VISITS TO THE RAGGED SCHOOLS.
SPEECH AT SUNDAY SCHOOL ANNIVERSARY.--INTERVIEW WITH LORD
GREY.--INTERVIEW WITH THE ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY, AND
DINNER WITH LORD JOHN RUSSELL, THE GREAT EVENTS OF MY LIFE.
While in England I was frequently called upon to speak at public
meetings of various kinds. I was deeply interested in the Ragged
School enterprise, and frequently addressed the schools, and also
public meetings held in their behalf. I spent two, months of May, in
that country, and attended many of the great anniversaries, and was
called upon to speak at many of them. On several occasions I did what
I could to make known the true condition of slaves, in Exeter Hall
and other places. On one occasion, I recollect, an eminent man from
Pennsylvania, was addressing the anniversary of a Sabbath School
Union, who boasted of the great benefits of Sunday Schools in the
United States, and asserted that all classes indiscriminately enjoyed
their blessings. I felt bound to contradict him, and after putting to
the speaker a few questions which he stammeringly answered, I told the
immense meeting that in the Southern States, the great body of the
colored people were almost entirely neglected, and in many places they
were excluded altogether; and that even in the most of the Northern
States, the great mass of the colored children were not sought out
and gathered into Sunday Schools. This created some little storm, but
my own personal observation and experience carried conviction to the
people.
Being thus introduced to the public, I became well acquainted with
many of the leading men of England. Lord Grey made a proposition to
me, which, if circumstances had permitted, I should have been glad
to attempt. It was to go to India and there superintend some great
efforts made by the government to introduce the culture of cotton on
the American plan. He promised to me an appointment to an office, and
a good salary. Had it not been for my warm interest in my Canadian
enterprise, I should have accepted his proposal.
One of the most pleasing incidents for me now to look back upon, was
a long interview which I was permitted to enjoy with the Archbishop
of Canterbury. The elevated social position of this man, the highest
beneath the crown, is well known to all those acquainted with English
society. Samuel Gurney, the noted philanthropist, introduced me, by a
note and his family card, to his grace, the archbishop. He received me
kindly in his palace. I immediately entered upon a conversation with
him, upon the condition of my people, and the plans I had in view. He
expressed the strongest interest in me, and after about a half hour's
conversation he inquired, "At what university, Sir, did you graduate?"
"I graduated, your grace," said I in reply, "at the university of
adversity." "The university of adversity," said he, looking up with
astonishment; "where is that?" I saw his surprise, and explained. "It
was my lot, your grace," said I, "to be born a slave, and to pass my
boyhood and all the former part of my life as a slave. I never entered
a school, never read the Bible in my youth, and received all of my
training under the most adverse circumstances. This is what I meant
by graduating in the university of adversity." "I understand you,
Sir," said he. "But is it possible that you are not a scholar?" "I am
not," said I. "But I should never have suspected that you were not
a liberally educated man. I have heard many negroes talk, but have
never seen one that could use such language as you. Will you tell
me, Sir, how you learned our language?" I then explained to him, as
well as I could, my early life; that it had always been my custom to
observe good speakers, and to imitate only those who seemed to speak
most correctly. "It is astonishing," said the archbishop. "And is it
possible that you were brought up ignorant of religion? How did you
attain to the knowledge of Christ?" I explained to him, in reply,
that a poor ignorant slave mother had taught me to say the Lord's
Prayer, though I did not know then how, truly, to pray. "And how were
you led to a better knowledge of the Saviour?" I answered that it was
by the hearing of the Gospel preached. He then asked me to repeat the
text, and to explain all the circumstances. I told him of the first
sermon I heard, of the text, "He, by the grace of God, tasted death
for every man." "A beautiful text was that," said the archbishop, and
so affected was he by my simple story that he shed tears freely.
I had been told by Samuel Gurney that perhaps the archbishop would
give me an interview of a quarter of an hour; I glanced at the clock
and found that I had already been there an hour and a half, and arose
to depart. He followed me to the door, and begged of me if ever I came
to England to call and see him again; and shaking hands affectionately
with me, while the tears trembled in his eyes, he put into my hands
graciously five golden sovereigns, (about twenty-five dollars,) and
bade me adieu. I have always esteemed him as a warm-hearted Christian.
Thus ended the interview with the venerable Archbishop of England.
On my second visit to England, I had an invitation, in company
with a large number of Sabbath School Teachers, to spend a day on
the beautiful grounds of Lord John Russell, then Prime Minister of
England. His magnificent park, filled with deer, of all colors, and
from all climes, and sleek hares, which the poet COWPER
would have envied, with numberless birds, whose plumage rivalled the
rainbow in gorgeous colors, together with the choicest specimens
of the finny tribe, sporting in their native element, drew from me
the involuntary exclamation: "O, how different the condition of
these happy, sportive, joyful, creatures, from what was once my own
condition, and what is now the lot of millions of my colored brethren
in America!" This occupancy of the elegant grounds of England's Prime
Minister, for the day, by a party of Sabbath School Teachers, was what
we should call, in America, a pic-nic, with this difference, that,
instead of each teacher providing his own cakes, and pies, and fruit,
they were furnished by men and women, who were allowed to come on to
the grounds, with every variety of choice eatables for sale. After
strolling over these charming grounds, enjoying the beautiful scenery,
and the happy gambols of the brute creation, and the conversation of
the many intelligent men and women, with whom we came in contact, we
were most unexpectedly, at five o'clock, sent for to visit the elegant
mansion of the proprietor. There we found what I will call a surprise
party, or at any rate, we were taken by surprise, for we were ushered,
three hundred of us at least, into a spacious dining hall, whose
dimensions could not have been less than one hundred feet by sixty,
and here were tables, groaning under every article of luxury for the
palate, which England could supply, and to this bountiful repast we
were all made welcome. I was invited to take the head of the table; I
never felt so highly honored. The blessing was invoked by singing the
two following verses.
"Be present at our table, Lord,
Be here and everywhere adored:
These creatures bless,
And grant that we may feast
In Paradise with thee!"
After dinner, various toasts were proposed, on various subjects, and
in my humble way I offered the following:
"First to England. Honor to the brave, freedom to the
Slave, success to British emancipation. God bless the
Queen!"
Cheers and laughter followed the reading of this toast, succeeded by
the usual English exclamations, "_Up, up, up again!_" I again arose
and gave, To our most Sovereign Lady, the Queen:
"May she have a long life, and a happy death. May she reign
in righteousness, and rule in love!"
And to her illustrious consort, Prince Albert:
"May he have peace at home, pleasure abroad, love his
Queen, and serve the Lord!"
Among the distinguished persons who made speeches on this joyous
occasion, I will mention the names of Rev. William Brock, Hon.
Samuel M. Peto, and a Mr. Bess, brother-in-law of Mr. Peto, with his
accomplished and beautiful lady. Thus ended one of the pleasantest
days of my life.