land is concerned, with far greater efficiency. The erroneous impressions thus made, both in respect to the facts and the theory of Colonization, are not to be swept away in a moment. The present, however, is peculiarly a time of revising opinions, and especially, opinions concerning benevolent operations. This is particularly felt, by most of our large societies; so felt, as to exert an important influence on their proceedings. It might be improper to mention instances, but the fact is well known to those who are familiar with their operations. The fact that a society makes fair professions, or aims at the accomplishment of a good object, or has the sanction of wise and good men, or has enjoyed the general confidence of the benevolent and the pious, has much less influence now than it had formerly; manifestly less so than it had three years ago. Men are reconsidering their reasons for sustaining even those benevolent institutions which have been longest, and in appearance most firmly enthroned in the confidence and affection of the churches. This work has for some time been going on privately in a multitude of individual minds, and has now begun to show itself publicly. It is, and probably will continue to be, a slow and cautious movement, not devoid of respect for what has had the sanction of venerable names, and rather disposed to amend than to abandon enterprises undertaken for good objects. The present willingness to listen candidly to the claims of Colonization, in a great measure, grows out of this more general movement; and so far, it is a favorable circumstance. But it is not favorable to the hope of rapid success with little labor. Now, more than ever, every man feels that he must have good reasons of his own, for his action or his inactivity, in matters of benevolence. The necessity of convincing the public slowly, rests upon every other society, as well as ours. As a counterpoise, there is reason to hope that if the work be done slowly, it will last longer.

Some conjecture may be formed, of the necessary consumption of time, labor and pecuniary means in creating and sustaining the desired state of public sentiment, by considering the operations of other societies. The American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions expended, during the year ending July 31, 1841, for agents, $8,917,97; for publications gratuitously distributed, $7,537,98, These sums amount to $15,455,95: The salaries of the secretaries, the treasurer and clerk hire will raise the whole amount above twenty thousand dollars. Nearly the whole was expended in the Eastern, middle and Western States, in sustaining one of the most popular religious charities in the world. This Board is distinguished for the rigid, but the judicious and business-like economy of its expenditures, and for its strong hold on the confidence and affection of its supporters. Probably, no similar institution in our country could dispense with such labors with so little injury. The American Education Society expended, during the year ending in May, 1842, for agencies, including a part of the secretary's salary, $4,438,00; for gratuitous publications, $1,327,24; total, $5,765,24. Nearly the whole of this was spent in acting on feelings and opinions in New England. The American Baptist Board of Foreign Missions expended, during the year ending April 1, 1842, about $6,500 for similar purposes. The Presbyterian Board of Foreign Missions, during the year included in their last report, expended $11,201,17, on the same account. In England, the Church Missionary

Society expends about $16,000 annually in publications distributed gratuitously, and the Wesleyan Missionary Society about the same. These societies all have the reputation of being well managed, and judicious in their expenditures. They are all popular with those to whom they apply for funds. Their patrons are among the most liberal portions of the communities where they dwell. Yet they find it necessary to expend the sums that I have mentioned, in maintaining their hold upon the beneficence of their supporters.

The annual expenditures of the American Anti-Slavery Society and its auxiliaries, I have not the means of ascertaining. For some of the years of its existence, no statement of its funds was ever published; and for other years, no very definite statement is at my command. I find, however, that the Society, at its annual meeting in May, 1836, professed to have raised $25,000 during the year then ending, and that the members pledged themselves to raise $50,000, at least for the year then commencing. Ata meeting in Boston the next week, about $1,000 was raised, and about $7,000 more pledged. I have an impression that their income, for some years, has been considerably above $30,000. These sums do not include what has been expended by "Vigilance Committees," in forwarding fugitive slaves to Canada, and for similar purposes; for those charges have always been met from funds raised especially for those objects. The whole income of the Anti-Slavery Society has been expended in acting on public opinion. Every cent of it has been laid out in turning men's minds against Colonization; and much more effectually than if opposing the Colonization Society had been the avowed and only object of its expenditure. Besides all this, the amount raised and expended by local anti-slavery societies, which has not passed through the general treasury, but which has had the same influence, must be very considerable. And besides all this, even

the Liberator, and probably some other periodicals of the party, have had distinct funds for their support, and have, to some extent, been distributed gratuitously. How many thousands of dollars from these and perhaps other sources, have been so expended in New England annually, as to create and sustain a dislike and distrust of Colonization, we may guess, but cannot ascertain. But, besides the necessities of expenditure which we have in common with the most popular societies, we have to contend and overcome the anti-colonization influence of all these thousands of dollars, and of the labors for which they have paid, and for which other thousands are to pay in time to come.

You will see, from these pecuniary indications, that a great amount of speaking, and writing, and printing, and traveling is to be performed, in order to the thorough conversion of New England, even in the present favorable attitude of the public mind. It is time to consider the machinery by which the work is to be done.

I think well of your proposal, that there should be a central agency, of some kind, in Boston; but I am unwilling to supersede the State Societies. They are needed, for local action in the several States. It accords with the genius and habits of our people, as I have already shown, to throw local action, as much as possible, into the hands of local bodies. Perhaps the object may best be accomplished by an alliance among the State Societies, so arranged that the Massachusetts Society, shall act as agent for the

whole, in all matters which require such an agency. The channels and habits of commercial intercourse are now such, that a large part of the towns and counties, in the three northern States, communicate more easily with Boston than with their own State capitals; and hence, principally, the advantage of a general agency here. That agency should be under the control of a committee, or board, so large a portion of whom reside in the city, that frequent meetings may be held without inconvenience, and that a quorum may always be easily obtained. This board, or committee, should of course keep open an office, which will naturally be under the care of its Secretary.

The friends of Colonization, in every State, should be formed into societies, directly or indirectly auxiliary to the State Societies; and all contributions to the cause should pass through the treasury of the Society of the State in which the money is raised. If, for greater convenience of transmission, a donation from some part of Maine, New Hampshire or Vermont, should be sent directly to the general agency at Boston, to be forwarded to the Parent Society, it should still be credited to its appropriate treasury, in the State from which it came. This is necessary, in order to give the State Societies a visible importance, which shall make them appear worth sustaining.

68

6

Traveling agents should be employed. Several are needed now; and one, at least, should be permanently employed. These agents should receive a definite sum, previously agreed upon, for their labors, and not a percentage on their collections. This is exceedingly important, if not absolutely indispensable, in New England. The people-those of them, at least, from whom any thing can be expected, understand the propriety, and the economy even, of paying a man a reasonable compensation for his labors. It has an honest and business-like appearance, which impresses them favorably. But the impression made by paying a per-centage, is decidedly unfavorable. It starts the question :-"why do they not pay the man a fixed salary? Have they so little confidence in the merits of their enterprise, or in the qualifications of their agent, that they are afraid to promise a definite amount? Or is the whole affair a mere speculation," a system of public plunder, of which this agent's share is to be so much per cent?" The most general impression is, that it is a speculation;* that the agent is some poor thing, whom the Society would not dare to employ on other terms, and who goes into this business for want of some better way to get a living; or, if he is evidently a man of talents, that he is getting rich at the public expense, much faster than he ought. Within my own knowledge, agents have found in these inquiries and suspicions such a serious obstacle to their success, that they have resorted to subterfuges and quibbling, to conceal the mode of their compensation. But such subterfuges are as vain as they are dishonorable. People generally know whether their questions are answered or not; and when they find a man disposed to conceal the truth, they judge unfavorably, both of him and of his employers. It is necessary, therefore, that our agents, like those of all our popular and successful societies, should be paid a fixed salary; and that those with whom such a contract would be unsafe, should not be employed on any terms.

The first work of these agents will be, to form societies, auxiliary to

the State Societies, in every town in New England, where it is practicable. These auxiliaries should have a very simple organization, with only such officers as are necessary for the transaction of business. The most important are, a sufficient number of collectors, whose duty it shall be to procure funds by an annual personal application to individuals, within their respective districts.

These collectors, procuring subscriptions or donations within the circle of their own personal acquaintance, and transmitting them through the treasuries of the auxiliaries, are the very life of the whole organization. They, especially, and indeed all the officers, should be kept constantly informed of whatever they need to know, in order to sustain their zeal and direct their labors. For this purpose, it may be well to send the Repository gratis, to such of them as collect ten dollars or more annually. The auxiliaries must also receive occasional visits from the traveling agents. Thus, at a comparatively slight expense, an auxiliary may be kept alive from year to year indefinitely, yielding, by its own operations, a larger income to the Parent Society, than could be raised from the same territory by any other process.

Where auxiliaries are sufficiently numerous in any vicinity, the labors of agents may be abridged by the formation of County Societies, as a medium of intercouse between the town auxiliaries and the State Societies. These County Societies should hold annual meetings, at which delegates from the town auxiliaries, and as many others as can be induced to attend,

should be present. Here they should always meet the traveling agent, or the Secretary, or some other representative of the State Society. The impression made at this meeting, will of course be carried home to every town in which there is an auxiliary, and finally, to every school district, and every fire-side, which a collector visits. If the meeting is a good one, every person may foresee the result. The good impression will be rendered more effectual, if the town auxiliaries meet soon after the county anniversary, and have an address, prepared by some suitable person from among themselves, or procured by themselves from the vicinity.

The most perfect working of this system will of course require, that the whole territory over which it extends, should be given up to its operation. As it provides a channel for the trans ission of all funds, there will be no use for collecting agents, traveling from place to place. Indeed any action on the subject, except that of the system itself, will be sure to derange some part of the machinery, and in the end, to cost more than it is worth.

Among the advantages of such a system, the following seem to me important:

1. It is in harmony with the habits of the people of New England. This, I trust, will be sufficiently obvious from the former part of this letter.

2. It is a mode of operation to which the giving part of our population are accustomed. It has long been used among us by other societies. Every body understands it, and feels at home in the practice of it.

3. It will raise a greater revenue, than can be raised in any other way, from the same territory. Such is the experience of our best conducted

societies.

4. It will yield a more steady and permanent revenue, than any other system. A town auxiliary will give about so much annually. The Parent Society will soon become able to foresee, with a good degree of certainty, not only what aid it is to receive from one quarter and another during the year, but even the month in which it will be received; for every part of the country has its convenient times for payments, which are the same from year to year, and will soon become known at the general treasury.

5. This system secures to the society, in every nook and corner into which it is carried, an organized body of intelligent advocates, prepared to sustain the cause against whatever opposition may present itself. The officers of the town auxiliaries, and especially the collectors, will not look on tamely and silently and see the cause put down. They are every where among the people, are a part of them, understand them, and generally are persons who have more than an ordinary share of influence with them. The system has therefore peculiar advantages, both for repelling enemies and making friends.

6. There is one more advantage of this plan, which may be indicated, rather than described, by saying that it will enable the Parent Society, to avail itself of the collected wisdom of its supporters. In such an organization, operating successfully, the individual donor does not regard himself as merely the giver of so much a year; he is rather, one of those who have combined to accomplish a certain object, and who are to contribute, from time to time, their quota of whatever may be necessary for its accomplishment. He has adopted the enterprise as his own, and must watch its progress, and understand its management and success; he must consider whether the enterprise is well conducted, and what should be the remedy for existing defects. Many of the donors will of course be unable to take a statesman-like view of the subject in all its various bearings; but the general result of so much thinking will not usually be far from the truth. By means of the discussions at annual meetings, and in various other ways, that result will be sure to make itself known. The Parent Society will thus be enabled more perfectly to watch the course of public sentiment among its supporters, to gather hints from it when it affords any worth gathering, and to apply correctives seasonably when they are needed.

7. Under such an organization, the receipts of the society will depend mainly on the amount of public confidence in the merits of the enterprise, and will be but little affected by occasional prosperity or reverses. The donor has decided that the enterprise is a good one, and that his share of the necessary expense is about so much annually; and this decision will not be changed by any of those common accidents, which every similar enterprise must encounter; even should he make the most discouraging discovery which the nature of the case admits; should he find the society in difficulty through mismanagement; in other words, should he learn that his agents have not conducted his business so well as they should have done; even then he has only to do what other men do when their agents mismanage their affairs, give better instructions, or, at most, change his agents. In short, if there is an unreasonable want of success, he is not therefore to abandon the enterprise, but to do his part towards ascertaining and removing the cause of the failure.