Frederick Douglass to Gerrit Smith, January 28, 1863

Mr Garret Smith: My dear Sir, I am just home from Chicago and other places in the west where I have been lecturing during the last two or three weeks I am off again tomorrow and speak in Buffalo tomorrow night. My best thanks for your generous help in this my times of need. The Slave's liberation is the Country's only Salvation. My monthly for February will have nothing [worthy?] from my [pen?] in it.

[Illegible] be a serious [draw back] for [illegible] thinking it impossible to have too much of a good thing in one number of the paper, has not only set up your whole speech but your searching and faithful letter to Governor Seymourr so that the February number will be your own. It is well, for [illegible] now I am perhaps as well engaged in speaking as I should be of writing.

Please excuse this hasty scrawl And believe me your ever grateful friend.

Frederick Douglass

Rochester Jan 28^h 1863