Letter from James Forten, Philad[elphi]a, [Pennsylvania], to William Lloyd Garrison, 1830 December 31st

James Forten writes to William Lloyd Garrison describing his happiness to hear that Garrison is "about establishing a paper in Boston." Forten declares, "I hope your efforts may not be in vain; and may the 'Liberator' be the means of exposing more and more, the odious system of slavery". He then discusses the work of Benjamin Lundy, saying Lundy "laboured for us, through evil and good report, and under many disadvantages & hardships" before mentioning the prejudice African-Americans face "in the Eastern States." He sends Garrison the names and addresses of 27 subscribers to the Liberator (not included) and asks him to "send on a few Extra Papers that I may hand them to my friends." In the postscript, he suggests "Mr. Joseph Cassey" should act as his agent as "he will obtain many subscribers to your paper."
Courtesy of Boston Public Library