are far worse than Southern slaves? They have work enough at home, and
it is an old and very true proverb, "that charity begins at home." It
is certainly true, that home is the place where it should begin. What
are they doing for the thousands of ignorant, ill-clad, half starved
free negroes now in their midst? Nothing for either soul or body! They
spurn them from their presence, or trample them under their feet, and
turn around and wipe their mouths, and express the deepest sympathy
for the poor slave in the Southern States; whose conditions are
incomparably better than the free negroes, North! Ah! their benevolent
souls are overflowing with sympathy for Southern slaves, who are
generally well fed, well clothed, content and happy; but the poor,
vicious, degraded and friendless free negroes, North, are left to
shift for themselves. And what are they doing for the suffering poor
of their own color? How many widows that they have defrauded, and
orphans they have robbed, will confront them at the bar of God? I
appeal to those among whom they live; to those who know them best; as
citizens, as neighbors; are they humane, generous and just? Are they
husbands to the widows; and fathers to the fatherless? Do they feed
the hungry, clothe the naked, and visit the sick? Are they ever ready
to relieve the poor, the needy and distressed? In every city, village
and neighborhood, throughout the length and breadth of the North,
there are poor, wretched, miserable objects of charity, and here they
have an opportunity to give us practical proof of the sincerity of
their professions; and until they furnish evidence that they are what
they profess to be, we wish them to cease their hypocritical cant
about Southern slavery.


SECTION V.