Abolitionism Exposed! Part 5

There was no reason why all our sympathies should be confined to the coloured race and utterly withheld from our white Southern brethren. The apostle Paul exhibited no such spirit.

10. A regard to the interest of the slaves themselves dictated a cautious and prudent and forbearing course. It called for conciliation: for the fate of the slaves depended on the will of their masters, nor could the North prevent it. _The late laws against teaching slaves to read had not been pa.s.sed until the Southern people found inflammatory publications circulating among the coloured people._ 11. The spirit of the gospel forbade all violence, abuse and threatening. The apostles had wished to call fire from heaven on those they considered as Christ's enemies; but the Saviour instead of approving this fiery zeal, had rebuked it. 12. These Southern people, who were represented as so grossly violating all Christian duty, had been the subjects of gracious blessings from G.o.d in the outpourings of his Spirit. 13. When G.o.d convinced men of error, he did it in the spirit of mercy; we ought to endeavour to do the same thing in the same spirit."

The last testimony that I shall adduce on this subject is from "The Plea for Africa" [p. 160, 164] in which the writer says,

"There is certainly a pleasing and commendable spirit exhibited, after all the precautionary provisions of legislative acts, by the christian community at the South, in respect to the religious instruction of their slaves. I have before me a letter from an eminent clergyman of Virginia, a part of which I will read, since you may from such sources be better able to apprehend the true feeling of Christians at the South, and the actual condition of the slaves:

"'To give you an idea of the feeling of the Christian community toward that unfortunate cla.s.s of people which we have among us, I would refer you to the articles which appeared in the Religious Telegraph during the last year, signed, 'Zinzindorf,' and which terminated in pa.s.sing a resolution in the synod of Virginia, recommending every church in the State, to set apart one of its best qualified members, whose duty it shall be to give religious instruction to the coloured people. And I am happy to state, that many enter upon this self-denying, though pleasing duty.

"'We hope that the public mind is fast preparing for a general emanc.i.p.ation, and that the Christian community will not be remiss in instructing and preparing the coloured people for the colony. The redeeming spirit is amongst us, I hope, and will not rest till every slave shall be restored to the land of their fathers, and this State placed upon a footing with the other happy States of our Union, who know not the curses of slavery.'

"I have also before me a letter from Georgia, written by a distinguished gentleman to his friend, on the same subject, which reads as follows:

"'With regard to your inquiries about the religious instruction of the Negroes of the South, I would state, that we have much reason to be grateful for what is doing, and for what in prospect may be done. My knowledge on this subject is confined to Georgia and South Carolina; I visited Bryan county, Georgia, a few weeks since, for the exclusive purpose of seeing what was doing there for the Negroes. On one plantation I found the slaves far more improved, both as regards their temporal comforts, and their religious instruction, than I had expected to see. The number of Negroes on this plantation is, I believe, about two hundred. They live in framed houses, raised above the ground--s.p.a.cious, and in every way comfortable, and calculated to promote health. The Negroes were uniformly clad in a very decent and comfortable way. There is a chapel on the place where the master meets the adults every night at the ringing of the bell. Reading a portion of Scripture, and explaining it, singing, and prayer, const.i.tute the regular exercises of every night in the week.

On the Sabbath they have different and more protracted exercises.

"'A day school is taught by two young ladies--embracing all the children under twelve or fifteen years of age. The instruction in this and other schools in the county, is _oral_, of course; but it was gratifying to see how great an amount of knowledge the children had acquired in a few months.

A Presbyterian minister of Philadelphia was with me, and he said, in unqualified terms, that he visited no infant schools at the North better conducted--Schools on the same plan are now established on the several other plantations in the same county. And I think I may say there is a very general interest getting up on this subject. A large portion of the wealthy planters either have already, or contemplate building churches on their premises, and employing chaplains to preach to their slaves. Several I could mention who, though they are not pious themselves, have done this already, from what they have seen of the beneficial influence of religious instruction on the slaves of other plantations. Persons at a distance may be surprised at this fact, but it is so in a number of cases that I could name, if it were necessary. Ministers of all denominations begin to awake to their duty and responsibility on this subject. Many of them are now devoting themselves _wholly_ to this portion of our community; and it is to be hoped that every christian master will soon be brought to an enlightened sense of duty. And _if we are allowed to prosecute this work without indiscreet interference on the part of our Northern brethren_, I feel a.s.sured that we shall see the Negroes _far more improved_ in a short time than they are at present.'

"Of the religious condition of the slaves _in South Carolina_, a clergyman in that State writes:

"I am able from authentic information to say, that of the _five hundred and eighty thousand_, which compose the entire population of this State, about _sixty-seven thousand_ are members in the Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian, and Episcopalian churches. _Of these communicants more than forty thousand are slaves._ The whole slave population is 315,000.

It is easily seen, therefore, that of the white population about _one-seventh_ are church members. It is proper these facts should come into the estimate of the religious condition and prospects of our slaves. In New-England there are _twenty thousand_, and in the free states _a hundred and twenty-thousand_ blacks. I should be glad to see a comparison of their religious condition with that of our slaves in this one item. Do you believe that _one-twentieth_ of them are communicants? And do you believe that in New-England, _as here_, there is a _larger proportion_ of black than white communicants? And what is doing _there_ to improve the moral condition of the blacks?"

"I might multiply proofs of a disposition prevailing extensively at the South in all the States to give to the slaves religious instruction, and all practicable religious privileges. I think the general feeling on this subject is greatly misapprehended in the non-slave-holding States. The evils of slavery are great, but they ought not to be magnified either by representing the slaves as deprived of all religious privileges, or their masters as dest.i.tute of christian benevolence and the feelings of humanity."

CHAPTER VI.

COLONIZATION PRINCIPLES VINDICATED--CALUMNIES REFUTED--THE GOOD COLONIZATION HAS ALREADY DONE--IS DOING--AND THE INCALCULABLE GOOD IT WILL DO, IF DULY PATRONISED.

_The Colonization Society_ was formed in Was.h.i.+ngton, December 21st, 1816; and not in Virginia, as Abolitionists falsely a.s.sert. Amongst its most prominent promoters and founders, were, FINLAY--CALDWELL--and MILLS; than whom none were more excellent and pious: they were not slave-holders, as Abolitionists falsely a.s.sert.

Although the simple object of this Society is the colonization of the _free people of colour_, who _voluntarily_ desire to go abroad, yet the members of it are decidedly opposed to slavery. And although _as a body_ they do not attempt to interfere with the rights of the slave-holder, yet as _individuals_ they have, and do exercise their utmost powers to diminish the evils of slavery--to provide, for the liberated person of colour, and to induce the slave-holder to emanc.i.p.ate his slaves; and all this consistent with the _legal_ interest of the owner, and consistent with the laws of G.o.d. Nothing could more satisfactorily prove the truth of these statements than the two following facts, 1st, that the actual PRO-SLAVERY party denounce the Colonization Society; and 2dly, that vast numbers of slaves have been emanc.i.p.ated through the influence of this Society. Dr. Reese says in his work before quoted, p. 41,

"The society does not merely "_promise_" to promote Abolition, but exerts a mighty and _successful moral influence in actually abolis.h.i.+ng slavery. And here I will not refer to the truth, which he who runs may read, that in Kentucky, Delaware, Maryland, and even Virginia_ itself, it is now openly avowed that '_colonization doctrines have sealed the death warrant of slavery!_' _Hence the pro-slavery party have declared that 'colonization and emanc.i.p.ation are synonymous terms_, and that the approach of _the former must be resisted_!' At a meeting of the same party _in Charleston_, the following toast was given, 'May the infernal regions soon be _colonized_ with the officers of the Colonization Society!' And while labouring with your misguided a.s.sociates in the North, to hold up the Colonization Society, as hypocritical in its professions to exert a _moral influence_ towards the voluntary and utter abolition of slavery, you are leagued with 'all the advocates of the negro's perpetual bondage, who are the bitter uncompromising enemies of the society.' The Rev. J. M.

Danforth states on his own personal knowledge, that in South Carolina, 'the society, and every thing connected with it, are held in _extreme abhorrence_ by our leading men, our politicians and wealthy planters. It is so _unpopular_ an inst.i.tution, that very few name it publicly,--it is regarded here as a _northern scheme_ to _wrest_ from us our _slaves_.'

In your anti-colonization efforts then, you are a.s.sociated in action with the very men, whose character as slave-holders is so odious, that you deprecate their connexion with the colonization cause, as an unpardonable sin. Let me conjure you, sir, no longer to be 'jostled by the trafficker in human flesh,' in your crusade against the society or its benevolent objects, but abandon the 'bad eminence' to which your 'want of information' has unhappily raised you."

"The following manumissions are the legitimate result of the '_moral influence_' of the Colonization Society.

"[67:A]It would be endless to enumerate the cases of this kind that have occurred. Some of them must be recorded, that the acts and the names of the parties, where known, may have the applause to which they are ent.i.tled, and, what is of more consequence, that they may serve as stimuli to others, to follow the n.o.ble example.

"A lady, near Charleston, Va. liberated all her slaves, _ten_ in number, to be sent to Liberia; and moreover purchased _two_, whose families were among her slaves. For the one she gave $450, and for the other $350.

"The late William Fitzhugh bequeathed their freedom to _all his slaves_, after a certain fixed period, and ordered that their expenses should be paid to whatsoever place they should think proper to go. And, 'as an encouragement to them to emigrate to the American colony on the coast of Africa, where,' adds _the will, 'I believe their happiness will be more permanently secured, I desire not only that the expenses of their emigration be paid, but that the sum of fifty dollars_ be paid to each one so emigrating, on his or her arrival in Africa.'

"David Shriver, of Frederick co. Maryland, ordered by his will, that all his slaves, _thirty_ in number, should be emanc.i.p.ated, and that proper provision should be made for the comfortable support of the infirm and aged, and for the instruction of the young in reading, writing, and arithmetic, and in some art or trade, by which they might acquire the means of support.

"Col. Smith, an old revolutionary officer, of Suss.e.x county, Va. ordered in his will, that all his slaves, _seventy_ or _eighty_ in number, should be emanc.i.p.ated; and bequeathed above $5000 to defray the expense of transporting them to Liberia.

"Patsey Morris, of Louisa co., Va. directed by will, that all her slaves, _sixteen_ in number, should be emanc.i.p.ated, and left $500 to fit them out, and defray the expense of their pa.s.sage.

"The schooner Randolph, which sailed from Georgetown, South Carolina, had on board _twenty-six slaves_, liberated by a benevolent individual near Cheraw.

"Of 105 emigrants, who sailed in the brig Doris, from Baltimore and Norfolk, _sixty-two_ were emanc.i.p.ated on condition of being conveyed to Liberia.

"Sampson David, late a member of the legislature of Tennessee, provided by will, that all his slaves, _twenty-two_ in number, who are mostly young, should be liberated in 1840, or sooner, at his wife's decease, if she died before that period.

"Herbert B. Elder, of Petersburg, Va. bequeathed their freedom to all his slaves, _twenty_ in number, with directions that they should be conveyed to Liberia, by the first opportunity.

"A gentleman in Georgia, has recently left _forty-nine_ slaves free, on condition of their removal to Liberia.

"Mrs. Elizabeth Morris, of Bourbon co., Va. provided by will for the emanc.i.p.ation of her slaves, about _forty_ in number.

"David Patterson, of Orange co., North Carolina, freed _eleven_ slaves, to be sent to Liberia.

"Rev. Fletcher Andrew gave freedom to _twenty_, who const.i.tuted most of his property, for the same purpose.

"Nathaniel Crenshaw, near Richmond, liberated _sixty_ slaves, with a view to have them sent to Liberia.

"Rev. Robert c.o.x, Suffolk co., Va. provided by his will for the emanc.i.p.ation of all his slaves, upwards of _thirty_, and left several hundred dollars to pay their pa.s.sage to Liberia.

"Joseph Leonard Smith, of Frederick co., Md. liberated _twelve_ slaves, who sailed from Baltimore for Liberia.

"Of 107 coloured persons who sailed in the Carolinian, from Norfolk for Liberia, _forty-five_ were emanc.i.p.ated on condition of being sent there.

"In the brig Criterion, which sailed from Norfolk for Liberia, on the 2d August, 1831, there were _forty-six_ persons who had been liberated, _on condition of proceeding to Liberia_; 18 by Mrs. Greenfield, near Natchez; 8 by Mr. Williams, of Elizabeth city, N. C.; 7 by Gen. Jac.o.c.ks, of Perquimans, Ohio; 4 by Thomas Davis, Montgomery co. Miss.; 2 by two other individuals; and 5 by some of the Quakers in North Carolina.

Of those liberated slaves, 2 only were above 40 years of age, 22 were under 35, and 22 under 20.

"A gentleman in N. C., last year, gave freedom to all his slaves, 14 in number, and provided 20 dollars each, to pay their pa.s.sage to Liberia.

"Mrs. J. of Mercer co., Kentucky, and her two sons, one a clergyman, and the other a physician, lately offered the Colonization Society, _sixty_ slaves, to be conveyed to Liberia.

"Henry Robertson, of Hampton, Va., bequeathed their freedom to _seven_ slaves, and fifty dollars to each, to aid in their removal to Liberia.

"William Fletcher, of Perquimans, N. C., ordered by will, that his slaves, _twelve_ in number, should be hired out for a year after his death, to earn wherewith to pay for their conveyance to Liberia.

"A gentleman in Kentucky, lately wrote to the secretary of the society, 'I will willingly give up _twelve_ or _fifteen_ of my coloured people at this time; and so on _gradually_, till the whole, about _sixty_, are given up, if means for their pa.s.sage can be afforded.'

"On board the Harriet, from Norfolk, of one hundred and sixty emigrants, between _forty_ and _fifty_ had been slaves, emanc.i.p.ated on condition of being sent to Africa.

"In addition to these instances, several others might be added, particularly that of Richard Bibb, Esq., of Kentucky, who proposes to send _sixty_ slaves to Liberia--two gentlemen in Missouri, who desire to send _eleven_ slaves--a lady in Kentucky offers _forty_--the Rev. John C. Burress, of Alabama, intends preparing _all his slaves_ for Colonization--the Rev.