Public Entertainment: Lectures and Music

Collection: African American Newspapers
Publication: FREDERICK DOUGLASS' PAPER
Date: March 16, 1855
Title: For Frederick Douglass' Paper. A WEEK IN NEW YORK. Color-phobia Br> Location: Rochester, New York

A WEEK IN NEW YORK.

Color-phobia is fast abating in our Island City, as a brief account of the doings of the present week will show.

On Monday evening, C.W. Elliott, Esq., delivered a lecture before the New York Library Association, in the hall of the Mercantile Library, late Astor Place Opera House, on the life and character of Toussaint L'Overture, the black hero of St. Domingo. The lecture was a masterly production, evincing much care and laborious study. A small but intelligent audience listened attentively to the thrilling account of the perils and vicissitudes of the noble Negro. His rise from slavery, to lead the armies and rule the councils of the black Republic his patriotism, his devotion to his country, his abnegation of even paternal ties, his abduction his exile and melancholy death, were all truthfully portrayed, bringing into striking contrast the virtues and heroism of the brave black with the treachery and cruelty of Abbott's idol, the monster Napoleon.

The feature of the evening, however, was the audience small, but intelligent, and an equal admixture of black and white. Side by side sat they no shrinking of the aristocratic white lady from companionship with the black one. The white philanthropists Peter Cooper, sought an introduction to the black savan, Dr. J.W.C. Pennington.

Tuesday evening the concluding lecturer of the anti-slavery course was delivered by that devoted friend of the slave, Wm. Lloyd Garrison; and here was another mingling of the races, Saxon and African in close proximity. A large audience honored the man and the occasion; and frequent bursts of applause testified their appreciation of the scathing review which the orator gave of Gen. Sam Houston's slavery speech in Boston. He struck down the famous Indio-Anglo-Saxon President hunter with his own tomahawk, and tore the scalp for his head with his own knife. However much I may differ with MR. Garrison on certain points, which I do most widely, I will ever honor him for his persistent advocacy of universal, unconditional emancipation.

Wednesday evening I went to the new Opera house, Academy of Music, Irving Place. La Favorita was the Opera Vestuali, Lovini and Bachali the principal performers. There is not much prejudice against color among the upper Ten. Color-phobia is on the move “above Bleecker.” The Academy of Music is the resort of wealth and fashion the aristocratic place of amusement but here Democracy prevails: no “Negro pew,” no place for “respectable persons of color;” the black amateur of music take his seat beside the white professor of la belle science . The limits of my purse and modesty took me into the amphitheater or gallery, but I saw a colored gentleman seated in the boxes. Thursday evening the Black Swan (Miss E.T. Greenfield) gave a concert at the Tabernacle. Assisted by a colored gentleman of rare musical abilities. From his appearance, I should suppose he was an Afro-American, but he is called, for effect, Indian Mario. The concert was well attended, and the artists gave unbounded satisfaction. Here also the prevailing feature was a mixing up of colored ebony and topaz in equal proportions. The audience was composed for the elite of both classes; and our ladies vied with their fairer neighbors if not in richness of attire, at least in neatness of apparel, correctness of deportment and personal attractions.

Friday, Anthony Burns arrived in this city in company with Rev. Mr. Grimes, of Boston, who went to Baltimore to purchases Burns, for whose freedom he paid $1,300. A meeting was held that evening in Dr. Pennington's Church, to congratulate Burns on his restoration to liberty. Mr. Burns gave a succinct account of his escape from slavery, his recapture in Boston, his return to Virginia, his imprisonment and suffering in Norfolk and Richmond, his sale to Mr. McDonald of North Carolina, and his final redemption through the instrumentality of Mr. Grimes. In consequence of sufficient notice not having been given, the audience was small, probably not over one hundred persons; but here, too was a beautiful illustration of my proposition, that color-phobia is abating; although in a colored church, and the object of the meeting more particularly interesting to colored people, the audience consisted of as many white persons as colored.

Saturday evening the Black Swan gave another concert at the Tabernacle. The audience was larger, and the diversity of colors as great as at the first concert. Miss Greenfield, is truly a wonderful singer; she possesses a flexibility of voice unequalled in the musical world, compassing it is said, thirty-one clear notes. The Swan has no particular forte, but her singing embraces all styles of music. She sings with equal facility the simple Ballad and the scientific Bravura; the Sacred Anthems of Handle and the elaborate Cantatas of Bellini are given by her with like sweetness and power. Her range of voice includes Bas, Baritone, Tenor, Contralto and Soprano. She as repeatedly encored. Indian Mario also acquitted himself admirably. He sings with much sweetness and feeling, but is, evidently, unaccustomed to public singing; his voice is a rich, full tenor, not powerful, but very melodious. He was encored in a Solo form the Crown Diamonds, and gave us instead a beautiful gem from Fry's Leonora.

Thus, you see, art knows no distinction of color, science recognizes no prejudice, education and wealth are the ladders by which we must rise, the weapons with which we can assail and conquer the demons, slavery and prejudice.

Yours, COSMOPOLITE. NEW YORK, March 3, 1855.