[John S.] Rock to Frederick Douglass, August 23, 1857

FROM OUR BOSTON CORRESPONDENT.

Ourself—A correspondent's mistake. Normal. Mr. Gerrit Smith's opinion of the colored people—two sides to this question—where do colored men receive their support—what we need. Quaker meetings scarcity of Quakers in Boston—their character. Seventeenth National annual Convention of the colored American Baptists—they hear the cries of bleeding Africa" and have determined to send missionaries there—where they are most needed. Excitement at west end. Slaveholders and kidnappers in Boston. They visit a colored church and in turn are visited by the vigilance committee—interview—they decamp suddenly. The minutes of the last National Convention in Philadelphia—another convention suggested.

BOSTON, Aug. 23d 1857.

MY DEAR SIR:—It has been one year, since I have written for your paper; during this time my health has been very poor and very much of the time I have been confined to my room. I am now able to be about to travel a little and to lecture occasionally. But I am in too feeble health to attend business, and I have no hopes of regaining my original strength, unless a favorable opportunity should offer to take a voyage across the ocean and spend some time either in France or Italy. I hope to be able hereafter to drop a line occasionally.

A Boston correspondent of your paper said some weeks that he has been anxiously looking to see something in your paper from my pen. I am glad he feels an interest your paper. I wish to correct a mistake which he made in relation to the cause of the Philadelphia lads not receiving employment in our city. It was because he relied upon an oily tongued stranger who deceived him, this is the impression here and I know it is the same in Philadelphia.

Rev. Brother, J.J. Gould Bias, M.D. of Philadelphia left here a few days since, accompanied by his amiable lady, having spent a pleasant part of a honeymoon with us. On Sunday evening He gave us a most excellent lecture. Should he visit us again he will be greeted with a crowded house.

Normal while rusticating has been rowing a Connecticut editor up salt river.

So Mr. Gerrit Smith calls the masses of us "ignorant thrifties" and thinks that he and the Tribune have a right to complain of us, since they have demanded justice in our behalf, and

have not contributed to perform and perpetuate out miserable character. Mr. Smith has no doubt our welfare at heart, but I don't believe he has the right to insult the whole of us, because he may have befriended a few. Mr. Smith has fallen into the popular error or supposing that because a few negro loafers can always be seen hanging around the corners of the streets, with not higher ambition than to serve white men and be kicked by them, that these are samples of the race, and that note worthy intelligent, and thrifty are exceptions. Why not judge these men by the numerous loafers pickpockets and burglars among them. If such comparison "is fair for the goose it is fair for the gander." Anti-Slavery men, if they wish us to please them should act as though they are our friends. "We bear enough," but we wish to see and feel their friendship. How many colored men are there in business who receive the patronage of their Anti-Slavery friends? The experience of nearly every colored man with whom I have conversed is that anti slavery men do not patronize us. Our support comes from the class of men called pro-slavery. I have been in business nine years and I do not receive sufficient patronage from my anti-Slavery friends to pay two cents per annum on the money I use in my business. As one fact is worth a thousand arguments. I give this for what it is worth. This is the reason why colored men have generally doubted the fidelity of those who claim to be our friends. The cause of the success of the whites of this country is that all have equal changes; the humblest white boy may aspire to the highest post of honor in the nation and if he is smart a host friends will rally around him and sustain him. This may be seen in the case of Nathaniel P. Banks, Millard Fillmore and many others. The colored boy has nothing to aspire to, but little to hope for, and the future is gloomy to him. He goes forth daily only to meet enemies, and cruel prejudice which greets him at every step, in his thorny path in this country, where patriotism brings no honor, goodness no merit, and industry no reward. I ask our friends in the spirit of kindness ought this to be so? Have we not a heavy claim upon you as workers for God and Humanity? Ought anti-slaverymen to slight us—especially when it is known that the success of the free colored people gives tone to the anti-slavery movement. And in this country where money

is the great sympathetic nerve which ramifies society and has a ganglia in every man's pocket, a man is respected in proportion to his success in business. Give us that encouragement which honest industry always merits, and we will then become educated and wealthy, and then the roughest looking colored man that you ever saw or ever will see, will be pleasanter than the harmonies of Orpheus, and black will be a very pretty color. It will make our jargon—wit; our words—oracles; flattery will take the place of slander, and you will find no prejudice in the Yankee whatever.

The Quakers have held two or three meetings here during the summer, which is unusual. We have but one Quaker church; meetings are seldom held oftener than once or twice a year. They are obliged to hold a meeting at least once a year to retain their property, and the meetings heretofore seem to have been chiefly retainers. We have no Quakers in Boston. A straight drab coat of genuine Philadelphia cut is quite a curiosity. There are quite a number in Salem who are said to be very aristocratic.

The colored American Baptists have just closed their seventeenth annual Convention in this city. Some twenty or thirty ministers were in attendance. They had quite a spirited convention—most too spirited for christians.—Their chief object appears to have been to consider the claims of bleeding Africa to forward the spreading of the Gospel there, they are to send out Rev. Mr. Bolden and Mr. Barnet as Missionaries. This to me appears worse than child's play. Why not work for bleeding America, or bleeding Boston. If they are in earnest and mean work, there is enough for them to do within a half a mile of the very spot where the convention was held to keep the whole of them at work for ten years! It looks very much as though the colonizationists were at the bottom of it their resolutions to the contrary nonwithstanding. So far as I could learn slavery was not broached nor the elevation of the free people of color. Verily, verily I say unto you they are "straining at a gnat and swallowing a camel." I feel as though many of our christian ministers are plunging us deeper in ignorance and degradation if that is possible. I will all the churches who were represented here, happiness and prosperity in doing good; but I appeal to them and I ask of such a convention as was held here has not left the impression that we are stupid and indifferent as to our future welfare, and so well satisfied with our condition here as to be willing to commence operations in Africa! I hope they will take these remark in the friendly spirit in which they are given.—Whether they will or not, I cannot but help believe that such gatherings do us harm. The Convention held six days and broke up on Thursday evening with a grand levee at Faneuil Hall—where they spent a most agreeable evening in eating and drinking and making

merry. The clergy appeared to enjoy themselves

Eating the lamb The chickens and ham

and all appeared to have a really jolly good time. The levee closed at a late hour when they resolved into individuality.

On Sunday evening there was quite an excitement at West end or as Rev. Theodore Parker would say on 'nigger hill.' It appears that a Mr. Stevens of Norfolk Va. a slave-holder and Mr. —— a kidnapper in company with a Northern "flunkey" took it into their heads that during our religious excitement here it would be a good time to spy out their stray lambs and at the same time they could get their spiritual strength renewed. They accordingly repaired to a colored church and were the most attentive listeners there. On looking around the kidnapper espied two bipeds who had given leg bail for security and he was imprudent enough to say so.—It so happened that those whom he had seen had seen him too, and of course he was 'spotted.' These honored strangers, however, were permitted to remain and to sit quietly at the altar. But they had only got a few paces from the door when they were waited upon by two members of the Vigilance committee when the following short conversation took place

Vig. Com. (to the slaveholder, kidnapper, & co) 'Are you slaveholders?

Slaveholders & Co. 'We are on the highway why do you wish to insult us.'

Vig. Com. 'We do not wish to insult you. We wish to know if you own slaves.

Slaveholders & Co (getting very pale) 'Why do you ask us that?'

Mr. —— (interrupting and speaking for Mr. Stevens) He owns a man but is a friend to the colored people and a gentleman.'

Virg. Com. If he owns a man he is no gentleman and ought to have his —— here I lost the remainder of the sentence in the noise and confusion of the crowd that was coming and coming to some purpose too. When I turned around to see how the stupid chivalry would act they had vanished with the velocity of lightning.

I would like to know what has become of the minutes of the last National Convention held in Philadelphia—we paid a full portion for them but have not received a copy.

Speaking of conventions I would like to see a national Convention held in this city, composed of those colored men who have labored for our elevation, and who feel our wants. I think they could set some practical plan on fott [sic] for the elevation of the race. What say you Messrs. Douglass, Garnett, Smith, Watkins &c. Such a Convention would be a power here and would work more for our good than in any other city. Such a Convention I wo'd be proud of and think it would do much good. Let us hear from you.

ROCK.