A[bram] Pryne to Frederick Douglass, July 25, 1858

GERRIT SMITH FOR GOVERNOR—THE MASS CONVENTION

[For Frederick Douglass Paper]

Rochester, July 25th, 1858

FREDERICK DOUGLASS: DEAR SIR—I fear that the friends of the Slave in this State do not fully appreciate the golden opportunity now presented, for striking a bold and successful blow for their great cause. Many a glorious opportunity glides away from us, because we lack the courage to seize is at the right moment, and Abolitionists have lost much for the want of faith. We have got up conventions, and made nominations merely to assert and honor our principles, heretofore. Now, there is a chance to make a nomination, with a hope of electing our candidate for Governor of this State. We have been altogether to modest in our claims before the people. We have never dared to use our own strength, in a manner sufficiently confident to carry the masses with us. I am confident that the present crisis of our political history, only requires that the "Old Liberty Guard" should take the field in earnest, in order to shape the policies of our State, for the next campaign. If one thousand of those earnest men, who have long battled for freedom in this State, can be induced to come to Syracuse on the 4th, of August, and nominate Mr. Smith for Governor, his election may be confidently hoped for. But is is to the old Abolitionists that we must look to put this ball in motion. Shall we look to them in vain? Will they not gather to themselves courage, and man the brake once more? Would to Heaven that I could inspire their souls with sufficient confidence to make one united, enthusiastic and determined effort! Could they be inspired with the requisite confidence—could they be rallied from all parts

of the State, is such a way as to make up that Convention of 1,000 earnest and hopeful men, the day might be won.

There is no man in the nation who has stronger claims upon the Republicans for their votes, than Mr. Smith. In the darkest hour of the Kansas struggle, when the friends of freedom were fleeing from her territory, when her oppressed people were freezing for the want of clothing, and starving for the want of food, at the time when her defenders were crying for arms and munitions of war, he threw 40,000 dollars into the scale of her fortunes, and gave more "material aid" to the defenders of her freedom, than was contributed by any ten Republicans in the nation. Shall not the friends of free Kansas remember him for this? He embodies all the principles of the Republican party, and yet a good deal more. In voting for him, they vote for their principles, and for a still higher good than their principles as yet aim to secure. He ought to be nominated by the Republican State Convention, and if nominated by such a mass Convention as ought to assemble on the 4th of August, and yet again by the State Temperance Convention, which meets in Utica on the 11th of August, I am confident that he would carry the Republican Conventions of Sept. 8th, and would be triumphantly elected.

I notice, with regretful indignation, that one or two Republican papers, in opposing the nomination of Mr. Smith, revive some of the state slanders that followed him as he retired from Congress. A Boston letter writer in the N.Y. Tribune of this morning hints that a fugitive slave case might find him in bed it it occurred in the night. That is where all honest men ought to be generally found at night. But he would be found ready to defend the poor outcast, with voice and arm, at a moment's warning, night or day. When did he ever fail in this duty? When did he ever consult his case, when freedom demanded his exertion? Was it when he rode night and day

over the hills of Madison County County, pleading for the slave, while the editors of the Tribune were leading all their energies to elect a slaveholder to office? Was it when he opened his purse to defend the poor men who rescued Jerry, and followed up the courts night and day, to plead their cause? Was it on the night when he sat up, amid the drunken orgies enacted in the halls of Congress, to record his vote against the Nebraska Bill, at midnight? No men know better than the editors of the Tribune, that Mr. Smith has met every call of duty to the slave for twenty years, whether that call reached his ear at midnight, or at noon day; and it is a shameful exhibition of the depth of debasement to which men stoop in political controversy, that because a gentleman writes a private letter to a friend, telling him that he is accustomed to the country habit of refusing to turn night into day, he should, on that hint, be accused of consulting his case, rather than his duty to his country. When these letter writers can put their fingers on the time or place where Mr. Smith ever failed in his duty, night or day, it will then be time to descend to such unworthy flings.

There is still another class of our citizens who ought to support Mr. Smith. I mean the Germans. They have not forgotten the history of the Yellheiss? trials. A poor German immigrant, accused of murder, on mere blind suspicion, based upon his honesty, was being hurried to the gallows, borne down by overwhelming prejudice, when, unsolicited, and prompted by humanity alone, Mr. Smith "visited him in prison," and convinced of his innocence, undertook his defence. He spent hundreds of dollars in his behalf, sought for evidence, and lent his great mind to argument night and day, for his defence. His innocence, was triumphantly established; and his chivalric deliverer mingled his own tears of joy with the weeping prisoner, as his innocence

was vindicated by the verdict of the jury.—The great German heart is not ungrateful, and the German population will not forget the deliverer of their poor brother who, far from the Fatherland, would have died innocently on the gallows but for the poor man's friend.

Friends of Freedom and Temperance, let us take heart. Energetic action will give us success. No one doubts the fitness of our candidate, and if he is put in nomination, in that determined spirit which you well know how to manifest, thousands of voters from all parties will rush to the polls to secure his election. A great and enthusiastic Convention at Syracuse, August 4th, and the battle will be won. Come up to Freedom's baddle once more. Give to this great cause one day and come to Syracuse by hundreds, and you will bless the day you made one effort more for God and Liberty.

A. PRYNE