Julia Griffiths to Frederick Douglass, February 26, 1859

LETTERS FROM THE OLD WORLD.

NUMBER LXIV.

HAVERSTOCK HILL, (Eng.,) Feb 26, 1859.

MY DEAR FRIEND:—A good many weeks have passed since I was first greeted by your new paper in its new form. (Of this I was reminded by the arrival, a few days since, of the February number.) I sincerely congratulate you on the very great improvement, manifest in the style and arrangement of your journal; I second fully your declaration of sentiments, given on the second page, (except, by the way, the paragraph in which you over estimate that small portion of work it has been my privilege to do for our good cause;) and I again pledge myself, to my many free colored friends in the United States, who are nobly struggling for their just rights—to the poor, trembling fugitive, who is fleeing from his cruel task master, to seek a home on the free shores of Canada—and to the millions that cannot quit their prison-house, (the voice of whose wailing reaches us across the waters of the wide Atlantic)— to all these oppressed ones I pledge myself NEVER to desert them nor their sacred cause, "while life, and thought and being last." My work must ever be proportioned to my strength; but during the many weeks, in which two successive years I have been entirely laid aside by protracted illness, it has been an unspeakable comfort to me to know that the many dear friends, whose sympathies it has been my privilege to enlist for the poor slave, and whose co-operation I have secured, were laboring diligently while I was compelled to be idle. At

the risk of being deemed, by a few, egotistical, I shall gratify the many, by here stating that since my return to England, I have assisted to form twenty new anti-slavery societies among my British sisters, to re-organize many old societies, that were nearly gone into disquietude, and to meet a large number of societies that for years have been faithfully laboring for the negro's welfare. I have traveled many hundreds of miles, in weather of all kinds—been present at more than one hundred and fifty anti-slavery committee meetings, at divers times and places—besides having had the gratification of forming one at innumerable anti-slavery gatherings in the social circle, and of there narrating to my kind friends something of what I saw, heard and felt about American slavery while in the United States. I will here add that whether, I think of the delightful parties of Silver Street, in the far North, of those at Goldlay House, in the South of our island, or of the countless numbers so kindly and considerately convened for me in the wide space between those two widely sundered points, I am almost oppressed with the weight of gratitude I feel to the many, many dear and highly valued Christian friends, without whose active and untiring co-operation of self-imposed mission, on behalf of the slave, must have failed. Thanks be to God, who put it into the hearts of so many to come forward, my humble labors have been signally blessed in every point of view! A large amount of money has, up to this time, been collected and sent over by "mine own hand," to my corresponding anti-slavery friends in the United States. I take this opportunity of thanking all who have entrusted me with this pleasant office, and of adding, that I shall be as happy, in time to come, to take

charge of, and to forward as many donations and subscriptions as I have in time past—as well as to attend to the claims of the various anti-slavery societies, with which I correspond, to furnish them with all the information in my power, and to meet them, in committee, when they especially desire it, or occasion calls for it, and my strength any circumstances will admit of it. I am thus explicit, because Rumor (ever on the wing) has flown to me across the waters of the wide Atlantic, with the news that I am intending to abandon the cause of the slave! and anon this said Rumor wings his flight southward, from dear old Caledonia, fraught with regretful murmurs at the possibility of my (imaginary!) desertion! Fear not this, my friends! hope it not, mine enemies, "Je ne change qu`en mourant," is my motto; let it be yours also, dear friends, so shall we continue to work together for the emancipation of our brethren in bonds, and for the amelioration of the condition of our oppressed colored brothers and sisters, either until the glorious day of their hoped for emancipation arise, and shine upon us, or we are summoned hence to "rest from our labors." Meanwhile, let us "work" faithfully "while it is called to-day," for we know not how soon, to us, may the night come "when no man can work." This very day has the sad intelligence reached me of the sudden death of one of my earnest and most devoted anti-slavery co-workers in Montrose, a lady who spent most of her time in doing good. Modest and unpretending, she pursued the even tenor of her way, yet was never found wanting in her labors for the good of others. She is gone to her reward; our loss is her eternal gain; but her place will not easily be filled. Another letter

(received to-day) brings me the melancholy tidings of the disablement of one of our clever, energetic, active Secretaries in Huddersfield. A third communication brings me the sad news that our colored friend, JOHNSON, who has been working so hard at College in Edinburgh, and whose conduct is giving so much satisfaction to our friends there, has met with an accident and is confined to bed.—Every hour, in one way or another, the lesson is preached to us to use the present diligently, for we know not how soon the time for our portion of work may cease, and our account be called for. The present winter has been one of more than ordinary sickness and mortality. "The mourners go about the streets," and "friend after friend departs." Influenza has had more than its ordinary share of victims, this year. I have not been free from its dire effect since October, and most of January I was a close prisoner, rendered by its insidious and varied onsets upon me, more obtuse than usual, which will account for the long delay of this letter, commenced some weeks ago. Change of air at Willesden, and also at Chelmsford, I trust, done something towards lessening this ugly malady, which has such a tendency to depress the spirits, and to put a drag upon "Pharoah's chariot wheels!"

I met several most agreeable companies of anti-slavery friends while under the roof of that devoted friend of every thing that is good—dear Mrs. JOHNS. My loved Chelmsford friend always reminds me of that much beloved "mother in Israel," dear Mrs. RENTON, and I think that the highest meed of praise I can render to the former. I am rejoiced to say that our Chelmsford friends have decid-

ed to do more for the cause of American slavery in time to come, than heretofore, and will co-operate with our Rochester society. A few weeks since, I had the pleasure of telling the young people that comprise the Juvenile Missionary Society connected with Haverstock Chapel, a little about the poor slaves. You may be sure that I had a sympathizing audience, and many were the tearful eyes, as I told these dear children something of the cold, hunger, and cruel usage experienced by the poor little slave children. How much I wished I had had a dear little ANNIE with me, that I might have shown them what nice, affectionate little girls are, often, made slaves of. The pennies handed to me (the spontaneous offering of these young people for the cause of the slave) amounted to seventy-two, and much interest was awakened, which will, I trust, be widened and deepened. Juvenile missionary societies are now very general.—Why can we not organize juvenile anti-slavery societies? The hearts of the young are ever tender and sympathizing. Something could be done—should be done—must be done on this point; dear young friends, who will lead the way, and organize the first juvenile anti-slavery association? Will my dear little friends in Bristol lead the way? or my young friend in Barnsley? or shall it be my warmhearted and interested youthful friend, near Dublin?