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"The African Prisoners,"New
York Commercial Advertiser, 28 Sept.1839.
To the Editors of the Commercial Advertiser:
The African Prisoners. Messrs. Editors-- A correspondent in your yesterday's
paper puts several queries, in a respectful manner, respecting the African captives.
Allow me to answer them. The committee are Messrs. Simeon S. Jocelyn, Joshua Leavitt,
and Lewis Tappan.-- They were appointed at a meeting of several friends of the oppressed
in this city. Their duties are to employ able counsel, interpreters and instructors,
and to do all they can for the physical, intellectual and moral improvement of the
prisoners. The committee published, in nearly all the newspapers, an urgent appeal
for funds, and promised to acknowledge the donations and publish their disbursements.
The appeal has been generously responded to by a few individuals. Upward of nine
hundred dollars have been received. The donations have been acknowledged in the Emancipator,
and a copy will be sent to each donor. In due time the expenditures will be published
also. The committee are responsible to those donors and to the public, and feel also
their responsibility to God. The friends of the Anti-Slavery Society have no desire
to monopolize the sympathy expressed on behalf of the poor African prisoners. They
would gladly have aided other persons in making the first move in the matter, but
after waiting a reasonable time, and seeing no notice given of any, they thought
it their duty to take action on the subject. The committee proceeded to employ counsel
and take other measures, involving considerable expense, before a dollar was contributed.
And in selecting counsel they aimed to employ gentlemen who would have the confidence
of the community. It is true, as your correspondent hints, that abolitionists should
feel no more int[e]rested in the matter than the community at large, and they will
be glad to have every man feel more than they do, and have his sympathy translated
into Mandingo, so that the objects of his commiseration may have substantial evidence
of it. The Anti-Slavery Society does not wish to take the whole matter under their
especial management, but the committee appointed will be happy to receive the aid,
counsel and contributions of every friend of human rights, and these last will be
expended by the committee according to their best judgment, aided by the prisoners'
counsel, and such other advice as intelligent and philanthropic persons may give,
for the benefit of the African prisoners. Your correspondent asks for the views of
the learned counsel. A little reflection will show him the impropriety of announcing
in the public prints what their views and intentions are specifically.-- Their ACTS
from time to time will show. Meantime it is proper to state that both they and the
committee are doing all in their power in discharge of the responsible trust committed
to them. Information and suggestions will be thankfully received by the committee;
and it is hoped that the cause of these poor prisoners will be so conducted as to
be free from all party bias, and contribute to unite the sympathies of the whole
community in favor of the down-trodden and oppressed. T. _______________________________________
+
We received a list of donors to the fund for the relief of the captured Africans,
which will be published on Monday. The total amount received is $911 75.
+
The Eastern Mail had not arrived at half past one o'clock.
