CHAPTER I. Condition of Many Classes in Europe.
CHAPTER II. Comparative Condition of the Colored People of the United States.
CHAPTER III. American Colonization.
CHAPTER IV. Our Elevation in the United States.
CHAPTER V. Means of Elevation.
CHAPTER VI. The United States Our Country.
CHAPTER VII. Claims of Colored Men as Citizens.
CHAPTER VIII. Colored American Warriors.
CHAPTER IX. Capacity of Colored Men and Women as Citizen Members of Community.
CHAPTER X. Practical Utility of Colored People of the Present Day as Members of Society, Business Men and Mechanics.
CHAPTER XI. Literary and Professional Colored Men and Women.
CHAPTER XII. Students of Various Professions.
CHAPTER XIII. A Scan at Past Things.
CHAPTER XIV. Late Men of Literary, Professional and Artistic Note.
CHAPTER XV. Farmers and Herdsmen.
CHAPTER XVI. National Disfranchisement of Colored People.
CHAPTER XVII. Emigration of the Colored People of the United States.
CHAPTER XVIII. "Republic of Liberia."
CHAPTER XIX. The Canadas.
CHAPTER XX. Central and South America and the West Indies.
CHAPTER XXI. Nicaragua and New Orleans.
CHAPTER XXII. Things as They Are.
CHAPTER XXIII. A Glance at Ourselves, Conclusion.
APPENDIX. A Project for an Expedition of Adventure to the Eastern Coast of Africa.
The author of this little volume has no other apology for offering it to the public, than the hurried manner in which it has been composed. Being detained in the city of New York on business, he seized the opportunity of a tedious delay, and wrote the work in the inside of one month, attending to other business through the day, and lecturing on physiology sometimes in the evening. The reader will therefore not entertain an idea of elegance of language and terseness of style, such as should rule the sentences of every composition by whomever written.
His sole object has been to place before the public in general and the colored people of the United States in particular great truths concerning this class of citizens, which appears to have been heretofore avoided, as well by his friends as enemies to their elevation. By opponents to conceal information, that they are well aware would stimulate and impel them on to bold and adventurous deeds of manly daring; and by friends, who seem to have acted on the principle of the zealous orthodox, who would prefer losing the object of his pursuit to changing his policy.
There are also a great many colored people in the United States, who have independence of spirit, who desire to, and do, think for themselves; but for want of general information, and in consequence of a prevailing opinion that has obtained, that no thoughts or opinions must be expressed, even though it would eventuate in their elevation, except it emanate from some old, orthodox, stereotyped doctrine concerning them; therefore, such a work as this, which is but a mere introduction to what will henceforth emanate from the pen of colored men and women, appeared to be in most anxious demand, in order to settle their minds entirely, and concentrate them upon an effective and specific course of procedure. We have never conformed with that class of philosophers who would keep the people in ignorance, lest they might change their opinion from former predilections. This we shall never do, except pressing necessity demands it, and then only as a measure to prevent bad consequences for the time.
The colored people of today are not the colored of a quarter of a century ago, and require very different means and measures to satisfy their wants and demands, and to effect their advancement. No wise statesman presumes the same measures for the satisfaction of the American people now, that may have been with propriety adopted twenty five years ago; neither is it wisdom to presume, that the privileges which satisfied colored people twenty years ago, they will be reconciled with now. That with which the father of the writer may have been satisfied, even up to the present day, the writer cannot be content with; the one lived in times antecedent to the birth of the other;that which answered then, does not answer now: so is it with the whole class of colored people in the United States. Their feelings, tastes, predilections, wants, demands, and sympathies are identical, and homogeneous with those of all other Americans.
"Fleecy locks and black complexions,
Cannot alter nature's claim;
Skins may differ, but affections,
Dwell in black and white the same."
Many of the distinguished characters referred to in this work, who lived in former days, for which there is no credit given, have been obtained from various sources, as fragments of history, pamphlets, files of newspapers, obsolete American history, and some from Mrs. Child's Collection. Those of modern date are living facts known to the writer in his travels through the United States, having been from Canada and Maine to Arkansas and Texas.
The origin of the breastworks of cotton bales on Chalmet Plains, at the battle of New Orleans, the writer learned in that city, from old colored men in 1840, and subsequently, from other sources; as well as much useful information concerning that battle from Julien Bennoit, spoken of in the work. He has before referred to it some five or six years ago, through the columns of the paper, of which he was then editor, and not until subsequently to his narrating the same facts in these columns, was he aware that it was ever mentioned in print when he saw on the 3rd day of March, on looking over the contributions of the "Liberty Bell," a beautiful annual of Boston, the circumstances referred to by David Lee Child, Esq., the particulars of which will be found in our version.
The original intention was to make this a pamphlet of a few pages, the writer commencing with that view; but finding that he could not thus justify the design of the work, will fully explain the cause of its present volume. The subject of this work is one that the writer has given thought for years, and the only regret that he has now in placing it before the public is, that his circumstances and engagements have not afforded him such time and opportunity as to do justice to it. But, should he succeed in turning the attention of the colored people, in general, in this direction, he shall have been amply compensated for the labor bestowed. An appendix will be found giving the plan of the author, laid out at twenty four years of age, but subsequently improved on, for the elevation of the colored race. That plan of course, as this work will fully show, has been abandoned for a far more glorious one; albeit, we as a race, still lay claim to the project, which one day must be added to our dashing strides in national advancement, successful adventure, and unsurpassed enterprise.
One part of the American people, though, living in near proximity and together, are quite unacquainted with the other; and one of the great objects of the author is, to make each acquainted. Except the character of an individual is known, there can be no just appreciation of his worth; and as with individuals, so is it with classes.
The colored people are not yet known, even to their most profound friends among the white Americans; for the reason, that politicians, religionists, colonizationists, and abolitionists, have each and all, at different times, presumed to think for, dictate to, and know better what suited colored people, than they knew for themselves; and consequently, there has been no other knowledge of them obtained, than that which they obtained through these mediums.
Their history, past, present, and future, has been written by them, who, for reasons well known, which are named in this volume, are not their representatives, and, therefore, do not properly nor fairly present their wants and claims among their fellows. Of these impressions, we design disabusing the public mind, and correcting the false impressions of all classes upon this great subject.
A moral and mental, is as obnoxious as a physical servitude, and not to be tolerated; as the one may eventually lead to the other. Of these we feel the direful effects.
"If I'm designed your lordling's slave,
By nature's law designed;
Why was an independent wish
E'er planted in my mind?"
