Normal to Frederick Douglass, December 14, 1857

Letter from our Philadelphia Correspondent.

Philadelphia, Penn.,

Dec. 14, 1857.

The suggestion which you made us in your visit last winter that we should occasionally meet for military drill, our colored citizens can not be made to heed. In them refusing to acquire a knowledge of the manly art of united self-defense we think they show an unpardonable degree of obtuseness. It appears that the "Liberty Guard" of Boston, has made its appearance in public parade, which has redounded much to their credit. We doubt whether any such parade would be tolerated in Philadelphia; most likely it would not. The moyamensing rowdies and vagabonds, thieves, knaves, pimps, rascally scapegoats of eery dye, those Lords of the Argus, the Pennsylvania and other like satanic sheets, most probably would not allow a military company of colored men to march through our streets just now. But let our colored brethren get well under drill, let every man of us know how to use the sabre and the bayonet in order and at the command of some well chosen chieftain, let each and all get accustomed to smelling powder, let these things be done and we may rest assured that when we see fit to take a little military exercise in the open air, we shall most likely be unmolested. We don't wish to raise the cry of blood and thunder. But we must and will insist that it is black men's right to know how to defend themselves, as well as it is white men's. If it is right and just and proper for the latter to be prepared for war in time of peace, we cannot see why it is not equally so for the former. We are sick and disgusted at the tractable and lamblike manner in which black men conduct themselves under an oppression such as the orient vassals of the Czar never saw. What in God's name has seized upon us are we dumb to the terrible tyranny which meets us at every turn? We know not which to despise most; the damnable prejudice meeted out to us, or the lamblike meekness with which we receive it. An editor who may be our next door neighbor, will denounce us and write us out of existence, without fear of ever being molested about it by an negroes pen or tongue a word from him against uncivilized foreigners

would bring a delegation of them to him in a twinkling for reparation. Saloon keepers and such dealers in every kind will insult our manhood with impunity, by setting us apart from whites; yet we patronize just such folks as these. We know, for instance, a firm in Pine st. keepers of a bakery and ice cream saloon, whose business has been built up by colored patronizers three fourths, of their patrons are and always have been colored people; yet this same firm with an impudence that borders on bravery, some time last year set up a negro pew for colored customers. What smites us with shame and indignation, is there has, under this unjust arrangements been no sensible falling off in colored custom. We have frequently cast our eye through the windows of a fine evening, and there beheld what made us bite our lips with indignation, colored men and women sitting in the negro pew laughing and as happily as if they had been on the sure road to Heaven! What shall we say for the race to which we belong when in denouncing such reprehensible conduct as this on the part of white men, we are met with the fact that just such actions is set up by colored men themselves, barbers, waiters and others? O shame! shame! that truth has already compelled the historian to record. "As Greeks enslaved Greeks, as the Hebrew often made the Hebrew his absolute lord, as Anglo-Saxon trafficked in Anglo-Saxon so has the negro race enslaved its own brethren."

Men and Brethren, do let us wake up, get education, money, character, good sense, religion of the right kind, and let us meanwhile not forget that we may be called upon, or others in our situation have been to earn our dear, God given rights, but stand by one another, and support enterprises among themselves.

Some white man in the upper section of the city with the best intentions no doubt, sent word to our colored citizens that if they were organized in any way to protect their poor this winter, he was authorized to plead at their disposal several hundred dollars to be expended in behalf of said poor. A meeting of colored men was convened, and they politely sent word that they did not think it best to set up an exclusive aid society, and preferring to let the needy among the colored people take their changes with the needy among the white people they hoped the gentleman would place the proposed donation into the general fund for the common relief of all the needy in the city. We have it from good authority, that the gentleman was much pleased with the shrewdness and fore-

thought embodied in this reply.

Our Democratic rulers affect great surprise at the outrageous fraud and cheating of our city government which has of late been brought to light. The Board of Health has been hauled up to the Bar to answer to the charge of corruption and Fraud. Mr. Wm. McMullen alias Bill McMullen has been or is to be held to answer to the charge of aiding in Election frauds, under twenty three different indictments. But Pshaw! Nothing will every be heard farther about it.—This McMullen is notoriously the leader of moyamensing rowdies; he can poll more votes, we believe, and command a greater crowd than any one man in Philadelphia. If the truth were known, we suspect that it would reveal the fact that he is better known to many of our high Democratic officials, than some of the unsuspecting think for.

Col. Forney looks quite chop-fallen since his return from Washington. It is reported here abouts that he has been set adrift from the White House by the very man who would never have reposed beneath its shades had it not been for the Col's labor last fall, all of which Forney stoutly denies, saying that he and Buchanan are excellent friends.

In a few days Philadelphia will have, like New York, Passenger cars running through her streets. She has actually got the rails laid, and everything seems ready for cars, horses, and bells. New York will have to stop calling us a suburban district now at any rate.

What has become of our good friend "Rock?"

NORMAL.