Helen Pitts Douglass letter to Caroline F. Putnam
Item Description
Member of
Description
Written by Helen Pitts Douglass, a suffragist and the second wife of Frederick Douglass, likely to Caroline F. Putnam, a suffragist who ran a school for African Americans in northern Virginia. Discusses an ongoing convention of the National American Woman Suffrage Association in Washington, D.C. Focuses on the lack of attention the event paid to the rights of African American women.
Linked Agent
Creator (cre): Douglass, Helen, 1838-1903
Physical Form
Date Created
1900-02-12
Subject (Topic)
Subjects (name)
Geographic Subject
Language
Extent
2 pages
Resource Type
Internet Media Type
image/tiff
Digital Origin
Institution
Library
Shelf Locator
Emily Howland Family Papers, SFHL-RG5-066
Collection Guide
Local Identifier
A00186724
PID
sc:198873
Record Content Source
Rights Statement
Use and Reproduction
Please cite appropriately, crediting the Emily Howland Family Papers, SFHL-RG5-066, Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College as the source and indicating the identifier of the item, A00186724. This work is believed to be in the Public Domain under the laws of the United States. For more information, see http://rightsstatements.org/page/NoC-US/1.0/.
Transcription
---------- Page 1 ----------
My dear friend:
I am sorry, but I cannot
go down to you -- even with
Miss Howland. I have too much
to do at home. Every one was disappointed
that you could not come up
to the Convention. I have been over
two evenings and part of one day.
Mrs. Ferrell gave a fine address one
evening, and made a fine impression.
Sat. evening Louisiana spoke, and
three times the little thing [crossed out: spoke]
declared for "white supremacy" --
apparently to no one's discomfort --
I attended the reception given Miss
Anthony by Mrs. Colby -- and saw
some beautiful and richly dressed
Chinese proudly conveyed through
the thronged parlors, by admiring women
and was glad -- glad to see China --
but where was Africa? 90,000
colored people in Washington and not
one black face to be seen. The colored
people do not like Miss Anthony, and
she has lost the chance of a life time,
---------- Page 2 ----------
the chance to endear herself and
her cause to thousands to whom
suffrage is as important as it is
to herself -- the chance to put the
association on record as standing
equally for humanity and loyalty,
-- the chance to stay the [crossed out: encroachment]
advance of a spirit that is
encroaching upon the safety of our
Republic and to lead and strengthen
the moral purpose of the women of our
land. It has been a rainy
day and is a rainy evening and
I have not been out and therefore
have not heard the utterance of South
Carolina which I greatly regret.
I thank you for your invitation and
should surely accept if I could.
Mrs. [Hillyer?] and Miss Simpson send
love. Rose, too, is constantly bewailing
that Miss Putnam did not
come. She had gone to visit the Dr.
Ever affectionately yours
Helen Douglass
[in lower left hand corner]
Cedar Hill,
Feb. 12, 1900
My dear friend:
I am sorry, but I cannot
go down to you -- even with
Miss Howland. I have too much
to do at home. Every one was disappointed
that you could not come up
to the Convention. I have been over
two evenings and part of one day.
Mrs. Ferrell gave a fine address one
evening, and made a fine impression.
Sat. evening Louisiana spoke, and
three times the little thing [crossed out: spoke]
declared for "white supremacy" --
apparently to no one's discomfort --
I attended the reception given Miss
Anthony by Mrs. Colby -- and saw
some beautiful and richly dressed
Chinese proudly conveyed through
the thronged parlors, by admiring women
and was glad -- glad to see China --
but where was Africa? 90,000
colored people in Washington and not
one black face to be seen. The colored
people do not like Miss Anthony, and
she has lost the chance of a life time,
---------- Page 2 ----------
the chance to endear herself and
her cause to thousands to whom
suffrage is as important as it is
to herself -- the chance to put the
association on record as standing
equally for humanity and loyalty,
-- the chance to stay the [crossed out: encroachment]
advance of a spirit that is
encroaching upon the safety of our
Republic and to lead and strengthen
the moral purpose of the women of our
land. It has been a rainy
day and is a rainy evening and
I have not been out and therefore
have not heard the utterance of South
Carolina which I greatly regret.
I thank you for your invitation and
should surely accept if I could.
Mrs. [Hillyer?] and Miss Simpson send
love. Rose, too, is constantly bewailing
that Miss Putnam did not
come. She had gone to visit the Dr.
Ever affectionately yours
Helen Douglass
[in lower left hand corner]
Cedar Hill,
Feb. 12, 1900