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804 DOUGLASS MONTHLY. MARCH, 1863 [[line]] [[3 columns]] [[column 1]] columns into the belief that the NORTH is represented by hordes of undisciplined cowards, rabid against England, and equally so for Empire-and an accession of territory-and that the South is represented by a second edition of the brave Leonidas and his gallant bands, who-"fell devoted and undying"-in defence of their country-or by another Hofer fighting for the liberties of his Fatherland !-and people have forgotten that the watchword of Southern liberty is SLAVERY. But (as one of the speakers well remarked last evening) "the Times has given us an over dose this time.' -and missed its mark. He remarked that a moderate dose of arsenic kills a person ; but if arsenic be given in a large quantity it fails in its deadly effect-so with "the Time"-when the leading journals of a free country dares not only to apologize for slavery nut to vindicate and support it with Scriptural authority, it is high time that the lion of England aroused himself from his slumbers, (in which he has perchance too long indulged) and lets the voice of his roaring go forth with a sound far mightier than that of the braying emenating from Printing House Square. A monster demonstration in favor of negro Emancipation, was held in London last Thursday (the 29th) Exter Hall was literally " crammed"-the smaller hall, also filled-and then a third meeting was held in the Street ! On the same night your noble friend, W. E. Forster Esq., addressed his constituents in Bradford, and delivered a grand speech on Slavery to a vast and most enthusiastic audience. Another great demonstration has been made at Stroud. I send you Mr. Brights able speech made of Rochdale at the meeting held there for the purpose of expressing thanks to the merchants and citizens of New York for their generous contribution towards the relief of our poor operatives in the cotton districts-Verily these poor famishing operatives deserved this considerate kindness at the hands of their American brethren. "The Times" has never mislead them. They have borne their suffering without murmur and no voice has gone forth from them to our Government urging the recognition of the South as the surest way to shorten their season of trail. There is something very touching in all this-the working classes are, for the most part right on the Slavery subject and they have given particular proof that they are so. Heaven bless our dear friend Gerrit Smith for his aid to Lancashire at a time when the calls upon him in behalf of this own countrymen must be so numerous. I have received from his own hand his great speech on "the Country" delivered in New York in December last. It is just like "the man of Petersboro ;" especially in the substitution of the question, "What shall we do for the blacks?" for the commonly asked one "what shall we do with the blacks?" Dr. C. and I spoke and thought of you last night and wished so much that you could have seen and heard the meeting,-to say nothing of adding the weight of your testimony to the guilt, the piratical Southern Confederacy. It is an old and trite saying that "Rome was not built in a day."- Some of our A.S. friends in this country, are enquiring what more there will be to do now that the majority of the slaves are declared [[/column 1]] [[column 2]] free? Pray inform them in an early number of your monthly-and with warm congratulations to all true-hearted American friends of the slave, (both colored and white)and hearty good wishes that the work now began may be carried out successfully, believe me, as ever, your sincere and faithful friends, J. G. CROFTS. [[line]] DONATIONS AND SUBSCRIPTIONS IN AID OF FREDERICK DOUGLASS' PAPERF AND MISSION [[4 column table]] [[donor]] | ￡-- | S.-- | D. Edinburgh Ladies A.S. Society in aid of: Contrabands ￡6 , R. Douglass ￡2 | 8 | 0 | 0 Bristol A. S. Society | 7 | 0 | 0 Bradford A. S. Society |6 | 15 | 0 Coventry A. S. Society | 2 | 0 | 0 Friends in Cork | 2 | 10 | 0 W. E. Forster, Esqr., | 1 | 0 | 0 Mrs. Howitt | 0 | 15 | 0 A friend, by Miss Ami-Droz | 0 | 12 | 6 Subscriptions | 5 | 5 | 0 [[/table]] HELP TO RAISE COLORED SOLDIERS Hon: GERRIT SMITH-- With characteristic Liberality this gentleman has already given five HUNDRED DOLLARS towards raising the 1st colored regiment in Massachusetts, and offers to give two hundred dollars more towards raising in this state, a company for the said regiment. MISS WILBURS REPORT CONCERNING THE CONTRABANDS. Mr. DOUGLASS-- Thinking some of your readers might be interested in hearing from the contrabands in Alexandria, I have made some extracts from letters from Miss Wilbur who is there among them trying to do them good, which show something of their condition, and something, but only a little, of what those who are are at work for them have to contend with. Yours&c, A.M.C. BARNES. ALEXANDRIA VA. Feb. 12th. When we first came here none of these people had any money. Seme of them have worked 5 or 6 months and have just received a part of their wages. Some women have worked in hospitals and have got nothing yet, and others have just been paid something. I think they will all be paid in time. Those who have money are willing to pay for clothes. Some of those have rations, and some wood, and pay no rent and can afford to pay for clothes, if they get their wages. At first I could not bear the idea of taking money from them but I have come to the conclusion that is s best for those to pay something who can, and get them in the way of supporting themselves as soon as possible. Some of them have ration but pay rent and buy their wood at $10.00 a cord. Some women do this who have several children, and some women support themselves entirely and children besides. A great number of women have no husbands the master sent the men farther south before they could get away so a great many women have no help. We have to inquire into all the circumstances to know who are needy and deserve help--Some feel proud that they have had no help from Government. There are girls who are getting wages now who want sundry dresses, shawls and bonnets--They like good substantial articles. In the last Wheetland barral were 7 new delain dresses--22 sold for $2.50, which I thought was half price and the others I shall sell for $2.00. I could sell 20 now at this rate if I had them. Feb. 14th, 1863. Perhaps our English Friends think that society is as well established here that the rights of everybody are respected and that Rosetta Douglass would be appreciated, and respected I will only say that I think she had not better come quite yet. The time may come when she [[/column 2]] [[column 3]] can come here and teach, but now even her father would not be safe from insult and abuse. Mrs. Jacobs has nothing to do outside of our room, except visiting some of the people. Last Sunday she went to Washington to see some friends. The boats do not allow colored persons in the ladies cabin. The street cars in Washington do not allow them to ride inside so she has to walk to and from the steamboat landing, unless she hires a carriage. She intended to come back Monday P. M., but they would give her no pass unless she took the oath of allegiance, and before she could do that she must get some person to identify her. It made her a great deal of trouble.--Will justice ever be done this people? I advise colored people to go north, but I advise none of them to come here: they are not safe here yet. But very few are willing to go north. Of the servants in the kitchen here 5 are contrabands and 2 emancipated. Each one has a history--if I had time I would tell you a little of each but they should be seen to be appreciated." "We are somewhat apprehensive that there are to be changes here. Perhaps they will not allow me to stay here. You need not be surprised at anything that should happen." [[short line]] FREDERICK DOUGLASS AT THE COOPER INSTITUTE [[short line]] THE PROCLAMATION AND A NEGRO ARMY. [[short line]] A very large audience assembled last evening in the great hall of the Cooper Institute, to listen to perhaps the most eloquent black man in America, on the great questions of the day and of his race, the President's Proclamation of Emancipation and the arming of the black man.--N.Y. Tribune The Rev. Henry Highland Carnet of Shiloh Presbyterian Church presided. Mr. DOUGLASS was introduced amid applause, and spoke as follows: I congratulate you, upon what may be called the greatest event of our nation's history if not the greatest event of the century. In the eye of the Constitution, the supreme law of the land, there is not now, and there has not been, since the first day of January, a single slave lawfully deprived of Liberty in any of the States now recognized as in Rebellion against the National Government. In all those States Slavery is now in law, as in fact, a system of lawless violence, against which the slave may lawfully defend himself--[Cheers.] In the hurry and excitement of the moment, it is difficult to grasp the full and complete significance of President Lincoln's proclamation. The change in attitude of the Government is vast and startling. For more than sixty years the Federal Government has been little better than a stupendous engine of Slavery and oppression, through which Slavery has ruled us, as with a rod of iron.--The boast that Cotton is King was no empty boast. Assuming that our Government and people will sustain the President and his Proclamation, we can scarcely conceive of a more complete revolution in the position of a nation. England, no longer ruled by a king, the Pope turned Protestant, Austria--a Republic, would not present a greater revolution. I hail it as the doom of Slavery in all the States. I hail it as the end of all that miserable statesmanship, which has for sixty years juggled and deceived the people, by professing to reconcile what is irreconcilable. No politician need now hope to rise to power, by crooking the pregnant hinges of the knee to Slavery. We part company forever with that amphibious animal called a Northern man with Southern
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