NOTICES TO CORRESPONDENTS. gratitude, affection, and fidelity, as it is of intelligence, when treated with J. R. LOWER, Esq. will see that the mistakes consideration, justice, and straightfor The in the daily journals are corrected. Wells. We hope the ladies at the Wells will The Freed-Man. MARCH, 1867. wardness. The European is loved quite to veneration when he extends to the poor uncivilized African what surely is as much the command, not to be abrogated or lost sight of in his intercourse with him, more than with his enlightened fellow white man, in this our favoured land of civilization and privileges, viz., to do justice, love mercy, and be kind and honest in all his dealings with him. It was well said at the meeting in Exeter Hall that Mrs. Moseley is an example for the women of England and "Never to my latest hour can I forof the world in the work of christian get the affectionate respect exhibited philanthropy. Nothing could be more by them towards the name and memory timely than the light of this example. of my beloved husband, who was indeed We have sometimes feared that the a true and real freind to the benighted spirit of humane and generous regard negroes in the highest sense of the for the condition of the suffering and word. Whenever they speak of him in down-trodden, which has made Great conversation, or at a palaver' (a kind Britain the admiration of the thought- of meeting,) when the chiefs and others ful in all lands, was on the decline, and assemble to discuss different questions that the love of gain and the lust of and matters of business, they always power would eat out the noble senti-rise from their seats and sit down again, ments of our countrymen. The weari- which is the highest mark of respect an some objections and excuses made by African can show to a European." many when called to raise the condition of the millions of the Freed-men made us fear the consequences sure to follow England. "I asked them." she says, selfishness and pride. But we begin to " to accept a copy of the New Testafeel the reviving of hope. We see in ment as a parting gift. It was touching Mrs. Moseley how every feeling of aver- to behold their humility and gentleness sion and contempt for a neglected and of manner in receiving them; and as injured race may be overcome and exchanged for confidence and an interest that itself adds strength and refinement to christian character. Twenty-five chiefs came to bid Mrs. Moseley farewell on embarking for each chief took his book from my hand he pressed his lips upon it, uttering a word of thankfulness in his own simple, eloquent way." Nothing is required in order to attain this but the patient and persevering discharge of duty. Mrs. Moseley says, "the negro character is as capable of Justice of Nova Scotia, The testimony of Mr. Conway at the meeting was very striking, and not less so that of the Hon. W. Young, Chief But the most conclusive and interest- Much has been said there for Jamaica; ing proof of negro capability was that what shall be done. Where is Bristol? presented in the person of the Rev. W. But we stop in this challenge. There Jones, the representative of one hun- are a hundred towns in England that dred thousand Freed-men in Canada. ought to respond, and we believe that We speak advisedly when we say that those who are already earnestly at Great Britain is laid under incalculable work, will not rest until they have obligations at this time to these sober, brought them to the course of action industrious and loyal people who occupy which will do more for the cause of the frontier, bounded by the Niagara justice, freedom, and humanity, than Kiver. It might have cost us millions all that can be said in Parliament, at of money and myriads of lives if in the Fenian raids their conduct had been different. The case of Jamaica was impres-are-coldly in the distance. sively put by Mr. Jones. We say to America the claims of the Alabama shall be considered for she is a strong nation. Shall we say to the pillaged and desolate people in Jamaica, your claims shall not be considered, for you are weak and defenceless. the bar, or through the press, if these claimants on our attention and practical sympathy were still left as they now SPECIAL MEETING. An interesting and important special Meeting was held in the Lower Hall, Exeter Hall, on the 18th February, in order to present to the friends of the Freed-men, a general view of the operations of our Society, and more especially to afford encouragement to Mrs. Moseley in her self-denying and long-continued efforts for the promotion of Female education at Cape Coast Castle. In the unavoidable absence of our esteemed Presi divine blessing on the proceedings of the meeting, said that he felt the most profound interest in the work of the Society and in the The ladies present at the Meeting in Exeter Hall followed Mrs Moseley with affectionate sympathy into the committee room. and said, "Give us time. You dent, Lord Alfred Spencer Churchill-the shall not be unsupported in this noble Rev. Dr. Schwartz, kindly consented to task. We will work for the Bazaar, and preside. The Chairman after imploring the it will be a success." Tonbridge has set a fine example. Where is Liverpool? In one year 170 slave ships sailed from remarkable undertaking of Mrs. Moseley. the port of Liverpool on their cruel and Unhappily she could not speak herself for the unrighteous errand. Are there no object she had at hear, and yet she had in christian women there of kindred spirit the most interesting way made known her with Mrs. Moseley, or Mrs. Ellen Craft (who will sail shortly for the African ('oast under the King of Dahomey). Where is Manchester? There are surely amongst the generous friends who sustained Robert Moffat, those who can rise above the commercial and the political, to do good apart from the give Mrs. Moseley, that benevolent benefaccotton question. Where is Birmingham?tress of the African race, all the encourage plans in the little books she had written, and in the FREED-MAN. He felt satisfied that no Christian lady could become acquainted with her course, and leave her without the cooperation required; they dare not do this. Dr. Tomkins, at the invitation of the Chair man said, the more direct business of the meeting was to interest the ladies of London in behalf of the forthcoming Bazaar, and to Dr. Schwartz expressed the hope that the ladies of London would follow the example of the ladies of Tonbridge and have a stall for each London district. ment in their power. During her brief with the good work in which we were sojourn in the Gold Coast, she had felt the engaged. deepest interest in the promotion of female education, and the death of her deeply lamented husband, the late Chief Justice of Cape Coast Castle, has only chas ened her zeal and given to it the greater intensity. She now felt it to be her sacred duty to return to Cape Coast Castle to establish schools for their special benefit, to teach them not only the ordinary branch of education, but their domestic duties, and to fit them in every way for civilized life. The work for the Bazaar was making cheering progress, though the articles were not, with some exceptions, yet sent in. The ladies at Tonbridge had succeeded far beyond their original expectations; they would have a "" Tonbridge stall" and those of the Ladies' Committee from Tonbridge had been appointed to attend to the sale at the Bazaar. He had the pleasure to state that the Duchess of Argyll, Lady Churchill and other ladies had consented to become patronesses, and one of the Royal Princesses had made a very elegant screen. He (Dr. Tomkins) had just received an interesting letter from General Armstrong, in which he spoke encouragingly respecting the Freed-men of America and had forwarded a copy of Mr. Alvord's School Report for July 1866, which shews a total of 975 schools, 1405 teachers, and 90,778 pupils. This does not include many schools not reported, especially night schools, and none of the large number of private schools as well as Sabbath schools now in operation. We have given some assistance to Africa, through Mr. Craft, who has some native youths under his instruction, one of whom is giving good indications of deep piety, and may afterwards become very useful in leading others to Christ as a missionary A beginning for help in Jamaica had been made, thougo very inadequate. Twice had he (Dr. Tomkins) been indebted to the British Government for the ready assistance they had given the British and Foreign Freed-men's Aid Society in behalf of the coloured people. Everywhere he could see encouragement and extension, and therefore he felt deeply that we ought to thank God and take courage in connection The Rev. JAMES DAVIES, (Secretary of the Evangelical Alliance) moved the first resolu tion: "That in view of the peculiarly favour. able opportunity afforded in Providence, for the instruction an improvement of the millions of Freed-men; it becomes the plain duty of the friends of humanity, and especially of all who desire the advancement of Christian civilization to seize the occasion, and to put forth strenuous and systematic efforts to remove the evils that have arisen from past neglect, and to ameliorate in every way the condition of the black and coloured population in America, and in the British Colonies." Mr. Davis said, I wish to express my earnest sympathy with the objects of this Society, and in particular with the philanthropic mission of Mrs. Moseley. We owe a large debt to the coloured people which nothing on our part can adequately pay. Simon of Cyrene, who was compelled to bear the Cross along the road to Calvary was an African by birth, and a disciple of Jesus. He was a man of colour. In that bearing of the Cross on the part of Simon, I see prefigured the preaching of the Gospel and the laying of the Cross on the sons and daughters of that down-trodden race which he represented. The object of the British and Foreign Freed-men's Aid Society was one of the noblest that could be contemplated. Rev. M. D. FRENCH, M.A., in seconding the resolution said, I met Mr. Moseley twenty years ago and became intimately acquainted with him; he was a benevolent, philanthropic and warm-hearted man, full of compassion and tenderness towards the coloured race. It was a cause of deep regret that he was soon cut off, and prevented from carrying out his judicious and far-reaching plans. The work will not die. All who knew the spirit and the willing self-sacrifice of his excellent widow must feel honoured in taking part in the undertaking. The Rev. O. P. VINCENT in supporting the resolution said, I simply bear my testimony to of those poor creatures from that cruel mental the personal worth of Mr. Moseley. I knew him from my boyhood, thirty years ago, and a more excellent, generous, and warm-hearted man never lived. The good he did to Africa will never be known until the last day. He went to Africa with the Word of God in his hand and prayer in his heart, and though taken away to his rest, it was most interesting to see how bent Mrs. Moseley was in carrying on the work. She had the confidence of the chiefs, and the native population, and the opening for the missions was of the most favourable kind. The Rev. Dr. WADDINGTON read the following letter: "Monday, 18th February, 1867. "My Lord-Unable to attend personally to say a few words on behalf of Mrs. Moseley's projected female school at Cape Coast, I yet feel too deeply on the subject to allow the meeting to pass over without some expression of my opinion respecting it. "Among the civilizing agents at work on the West Coast of Africa, the necessity of such an ne has long since made itself felt. I do not believe in the possibility of any real christian civil zation without earnest female influence being engaged in the work; and to secure this in Africa it seems to me to be essential not only to cultivate the female native mind in early life, and store it with gospel truths, but also to teach the young girls and women those domestic industries without which it is difficult, if not impossible to establish and maintain the christian home. heathen Africa, woman has been systemati. cally degraded; christian civilization and female degradation cannot co-exist; and christian England ought therefore to set vigorously to work to raise the status of woman by christian and industrial education in those districts which like Cape Coast are under British rule or protection, and where zealous missionaries are labouring for the advancement of Christ's kingdom. bondage which makes them willing instru "I remain, my Lord, yours sincerely, "Lord Alfred S. Churchill, &c." Dr. WADDINGTON said that with the permission of the Chair he should be glad to add his testimony of respect and admiration of their friend who would be the pioneer of christian civilization on the African coast. He feared that the expectation on the part of Mr. Fitzgerald, of immediate results, might not be realized. The fact was the service of the kind to which Mrs. Moseley had devoted herself was far above the ordinary level of those who in our time professed to seek to ameliorate the condition of humanity. Persons who merely sought the credit of philanthropy whilst shrinking from its toils and sacritices could not be made even to comprehend the nature of the task. It was not to be expected that there would be the aid derived from popular In enthusiasm or the zeal of party. The work was far too pure and too elevated to command the support of the heated spirits who imagined that changes were to be accomplished at a single stroke. Mrs. Moseley well understood the nature of her mission and the strength by which alone it could be fulfilled. Like the women who went early in the morning toward the sepulchre, (when the brethren were not to be seen, and they had at the close of their journey to encounter the Roman guard) she set out in the dark and with scarcely a ray of encouragement in the first instance. What a touching and instructive example was presented in this solitary worker landing on the African shore, at a time when we are told on "Bishop Crowther in his late charge to the negro native clergy says that the women are stronger in heathen prejudices than the men. God seems to have specially fitted and called Mrs. Moseley for the work of rescuing some every hand that there is a collapse of Mission- He felt people of his own colour in Canada. The Rev. W. H. JONES moved the third resolution: "That considering the extreme difficulty of securing suitable agency for religious instruction in the long-neglected masses of the negro population, this meeting learns with peculiar interest that devoted christian workers have been raised up in Canada; more recently also in Jamaica; and in particular for the improvement of the native population at Cape Coast Castle: whilst this a powerful nation and may possible give meeting is thankful for this manifestation of christian zeal and benevolence, it is deeply impressed with the sense of obligation to render prompt and efficient help, that the hands of those who have entered into this self-denying service may be strengthened, and that at this critical, yet hopeful juncture, funds may be raised to enable them to carry out the designs they have so much at heart." us trouble. But in his opinion there never was a stronger or clearer claim for compensation than that of the people whose houses had been destroyed, and especially of the women who had been flogged without trial, and in many cases at least for no offence. Why was not that claim met? He trusted it would not be said in the future that it was repudiated because the sufferers were weak and could make no resistance. The resolution was seconded in an earnest and effective speech by the REV. W. M. MATHER and unanimously adopted. Mr. Jones said it gave him the most heartfelt satisfaction to see around him on the platform, and before him in the meeting, the true friends of his race, who were prepared to work earnestly for its elevation notwith- REV. M. D. CONWAY moved the third resolustanding the inveterate prejudice and the tion: "That in anticipation of the Bazaar to bitter hostility of a large portion of the be held in London, in March, for the promocommunity. He could not boast of any tion of the objects of the British and Foreign great professional progress in learning, or in Freed-men's Aid Society, and in support of general culture, but he might fairly claim to the self-denying and laudable efforts of Mrs. represent his people, for he was of unmixed Moseley, this meeting would urge all the African blood. With respect to Christian friends of the Freed-men to renewed activity agency he was hopeful that this would ere and liberality, in order that under the divine long be largely supplied from the 100,000 blessing the success may be obtained, which |