The American Prejudice Against Color: An Authentic Narrative, Showing How Easily the Nation Got into an Uproar.Allen, William G., active 1849-1853
History
The American Prejudice Against Color: An Authentic Narrative, Showing How Easily the Nation Got into an Uproar.
Allen, William G., active 1849-1853
Allen, William G., active 1849-1853; Miscegenation -- United States; United States -- Race relations
Now for something spicy. The following letter was written to Elder King
by a Slaveholder of Mississippi, about five weeks after the mob. The
Elder re-mailed it to his daughter while she was in Pennsylvania. Having
become the property of the daughter, and the daughter and I now being
one, I shall take the liberty of giving this specimen of Southern
chivalry to the public. The reader shall have it without alteration:--
"Warrenton, Mississippi,
"March 5th, 1853.
"Rev. Sir:--
"You cannot judge of my surprise and indignation, on reading an
Editorial in one of my papers concerning an intending marriage of your
lovely and accomplished daughter, with a negro man; which thanks to
providence has been prevented by the excited and enraged populace of the
enterprising citizens of the good town of Fulton.
"During my sojourn in the state of New York last year, I visited for
mere curiosity the Mc. Grawville Institute in Cortland Co., which gave
me an opportunity of seeing your daughter, then a pupil of that equality
and amalgamated Institute; and I believe in all my travels north, I
never saw one more interesting and polite to those of her acquaintances.
"I have thought much about your daughter since my return home, and do
yet, notwithstanding the ignominious connection she has lately escaped
from. Your daughter--innocent, as I must in charity presume--because
deluded and deranged by the false teachings of the abolition Institute
at Mc. Grawville.
"My object in writing to you this letter is to obtain your permission to
correspond with your daughter if it should be agreeable with herself,
for I do assure you that I have no other than an honorable intention in
doing so.
"I reside in Warren County near Warrenton--am the owner of Nine Young
Negroes in agriculture, who would not exchange their bondage for a free
residence in the north. I am happy to inform you Revd. Sir that my
character is such that will bear the strictest investigation, and my
relations respectable. I am yet young having not yet obtained my 25th
year.
"Well sir, I am a stranger to both yourself and interesting family, and
as a matter of course you may desire to know something about the humble
individual who has thought proper to address you on a subject which
depends on the future happiness of your daughter. For your Reverence's
gratification you are at liberty to refer to either or all of the
following gentlemen, by letter or in person,--viz., Hon. J. E. Sharkey,
State Senator, Warren Co., P. O., Warrenton, Miss.;--Hon. A. G. Brown,
Ex-Gov., Miss., now Member of Congress, P. O., Gallatin, Miss.;--Samuel
Edwards, High Sheriff, Warren Co., P. O., Vicksburg, Miss.;--E. B.
Scarbrough Clerk, Probate Court, Warren Co., P. O., Vicksburg, Miss.;--M.
Shannon, Editor, Vicksburg, Miss., Whig;--Geo. D. Prentice, Editor,
Louisville, Ky., Journal;--and Reed, Brothers, and Co., 177, Market
Street, Philadelphia.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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