slave in the West Indies, on Sundays or holidays, enjoys himself and friends without molestation.  Not only this man, but many in town who have seen their behavior to you, and that without any provocations twenty or thirty cowards fall upon one man, have wondered at the patience of the blacks; ’tis not for want of courage in you, for they know that they dare not face you man for man, but in a mob, which we despise, and had rather suffer wrong than do wrong, to the disturbance of the community and the disgrace of our reputation; for every good citizen does honor to the laws of the State where he resides....

My brethren, let us not be cast down under these and many other abuses we at present labor under:  for the darkest is before the break of day.  My brethren, let us remember what a dark day it was with our African brethren six years ago, in the French West Indies.  Nothing but the snap of the whip was heard from morning to evening; hanging, breaking on the wheel, burning, and all manner of tortures inflicted on those unhappy people, for nothing else but to gratify their masters’ pride, wantonness, and cruelty:  but blessed be God, the scene is changed; they now confess that God hath no respect of persons, and therefore receive them as their friends, and treat them as brothers.  Thus doth Ethiopia begin to stretch forth her hand, from a sink of slavery to freedom and equality.

An African Society was organized in New York in 1808 and chartered in 1810, and out of it grew in course of time three or four other organizations.  Generally close to the social aim of the church and sometimes directly fathered by the secret societies were the benefit organizations, which even in the days of slavery existed for aid in sickness or at death; in fact, it was the hopelessness of the general situation coupled with the yearning for care when helpless that largely called these societies into being.  Their origin has been explained somewhat as follows: 

Although it was unlawful for Negroes to assemble without the presence of a white man, and so unlawful to allow a congregation of slaves on a plantation without the consent of the master, these organizations existed and held these meetings on the “lots” of some of the law-makers themselves.  The general plan seems to have been to select some one who could read and write and make him the secretary.  The meeting-place having been selected, the members would come by ones and twos, make their payments to the secretary, and quietly withdraw.  The book of the secretary was often kept covered up on the bed.  In many of the societies each member was known by number and in paying simply announced his number.  The president of such a society was usually a privileged slave who had the confidence of his or her master and could go and come at will.  Thus a form of communication could be kept up between all members.  In event of death of a member, provision was made for decent burial, and all the members as far as possible