here wish it to be understood, that we are not laying any thing to their
charge as blame, neither do we desire for a moment to reflect on them,
because we heartily believe that all that they did at the time, they did
with the purest and best of motives, and further believe that they now
are, as they then were, the truest friends we have among the whites in
this country. And hope, and desire, and request, that our people should
always look upon _true_ anti-slavery people, Abolitionists we mean, as
their friends, until they have just cause for acting otherwise. It is
true, that the Anti-Slavery, like all good causes, has produced some
recreants, but the cause itself is no more to be blamed for that, than
Christianity is for the malconduct of any professing hypocrite, nor the
society of Friends, for the conduct of a broad-brimmed hat and
shad-belly coated horsethief, because he spoke _thee_ and _thou_ before
stealing the horse. But what is our condition even amidst our
Anti-Slavery friends? And here, as our sole intention is to contribute
to the elevation of our people, we must be permitted to express our
opinion freely, without being thought uncharitable.

In the first place, we should look at the objects for which the
Anti-Slavery cause was commenced, and the promises or inducements it
held out at the commencement. It should be borne in mind, that
Anti-Slavery took its rise among _colored men_, just at the time they
were introducing their greatest projects for their own elevation, and
that our Anti-Slavery brethren were converts of the colored men, in
behalf of their elevation. Of course, it would be expected that being
baptized into the new doctrines, their faith would induce them to
embrace the principles therein contained, with the strictest possible
adherence.

The cause of dissatisfaction with our former condition, was, that we
were proscribed, debarred, and shut out from every respectable position,
occupying the places of inferiors and menials.

It was expected that Anti-Slavery, according to its professions, would
extend to colored persons, as far as in the power of its adherents,
those advantages nowhere else to be obtained among white men. That
colored boys would get situations in their shops and stores, and every
other advantage tending to elevate them as far as possible, would be
extended to them. At least, it was expected, that in Anti-Slavery
establishments, colored men would have the preference. Because