Still, William, Underground Rail Road:
A Record of Facts, Authentic Narratives, Letters, Etc.

Porter & Coales, Publishers, Philadelphia, PA, 1872
Call Number: 1400, MSA L1117

MSA L1117, Image No: 801   Enlarge and print image (55K)

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Still, William, Underground Rail Road:
A Record of Facts, Authentic Narratives, Letters, Etc.

Porter & Coales, Publishers, Philadelphia, PA, 1872
Call Number: 1400, MSA L1117

MSA L1117, Image No: 801   Enlarge and print image (55K)

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770 THE UNDSSOSOUND RAH BO AD. there was some effort mad« to release some of the prisoners; bat the smoke was such that the effort proved ineffectual. Well, for the credit of onr common human nature we may hope that it was so. * * * Last night I bad some of the ' rcbs' to hear me (part of the time some of the white folks come out). Our meetings are just as quiet'and as orderly on the whole in Carolina as one might desire. * * I like General Sickles as a Military Governor. ' Massa Daniel, he King of the Carolines.' I like his Mastership. Under him we ride in the City Cars, and get first-class passage on the railroad." At this place a colored man was in prison under sentence of death for " participating in a riot;" and the next day (after the date of her letter) was fixed for his execution. With some others, Mrs. Harper called at General Sickles' Head Quarters, hoping to elicit his sympathies whereby the poor fellow's life might be saved; but he was not in. Hence they were not able to do anything. " Next week," continued Mrs. Harper, " I am to speak in a place where one of our teachers was struck and a colored man shot, who, I believe, gave offence by some words spoken at a public meeting. I do not feel any particular fear." Her Philadelphia correspondent had jeatingly suggested to her in one of his letters, that she should be careful not to allow herself to be " bought by the rebels/' To which she replied: " Now, in reference to being bought by rebels and becoming a Johnaonite I hold that between the white people and tha colored there ia a community of interests, and the sooner they find it out, the better it will be for both parties; but that community of interests does not consist in increasing the privileges of one class and curtailing the rights of the other, but in getting every citizen interested in the welfare, progress and durability of the state. I do nut in lecturing confine myself to the political side of the question. While I am in favor of Universal suffrage, yet I know that the colored man needs something more than & vote in his hand: he needs to know the value of a home life ; to rightly appreciate and value the marriage relation; to know how and to be incited to leave behind him the old shards and shells of slavery and to rise in the scale of character, wealth and influence. Like the Nautilus outgrowing his home to build for himself more ' stately temples ' of social condition. A man landless, ignorant and poor may USA the vote against bis interests ; but with intelligence and land be holds in his hand the basis of power and elements of •trength." While contemplating the great demand for laborers, in a letter from Athens, February 1st, 1870, after referring to some who had been " discouraged from the field," she wisely added that it was "no time to be discouraged." * * If those who can benefit our people will hang around places where they are not needed, they may expect to be discouraged. * * Here is ignorance to be instructed ; a race who needa to be helped up to higher planes of thought and action ; and whether we are hindered or helped, we should try to be true to the commission God has written upon our sonla. As far as the colored people are concerned, they are beginning to get homes for themselves and depositing money in B»nk. They have hundreds of homes in Kentucky. There is progress in Tennewee, and even in tbil State while a number have been leaving, some who etay seem to be getting along proaperooilj. In Augusta colored penons are in the Revenue Office and Poit Office. I h»vejo»t been having some good meetings there. Some of my meet-