~~ HENRY BIBB, SEDITOR AND PROPRIETOR. VOICE.OF THE FUGITIVE Is "PUBLISHED Every other$Wednesday at Sandwich, Canada West. TERMS. ONE DOLLAR per annum, always in ad- yanee. No subscription will be received for a less term than six months. . Advertisements, not exceeding ten lines, in- serted four times for one dollar. Every subsequent insertion twenty-five cents. ' List of Agents. Canada {West: Amherstburg, D. Hotch- kiss and Leyi Foster. Sandwich, Israel « Campbell. Chatham: James E. Grant. Dawn Mills: George Cary. Toronto: J. T. Fisher. ; Michigan: J. F. Dolbeare, Raison 3 Fran- cis King, Flint; Dr. Barnes, Owasso ; ' Chester Gurney, Centreville; B. P. Foster, Genesee. Illinois: Mr. Eastman, Chicago: Rey. Mr. - Miller, Aurora; Dr. L. Hale, Dundee. Massachusetts: R. F. Waleut, 21 Com- 'hill, Boston; Mrs. W. Blakemore, Boston ; . J. Morse, No. 5 Water-street ; Henry Rich- 'ards, Fall River; Rev. Wm. Browster, Lowell ; Rufus Elmer, Springfield ; Rev. A Stockman, Worthington ; W. Harley, North- 'hampton; W. Fuller, Amherst; Rey. Mr Fos- ter, Littleville. New Jersey: Rev. E. P. Rogers. New York: Wm. Harned, No. 48, Beckman "st., New York; L. C. Matlack, No. 3 Spruce- st; J. N. Glancester, 40 West Broadway ; "Wm. Rotter, Hudson ; John Miles, Albany ; . GW. Loguen, John Lyle, Syracuse ; George ' Weir Jr., Buffalo ; Lewis Clark, Busti. New Hampshire: Edward Bracket, Dover ; A. 'T. Foss, Manchester, Elder Brooks, Great - Falls. Ohio: Wm. Merrett, Maumee City ; J. R. Gains. Cincinnati ; [enry Dabuer, Elyria. Pennsylvania: Dr. Bies, Wm. Still, Esther Moore, Philadelphia ; M. R. Delancy, Pitts- burg. Hopi: Theodore Holly, Burlington. England: Rey. Josiah Henson, London also Rey. H. H. Garnet and Dr. J. W. C. Pennington, and Isaac Henson. CORRESPONDENCE. ' Forjthe Voice of the Fugitive. No. 1. S.R. Ward's Letter. H. Buss Esa. Dear Sir,--Since you do me the honor to "accept of my scrawling for your paper, I shall try to keep you informed of what passes before my notice, in Canada, the land of my adoption. ; You published from the Globe, of this city, - an account of an anti-slavery meeting held here, a few weeks since. That was a meet- ing full of the right kind of spirit. The re- _marks of Rey. Dr. Burns, and Professor Lillie, showed how different is the feeling of Doctors of Divinity, and Theological Pro- fessors, here from that of gentlemen of like standing, in America. A clergyman in the United Statee, of the position influence and popularity, of the Rev. Mr. Roof, would have hesitated a great while, before he would \haye taken the chair to preside over such a meeting. Such a glorious spirit as Henry Ward Beecher, would have done it, but alas ! how few such there are in that country. One of the other meetings, was held in - Stouffville, a small young village in this county, 28 miles north-east of this city, in the towns of Whitchurch and Markham, being situated on a road that divides those towns. This throws the buildings, on one side of the road, into Markham and those on the other, into Whitehureh. Well in this little rural village, a good meeting, for num- bers, was held some three weeks ago. I had requested the Sons of Temperance to attend as I had some considerations to urge upon their attention. In the lecture, I dwelt -at considerable ene prejudice against "negroes, and I gave some facts in support of my positions. One of them was a statement of the attitude assumed by the national « division of the Sons of Temperance in respect * to black men, declaring it to be inexpedient : and illegal to admit them into local divisions. I mentioned, also, the connexion of Canadian Sons with this natural division, that the con- snexion was altogether unnecessary, the Ca- nadians haying it in their power to form a Hational division of their own. When I took my seat a Dr. Creel, I think he is called, arose and justified the Sons in their negrophobiaism, on the old worn-out amal- gamation plea. It makes but little odds what T rejoined ; the audiance hissed him unani- mously, and as unanimously applauded my remarks. {in this free country, where a man, if making The next meeting was at Markham Vil-| lage, eight miles from Stouffville, nearer to Toronto. [ found some prejudice here, but the individual chiefly affected by it, cast it all overboard the eyening he heard me. In- deed, no one treated me more kindly than he. He could not conceive of a black man who would not appear ridiculous in a pulpit. Tt had been his misfortune to hear too many of that class of black preachers, who disgrace their profession and their people, by such displays of ignorance and indecency, as al- most invariably foster prejudice against us. Like aw honest man, however, the gentleman gaye up his prejudice, and I mistake greatly if he may not be reckoned among our fast friends in Markham village. How deeply I regretted that he had not a better specimen of a black man to represent our intelligence, than myself. But there will be better spe- cimens among us, one of these days, I hope. Our next meeting was held in the lecture room of Inox Church, of which Rey. Dr. Burns is pastor, in this city. It wasa stormy night, but a large number conyened, and great enthusiasm prevailed. Rey. Dr. Wil- lis, President of the Upper Canada Anti- Slavery Society, presided with grace and dignity. His introductory remarks, showed him to be a friend indeed to the crushed and the helpless, He spoke of our character as being comparable with that of any other class of our fellow-subjects, as exhibited in our general industry, and as seon in the small proportion of our people in the prisons. From the lowest depths of my inmost soul, I thanked him for his speech. Professor Essen spoke in a like strain, and the large audience gaye the most cordial response to the 'eloquently expressed philanthropy of both gentlemen. To be on the platform with men of such positions, talents and eru- dition, so distinguished and so justly beloved, made me feel about as big as Tom 'Thumb. T could talk in the States, where opposition gave me a@ sort of stimulus, and where a black man excites hoth pity and surprise, if he can talk with tolerable decency, and where the people, while hearing, cannot escape the conyiction that he accuses them most justly of personal ill-feeling and ill- treatment towards him and his class. But any literary or other pretensions, is treated according to his actual worth, and admitted into circles for which he professes to be qua- lified, in a word, where a man stands rather upon his manhood than upon his complexion, T feel altogether small in such a presence. But I did what I could, and the audience treated me with kind consideration. A fire occurring towards the close of the meeting, in a street near by, caused it to disperse rather abruptly. Mr. Andrew' Hamilton gratified me 'by expressing his sorrow for this, because, among other things, he had intended to present the claims of the Voice of the Fugitive to the audience. Be assured, however, that this shall be done, on some subsequent occasion, ( I start, next week, on my tour west. I shall be in Sandwich in some few weeks. I shall keep you advised as to whet I find in the condition and prospects of our people. Very much of our welfare depends upon ourselyes. I may as well say with plainness, that I am not without my fears. I have not sanguine hopes for, our people. Some as- pects of our case look gloomy enough. We are free, the laws are equal, our sovereign is as gracious to us as to. other subjects, the schools, academies, the churches, arts and sciences, trades and professions are as ac- cessible to us as to all others. Land is abundant and cheap, labor is plenty, wages good, the climate congenial, the country healthy. What then is to be feared ? Just this: it is to be feared that the demeanor of our people will not justify the encomiums of our friends, but will justify the prejudices of our enemies. How exceedingly unfortunate it would be for the colored people them- selves, to become the occasion of the exist- ence of such a feeling against them here as abounds all oyer the United States! This is not impossible, friend Bibb, you may de- pend upon it; and if I do not very groatly mistake what I see about, it is far from be- ing improbable. Should you come here, and go to the Bethel Church, 'African Methodist, up street, and hear a man named Taylor ha- rangue his audience, in what he calls a ser- mon. Should you listen to his disgusting, abusive, indecent language, and witness his semi-theatrical gestures, and should you sce a large number of the colored people of this city, if not a majority of them, seemingly approving, if not admiring it, you would our prospects. Such is the actual state of things in-Toronto. White persons have this Taylor as a specimen of our leaders and re- ligious teachers. If our people choose, or even tolerate suchsmen, as their pastors, as their instructors in their most important duties and relations, then we are the miser- ably low, degraded set that we are said to be. My fear is, that we are but little better off in this respect in other parts of the pro- vince. Indeed, friend Bibb, it is not to be disguised that our religious prospects are our darkest prospects. Our religious teachers do us more hurt than good. Were they anxious for improyement, were they willing, simply, to study the Bible, and instruct us in its holy prece I should not complain. But they are 5 platvent--solf-satisfied, and they preach anything but what the Di- vine Oracles say. All other people under} heaven, choose wise, learned, as well as pious men for their religious teachers. Wechoose our pious men, in most instances, I doubt not; but the greatest dunces we haye, are our most acceptable preachers. Our Con- ferences impose upon us by sending such elders as Taylor, and a mecting such as he holds, is a downright disgrace--a religious burlesque,--a profanation of the Sabbath,-- a perfect public nuisance. If any body doubts this, or is displeased with my saying it, I will prove all I say, and more. 8. Rh. W. Toronto, Dec. 1, 1851. For the Voice of the Fugitive. Development of the Colored Americans. Mr. Fdifor,--The following extract may be found in Vol. 12, No. 4, of the Water Cure Journal, entitled, " Woman the Physi- cian," by Mrs. M. 8. E. Nichols, on which we propose to offer a few strictures. "Minor and fragmentary moralists each see a sepa- rate need for our poor humanity, and all labor to give us what they deem to be the sovereign good. Some seo that the rights of women are not all conceded to her; that her character is undeveloped, and her influ- ence insufticiently exercised, felt or acknow- ledged. The peace man would scatter olivo- leayes--the abolitionist would give to chattel man free papers the world over, even though he had no other gift, and starved in his first blind, ignorant and helpless freedom. There is likely to be difference of opinion for some time, on the question whether bonds and bread are to be preferred to freedom and starvation. It is at least well to be allowed the courtesy of choice." The author of this extract commences her remarks with, '" words are signs of our ideas, if we haye ideas, and often the lamentable proof of our lack of them." 'The writer ventures to express his conviction, that they are not only "the lamentable proof of our want of ideas," but the absence of correct ideas, and, what is still worse, the presence of incorrect ones. Such, he also ventures to assert, is the case in the above extract. But its euthor only proves that great and good women err as well as great and good men, for "to err is human." tionist would give to chattel man free papers the world over, even though he had no other gift, and starved in his first blind, ignorant helpless freedom." A variety of considera- tions will, if we mistake not, show that these words are the lamentable proof of the ab- sence of a good idea and the presenco of a bad one in the mind of this author. First. What greater, what better temporal gift can be conferred on man, eyen chattel man, than liberty? None. If then he has the greatest and best gift will not others inevitably follow in its train, and are not other gifts of minor importance, until the all-absorbing consideration of liberty is brought to bear effectually on the " chattel- man." When the spirit of America's young giant shouted with all the tremendous elo- quence of Patrick Henry, ' Give me liberty or give me death," no one dreamed of pre- senting such a graye effete apology for the future continuation of an institution which is and eannot be otherwise than degrada- tion, suffering and death, both moral and physical, to its victims, and, may we not add, to its proprietors, as that embodied in the above quotation, and which seems to be presented as implying sufficient reason for the perpetuity of slavery. What though the love of freedom be shouted by a Henry, or silently burns in the heart of a slave ? is it not as precious to the one as the other? What though it finds a home, as well in the breast of Afric's sable son, a8 the tallest spe- cimens of Anglo-Saxon genius? May not bjoin mae in saying that such things bedarken Afric's son, with the great gift of freedom, "The aboli-|& and its minor blessings, be a genius too ? What though it be thandered forthsin the council halls of a nation longing to be free, or on acotton plantation, breathed silently forth by a slave longing to be free? Is it any the less a lovo of liberty ? | And yet our gentle lover of liberty (for she would scorn to be called its hater) teaches, that "it is at least well to be allowed the courtesy of a choice--whether bonds and bread are to be preferred to freedom and starvation," Second. Freepapers or freedom is the embodiment of all' temporal blessings. Hence the bread of the breed slave is sure, for every free man in America can earn. his bread by the sweat of his brow, and foreyer frighten away that monster starvation which our lady opponent is so certain would follow the slave in the wake of his freedom. The (chattel man labors and gets his bread--too often a meagre portion--and cannot. thie freed man do as much, and with a lighter heart? If the chattel-man can, with' the magnet of liberty pointing his bleared vision to the polar star, wind his way from his own native sunny climes, to the foreign, and, to him, uninyiting shores of Canada, or, if to some they are inyiting, it is be- cause that there presides the Goddess of Liberty; and even there, in his " first blind ignorant helpless freedom," purchase 25 acres of land, earn his bread, patronize scliools, societies for improvement and religion, in- stitute the press, and send out one united * Voice," in vindication of the cause of the "Fupitive;" if he can do all this, and where is the dog that daré move 'his tongue to deny it? can he not also, in the land of his fathers, earn his own bread, and by dint of his own efforts raise himself to a position of anoral excellence that would honorably compare with the Anglo-Saxon, if he could be permitted to enjoy those " inalienable rights," with which he js endowed by his Creator, among which are, "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness?" Who are Pen- nington, Bibb, Clark and Douglass? Could not such master spirits, if but half a chance were given thei, despite the prejudice, calumny, and moral as well as ciyil opposi- tion arrayed against them, exalt the American portion of their race, toa point in the scale of being, that would proudly vie with Anglo Saxon attainments. Soon then would that eloquent propheey long since uttered by Griffin be fulfilled, and Africa's " poets and orators would beseen" standing on the same shelf with Milton and Burke. Third. Who earns the bread of the slave ? Nay, who earns his master's bread? Is it earned by Northern doughfaces? If the present train of circumstances were permitted to extend through the future, we should not be surprised ere long to see even this requir- ed at the hands of their constituency, and by them submitted to with characteristic tame- ness; should such political demagogues and temporizing politicians be permitted to sway the political sceptre) unrebuked by the re- publican though blinded mass. But who earns the bread of the slave and that of his master? Who cultivates the sugar cane, rice swamps, corn and cotton fields of the South, thus securing to himself his own bread, and to his master the comforts and luxuries of life! It is! it is! the chattel man himself. And can he not earn his bread should he receive free papers with no other rift. ? ; Fourth. Who would earn his and his master's bread in ease he should receive free papers! Is the slaveholder a laboring man ? {ts he willing to suffer a sudden transition from ease and idleness to labor and industry ? Would he not rather hire his freed slave to perform his labor for him? And who can tell how much more work he would perform for wages and bread, than for "bonds and bread." Who can tell how much better he could be pursuaded to perform it by his own personal necessities, than by an argument addressed to his back "nine feet long with a cracker on the end of it!" Hyen though his bread as a freeman exceed by little or nothing his bread asa slave; it would be sweetened by the thought that it was his, and not.a masters, that it was obtained by free will rather than compulsion. We could write fifth, and proceed to show the suceess of British West India emancipa- tion; "whereby the thirty thousand slaves of Antigua were immediately tured loose," not attended with any disorder whatever, much less starvation, but we forbear. Sir, the time is coming when such "minor and fragmentary moralists," must sink to their graves, " Unwept unhonored and unsung." HENDY. For the Voice of the Fugitive. Letter from our Indiana Correspondent. Wabashtown Noy. 24th. Mr. Henry Brss, : Dear Sir,--Our people have been engaged in various pursuits during the summer months to procure a livelihood, and now, I think, etal VOL. L. NO. 26. that the winter evenings are well adapted to the acquisition of knowledge, and we of the North haye time and opportun ity to supply our minds with a groat+many idet and fucts for our own pleasure and lamentably the fact, that but fow take the trouble upon themselves to gain or revive what the ancient Egyptians termed the "Medicine of the soul." There is nothing more sure than that the prosperity, liberties, and securities of the colored people are based upon their minds, illuminated by a virtuous and liberal education. There are various ways by which the mind can be illuminated, enriched, and cured of its disease of ignor- ance; one of the best ways is to form deli- borative bodies, which will be pleasant and advantageous; it does not matter by what 'name they are called, so that the exercises consist in debating, declaiming, composition, reading or haranguing, as each of these en- dow the actor with its own peculier adyan- tages. The debator will necessarily become familiar with that acuteness, power, and ca- pacity of argument, which they can hardly obtain in any other way: Declamation and composition are important,--they improve and strengthen the faculty of delivery, arti- culation, and utterance, all those who engage in such exercises, will find his efforts greatly strengthened; and the speaker when at- tempting to address an audience can moro easily enchain the minds and attention of his hearers ; and, without which, no one can hardly hope to become an orator. Iam not an orator myself, though, like one of the Ro- man' philosophers, who remarked that all kings ought to be philosophers or all philosc- phers kings, my desire is that all colored men were orators or that all orators were colored men. We noed more public' speakers,-- lecturers to cspouse the cause of the op- pressed ; and it should be tho matter of every lover of freedom and progression to prepare himself for so laudable and praiseworthy an undertaking. I think it highly necessary some stich'means be provided in Detroit and other places, for spending the winter even- ings instead of being spent in worse places, and more unprofitable. When we consider in what manner, and on what subjects, the ancients used to converse and speak in their public assomblies and conyersations, we find it somewhat different from that of our people of the present day. It was not what steam- boat could run the fastest or what one was fitted up in the most magnificent style, or any such frivolous small talk; it was not who was the most dexterous or fortunate at cards; they had no such master in science as Hoyle,--the powers of poetry, the eco- nomy of human'life and manners, the culti- vation of tho intellectual faculties, the en- largoment of the mind, historical and political discussions on the state and wants of their country ; such subjects as these are what gaye tho world its greatest orators, and the game means would produce the same effect amongst the colored people, if they would but apply themselves. I havo responded to your polite request, as faras it was in my power to do so. I , the canal, for the purpose of assisting you in the purchase of your press and sent away | all my numbers of the Voice of the Fugitive for the like purpose, and for getting sub- scriptions; though I cannot say. as yet whether I will bo able to send to you by the time you specify, whether I do or not, it will haye one good effect, that of bringing the Voico into notice in this region, and will do good hereafter. Yours Respectfully, ALR S. R. Ward. Toronto Ist Dec. 1847. My Dear Bris. You already know that the Rey. 8. R. Ward is about to visit you. I drop you this note to say, that I have been requested by the Committee of the Anti-Slavery Society of Canada, to commend him to the sympathy and the regards of the friends of humanity throughout the West. He is a man of no ordinary talent, and, as a popular speaker, few surpass him. J trust that wherever he goes, the people, especially those of his own race, will not lose the opportunity of hearing him. Faithfully, yours, J. Hemoana. Secretary A. 8.8. C. [We will only add, that our people should feel proud of a man like 8. R .Ward, in Ca- nada; and we hope that he may meet with that encouragement to which his just merit entitles him.] B * have written to all the different places along + '