetliiiir of the fruils of slavery, nnd in sume way 10 tnpnrt to the instr'uctiorí, or comfort of tlie tu git i ve, I left njy family in Mine, iiboul iho fi si of November las', nntl made my w:iy to Canada. Previons to my -etting out upon thp journey a committee Irotn ihree evnnuelicol dennminations wos appoini ed to obtain some aid in pHvinjr fny travrlliop expenses uf vvóich Rpv. David Thursien, of VVinthrop, was Cliainimn, ond from whom I received a letter of nrrodnction a:id coin mendation.On nrriving at Canatln, I called nt Tomnto tipon Lalty Oniiiri", frfm ihenco tipt lie Inke to Ilamilton, und visited Qucciis BupIi, Broct ford, London, Dawri, Chnihsm, Sandwich, Malden, Colcheíter and Gosfield. In all vvhich are eolored splllements, ns olso in severnl othor places which I have not yet visited. Tliey nre not, ns some suppose, coluiized, bulare spread over the country 150 milos by L50, and 6o mixed in very mnch with th white population, und thongh iliisi nnnoying to ome, it is, I apprehend, fnr the beiter lor the eolored pi'ople. In i his 'ay ihey havp better opportuniiies to obtain work and to irnprove from the customs of. the penple. An atiempt was made 30111e yeafs since to es(.ablish a colony of eolored people in liiat part of the province then callcd Upper Canada, 16 miles north of London, but it has pmved a failure. Of late no attpmpt of the kind has been made, uníess it lias been done in ihis State, which I am told hns also been abandon ed. No, let the lugitive go info Canada, and engace in any lawfííl occupulion whic!i lit muy choose. nnd behaving himseïf asa rtfsni iihI ns .1 citizen, lei him be treaied a6 fiich. [ Lot hm buvo the respect of fita neig'iborí and tlie privileges nnd proipc'ion of ci'izen. Ami I would say the same .-hould ho continue lii. flight to Muñe, or stop in Michigan, or in uny other of the freo States. Tliere are npjv, it is 6npposed .nearly 20,0U0 eolored people in Canada, and rnoht ol them are eelfern-inciated. Thy erevzcú nm ciiizeiis', and have eqtuil privileges in he prirnnry schools wilh other portions ot' lie inhnbitunts, and all mistain thcmselves, jut inany nre very poor, and as to a Inin?, night do macb better 10 srop thia side of the me. And wlien I hnvo bocn asked .vhy they do not? I have liad to hnng down ny head nnd sny ihat lliey can be perftctly lafe no trhere but in Cunada. But since [ hnve visUed this State, I have -oincwhat changod tny opinión, and have :ome lo the conclusión thut there is at least ne free State, whero the nigitive may be jretiy snfe. And us I find by enqniry, lliat hos-e wlio are here are d'ing well fiar tliemelves nnd for llieir émployerá - nnd that m'any nore r.re aétuaílv wanted, of both Bcxug, I Aonld odviseall tlmt are nw icre, and oth?re, that mny come, to stny. I have seen jut few in Canada that appear to be doinrj as ivell as they ure doing in this Slnte. And Lhougli there ure inany I euppose, in he States who would not wish lo iinve thein :ome too n-ar them - like to hnve them know, md keep thrir place, have no opinión ofgnmation. k.c. the prejudice here against colored people is far less thon it is in Canada, and is dimiuUhing upon acqnainiance with llieni and their good condiict. The colorcd people have done mcl in Canada in clearing up ilie land and in furnisliing wood for the market. The lurffp piles of wood 6een upon the wharvesof Malden, with which lo propel thesteainers are mosily furnished by tho colored people. And is there no new land to bo c!eorp(l up in Michigan? What an increai-e of real vahe, to the producing class of this State tvould be mude by thousands of these hardy descendentsof África. And what more honor would bo conferrod upon the State than lo have it called the land of refuge - - an asylum for the oppressed?The abundant harvest which the inhabitaotg of thi3 State ore now gntiiering d, siiould remind them not to withhoid bread froni the himgry, nor iodgitifr and clothing from the flyiiig, rngged iugjtive. And let the de lijfhtfu], anti-s!avery spirit, which pervades the niinds of easlern obolitionisls, cliarncterize the people of this State by procl;iiniing to tle free colored man, nn mmediate, entire nnd emnncipatron from the wicked aiif] Imtef'ul opptession of prejudice and reeojrnze in every colored man a neighbor and a brolher.

Article

Subjects
Signal of Liberty
Old News