avery societies were charged with harboring
a spirit of race prejudice; with inconsistency, in that while seeking
freedom for the Negro by means of agitation, separate efforts were put
forth by the white and black anti-slavery people of the North. And
this had its due effect. Massachusetts and other States had abolition
societies composed entirely of persons of Color. "_The Massachusetts
General Colored Association_" organized in the early days of the
agitation movement. It had among its leading men the most intelligent
and public-spirited Colored citizens of Boston. James G. Barbadoes,
Coffin Pitts, John E. Scarlett, the Eastons, Hosea and Joshua; Wm. C.
Nell, Thomas Cole, Thomas Dalton, Frederick Brimley, Walker Lewis, and
John T. Hilton were a few of "the faithful." In January, 1833, the
following communication was sent to the white anti-slavery society of
New England.

"BOSTON, January 15, 1833.

"_To the Board of Managers of the New-England Anti-Slavery
Society_:

"The Massachusetts General Colored Association, cordially
approving the objects and principles of the New-England
Anti-Slavery Society, would respectfully communicate their desire
to become auxiliary thereto. They have accordingly chosen one of
their members to attend the annual meeting of the Society as
their delegate (Mr. JOSHUA EASTON, of North Bridgewater), and
solicit his acceptance in that capacity.

"THOMAS DALTON, _President_,
"WILLIAM C. NELL, _Vice-President_.

"JAMES G. BARBADOES, _Secretary_."

The request was granted, but a few hints among friends on the outside
sufficed to demonstrate the folly and hurtfulness of anti-slavery
societies composed exclusively of men of color. Within the next two
years Colored organizations perished, and their members took their
place in the white societies. Such Colored men as John B. Vashon and
Robert Purvis, of Pennsylvania; David Ruggles and Philip A. Bell, of
New York; and Charles Lenox Remond and Wm. Wells Brown, of
Massachusetts, were soon seen as orators and presiding officers, in
the different anti-slavery societies of the free States. Frederick
Douglass, the Rev. Samuel Ringgold Ward, James McCune Smith, M.D.;
James W. C. Pennington, D.D.; Henry Highland Garnett, D.D.; Alexander
Crummell, D.D.; and other Colored men were eloquent, earnest, and