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Letters To American Youth No.

Letters To American Youth No. image
Parent Issue
Day
3
Month
November
Year
1841
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

My yoxjng Fbiends.- "YVcll," saya one unfeeling and prejudiced objector, "perhaps it may bc truc tliat the black man does poa. sessa spark of gra itude; but at all evenle one fact remains: he ia so etupid .hat hè will alwaya be a burden to other folks, furhe never can take care of himself." A-l), indeed. Is it possible that I have been so greatly mistaken? I had lliougbt the etnancipated not only "able to take care of tliemselves," but also to assist white folks sometimes. Perhaps my impreseions as to this matter were strengthened this moraing. ] wishcd. to borrow money. I did notgO' to white friends, but among these poorpe ple who "cannot t;ike care of themselves." I addtcssed Mr, R , who, as wcll as all the odiers I inention, was a slavo to tho last: 1 mean till the first of August, 1838 "Air. R ¦ ¦¦' said I, -can you lend me" money?" 'O yes,' said he, '-with a hearty welcome, I gi'e you some.' He lent mi forty six dollars. I said to Mr. P , 'can you lontl me money?' 'O ves, coomassa. I gi'e you.' He'leut me thirty-six dollars. I said to Mr. C , 'Can you lend memoney.' 'Yes coc-massa,' said he, 'I gi'e you thir ty-bix dollars. Mr. D , lent me thirití sevem dollars.Mr. H , lenas me tuirty-two dollars; and many others would have been able to spare money, had rny necesities required.. You may be interested also, to know, that although I keep the money four months, nol oneof thetn wiil leceive interest. O, tho 'poor things,' how will they take care of; themselvefaï' I hud a beast to sell; my nearest neighbor, a recent 6lave, was ready with seventy dollars. 1 wished to sell another,. and another neighbor wa6 ready with bevek. ït-fivk dollars. 'Poor things.' The die-' posal of a property of forty acres of land, was committed to me. Every acre was soon taken, and payed for wiih cash in hand- none purchasing but the idéntica] ones, who had formerly toiied without pay in ifs valley?, and scraped its mountam sides. The property, when sold,was a '-vilderness ofjoint wood. Under the culture of its present owners, it has, almost in aday, been converted into one extensive garden. lts whole appearance is a standing refutation af the foul slander; and, in the gentle wavings of its sta'ely corn, and in every nod of ita vhrifiy plantain-trees asserts moat unequivos cally that colorcd people can "tako care of themselves." I remain your aflcctionnte friend,