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324 THE NATIONAL FREEDMAN. [[1st column on page]] MARYLAND. Burning of Churches Occupied for Colored Schools BALTIMORE, November 11, 1865. REV. W. G. HAWKINS Sir :-You will see by the date of this letter that I am not at the field of labor (Edesville) The as yet unsubdued spirit of rebellion has vented out its cruel spite upon me. I too have met the same fate of Miss Howard. The church I taught in at Edesville is burned down. On election night it was set on fire from the interior, the incendiary parties getting in at the window. Fortunately, none of my books nor slates, neither my charts, were destroyed. I am sorry for the children ; they were getting along nicely. Yet I am not discouraged. Arrangements have been made for me to reopen there again. It will never do to give way to these wicked people ; we must persevere in the work, make them feel and know the noble work so gloriously begun shall not be ignominiously ended from cowardly fear. It is solely for this reason I return. If they make a second attempt, it will only be better for us in the end. I sent you the report of the condition of my school ; I hope you have received it. My night school was beginning to increase, and the desire shown for knowledge truly gratifying. The adults, when they first came were unable to spell a simple word of two letters, were reading well in easy lessons in Sheldon's First Reader. Also beginning to print nicely on the slates out of their books. I was waiting for a blackboard to instruct them in figures ; also the little ones. I received a copy of the Freedman's Journal. I am greatly obliged to you for the favor. They are so interesting ; I would like a copy every month. I expect to leave for Edesville on Monday. I pray the coming session may be more successful. Yours respectfully, M. ANDERSON. SWITZERLAND. The "Cent-a-week Anti-slavery Association" of Canton Vaud, of which Rev. Mr. Béchet is President, has given us renewed proof of its interest in behalf of our freed people, by a fresh and welcome remittance of £300 sterling, through its Treasurer, Mr. Fs. Clavel, of Lausanne. At the same time they have sent an [[2nd column on page]] equal amount to St Louis, to be employed in the Southwest The above Association, originally formed to aid in the emancipation of slaves, having concluded to dissolve its organization, has been replaced by a new one, entitled, "The Vaudois Freedmen's Aid Committee," of which Rev. Ch. Scholl is President ; Lieut. Col. Lecomte, Vice-President ; Prof. Astié, Secretary ; and Louis DeCoppet, Esq., Treasurer. We heartily welcome this new coadjutor, and feel assured, from the strong interest felt by its officers in our freed people, that it will do its utmost to aid us in our great work. Col. Lecomte in his "War in the United States"-a report made by him to the Swiss Military Department, by whom he was authorized to take part in our recent civil war, during one campaign of which he acted as volunteer Aid-de-camp to Gen. McClellan-has shown his appreciation of our national institutions, and of the real cause of the war ; while Mr. DeCoppet, from his long residence here, and his continued commercial relations with our country, is fully acquainted with the extent of the immense task now imposed upon us, and of the great exertions required to supply even a small part of the pressing needs of our freed people. We are already deeply indebted to Mr. DeCoppet for his hearty sympathy, and co-operation, as well as to Col. Lecomte, for the earnestness with which he has advocated the cause of freedmen, and rejoice to find them officially engaged in the work. We have been pained to learn, that in Canton Vaud, especially, private charity has of late been heavily taxed in consequence of the unusual number of fires which have prevailed during the past few months, and we tender to our friends there our sympathy with them under this severe visitation. We have received notice, also, of a second shipment of clothing from the Ladies' Committee of the Freedman's Aid Society, of Geneva, which will be brought from Havre, freight free, by the Lafayette, as was the previous shipment by the Cunard line of steamers. We commend the example of the Geneva Society, in promptly forwarding their clothing as soon as ready, to other Freedmen's Aid Societies. This is the time when it is most needed, and all supplies are worth twice as much to the freedmen at this moment as they will be three months hence. Mr. G. H. Serment is President of the Gen- 325 THE NATIONAL FREEDMAN. [[1st column on page]] evese Society, Mrs. Sophie Naville, of the Ladies' Committee, auxiliary thereto. Other Swiss friends are likewise active. Mr. C. L. DeCoppet, while pursuing his studies at Heidelberg, has exerted himself to obtain there, and at Mannhiem, contributions for our work, which have been sent to the Committee at Frankfort, where Prof. Delff has taken the lead. To all our hearty thanks are due, and are gratefully rendered. Letter from Bishop Simpson on the Improvement of the Colored Race. From the Baltimore American, 27th ult.) Bishop Simpson, of the Methodist Church, was expected to address the Baltimore Society for the improvement of the Colored Race, which held its annual meeting in this city on Wednesday evening. As our readers are aware, the Bishop was not present. The following letter, received too late to be read at the meeting, explains the cause of the Bishop's absence: PHILADELPHIA, October 24, 1865. JUDGE BOND. Honorable and Dear Sir:--I am sorry to inform you that I cannot be present at your meeting on Wednesday evening. I especially regret this, as I know that evening was selected to suit my convenience. But ecclesiastical duties of which I was not aware summon me in another direction. Will you have the kindness to inform your friends, and if necessary the audience also, that I deeply regret my inability to meet them? The cause is one in which I feel an abiding interest. In the Providence of God, by the removal of slavery from our land, nearly four millions have been added to our free population. These are necessarily uneducated, and many of them depraved. The Christian and the philanthropist alike inquire what can be done to improve their condition, and it seems to me that, however man may differ in other matters, nearly all will agree that we should aid them in procuring homes for their families, appropriate spheres for labor, and such education, both in arts and letters, as will prepare them to be useful to society. Duty to ourselves, as well as duty to them, imperatively requires this, if we would have purity and prosperity among us. And I rejoice that in many parts of the South, Christian men and women are already at work in this cause. In Maryland you have taken the lead, and, so far as I know, Baltimore has done more for the [[2nd column on page]] colored people in this way than any other city in which slavery recently existed. You have a great field before you. Many will misunderstand you--some will misrepresent your purposes--but I trust that the Society will move steadily forward, until all shall see that your labor tends to universal peace and good order. The accounts which I received at the recent Conference in Washington of the schools established in your city, and the influence which they exert even in distant neighborhoods, were to me very gratifying. I pray that God may bless your labors, and that you may be strengthened to preserve until the opportunities for a good education shall be within the reach of every mind which God has made. Yours, truly. M.SIMPSON. Schuyler Colfax. On the occasion of his recent reception by his friends in Washington, Mr. Colfax made an address of great clearness, truth, and beauty We quote a few sentences : FREEMEN. But there are other terms on which, I think, there is no division among the loyal men of the Union. First, that the Declaration of Independence must be recognized as the law of the land, and every man, alien, and native, white and black, protected in the inalienable and God-given rights of "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." Mr. Lincoln in that Emancipation Proclamation, which is the proudest wreath in the chaplet of fame, not only gave freedom to the slave, but declared that the Government would maintain that freedom. We can not abandon them and leave them defenseless at the mercy of their former owners. They must be protected in their rights of person and property, and these freemen must have the right to sue in courts of justice for all just claims, and to testify also, so as to have security against outrage and wrong. I call them freemen not freedmen. The last phrase might have answered before their freedom was fully secured, but they should be regarded now as freemen of the Republic. [Loud and enthusiastic cheers.] PRESIDENT JOHNSON. In President Johnson I have unshaken confidence. I can not forget that in the Senate, at the opening of the Rebellion, he was the only Southern member who denounced it and its originators, and that he was faithful among the
