George Needham to Frederick Douglass, November 5, 1855

For Frederick Douglass' Paper. Friend Douglass:--I am induced by reading in your paper of the 18th ult., an editorial commenting on the late statement of the N.Y. Tribune, that the free colored people of the Northern States are "indolent, improvident, and licentious," to offer you a few facts from personal observation. 1st. The Tribune, while it make the above sweeping charge, admits, that in the "last 20 years they have made great progress." "Indolent, improvident, and licentious," now, what were they 20 years ago? Provident, industrious, and pure.? Or, which way, Mr. Tribune, have they progressed? That Slavery and the slavery prejudice have left their blight upon them, there can be no doubt; that there are "indolent, improvident, and licentious" individuals among them, no one will deny. So there are among all classes of society. 2d. I will take Providence, R. I., where I have lived for the last five years. I have been acquainted with the colored people there, have associated with them, watched them in the streets, and on the docks, and at the ware houses, inquired frequently of gentlemen, not particularly interested in the anti-slavery movement, their opinions of the general standing, as to industry, morals, &c., of this class; preached in their pulpits, watched the police reports, and have come to the deliberate conviction, that for industry, providence, and purity of morals, they will bear a favorable comparison with any other class of persons who have labored under one half of the crushing disabilities which have ground them in the dust; a comparison, at once cheering to the friends of equal liberty and rights. I have had, in the answers to the inquiries referred to above, one uniform sentiment, such as this,--"they are a very

industrious, well behaved class; I do not know how we should get along without them; I had much rather employ them than the Irish; they are more trustworthy." Such were the spontaneous replies of business men, well qualified to judge.

3.d Last Summer, I was employed as book-keeper, for six weeks, in the printing office of one of the Providence Daily papers, some part of the time I was virtually the editor, wrote for it every day—attended the police courts, or called at the court room every day, except Sundays; and among the hundreds who were brought up for drunkenness, theft, and assaults, and rows, I recollect of but one or two colored persons. I recollect but one distinctly, and have an indefinite recollection of another—The colored population, I believe, is about 1500 in 50,000 for the whole city.

I will add no more. The charge, I believe, is unfounded—does great injustice to a struggling class who need sympathy, and I hope the Tribune will retract it.

Yours, for equal justice,

GEORGE NEEDHAM

Rochester, Nov. 5, 1855