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SEPTEMBER, 1862      DOUGLASS' MONTHLY.      769
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of an able and faithful General, we might lament the fall of McClellan, if he were such a General.  For the sake of freedom now wounded and bleeding by the hands of rebels and traitors, we might mourn if McClellan were truly the friend of freedom.  But being neither an able General, nor a friend to impartial Liberty, and his very name being the watchword of all those who would rivet forever the chains on four million slaves and permanently reinstall over the country the insolent slave power, neither the country nor the friends of freedom can have any tears to shed over the humiliation of this man McClellan.  The decline of his power, is the best sign of hope for the country which this month has given us.  If we must have a political General, as indeed it seems we must, men who are no sooner on the field than their eyes are turned towards the Presidency, let us have one who will at least, be as careful not to kill northern as southern voters.
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BRUTUAL AND UNPROVOKED ASSAULTS UPON COLORED PEOPLE.
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A species of violence and persecution towards colored people has been revived in Northern towns and cities during the present and past month, which can only be accounted for by the presence of some deadly inciting cause.  Assaulting individual negroes in the streets, and bodies of negroes at their work was, years ago, of frequent occurrence even in the best of our Northern towns and cities.——But of late, this savage practice had well nigh ceased——and colored men were nearly as little liable to personal assault as other people.——The case is now changed for the worse, and the unarmed black man, on the streets, at his work, and in his house, is constantly marked out for violence and persecution such as would disgrace a community of savages.

Cincinnati and Brooklyn have of late had their mobs of this character, and the colored people of those cities have suffered much in person and property from them, while scarcely a day passes when we do not hear of some individual assaults without any visible cause.  The writer of these lines was standing in the Rail Road Station at Springfield Massachusetts, awaiting the departure of a train to Albany, perfectly silent and engrossed with his own thoughts, when he was confronted by a stalwart Irishman, who demanded two cents for an old and worthless postage stamp, and on being refused, poured out upon him a loud stream of vile abuse attempting meanwhile to clutch the writer by the throat.  He laid the ruffian on the ground and mounted the cars, and was off with the train, before he could rally to a second assault——though not without leaving the sleeve of a tolerably good coat behind him.

On reaching home we heard of similar outrages in Rochester, and in other parts of the country.  The number, character, and simultaineous occurrence of such assaults all over the Northern States, render them highly significant, and suggests the idea that the poor miserable human brutes who openly perpetrate them are really the least guilty parties.  The pretense that colored men are elbowing white men out of imployment cannot be alleged as explanation.  Work for all classes is abundant, and there are few of the whites who wish to compete with the negro in those departments of labor which are still open to him.  Nor is mere wantonness an explanation.
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There was never a time when this vice was more visibly checked in this country.  Our young, daring, dashing young white men have gone to the war from all towns and cities, and the wanton gaiety which sometimes leads to a brush at street corners, has been sobered down, and has in some instances wholly disappeared.  If the base and brutal assaults made upon the colored people arose from wantonness, there would be less cause of concern.  They would soon die out.  But, if as some think, there is a secret slaveholding organization all over the free States, in secret sympathy with the rebels, and full of hatred to the negro, and who thinks the ends of the rebels can be better served by stirring up hate and wrath against out long abused and unprotected people, these assaults become just cause of alarm and searching enquiry. 

It is remarkable that these demonstrations of hostility came along about the same time when it became probable that the necessities  of the Government would lead to arming the negroes in common with others to fight the battles of the Republic.  We can conceive of any number of base motives for opposing such arming, and for endeavoring to defeat it by all means.  We take the following timely remarks on the subject form the New York Tribune:

Yesterday afternoon a colored man, was quietly walking along Furman street, in Brooklyn.  Some white men hooted at him, or made offensive remarks.  He had the audacity to answer.  The whites set about the pleasing pastime of beating him.  He defended himself as best he could——kept off five or six——when five or six more mixed to whip the negro because he was black.  He picked up a stone, and knocked a man named Lynch on the head.  Then a crows collected, and about a hundred brave, chivalrous white men undertook to kill the negro not only because he was black, but because he would not stand quietly at ease and be murdered for the sport of the Knickerbocker Ice men.  The black man escaped from the infuriated crowd by being arrested and taken to the Station-House.  There being no charge against him, he was set at large.  It does not appear the any of the sportive crowd who hunted the negro down were arrested.  We understand that many less prominent events of the kind have recently occurred in Brooklyn.  Will not all good citizens unite in stopping this wicked business?  If suffered to go on, their may be a fearful reckoning ere long.  The men who instigate as well as those who make these outbreaks against a handful of creatures are, playing with burning torches in a powder-house.  If men are to be killed like dogs because they are black, the same spirit will kill them because they are anything else that an unreasonable mob may not like.——'They that sow the wind will reap the whirlwind.'
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AFFAIRS IN NEW BEDFORD.
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MR. EDITOR:——August the First dawned upon us with a very heavy fog, which clouded the minds and feelings of hundreds that anticipated great pleasure in an excursion of about fourtees miles' ride in the cars.  But before the sun was three hours high the fog gave way, when hearts began to lighten, and eyes glistened with joy.  About ten o'clock A.M. the cars commerced moving amid the joy and delight of four or five hundred souls on board.  After an hour's ride we found ourselves at the grove, where we found our old friend Frederick Douglass, Esq., and his son Lewis.  The presence of his familiar countenance and stately form was cheering to all present.  About twelve o'clock M., we were notified by the ringing of the grove bell that a meeting was to be organized.  It was called to order by Mr. Wm. H. Johnson,    read the following list of officers:——
President——Rodney French.
Vice-do——Augustus Monroe.
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T.R. Dennison.
Rev. Wm. Jackson.
Secretaries——Lewis Douglass.
William H. Johnson.

The President made some remarks in relation to the present crisis of this country, which were able and patriotic.

Frederick Douglass, Esq., was then introduced amid the greatest enthusiasm.  He spoke for two hours, in words and language that could not be misunderstood.  After some remarks from others the meeting adjourned.

About six o'clock we again took the cars for home, all feeling that nothing had been lost by that day's excursion.  Great credit is due to John J. York, Esq., for his efforts in getting up the celebration.  In the evening a Sabbath Sch ol Concert was held in the Salem Church (Rev. Wm. Jackson's) when Mr. Douglass again occupied the time to the delight of all and the amusement of the children,

A matinee was given on the same evening by Mr. T. S. Boston, which was graced with many ladies from abroad, as well as ladies from ouro wn city.

William Wells Brown, Esq., spoke in the largest white church on Sunday evening, August 3, which was filled to its utmost capacity.  He spoke one hour and a half in his eloquent and masterly style.

Monday evening, Aug. 4, Miss Ellen Allen gave an exhibition in Music Hall, which was very successful.  'Uncle Sam and the Seceding States,' which composed thirty-eight performers, was satisfactorily performed, and great credit is due to Miss Allen for the able manner in which the exercises were conducted.  We had the pleasure of an introduction to Prof. Wilson and lady, from your city, who are here as guests of Mrs. E. R. Johnson.
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THE NEGRO'S FIRST HEARING.——'Occasional, of the Philadelphia Press, alluding to the Presidents recent interview with a colored delegation on the subject of colonization, remarks:

The negro may well say that under President Lincoln he has had his first hearing in the White House.  Other Presidents have bought and sold him, and driven him from the territories, and closed their eyes to the nefarious system under which he was captured in Africa and dragged over the ocean in chains.  But President Lincoln has listened to his story and given him counsel and advice.

'Occasional' has got this little affair a good deal muddled.  It is true the negro has had his first admission to the White House,——audience it was not.  He went, not to receive a hearing but a lecture on the difference between his race and ours.  He went to be told, in effect, that a certain passage in Scripture, which declares that of 'one blood GOD made all the nations of the earth' was an entire mistake.  It so happened that the President listened to no story,——though the negro could relate a story of wrong and outrage, extended through many a century of barbarian history, down to the present enlightened age, that would make the very stones cry out.  The negro was in the White House to listen to a grave proposition to take him from the land of his nativity, and exile him to a foreign shore,——but he said nothing himself, except that he would think it.  And we think he will,——a good while, too.——[Syracuse Journal.
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PRESIDENT BENSON, OF LIBERIA.——The American Colonization Society, of this city, learns that President Benson left London, on the 5th inst., for Hamburg and the Continent, expecting to be absent some five or six weeks.  It is therefore unlikely that he will visit the United States.  Everywhere in England he has been treated with the greatest possible kindness, courtesy, and respect.  The last three invitations he had before his departure from London were to breakfast with the Duchess of Argyle, to dine at Lord Mayor's Banquet, where the Viceroy of Egypt was, and to a magnificent evening party at Miss Burkett Coutts.'  'He had inuumerable invitations,' writes Gerard Ralston, Esq., 'more than he physically could accept.'

——It is reported in Baltimore that Fort McHenry is to be cleared of all political prisoners, who are to be sent to Fort Warren.
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