of ,michigan's ,making of ,america      
collection47      ,transcriber's ,note3 
,every effort has been made to replicate
 this text as faithfully as possible1   
including obsolete and variant spellings
 and other inconsistencies4 ,text that  
has been changed to correct an obvious  
error is noted at the end of this ebook4
       ,,the    ,,right    ,,of         
,,american ,,slavery4    ,,by    ,t4 ,w4
 ,,hoit1    ,,of ,,the ,,st4 ,,louis    
,,literary ,,and ,,philosophical        
,,association4    ,,southern ,,and      
,,western ,,edition4     ,,first ,,and  
,,second ,,editions1 #ejj1jjj ,,copies4 
,,for ,,sale ,,by ,,the ,,principal     
,,publishers ,,throughout ,,the ,,union4
     ,,st4 ,,louis1 ,,mo43   ,,published
 ,,by ,l4 ,,bushnell4   #ahfj4          
,entered according to ,act of ,congress1
 in the year #ahfj1    ,by ,t4 ,w4      
,,hoit1    ,in the ,clerk's ,office of  
the ,district ,court of the ,united     
,states   in and for the ,district of   
,missouri4     ,,baker  ,,godwin1       

,,printers1   ,printing-,house ,square1 
opposite ,city ,hall1   ,,new ,,york4   
,,preface4   ,,to ,,the ,,american      
,,people4  ,my ,fellow                  
,countrymen3--,upon what manner of times
 have we fallen8 ,is our supposed       
experiment of self-government about to  
prove a failure8 ,are we so blind as not
 to see the abyss into which we are     
about to plunge8 ,section hostile       
against section2 ,states arrayed against
 the ,constitution2 ,churches sundered2 
the springs of intelligence poisoned at 
their source2 treason stalking at       
noonday2 insurrection rife2 the equality
 of ,states and citizens denied1 and    
derided2 justice rebuked2 treachery     
applauded2 traitors canonized2 anarchy  
inaugurated2 monarchy calculating the   
end of republicanism2 and the wheels of 
government clogged by the minions of    
despotism6 ,all this1 my ,countrymen1   
and you passive1 silent1 sightless2     
reckless of your own and your children's
 doom8 ,and while all this is true1 you 

go about your usual avocations1 as      
though the eyes of the civilized world  
were not upon you2 as though the great1 
the good1 the magnanimous of all lands  
were not breathless1 and spell-bound1   
and appalled at the spectacle2 as though
 the prophetic admonitions of the       
,father of our ,country were forgotten1 
and nature1 with an ominous silence1    
conspired to lull you into              
forgetfulness1 the more to astound you  
with the wonders and the woes of an     
approaching catastrophe6  ,what fatal   
error is there in our ,republican       
principle8 ,what virus sickens our body 
politic8 ,what fascination lures us from
 the shrine of freedom8 ,what           
infatuation hath seized the ,american   
people1 that they should put to hazard  
this priceless inheritance1--the home1  
and refuge1 and hope1 of the            
down-trodden nations8  ,i aver there is 
a fatal fallacy adopted by a large      
number of the ,american people1 which1  
if not rejected1 will lead us down to   

national oblivion4 ,that fallacy is     
exposed in the following pages1 by      
showing what is right1 and what is      
wrong1 and explaining the fundamental   
error by which our public opinion is    
divided1 and the way of a reunion       
pointed out4 ,no one can desire to      
remain in error4 ,it is the desire to do
 right which animates the great mass of 
the ,american people4 ,it was1 perhaps1 
the desire to do right1 that made ,john 
,brown a rebel and a traitor1 and which 
consigned him to a traitor's doom4      
,there is no safety1 then1 in desiring  
to do right2 but to ,,know what is      
right1 and to ,,do it4 ,the time has now
 arrived when the ,american people must 
do right1 or suffer the penalty of doing
 wrong4  ,good intentions will not do4  
,good ,,deeds are demanded1--actions    
founded upon truth and justice1 and in  
accordance with nature's irrevocable    
laws4 ,we boast of our greatness1 and   
power1 and intelligence4 ,of what avail 
are all these1 if they will not save us 

from national ruin8 ,what boots it that 
a slumbering giant dreams of his        
strength while he is falling upon the   
bosom of a burning lake8 ,the mightiest 
empires have sunk to oblivion4 ,are we  
soon to follow them8  ,our material     
greatness and vigor seem to forbid the  
idea of premature decay2 but let us not 
be blind to the delusive dream of an    
immortality springing from mental       
imbecility1 nor the chimera of a        
political finality in governmental      
system which establishes and tolerates  
,,injustice1 nor the permanence of a    
,state in the midst of preponderating   
elements of fluctuating popular         
delusion4  ,either the institutions     
under which we live are founded in      
truth1 or they are founded in error4    
,our constitution is the work of wisdom1
 or of folly4 ,it is founded in justice1
 or injustice2 in ,,right1 or wrong4    
,shall we honor the astuteness of its   
founders1 and perpetuate these          
institutions to remotest ages8 or shall 

we prove recreant to this trust1        
unworthy of these manifold blessings1   
and in our mental blindness and moral   
imbecility invoke the scorn of future   
ages1 and the just execrations of all   
mankind8  ,the material elements of     
greatness of the ,great ,american       
,republic1 must be vivified and         
enlivened by a corresponding degree of  
,,intellect2 they must be permeated by  
an adequate element of illuminating     
soul1 or they will fall1 a lifeless     
mass1 into chaotic ruin4 ,let us        
remember      ,that trade's proud empire
 hastes to swift decay1     ,as ocean   
sweeps the labored mote away2           
,whilst self-dependent power can time   
defy1     ,as rocks resist the billows  
and the sky4     ,,the ,,right ,,of     
,,slavery4   ,,introduction4  ,,african 
,,slavery is1 at present1 the subject of
 all-absorbing interest to the ,american
 mind2 for1 our people1 almost          
intoxicated with their own freedom1 seem
 unsatisfied with those manifold        

blessings acquired by the labors of     
their sires2 and while they are         
conscious of not excelling them in      
wisdom1 virtue1 or valor1 they are      
becoming ideal1 and seem willing to     
sacrifice the practical1 safe rules of  
republican action1 for mere idealisms1  
born in the dizzy sphere of their own   
over-wrought imaginations4 ,they tremble
 at the name of ,washington1 whose      
purity and moral power shed lustre upon 
the name of man1 and they worship him as
 a god2 but while the ,,real            
,,washington commands the homage of     
mankind1 and stands the intermediate    
between the race of men and the         
,infinite1 we find the imaginations of  
men ignoring reason1 and embarked upon a
 voyage aerial1 amid the clouds4 ,there 
they revel high above the mountain tops 
of ,washington1 ,jefferson1 and         
,franklin1 where the atmosphere is pure1
 where the light is clear1 and where the
 lightnings play2 but1 alas for human   
weakness and frailty6 they are there    

only in imagination1 though the splendid
 illusion is to them a reality1 and the 
pleasing dream of ideal beauty1 which1  
by the magic power of transmutation1    
annihilates or obliterates the reason   
and memory1 destroys those distinctions 
of great and little1 right and wrong1   
weakness and power1 which nature has    
arbitrarily made1 and the experience of 
mankind recognized as fundamental2 upon 
which all law is based1 and all order   
and civilization sustained and advanced1
 for the security and elevation of      
nations and of men4   ,,the ,,ideal     
,,and ,,the ,,real  ,this ideal element 
so predominates1 in consequence of over 
or false culture2 by the reading of a   
spurious literature1 which dwells in the
 regions of fiction and romance1 to the 
proportionate neglect of the stirring   
incidents of our time1 which actually go
 to make up true history--which seem    
marvellous enough of themselves1 without
 the necessity of invention1 or the aid 
of artificial novelties1 except for mere

 embellishment4  ,it would seem that the
 rise and progress of this ,republic2   
the spread of our ocean commerce2 the   
building of a thousand cities2 the rush 
of the world to our shores2 the peopling
 of our boundless plains2 the rapid     
birth of new ,states into our ,union2   
the triumph of our arms2 our repeated   
accessions of territory2 our maritime   
and commercial superiority2 our foreign 
discoveries2 our inventions in          
mechanism2 our discoveries in science2  
the use of steam1 and electricity2 our  
statesmanship1 and foreign diplomacy2 a 
thousand miraculous incidents of        
individual enterprise and success2 the  
discovery of gold1 of silver1 and iron2 
our internal improvements and           
meliorations2 our national prestige2 and
 finally1 our greatness and glory as a  
nation1--ought to suffice for any       
reasonable conception of the marvellous1
 as they outstrip the more ignoble      
creations of fancy1 and absolutely      
invade the former domain of fiction and 

romance4 ,hence the seeming puerility of
 fiction when contrasted with these more
 wondrous phenomena of fact4 ,the       
substitution of fiction for fact is1    
therefore1 unnecessary and absurd1 as it
 defeats the very purpose intended1 by  
its own inferiority4 ,its chief effect1 
then1 is but to mislead the mind4  ,let 
us1 then1 control the imagination2      
discard the ideal in practical affairs1 
hold it in its sphere1 and adopt the    
,,real1 in order that by the exercise of
 right reason we may be enabled to      
consider the present subject as it is1  
and not as it would be when weighed in  
the scale of the ideal2 for in this way1
 and this alone1 can we come to just    
conclusions1 and our labors result in   
practical benefit to those most         
concerned in the premises4 ,in the      
spirit of truth1 of candor1 of sober    
reality1 let us1 therefore1 approach the
 subject of ,american ,slavery4   ,,the 
,,negro ,,ever ,a ,,slave4  ,the ,negro 
has been a slave from time immemorial4  

,this is shown from the earliest        
,egyptian monuments1 paintings1 and     
traditions4 ,herodotus1 the father of   
,grecian ,history1 tells us of negro    
slavery in ,ancient ,greece4 ,it existed
 in ,rome also4 ,during the tenth       
century of the ,christian era1 the      
,moors1 from ,barbary1 established an   
extensive traffic in the cities of      
,nigritia1 where they bought large      
numbers of slaves2 and the merchants of 
,seville brought slaves from the western
 coast of ,africa1 and established      
slavery in that city1 and in ,andalusia1
 long before the time of ,columbus4#a   
,it is also a curious fact in history1  
that ,hanno1 the great ,carthagenian    
commander and discoverer1 having        
explored ,africa from the ,straits of   
,gibraltar to the bounds of ,arabia1    
brought back to ,carthage a cargo of    
ourang-outangs1 which he supposed to be 
,negro men and women2 showing more      
historically his estimate of ,african   
character1 than his familiarity with    

,natural ,history4 ,the ,negro has ever 
been a slave2#b and it is to be         
considered whether his quick and sudden 
transition from slavery to freedom1 by  
emancipation1 is probable or possible1  
or is sanctioned by the history of human
 development and progress4   ,,two      
,,phases ,,of ,,slavery4  ,slavery has  
two phases2 the moral1 which involves   
the ,,right1 and the prudential1 which  
is the expedient4 ,but strictly1 the    
moral is the principal and controlling  
view of the subject1 and that which has 
made and will continually constitute the
 criterion of action from which the     
expediency is deduced1 and the anomaly  
of slavery in our ,republic understood1 
the paradox of a slaveholding democracy 
explained1 and the institution of       
slavery justified with human equality1  
by justly discriminating between        
barbarism and humanity1 civilization and
 savagism1 justice and injustice1 right 
and wrong4   ,,the ,,right ,,of         
,,slavery4  ,i assert the right and     

justice of slavery1 and found my        
arguments on the subject in right alone4
 ,if it can be shown to be right1 then  
it is expedient2 if wrong1 then it      
cannot be shown to be expedient1 and1 if
 possible1 it ought to be abolished4 ,it
 is the idea of the wrong of slavery    
which has misled1 and is continuing to  
mislead1 the ,american mind4  ,by what  
process of reasoning1 then1 can slavery 
be shown to be just8 ,i answer1 because 
,,right holds a just and hereditary     
control over wrong4 ,i answer1 that it  
is right that barbarism should subserve 
civilization4 ,i assert that barbarism  
is wrong1 and civilization is ,,right2  
that the former conduces to the misery  
and the latter to the happiness of      
mankind4 ,barbarism--with its pagan     
idolatries1 its monstrous superstitions1
 its devil-worship1 its false religious 
rites1 its heathen orgies1 its          
cruelties1 its cannibalism--is wrong4   
,who will deny this8 ,who are its       
apologists and advocates8 ,let them     

stand forth and show the right of       
barbarism6 ,let us have a homily on its 
beauties6 let them picture to us the    
meliorations of cannibalism6 ,will any  
one do it8 ,no2 it is a self-evident    
wrong4 ,to attempt1 even1 to prove it   
wrong1 would seem to be a work of       
supererogation4 ,barbarism it repugnant 
to the common sense of the ,anglo-,saxon
 race2 a violation of the conscience of 
civilization4 ,cannibalism is an almost 
inconceivable outrage against all right1
 in moral1 social1 or even superior     
animal existence4 ,few animals or even  
reptiles devour their kind4 ,it is1     
therefore1 an act repugnant to human    
nature1 and in violation of the         
amenities even of a nobler animal       
existence4 ,in a word1 it is unmitigated
 wrong1 showing its subjects and        
votaries to be incarnate devils4        
,,barbarism ,,of ,,the ,,african ,,race4
  ,the ,african race is a race of       
barbarians1 and civilization to that    
race would be an artificial state of    

existence4#c ,the vestiges of barbarism 
characterize the ,african1 in his normal
 state4 ,the latent principle of        
cannibalism1 lurks1 in dormant energy1  
within the very core of his being1 and  
constitutes a prominent characteristic  
of his animal existence4 ,the economy   
and order of nature is no less marked in
 the carnivorous than in the herbivorous
 mammalia and quadrumana2 and although  
their physical distinctions are not     
always so marked as to render apparent1 
to superficial observation1 the uses and
 functions of their entire organism1 yet
 science has been a tolerably faithful  
interpreter of cause and effect1 and has
 not failed to recognize those organic  
qualities1 and the structural           
adaptability of the ,african race1 which
 qualify it for its mission as the      
representative of barbaric fury and     
degradation1 and the type1 in human     
form1 of that chaotic element of        
self-annihilation1 which nature has     
kindly restricted to the fewest number  

of the lowest orders of animated        
being4#d ,the inhabitants of ,southern  
and ,central ,africa1 from whence our   
slaves are drawn1 the ,feejeean1 the    
,caffrarian1 the ,new-,zealander1 and   
the ,hottentot1 are stamped by nature   
with the unmistakable character of      
unmitigated barbarism1 and absolute     
antagonism to civilization2 and their   
improvement when brought in contact with
 civilization is so slow as almost to   
escape detection4 ,indeed it is doubtful
 whether the arts of ,european and      
,american civilization have succeeded in
 so fascinating the ,african race among 
us as to warrant the expectation of     
permanency to the colony of ,liberia1   
except from the light reflected by      
constant and continued emigration2 and  
it is believed1 by many shrewd          
philanthropists whose efforts have been 
long devoted to the cause of ,african   
colonization1 that should emigration to 
the colony cease1 the ,negroes there    
would immediately relapse into their    

former habits and customs1 and          
ultimately resume their original        
character of cannibals4   ,,the         
,,african ,,not ,,intended ,,for        
,,freedom4  ,no race will remain slaves 
which the ,god of nature intended1 or   
which is fit1 to be free2 and it is the 
history of the ,african in this country1
 that the more fit to be free the more  
he is inclined to remain a slave4 ,that 
portion of the ,african race here which 
have been most benefited by our         
civilization1 scorn the false           
philanthropy which would restore them to
 barbarism1 and beg the immunity of     
perpetual thralldom4 ,this is a clear   
proof that the ,african is not intended 
for freedom1 and at the same time shows 
that instinct teaches him1 as it teaches
 all our domestic animals1 to know the  
path of safety better than it can be    
learned in the school of fanaticism1 or 
from the dialect of fools4  ,it is1     
therefore1 in the philosophical aspect  
of the subject1 in which it should be   

viewed1 since philosophy searches down  
into the deep recesses of nature1 and   
drags to light those hideous deformities
 of a race of barbarians1 whose inherent
 passions revel in a sphere infinitely  
beneath the dignity of our domestic     
animals1 and from whose frenzied rage   
for self-annihilation1 enkindled by a   
morbid desire to devour their kind1 the 
gentler beasts of the forest turn away  
in disgust1 and humanity shrinks back   
with unmitigated horror6   ,,barbarism  
,,should ,,subserve ,,civilization4  ,to
 say1 then1 that it is ,,just that      
barbarism should subserve civilization  
is a laconical axiom1 which decides a   
plain question of right and wrong4 ,the 
wrong is1 that the ,african is a        
barbarian1 and devours his kind2 the    
right is1 that in his service due and   
rendered to civilization1 he receives   
its protection1 and is compelled to     
forego the1 to him1 exquisite pleasure  
of devouring his kind4 ,it will be      
observed that this view of the subject  

justifies1 not only the perpetuation1   
but the inception of slavery1 and       
renders emancipation absurd and cruel1  
and the inception of slavery just2      
leaving the continued transfer of       
barbarians to the midst of civilized    
communities1 a right1 the exercise of   
which could not involve or sacrifice any
 right of the barbarian1 but must depend
 upon the enlightened decision of       
civilization1 as to the reciprocal      
benefits to be derived therefrom4 ,the  
conscience of civilization is the       
tribunal at which to try barbarism1 as  
well as every other grade of inferior   
subjective existence4 ,it stands above  
and controls all below it4 ,the         
conscience of civilization decides both 
the right to summon the barbarian1 and  
to hold him subject to its dictates2 to 
weigh the benefits to civilization      
against the evils resulting from the    
adoption of the element of this         
super-animal force as an aid to         
civilization4 ,civilization deciding to 

take and hold the barbarian1 it becomes 
right by the decision of the highest    
arbiter4 ,the taking of the barbarian1  
and his employment as an adjunct of     
civilization1 being in consequence of   
his moral delinquency1 and his          
consequent mental imbecility1 is no     
arrogation of right1 because it is just2
 it is no assumption of right1 because  
the empire of right is universal2 it is 
no violation of right1 because the act  
in itself is the exercise of the        
prerogative of right1 of justice1 in    
civilization1 to suppress wrong and     
compel it to subserve right4 ,in this   
view emancipation is no less unjust to  
the ,african than opposed to the law of 
right4 ,to seize him and drag him away  
to barbarism1 against his will1 is an   
act in favor of barbarism and in        
violation of right4 ,it restores to     
barbarism its victim1 and robs the      
,african of his supposed natural        
prerogative and choice1 of service to   
civilization4 ,the act1 of itself1 is   

the abnegation of that same right which 
it is designed or intended to assert4   
,,the ,,african',s ,,aversion ,,to      
,,colonization4  ,go ask the ,african   
his opinion of ,liberia6 ,consult him as
 to the choice of his future home4 ,he  
looks upon this land as a paradise1 and 
upon that with instinctive dread and    
apprehension4 ,go ask the very slaves of
 the inventor of ,central ,american     
,colonization 7that devout apostle of   
political philanthropy1 and most zealous
 advocate of emancipation71 go ask his  
slaves their opinion of the merits of   
their master's invention1 and their     
faces will kindle with the half         
ingenuous blush of conscious            
degradation1 as they denounce his       
project1 as the last device of insolence
 to degrade and oppress them4           
,,impracticability ,,of ,,colonization4 
,the impracticability of ,african       
colonization#e had long since become a  
foregone conclusion1 so far as it could 
be made applicable to the present or    

prospective transfer of #d1jjj1jjj of   
negroes from this republic to ,liberia4 
,a mathematical solution of that problem
 shows the cost of purchase and         
transportation to be no less a sum than 
#b1djj1jjj1jjj1 or ten times the amount 
of all the gold and silver coin in the  
,united ,states4 ,the purchase of these 
,negroes1 alone1 would cost             
#b1jjj1jjj1jjj1 or eight times the      
amount of all our coin2 and if we add to
 this the cost of transportation to     
,central ,america1 the entire cost would
 not be less than #b1bjj1jjj1jjj4 ,it   
will be seen that one scheme is as      
practicable as the other2 and the       
alternative remains1 of either robbing  
the people of nearly half the ,states of
 the ,union of their property1 or the   
,negro must remain a slave4 ,no sane man
 will say that the purchase of this     
property is practicable or possible4    
,fancy1 if you please1 the ,negroes     
bought and paid for2 the estates of all 
the people of this country involved in  

the vain chimera of transferring to our 
,southern ,states1 in remuneration1 all 
the coin in ,europe and ,america1 and   
all that will be added thereto in a     
hundred years to come1 and you have a   
picture not very suggestive of          
practicability or expediency4  ,but1    
even if the citizens of our ,southern   
,states should magnanimously propose the
 totally improbable act of voluntary and
 gratuitous manumission of their slaves1
 for the purpose of elevating them to   
political equality1 what would be the   
effect upon our country8 ,three millions
 and a half of ,negroes let loose upon  
our community1 in competition1 in the   
main departments of industry1 with free 
white labor4 ,or would you1 in          
accordance with the legislation of many 
of the ,states1 exclude the negro from  
the ,northern1 ,middle1 and ,western    
,states1 and the ,territories1 and thus1
 by confining him to the ,south1 give   
him political preponderance over the    
white man in many of the ,states of the 

,union8 ,imagine the pure crystal       
pillars of this temple of freedom turned
 to ebony2 the radiant eyes of          
,freedom's ,goddess shocked at the      
gloomy spectacle of symbolic night1 and 
suffused with tears at such a           
desecration of her shrine6   ,,gradual  
,,or ,,prospective ,,emancipation4      
,there is another popular idea of       
emancipation1 which is unjust1          
fallacious1 and impossible of           
application4 ,it is known by the        
specious though plausible appellation of
 gradual or prospective emancipation2 by
 which it is proposed to destroy1 by    
legislation1 the productiveness and the 
value of this species of property1 after
 a limited period1 by declaring the     
confiscation of its increase4 ,this has 
been tried by mistaken philanthropy1 or 
by organized duplicity1 with no other   
effect but to transfer the slaves from  
,state to ,state1 and from the ,north to
 the ,south2 but while this process has 
been going on1 the number of slaves in  

the ,united ,states has increased more  
than four-fold1--from less than one to  
more than four millions4 ,this is       
emancipation with a vengeance4 ,in this 
ratio1 prospective or gradual           
emancipation would give us1 in seventy  
years more1 #af1jjj1jjj slaves4 ,it will
 be seen that this process is not       
emancipation1 but merely transposition1 
or change of locality4 ,the very name of
 emancipation1 thus applied1 is a       
misnomer4   ,,of ,,partial              
,,legislation4  ,but of the injustice of
 that partial legislation which would   
discriminate against the property of one
 class of citizens1 to destroy its      
value1 by proposing the confiscation of 
its increase1 or excluding it from the  
,state1--this is oppression4 ,it may be 
submitted to1 but it is unjust1 partial 
legislation1 and an arbitrary act of    
tyranny1 and if persisted in will1 some 
day1 lead to war4 ,besides1 it does not 
effect the purpose intended4 ,it does   
not diminish slavery1 but only changes  

its locality4 ,what would be said if it 
were attempted to invalidate any other  
species of property1 by the confiscation
 of its increase1 or an attempt to      
legislate it out of the ,state8 ,to     
declare by legislation a forfeiture of  
rents of houses or lands1 after a       
specified period1 or the increase of any
 species of stocks1 or other property8  
,what is this but agrarianism8 what but 
the first blow of the levelers8 ,and if 
this is done with impunity1 how long    
before some other species of property1  
in the shape of fancied superfluous     
individual wealth1 will also be         
confiscated8 ,there is no safety in     
establishing such a precedent4          
,,purposes ,,of ,,british               
,,emancipation4  ,emancipation          
contemplates the social and political   
equality of the races4 ,it proposes to  
mix the pure ,anglo-,saxon blood with   
the dark blood of ,ethiopia6 ,it        
proposes the amalgamation of            
civilization with barbarism4 ,it        

proposes the debasement and downfall of 
this ,republic1 and the erection upon   
its ruins of a mighty military          
despotism4 ,the alienation of that      
friendly sentiment and brotherly        
affection which existed among our people
 in the days of the ,revolution1 is     
prophetic of this2 and unless reason    
resume her seat1 and the convulsed sea  
of ,american mind1 now lashed to fury by
 blind zealots and ,european emissaries 
among us1 be calmed1 and the angry wave 
of fanaticism be stayed1 such will most 
certainly be the sad and startling      
consummation4   ,,of ,,the ,,right ,,to 
,,enslave ,,the ,,barbarian4  ,it is    
pretended by certain sophists and       
visionary theorists1 that the ,,right   
does not exist to enslave the barbarian2
 that to assert such right is fatal to  
the principle of human equality4 ,to    
which ,i answer1 that barbarity is not  
humanity1 but its opposite1 and the     
right of the one to control the other is
 supported by law1 founded upon the     

immutable principles of justice4 ,the   
experience of mankind has demonstrated1 
and the judgment of mankind has decided1
 that certain acts are wrong in         
themselves2 that to kill is an act      
abhorrent to the soul of man1 and as it 
is also a violation of natural right1   
the murderer shall die--that in his     
death an element of chaos and           
destruction1 in him1 is annihilated--and
 the principle or element of murder in  
the wicked be thereby repressed4 ,here  
is an instance wherein the right is     
asserted1 to take1 not only the liberty1
 but the life of an individual4 ,some   
deny this right1 but they do not deny   
the right to deprive the murderer of his
 liberty4 ,all will agree that the      
murderer shall1 at least1 be deprived of
 his liberty4 ,so with other crimes4    
,there is a tolerable agreement in      
civilized communities1 that for certain 
crimes men shall be deprived of their   
natural right to freedom4 ,so1 the      
principle is established1 that          

communities have the right to deprive   
men of their liberties4 ,laws are       
established and executed by this        
principle4 ,every ,state1 and almost    
every small community1 endorses this    
principle1 and constantly illustrates it
 by the punishment of offenders against 
law1 who are confined in jails and      
prisons4 ,and it is folly to deny a     
right founded upon the universal usage  
and experience of mankind4 ,so with     
nations4 ,did we not repress the wrong  
exercised against us by ,mexico and     
,algeria8 ,did we not even deny the     
right of maritime isolation to ,japan1  
on the score of cruelty or neglected    
hospitality to our shipwrecked mariners8
 ,suppose she slay our ambassador1 or   
our resident minister2 would we not     
still further force upon her1 in a      
summary manner1 those well-known rules  
of law1 and amenities of civilization1  
and principles of justice1 which are    
proclaimed to be right by the united    
voice of nations8  ,we are considering  

the subject of the enslavement of the   
,african race in this ,republic4 ,we are
 inquiring into the ,,right of ,african 
,slavery4 ,we have asserted the right of
 slavery1 as founded upon the principle 
that universal right holds a just and   
hereditary control over wrong2 and as   
the ,african is a race of barbarians1   
and barbarism is wrong1 it follows that 
it is the right of civilization to hold 
the ,african subject to those rules of  
justice which pertain to civilization1  
and to protect him from the injustice1  
violence1 and degradation1 which are the
 concomitants of barbarism4 ,to deny    
this is to deny the superiority of      
,,right over wrong4 ,he who denies this1
 becomes the advocate of barbarism2 for1
 barbarism being below civilization1 he 
asserts its equality with civilization1 
and thus becomes its apologist and      
advocate4   ,,violation ,,of ,,natural  
,,right4  ,such an one will claim that  
involuntary labor performed by the      
,african1 in behalf of civilization2 or 

the production1 by his labor1 of        
material or fabrics to hide his         
nakedness1 or adorn the human race1 or  
protect them from the cold1 degrades the
 barbarian1 because it encroaches upon  
his natural right to go naked and       
houseless1 and perish with the cold4 ,he
 is quite primitive in his ideas of     
dress1 and ought to emigrate to a warm  
climate1 like ,south ,africa or ,south  
,america1 where the elements of nature  
do not conspire with civilization to    
degrade and oppress him4 ,he perceives  
that our unjust and oppressive laws     
actually punish1 as an offense1 the     
exposure to view of man's natural       
external beauties6 ,this is about as far
 as it is safe to go on the subject of  
natural right1 both from considerations 
of propriety and modesty1 and also1 as  
it almost amounts to a digression from  
the subject immediately under           
consideration2 but we are merely        
following the advocate of emancipation1 
on the score of equality and natural    

right1 just where his principles lead   
him2 and as it forcibly suggests the    
inexpediency of emancipation1 and       
consequent barbarism1 on the score of   
morality and decency1 it seems entirely 
apposite to the subject4  ,but it is    
claimed by some1 that the ,african slave
 here has ceased to be a barbarian1     
which ,i deny4 ,his nature is not       
essentially changed2 his habits are     
forced2 and he would at once fall1 as he
 has fallen1 and is falling1 in ,san    
,domingo1 ,jamaica1 and ,canada1 but for
 coercion4 ,it is1 therefore1 an        
external power which holds him up1 and  
no innate principle within him4   ,,the 
,,debt ,,of ,,the ,,barbarian4  ,but    
even for argument1 admitting the        
,african were civilized1 still he is not
 legally entitled to his freedom4 ,why8 
,because on account of his barbarism he 
became the property of another1 who has 
a vested right in him4 ,his transition  
from barbarism to civilization was at   
the expense of civilization1 and he owes

 a just equivalent therefor4 ,his debt  
is the difference between barbarism and 
civilization1 and will be estimated     
according as the one in held higher than
 the other4   ,,the ,,right ,,of ,,the  
,,african ,,to ,,remain ,a ,,slave4  ,if
 the ,african is entitled to his        
freedom1 he is also entitled to the     
privilege of remaining in servitude2 a  
privilege which nine tenths of the      
,negroes in this country are well known 
to crave4 ,but we deny his right of     
choice in the premises4 ,his barbarism  
was the oblivion of his right to choose 
his own proper position2 and the absence
 of inherent right in him subjects him  
at once to the dominion of universal or 
external right in civilization4 ,his    
right of choice1 therefore1 has no real 
validity1 and should not even be        
tolerated to denounce the heinous wrong 
of his emancipation1 and consequent     
restoration to barbarism4 ,his right to 
remain a slave is not his own1 but the  
right of civilization2 and even his     

willingness to remain in servitude1     
though a double evidence of his         
barbarism and of his appreciation of his
 partially ameliorated condition as an  
accessory of civilization1 is not       
available in deciding as to his present 
or future condition2 because the right  
exercised in his subjection to the rules
 of civilization is primordial1 and     
sovereign1 and all-controlling1 as      
,universal ,right1 and is in no case    
subject to the will of barbarism4       
,,the ,,melioration ,,of ,,the          
,,african4  ,with regard to the         
degradation of the ,african slave1 that 
is admitted2 but at the same time his   
position as an accessory to civilization
 is far higher than that wherein he was 
wholly the subject of barbarism4 ,now1  
he is dignified to the useful avocations
 of the civilized race2 learns their    
rudimental arts and customs1 and methods
 of subsistence2 is subject to1 and     
protected by law2 becomes               
semi-civilized1 and in rare1 individual 

instances1 as a lusus natur1 even       
aspires to the nobler prerogatives of   
mind4 ,the meanest slave that wears the 
shackle or feels the whip of            
civilization1 in the reluctant          
performance of coerced labor1 is a far  
nobler being than the ,african barbarian
 in his native wilds4   ,,of ,,the      
,,degradation ,,of ,,labor4  ,labor     
degrades no man4 ,labor is honorable1   
because the products of labor feed and  
clothe the world1 and thus conduce to   
the welfare and happiness of mankind4   
,coerced labor is better than no labor4 
,coercion itself does not necessarily   
degrade man2 rather may it ennoble and  
elevate1 when it is exercised to summon 
the barbarian to the lessons of         
civilization4 ,coercion degrades not the
 man whom it compels to do right2 it    
only exposes that degradation which is  
the result of doing wrong4 ,the man only
 is degraded who1 voluntarily or by     
coercion1 does wrong1 or neglects to do 
right4 ,to talk of the degradation of   

labor1 whether coerced or free1 is1     
therefore1 preposterous4   ,,human      
,,equality4  ,but the question of       
emancipation is started and agitated on 
the ground of human equality4 ,it is the
 supposed equality of the ,african with 
the white race1 that is the pretext for 
emancipation1 and the foundation of the 
assumed right and expediency of         
emancipation4 ,it has been supposed by  
some1 that the enunciation of human     
equality in the ,american ,declaration  
of ,independence was intended for all   
the races of men in the world4 ,such a  
supposition is totally unfounded1 and   
unwarrantable in the very nature of     
things4 ,in the first place1 it is not  
true2 and in the next place1 the writer 
of that ,declaration meant no such      
thing1 for he held slaves1 and knew     
their inferiority4 ,what a monstrous act
 of hypocrisy and folly it would have   
been in the author of that instrument1  
and his cotemporaries1 to declare that  
all men are created free when they knew 

millions are born slaves1 or when they  
knew no equality existed1 even of right1
 between the barbarian and the man whose
 sense of justice and perception of     
,,right secured to him the approbation  
of ,heaven and his own conscience1 by a 
recognition of and obedience to the laws
 of morality1 and conformity to the just
 rules of civilization4 ,they wrote that
 ,declaration for white men1--meaning   
white men1--because it did not and could
 not apply to the barbarous and savage  
nations4 ,they saw the world in chains1 
and knew the bondage of mankind to be   
the result of their violation of moral  
right1 and their incapacity for         
self-government4 ,they estimated rightly
 when they announced freedom to the     
white race in these colonies2 for1 up to
 this time1 the fact of self-government 
by our people has verified their        
prophetic annunciation2 but the sages   
who founded this ,republic1 excluded1 by
 legislation1 the ,african and the      
,indian from this boon of freedom1 and  

they and their descendants have held the
 ,african in the condition of servitude4
   ,,incapacity ,,of ,,the ,,mingled    
,,races ,,for ,,self-,,government4  ,the
 question of the enfranchisement of the 
,african1 therefore1 involves the       
question of the capacity of the mingled 
races for self-government2 a problem    
which is already solved in ,mexico1 in  
,jamaica1 in ,san ,domingo1 and several 
of the ,spanish ,american ,states4      
,there1 the mixed races have no common  
bond of union4 ,the predominance of one 
petty ,state1 or military chieftain1 is 
the signal for the semi-barbarous hordes
 of mingled races to combine for the    
purpose of destruction4 ,urged on by the
 emissaries of that colossal            
superstition which casts its shadow over
 this ,republic 7whose home is a foreign
 kingdom1 and whose head is a foreign   
prince71 the semi-barbarous hordes of   
mingled races in the ,south ,american   
,states1 are a prey to successive bloody
 revolutions1 through that imbecility   

which is the sure result of the         
amalgamation of civilization with       
barbarism4   ,,wrong ,,should ,,subserve
 ,,right4  ,in considering the subject  
of slavery1 there is one principle which
 must not1 and cannot be lost sight of1 
as it underlies all else1 and is the    
root from which springs the tree of all 
knowledge on this subject1 as well as   
all others2 to wit3 ,that ,,right holds 
a just and hereditary control over      
wrong4 ,not because right is the        
strongest1 but because it is the ,,best4
 ,it is very common when right asserts  
its prerogative1 that we hear the       
subjects and votaries of wrong denounce 
,,right as mere might4 ,this is a common
 foible of vice1 to conceal its own     
deformity2 a mere subterfuge1 which1    
when pushed to the wall1 vice adopts1   
and meets the executioner of justice    
with the accusation that he is the mere 
instrument of might2 the servile tool of
 arbitrary power4 ,this glozing of vice 
avails not4 ,justice stands erect in the

 dignity of its own moral beauty1 and   
commends itself to the intellect and    
conscience of mankind4 ,all the         
affections1 all the wisdom1 and all the 
experience of men1 do homage at the     
shrine of justice1 as the arbiter of    
right4 ,this great moral tribunal1      
established at the dawn of creation1 has
 existed through all time1 and still    
exists2 and at this tribunal we try     
barbarism1 and find it to be wrong1     
because it conduces to the misery and   
degradation of men4 ,at this tribunal1  
we find civilization to be right1       
because it conduces to the happiness and
 welfare of mankind4 ,this being so 7and
 the man who denies it1 is a barbarian71
 it follows1 that civilization1 carrying
 with it the preponderating elements of 
right and justice1 holds a just and     
hereditary control over barbarism1 which
 is wrong4 ,when we assert1 therefore1  
the right of slavery1 because it is just
 that barbarism shall subserve          
civilization1 we only say it is just    

that wrong should subserve right2--a    
proposition1 which1 certainly1 ought to 
commend itself to the common sense1 the 
intellect1 and the conscience of every  
good man4  ,some assert that            
civilization should subserve barbarism2 
but when tried by our rule1 they at once
 see that it is preposterous to assume  
that right should subserve wrong4       
,,forfeiture ,,of ,,natural ,,right4    
,some propose1 that the advantages of   
the great and little1 the served and the
 servant1 the good and the bad1 should  
be reciprocal2 that that which is used  
is1 or should be1 as much advantaged in 
the using as is the user4 ,i would ask  
them--what particular advantage it is to
 the oyster to be devoured8 or what     
return can the earth make to the sun for
 his rays1 constantly poured upon it8   
,some assert that every human being is  
unqualifiedly endowed by nature with the
 right of individual freedom4 ,this we  
deny4 ,we assert that barbarism is not  
humanity1 and cannot claim to exercise  

the prerogative of civilization1 which  
it has ignored1 or which it never knew4 
,we assert that the murderer has        
forfeited that right2 and more than     
this1 with the element of murder        
developed in him1 originally1 he never  
was entitled to freedom4 ,prisons1 and  
even dungeons1 are as necessary and     
proper as schools and colleges1 but not 
more so than servitude to the barbarian4
 ,they are all appliances of right and  
justice and civilization1 not to make   
the good subserve the bad1 but to make  
the bad subserve the good4   ,,taking   
,,the ,,exception ,,for ,,the ,,rule4   
,it will not do for men to pretend that 
they do not know which is right and     
which is wrong2 what is civilization and
 what is barbarism4 ,the exception for  
the rule is as proper to adopt in the   
one case as in the other4 ,we cannot    
condemn civilization for the incidents  
of bad government in some cases1 false  
religion in others1 and crime in others1
 when the general tenor of civilization 

is to protect the weak against the      
strong1 give security to life and       
property1 and by developing the         
intellect and cultivating the moral     
faculties1 elevate and ennoble the race4
 ,neither can we acquit barbarism if it 
affords occasional instances of         
immoderate instinct1 closely            
approximating to intellect1 or even     
intellect itself1 and moral worth1 or   
the absence of ferocity1 or the presence
 of positive amiability1 render it      
possible that the barbarian is not a    
fiend1 or that he may be schooled to    
tolerable docility1 while the general   
tenor of barbarism is to wrong1 cruelty1
 violence1 and self-annihilation4       
,,passion2 ,,sympathy ,,misapplied4     
,nor will it do to ignore reason1 and   
adopt passion when we consider the      
subject of slavery4 ,passions have their
 uses1 but how often they are perverted6
 ,reason is sometimes perverted too1 and
 never more than when exercised against 
truth1 justice1 and civilization1 and in

 favor of barbarism4 ,there is false    
sympathy1 amounting to passion1 that is 
blindly lavished upon objects which     
neither need nor appreciate it4 ,we     
often see it exercised in behalf of the 
brute animals1 whose proper natures are 
totally unconscious of it2 while their  
gentleness and quietness seem to rebuke 
this shallow1 human sentimentality1 as  
something wandering from its sphere1 or 
as seed wasted upon the sand4 ,your     
sympathy has its legitimate uses1 and it
 is against the economy of nature to    
misuse it1 or bestow it upon natures    
foreign to its own4 ,if we pity the     
slave because he is not like ourselves1 
we shall probably receive his pity1 in  
return1 for some weakness or power in   
us1 that covers an abyss which he cannot
 fathom1 and from which he turns away in
 terror4 ,he is adapted to his place1   
and so are we1 if we are content4       
,,perfection ,,of ,,nature',s ,,work4   
,it has been said1 with how much truth  
let us consider1      ,where ignorance  

is bliss1 'tis folly to be wise2  the   
reverse of which is1 ,where knowledge is
 bliss1 'tis folly to be ignorant4 ,the 
first proposition was evidently intended
 for the ,negro1 and the last for the   
white man2 as intellectual pleasures and
 knowledge are esteemed highest by the  
latter1 and animal pleasures by the     
former4 ,happiness is the aim of both2  
the difference is in the mode of        
attaining it1 and the degree of it when 
attained4 ,the negro is perfect in his  
kind4 ,sympathy will not make him a     
white man4 ,would you interrogate nature
 on the wisdom of her works8 ,would you 
denounce them as imperfect8 ,can you    
improve upon the architecture of the    
honey-bee1 or the method of his         
distillation8 or on nature's processes  
of germination and vegetation8 ,your cup
 of liquid poison is but a mean         
equivalent for his treasured nectar2    
your hot-house culture yields nought for
 the beauties of ,flora1 nor the        
sweetness of her priceless perfumes4    

,the spider would not be a butterfly    
even if you could give him wings4 ,the  
power to fly would only enable him to   
spin his web in air1 and obscure the    
sunlight4 ,his own way is best1 both for
 him and man4   ,,the ,,negro           
,,satisfied ,,with ,,his ,,condition4   
,reason will bring all things right4 ,we
 must take things as they ,,are1 not as 
fancy would paint them4 ,it is of no use
 to get exasperated because the ,negro  
is dark of skin1 and because his        
inferiority and degradation adapt him to
 the rougher1 or rudimental departments 
and pursuits of civilization4 ,pity for 
him on account of the labor which makes 
his sleep sweet1 and his digestion      
perfect1 is thrown away4 ,he knows      
nothing of the ennui of sloth1 nor the  
misanthropy of idle declaimers4 ,he has 
his rude affections1 and does not hate  
wrongs which he does not know nor feel1 
nor is he shocked at manacles which he  
cannot see1 and which hold him from     
falling into the abyss of barbarism1    

whence they have lifted him4 ,he loves  
his condition as a slave to             
civilization1 because his instinct tells
 him it is better than subjection to the
 usages and wrongs of the condition from
 whence he has risen4 ,if he is         
satisfied with his present condition1 it
 is from an intuitive instinct1 teaching
 him his fitness for it1 and shows1 by  
the slowness of the transition from     
barbarism to civilization1 how wide and 
deep is the gulf which divides the one  
from the other4   ,,unity ,,of ,,the    
,,african ,,races4  ,i use the term     
barbarism in contradistinction to       
civilization1 and very respectfully     
refer to authorities of repute in       
justification of this use of the word1  
both to designate the quality of the    
thing1 and the precise locality of its  
fittest application2 for although       
,herodotus tells us that the ,egyptians 
and ,greeks applied the term barbari to 
all who spoke a language different from 
their own2 and even the ,hindoos used   

almost the same word to express the     
quality indicated1 differing only by the
 accidental dissimilarity of the        
,sanskrit orthography1 which makes it   
varvvarah or varvvaras1 we have the     
authority of ,professor ,wilson1 who    
says it means an outcast1 and in another
 sense1 woolly or curly haired1 as the  
hair of the ,african4 ,and for          
authorities showing the unity of the    
,negro races1 dialects1 and languages1  
in ,western1 ,southern1 and ,central    
,africa1 ,i refer to the writings of    
,progart1 ,ritter1 ,oldendorf1 ,marsden1
 ,bruseiotti1 ,harves1 ,grandpre1       
,vater1 ,salt1 ,ludolf1 and ,oldfield2  
who1 from other motives than those which
 have prompted the partial accounts of  
more recent travelers and writers on the
 subject1 have shown conclusively1 that 
the degrees of barbarism existing in the
 tribes inhabiting the ,western and     
,southern coasts of ,africa1 and the    
interior1 are1 in fact1 mere            
modifications of that same barbarism1   

produced by local causes1 and mitigated 
only by the force of nature from        
without1 rather than by any inherent    
quality belonging to any portion of the 
,negro race4 ,i speak of language as the
 connecting chain which links together  
the various ,african tribes1 showing1 if
 not their identity1 their immediate    
connection1 and holding to the account  
of barbarism those exceptions to the    
rule of barbarism which suggest the     
pretext for breaking down the barriers  
which divide barbarism from             
civilization1 and form the basis of all 
the false philanthropy and efforts of   
political emancipation which are the    
curse of the age and country in which we
 live4  ,according to ,pritchard1 and   
others familiar with the subject1 the   
slaves exported from ,congo1 which was  
long the principal resort of the        
,portuguese traders in black men1 have  
always been regarded by slave-dealers   
and planters as genuine ,negroes4 ,if   
the physical traits of the ,mapoota     

tribe1 who will1 as ,i suppose1 be      
admitted to be undoubtedly of the ,kafir
 race1 so fairly represent the ,negro   
character1 it will be less difficult to 
admit that the natives of ,mozambique   
and ,congo belong to the same stock4    
,all the inhabitants of the great empire
 of ,congo speak one language1 though it
 is divided into a number of dialects1  
including the dialect of ,loango in the 
north1 that of ,congo in the south1 and 
,banda1 or idiom of ,cassanga1 in the   
interior1 forming1 collectively1 one    
nearly allied family of languages1 or1  
in fact1 one language4   ,,travelers    
,,in ,,africa4  ,since emancipation     
contemplates the transfer of the slaves 
to ,africa1 as the means of mitigating  
those supposed evils to which they are  
subjected1 having already established by
 way of derision a republic there1 ,i   
deem it legitimate to make some inquiry 
into the nature and condition of the    
inhabitants of ,africa1 in order to     
ascertain if such a change would be     

expedient or proper1 with a view to the 
amelioration of the condition of the    
slaves4 ,of course1 to do this1 we must 
take the general authorities of history1
 and not confine ourselves to those     
individual authorities of recent date1  
which may be influenced by the popular  
delusion of ,negro equality1 or1 for    
purposes of gain or from political      
motives1 have written books to sell1 or 
been employed for pay to belie the      
,,known ,,truths ,,of ,,history4        
,,cannibalism4  ,with regard to         
cannibalism1 ,i demand that the         
advocates of emancipation either adopt  
it as right and proper1 or denounce it1 
as ,i do1 as beneath the dignity of     
ordinary animal existence1 and as the   
most disgusting prerogative of          
barbarism4 ,probably they will adopt it 
on the very antique authority of ,zeno1 
,diogenes1 ,chrysippius1 and the        
,stoics1 who esteemed it perfectly      
reasonable for men to devour one        
another2 or because1 in ,china 7and     

other countries7 it is practiced1 where1
 according to ,herrera1 one great market
 is supplied with human flesh alone1 for
 the better sort of people2 or because  
cannibalism was universal before the    
days of ,orpheus4 ,i almost fear lest   
the emancipationists1 by adopting       
cannibalism as right1 with such high    
authorities and precedents to support   
their position1 may endeavor to palliate
 ,african cannibalism on the ground that
 it is not a monopoly1 and claim        
exemption from the great verdict of     
modern civilization which denounces1 as 
forfeited and condemned1 this disgusting
 and leading custom of barbarism4 ,but  
if the common sense of the ,anglo-,saxon
 race did not almost universally        
denounce this hideous custom1 ,i would  
bring ,sextus ,empiricus to show that   
the first laws ever enacted were to     
prevent men from devouring each other2  
and even this may be declared1 by our   
sophistical emancipationists1 to be one 
of the first violations of natural      

right4 ,if the right of cannibalism is  
claimed1 then will nature assert its    
wrong1 and vindicate civilization4 ,but 
if cannibalism is rejected by the       
emancipationists1 then let us see to    
what dangers and degradation he would   
expose the now happy and contented      
slave4   ,,cannibalism ,,in ,,africa4   
,in the ,,universal ,,vocabulary1 which 
is compiled from the very highest       
authority 7p4 #bah71 we learn that the  
,jagas1 of the kingdom of ,congo1 take  
pleasure in eating young women6 ,and a  
princess was so fond of her gallants1   
that she ate them successively6 ,their  
choicest food is warm human blood6 ,the 
,jaga chieftain1 ,cassangi1 used to have
 a young woman killed every day for his 
table6 ,five or six strong men will at  
once destroy and share the flesh of a   
captive4 ,the women are equally as      
ferocious as the men1 delighting to     
cleave the skull1 and suck the warm     
brain of the slain6 ,this is solemn     
history1 though almost horribly         

incredible4  ,from the same authority1  
and others1 we learn that seven-eighths 
of ,africa is at present either savage  
or barbarous4 ,this is the present      
condition of ,africa1 by nearly the     
unanimous voice of enlightened          
travelers1 and scientific explorers4    
,according to ,pritchard1 the ,mumbas1 a
 numerous and savage people who live at 
the east and northeast of ,te-te1 and at
 ,chicorango1 are cannibals4  ,dos      
,sanctas says1 ,they have in their      
principal town a slaughter-house1 where 
they butcher men every day4  ,we learn  
from ,pritchard1 that the ,zimbas1 or   
,mazimbas1 are a man-eating tribe near  
,senna4 ,also1 that the ,mla tribe      
slaughter fifteen or twenty men every   
day4  ,it is a well-authenticated fact1 
that the subjects of the ,great ,macaco 
are anthropophagi1 or cannibals4 ,this  
prince has a court so numerous1 as to   
require two hundred men to be butchered 
every day to supply his table2 a part of
 them criminals1 and a part slaves      

furnished in the way of tribute4 ,it is 
a part of history1 both ancient and     
modern1 that in the market-places in the
 principal towns and large villages     
throughout southern1 and in portions of 
central ,africa1 ,negro flesh is sold by
 the pound1 as commonly as beef or      
mutton is sold throughout these ,united 
,states2 and what is worse1 it in only  
the wealthy or more intelligent classes 
who are able to indulge in so great a   
luxury2 while the poorer classes1 the   
mass of the people1 are envious         
spectators of the traffic in this so    
great a luxury1 as to tempt them to     
every violence and crime to enable them 
to indulge in it4   ,,supremacy ,,of    
,,paganism ,,in ,,africa4  ,this is the 
fate to which emancipation would consign
 the ,negro4 ,these are a few of the    
selected examples of the horrors of     
barbarism1 furnished by historians1     
scientific travelers1 and ,christian    
missionaries1 whose testimony1 as       
eye-witnesses1 has become history during

 the last few hundred years4 ,meanwhile1
 the light of civilization has blazed   
upon ,africa from three quarters of the 
globe1 even as the rays of the sun have 
enveloped the globe itself4             
,missionaries from ,europe and ,america1
 from ,rome1 and ,london1 and ,new      
,york1 have striven with a zeal and     
fidelity known only to religious        
enthusiasm1 incited by mutual emulation1
 and armed with those terrors which awe 
the soul1 those allurements which       
beguile the affections1 and those       
fascinations which enkindle hope2 but   
they have striven in vain against the   
colossal power of barbarism2 and to-day1
 those heathen orgies which have        
darkened the annals of the world for    
four thousand years1 are as sacred1 to  
paganism in ,africa1 as are the rites   
and ceremonies of ,christianity in      
,london or in ,rome4  ,is this no       
evidence of the unfitness of the        
,african for civilization8 ,and is it   
just1 in the sight of heaven1 to force  

him from his present willing position of
 service to civilization1 and consign   
him to a fate more terrible than even   
death itself6   ,,the ,,african ,,race  
,,on ,,this ,,continent4  ,look at the  
,african race on this continent1 in this
 ,republic1 in ,canada1 and in the      
,islands of ,san ,domingo and ,jamaica4 
,compare the ,african in this ,republic1
 under the wholesome regimen of         
civilization1 with his emancipated      
brethren in the ,west ,indies1 or his   
recusant1 fugitive brother in the       
,canadas4 ,has he not advanced here1 and
 retrograded there8 ,compare his        
condition in these ,states1 ,north and  
,south4 ,why do the free ,states enact  
laws to prohibit the ,african from      
coming into them to settle8 ,is it      
because he is a civilized man1 an equal1
 and a good citizen8 ,is it not rather1 
because the ,anglo-,saxon race shuns the
 supposed contamination of barbarism8   
,the wisdom of these prohibitory laws   
will be seen in the future time2 when   

the idea of ,negro equality has become  
exploded and obsolete2 after the        
question of emancipation has served its 
purpose in political combination2 but   
alas6 not until the fallacy of negro    
equality has resulted in a mongrel race 
which will have spread itself like the  
shadow of a cloud over some of the      
fairest portions of freedom's heritage4 
,,the ,,african ,,is ,,deemed ,a        
,,barbarian ,,in ,,the ,,northern       
,,states4  ,it will be seen that the    
arguments here advanced are predicated1 
to some extent1 upon the fact that the  
,african is a barbarian4 ,that he is so 
in his native wilds1 we have shown by   
high authority4 ,that he is so in this  
country1 is obvious1 from the fact that 
in the ,south he is held a slave1 and is
 satisfied with his condition2 and      
because1 as a race1 the ,african in this
 country1 and on this continent1 shows  
not the least capacity for self-control4
 ,in the ,south1 the ,african1 in his   
best estate1 is a slave4 ,in the ,north1

 laws are wisely enacted to prevent him 
from going there1 because of his        
barbarism1 and because that portion of  
the most advanced race on earth shrinks 
from contact with it4 ,the fact1 then1  
of his barbarism is sustained1          
fully1--by his normal condition in      
,africa2 his condition of retrogradation
 in ,jamaica and ,san ,domingo1 where   
the experiment of emancipation has      
proved a failure1 where the relapse into
 barbarism is sure and irrevocable2 and 
in this country1 where common sense and 
public opinion and public law1 both     
,north and ,south1 hold him in the      
condition of social1 moral1 and physical
 vassalage and servitude1 and confine   
him effectually within certain          
prescribed limits1 or hold him in that  
marked estimation of inferiority which  
makes him forever conscious of his own  
degradation4 ,i have felt justified1    
therefore1 not by way of opprobrium1 nor
 in the spirit of invidious or odious   
comparison1 to name the category in     

which he belongs1 and then1 by fair     
moral and philosophical argument to     
deduce the justice and right of         
civilization in holding dominion over   
him4   ,,emancipation ,,is ,,wrong4  ,it
 is not our purpose to blame the        
,african for being a barbarian2 but to  
insist that emancipation is wrong       
because it restores him to barbarism1   
and that slavery is right because it    
holds him to those roles of justice     
which pertain to civilization1 and      
protects him from the injustice1        
violence1 and degradation which are the 
concomitants of barbarism4 ,as the slave
 of civilization1 he is raised          
infinitely above his former condition as
 the subject of barbarism4 ,he knows    
this1 and it satisfied4 ,his instinct   
teaches him to love his master1 because 
he is his protector1 and because1       
mistrusting his own capacity for        
self-government1 he knows the necessity 
for a master2 and instances are         
numerous1 of slaves1 having misjudged   

their own capacity for self-government1 
having fled from supposed wrongs1 they  
found they were mistaken as to the means
 of bettering their condition1 and      
returned to voluntary servitude1        
begging1 with tears1 to be again        
admitted to the sacred precincts of the 
patriarchial care4   ,,fitness ,,of     
,,the ,,african ,,for ,,slavery4  ,it is
 the fitness of things that makes the   
,african a slave4 ,his brawny limbs1    
seconding and aiding the intellect of   
the superior race1 constitute the left  
hand and foot of labor4 ,slavery is the 
left hand of our body politic4 ,free    
labor is the right hand4 ,intellect is  
the head4 ,all combined1 constitute a   
power which is felt and feared by the   
foes of this ,republic4 ,hence their    
endeavor to detach one portion from the 
other1 and thus weaken the whole4 ,to   
change the position of the slave is to  
interrupt or reverse the order of       
nature4      ,what if the foot1 ordained
 the dust to tread1     ,or hand to     

toil1 aspired to be the head8     ,what 
if the head1 the eye1 or ear repined    
,to serve1 mere engines of the ruling   
mind8     ,just as absurd for any part  
to claim     ,to be another in this     
general frame2     ,just as absurd to   
mourn the tasks or pains     ,the great 
directing ,mind of ,all ordains4        
,,absurdity ,,of ,,negro ,,equality4    
,the truth is1 slavery is right1 and is 
proved to be so1 notwithstanding all the
 noisy declamation we hear about human  
equality4 ,the ,negro is a barbarian1   
and barbarism is not humanity but       
inhumanity2 hence the unfitness to the  
case1 of such illogical reasoning as is 
adopted by the advocates of ,negro      
equality4 ,human equality1 as applied to
 the ,negro1 is an idle fantasy1 without
 even the shadow or semblance of        
plausibility4 ,white men are equals in  
few things2 certainly not in physical   
nor mental capacity1 nor power4 ,the    
equality declared by our ,revolutionary 
,sires was the political equality of    

white men4 ,let us arise from that      
lethargy in which we have dreamed of    
universal equality1 and escape the      
dangers of that moral and intellectual  
somnambulism in which we have been      
groping to the verge of social and      
political destruction4   ,,american     
,,and ,,european ,,radicalism4  ,this   
restless spirit of change1 in a portion 
of our people1 this craving for         
universal equality1 by the blind victims
 of popular fanaticism1 finds its       
parallel in the destructive element of  
,european radicalism1 7that bane of     
,european democracy17 which mistakes    
freedom for the right of plunder1 and   
,democracy for the right of popular     
despotism4 ,it is that blind spirit of  
rage which adapts not the means to the  
end1 but overreaches itself1 and falls a
 prey to its own cupidity1 duplicity1   
and folly4   ,,inequality ,,of ,,races4 
,universal equality1--the equality of   
the ,african with the ,caucasian1 or the
 savage with the civilized races1 is no 

more possible than to blend right with  
wrong4 ,the inequality exists in nature1
 as indubitably as the varied magnitudes
 of the stars4 ,and the characteristics 
of the various savage races differ as   
widely as their varied physiognomy4     
,there is no equality among them1 mental
 or physical1--not even equality of     
degradation4 ,the gigantic ,patagonian1 
and the dwarfish ,laplander2 the wild   
,feejeeian1 and docile ,guinea ,negro2  
the stolid ,indian1 and ant-like plodder
 of teeming ,india1--are but the outward
 symbols of that contrariety of moral1  
or rather immoral existence which is the
 fate of barbarism4 ,they have no       
equality of beauty nor ugliness1        
leanness nor obesity1 vice nor virtue1  
but varying differences1 such as the    
spontaneous growth of uncultured nature 
in different climes exhibits in the     
vegetable and lower orders of the animal
 creation4 ,what a contrast is this to  
that trained1 drilled conformation to   
the order and proper conventionalities  

of civilized life1 which our free       
schools1 free press1 social rites1 laws1
 and customs impose4   ,,quibble ,,of   
,,the ,,sophist4--,,taking ,,the        
,,exception ,,for ,,the ,,rule4  ,and   
here comes the quibble of the sophist1  
who singles out instances of law        
violated in civilized communities1 and  
holds them up as the criterion by which 
to judge civilization1 and triumphantly 
exclaims1 ,lo6 the fruits of            
civilization--of that civilization which
 arrogates to itself the right to       
enslave mankind6 ,but this is merely a  
bare perversion of truth4 ,he deceives  
no one so much as himself1 when he      
imagines the world will take the        
exception for the ,,rule of             
civilization1 or make it the pretext to 
sustain barbarism4   ,,the ,,supremacy  
,,of ,,mind ,,over ,,matter4  ,it is    
safe to assert that right holds a just  
and hereditary control over wrong4      
,veritas vincit4 ,justice and truth go  
hand in hand4 ,barbarism must bow before

 the genius of civilization4 ,and what  
is not found in international law1 nor  
suppressed by it1 nor dictated by the   
commercial rivalries of nations1 nor the
 zealous diplomacy of kings1 will yet   
continue as it ever has1 to recognize   
the power of mind over matter1 of reason
 over passion1 of intellect over animal 
existence2 and the dominion and         
supremacy of written constitutions over 
citizens1 communities1 ,states1 and     
empires4 ,the right of government in    
civilized ,states more than suggests the
 right and supremacy of civilization    
over barbarism4 ,but the right of mind  
over matter1 of intellect over mere     
animal life1 of reason over passion1 is 
asserted upon the broadest principles of
 philosophy in nature4 ,the ,infinite   
,spirit1 unseen1 moves the visible      
material creation as the creature of his
 will4      ,he framed the universe1 and
 instant twirled     ,upon its orbit1   
this terrestrial world2     ,bid chaos  
flee1 and called the glittering train   

,of constellations to the ethereal      
plain2     ,he built the fabric of      
creation fair2     ,lit every sun that  
shines in glory there2     ,strewed with
 his hand1 to deck heaven's argent      
fields1     ,each starry atom that      
refraction yields2     ,and holds in    
order1 as it moves along1     ,each     
seraph bright1 of the celestial throng6 
,,shall ,,barbarism ,,control           
,,civilization8  ,behold the order of   
heaven6 ,does any passion bear sway     
there8 ,the ponderous globes obey the   
mandate of spiritual superiority2 and   
shall the order of nature be reversed   
here1 and the animal species lord it    
over men8 ,shall barbarism again come on
 the track of civilization1 with fire   
and sword1 and ruthless annihilation8   
,shall civilization invoke the demon of 
destruction to its own downfall8 ,shall 
the frenzy and rage of visionary        
enthusiasts1 or the dark schemes of the 
emissaries of despotism in this         
,republic1 lay in ruins this fair temple

 of freedom1 the home1 and refuge1 and  
hope of the down-trodden nations8       
,,the ,,rage ,,of ,,passion4  ,what are 
these dreams of sophists1 these vagaries
 of imagination1 this rage of passion1  
this perversion of reason1 and          
high-sounding declamation1 confounding  
right with wrong1 civilization with     
barbarism1 but the paraphernalia of     
despotism arrayed against the liberties 
of mankind8 ,emancipation is all a      
delusion1 a foible1 a fantasy1 an idle  
dream6 ,the soul and intellect of man is
 heaven-derived1 and knows its order and
 beauty1 and will hold in abeyance these
 elements of chaos4 ,the barbarian is   
indeed dark of skin1 and the radiance of
 a million constellations in a thousand 
ages will not change him1 nor the light 
of civilization fade to moral brightness
 his gloomy mind6   ,,emancipation ,,of 
,,the ,,white ,,races4  ,it will be     
observed that my argument on the subject
 of slavery is new1 and is drawn from   
the actual nature of the case4 ,i offer 

no antique authority to sustain the     
,,right of slavery4 ,the history of the 
,african race for four thousand years is
 sufficient1 which is1 that in no       
country nor condition has that race     
shown the capacity for or enjoyed       
self-government4 ,and1 indeed1          
self-government with the superior white 
races is still deemed but an experiment4
 ,the great mass of the white races ever
 have been1 and still are1 governed by  
the strong hand of despotism1 or by the 
more plausible1 but ofttimes not less   
diabolical power of constitutional      
sovereignties1 or hereditary or         
revolutionary oligarchies4 ,it is not1  
then1 so great a disparagement to the   
,african that he is unfit for freedom1  
when nine-tenths of the foremost of the 
white races1 show not the capacity to   
enjoy it4 ,certainly1 the ,african is   
not their superior4 ,why1 then1 demand  
for him more than is allowed to the     
superior white races8 ,if emancipation  
is to be thought of1 would it not be    

well to emancipate the white races      
first8   ,,the ,,argument               
,,invulnerable4  ,i have rested my      
argument on no antique authority to show
 the right of slavery4 ,i have appealed 
to no religious dogmas to show this     
right4 ,i have not even availed myself  
of the whole tenor of sacred history to 
justify it1 which has been done         
heretofore by others1 and done in vain4 
,i have not labored to produce a        
voluminous collation of other men's     
opinions to swell my pages4 ,sacred     
history is in the hands of all1 and its 
teachings need not my endorsement1      
recommendation1 nor reiteration4        
,indeed1 if the right of slavery here   
asserted is not based upon truth1 and if
 it does not commend itself to the      
unbiased judgment of my countrymen1 then
 ,i demand that they discard it4 ,i ask 
if the argument here advanced1 has been 
or can be refuted8 ,if it can be1 let it
 be done fairly1 openly1 and without    
circumvention4 ,let it be shown that    

barbarism ought not to subserve         
civilization4 ,let it be shown that     
civilization is wrong1 because it does  
not conduce to the well-being and       
happiness of mankind2 let it be shown   
that barbarism is right because it does 
this4 ,let the apologists and advocates 
of barbarism show its equality with     
civilization4 ,let it be denied1 and the
 denial proved1 that the laws of        
universal right and justice hold true   
and heaven-derived supremacy over wrong4
 ,let it be shown that the slave-owner  
has no legal right of property in his   
slaves4 ,or1 if it be admitted that he  
has such right1 let any possible process
 of emancipation be pointed out4 ,will  
the violent denunciations of fanaticism 
induce him to free his slaves8 ,does the
 divided sentiment and feeling evinced  
in even the division of the churches    
north and south1 indicate the           
willingness of the owners to free their 
slaves8 ,if not1 then by what means are 
they to be set free8 ,is it to be by    

purchase8 and if so1 is it proposed to  
pay the value of the slaves8 and how8   
,let it be shown that the purchase and  
transportation of #d1jjj1jjj of ,negroes
 to ,africa will cost less than         
#b1djj1jjj1jjj2 or to ,central ,america 
less than #b1bjj1jjj1jjj4 ,let it be    
shown to be expedient1 practicable1 or  
possible to do this2 and even if done1  
let it be shown to be a benefit to the  
slave or the master2 a benefit either to
 civilization or barbarism4  ,if none of
 these things can be shown1 and ,i aver 
they cannot1 then how about the last    
startling alternative of robbing the    
slave-owner of his property8 of the     
freeing of the ,negroes by servile      
insurrection and civil war8 ,what would 
be the cost in blood and treasure to    
effect this8 and the probable result of 
such an effort at emancipation1 on the  
freedom and civilization of the world8  
,,why ,,england ,,abolished ,,the       
,,slave ,,trade1--,,her ,,dread ,,of    
,,our ,,greatness ,,and ,,power4  ,the  

truth is1 the slave trade was abolished 
by ,british and ,tory influence1 at     
about the time of the ,american         
,revolution1 when slavery1 as an adjunct
 of colonial vassalage1 could no longer 
subserve the interests of ,british      
commerce4 ,this was their first success 
in circumventing us4 ,her complicity in 
the ,cooley trade is an evidence of     
this4 ,she is willing to morally damn   
herself for purposes of monarchical     
intrigue1 in order to supplant us4 ,our 
agriculture and commerce1 and rapidly   
accumulating wealth and power1 and      
republican glory1 are too much for her4 
,our example of success in freedom      
tempts the loyalty of the most          
enlightened subjects of the ,british    
crown4 ,the fascinations of freedom     
beguile the ardent and noble aspirations
 of the ,english democracy1 and         
,britannia1 with her antiquated and     
wrinkled visage1 shrinks abashed from   
the majestic presence of ,freedom's     
immortal and fadeless bloom6  ,this is  

the true cause of the present ,british  
,negro philanthropy1 and the occasion of
 her assumed moral turpitude in         
elevating the heathen barbarian of      
,africa to the primary plane of         
civilization1 to the protection of its  
laws1 and the meliorations of its moral1
 political1 social1 and religious       
institutions4 ,it is because monarchy   
was beginning to be odious in the eyes  
of the ,european democracy1 when        
contrasted with our antagonistical      
system of the divine right of the       
people4 ,it is her policy and her       
purpose to render our institutions      
unstable by means of a suborned and     
venal press1 and a band of mercenary1   
hireling1 political and religious       
monarchical conspirators1 parasites and 
traitors4 ,these her gold can furnish4  
,her arms having repeatedly failed to   
subjugate the ,american democracy1 she  
now has recourse to her diplomacy1 her  
intrigues1 and her gold4 ,twenty        
millions of money expended in this way  

in the last twenty years1 has had its   
effect1 and to her emissaries1 and      
hireling presses and scribblers1 we are 
indebted for a dastardly generation of  
traitors1 who would barter the liberties
 of their country for the applause of   
faction1 and the complacency of kings4  
,,england',s ,,self-,,imposed ,,odium4  
,it is a monstrous absurdity1 nay it is 
an act of egregious hypocrisy1 for      
,england now to assume for herself an   
hypothetical guilt1--after bringing the 
,african to her ,american ,colonies for 
purposes of gain1 and after exercising  
an intolerable tyranny over the white   
race in those colonies1 and even        
invoking the aid of the tomahawk and    
scalping knife of the ,american savage  
in their attempted subjugation1--for the
 purpose now1 when her arms and         
diplomacy have repeatedly failed1 of    
seeking to overthrow the freedom of a   
,republic1 which has risen1 in despite  
of her1 to such colossal proportions1   
as1 in its very existence1 to menace the

 combined monarchies of the world4 ,but 
we hold these #d1jjj1jjj of barbarians  
subject to the laws of civilization2 and
 let ,england remember that we1 even    
now1 have the magnanimity to relieve her
 from the self-imposed odium of doing   
right6 ,we now tell her monarchists1    
degenerate sons of illustrious sires1   
that in their maritime decadence they   
have also morally retrograded1 for they 
now seek to restore these ,africans to  
barbarism6   ,,slavery ,,is ,,an        
,,incident ,,of ,,civilization4  ,let it
 not be claimed1 even as a sophistical  
subterfuge1 that the motive which       
brought the ,african here was mercenary1
 and that1 therefore1 his coming here   
was not justifiable4 ,commerce is the   
handmaid of civilization1 and if his    
coming was only incidentally right1 yet 
that incident belongs to civilization1  
which is amenable to the moral code1 and
 is also to be commended1 with all its  
incidental1 as well as more matured     
blessings4 ,the institutions of         

civilization rescued these #d1jjj1jjj of
 barbarians from the dangers1           
degradation1 and miseries of barbarism1 
and by causing them to subserve         
civilization1 compelled them to do      
right4 ,the ,english and ,american false
 philanthropists1 monarchical           
emissaries1 ecclesiastical parasites1   
and pseudo-republican traitors now      
demand that these ,africans shall be    
restored to barbarism1 not because it is
 practicable or possible1 or right1 but 
because the proposition involves the    
equality of these ,states1 and          
consequently the existence of the       
,american ,union4 ,the success of these 
conspirators depends upon an adequate   
numerical proportion of knaves and      
monomaniacs1 the well-adjusted mechanism
 of monarchy for the overthrow of this  
,republic4 ,their success would forever 
settle the long mooted question of the  
capacity of ,anglo-,saxon race for self 
government4 ,hence the lavish employment
 of ,british gold to suborn the         

,american press1 and seduce the         
,american mind from the safe precepts of
 ,washington1 whose name is1 and ever   
has been1 a terror to the ,british      
oligarchy4   ,,solution ,,of ,,the      
,,subject4  ,the only tribunal at which 
to try human actions1 is the tribunal of
 justice4 ,that which is right can stand
 the test of this tribunal2 that which  
is wrong will shrink in terror from it4 
,at this tribunal ,american ,negro      
slavery has nothing to fear1 because it 
is founded in moral right4 ,its advocacy
 is the advocacy of right1 and right    
alone2 unless1 forsooth1 we are to      
confound right with wrong1 and declare  
barbarism equal with civilization4 ,of  
course1 our argument is based upon the  
hypothesis that civilization is one     
thing1 and barbarism another4 ,to the   
mind which is so mentally and morally   
obtuse as not to discover the difference
 between these two conditions1 this     
appeal must be in vain4 ,but to the     
right-minded man1 who is open to        

conviction of truth1 who has the mental 
freedom to act and think independent of 
his prepossessions and prejudices1 who  
is guided by his intellect1 and reason1 
and not by passion nor prejudice1 this  
solution of the slavery question1 though
 new1 must and will be satisfactory1    
because it is the logical result of a   
trial of the question at the tribunal of
 justice and of rights1 because slavery 
rescues the ,african from wrong1 and    
subjects him to the rule of right2      
because it rescues him from the wrongs  
and miseries of barbarism1 and raises   
him to the primary elevation of a       
progressive and ennobling civilization4 
,,equality ,,of ,,the ,,states ,,and    
,,citizens4  ,the equality of the       
sovereign ,states which compose the     
,american ,republic1 and the equality of
 the citizens1 both in the ,states and  
the ,territories1 constitute the true   
and only bond of union for the ,american
 people4 ,this equality is the          
foundation stone upon which our whole   

social and political superstructure     
rests4 ,to call this in question is to  
menace the very existence of the ,union 
which is founded upon it4 ,the          
sovereignty of the ,union1 extending    
over the ,territories1 where no other   
sovereignty exists1 is the panoply of   
protection to all the inhabitants of the
 ,territories4 ,there they are all equal
 in person and property4 ,there they are
 not sovereign1 but subjects under the  
sovereignty of the united confederacy of
 ,states1 which have no individual      
superiority and right in the            
,territories1 neither for themselves1   
nor their citizens4 ,for the inhabitants
 of such ,territories to assume a       
sovereignty therein1 not in accordance  
with the ,constitution of the ,united   
,states1 not in conformity to law1 and  
in violation of the equality of the     
people of the ,states there congregated1
 is ,,usurpation4 ,nor can the democracy
 of numbers1 nor the will of the        
majority of inhabitants congregated in  

such ,territories be invoked to decide  
the rights of the people of the several 
,states congregated in such             
,territories1 either as to persons or   
property2 because the sovereignty of the
 ,union holds1 until superseded by the  
sovereignty of a ,state constitutionally
 organized1 deriving its sovereignty    
from the supreme authority of the       
confederated ,states1 by whose assent   
alone the primordial sovereignty of the 
,union is so far abandoned as to admit  
the exercise of ,state sovereignty in   
such ,territories4 ,there would be no   
propriety nor justice in allowing an    
hypothetical sovereignty to a few       
thousands of individuals congregated in 
a large ,territory1 not one fiftieth    
part of which they occupied2 allowing   
them to establish a rule of exclusion of
 the persons or property of the people  
of a portion of the ,states coming to   
settle in the ,territories4 ,such       
persons have neither the right to decide
 for the present1 nor the future2       

because at present they are not         
sovereign1 and certainly they should not
 be allowed to exercise a usurped       
authority over the millions who shall   
occupy those ,territories in the future4
 ,it is a morbid desire to forestall the
 future1 in its judgment of barbarism1  
and of its fitness to subserve          
civilization1 that creates the present  
animosity between the citizens of the   
different sections of the ,union1 going 
into the ,territories4 ,this is all     
wrong4 ,the sovereignty of the ,union is
 the present1 and the sovereignty of    
,states the future arbiter of the rights
 of the people in the ,territories2 all 
other power is assumed1 arbitrary1      
gratuitous1 and in violation of         
legitimate1 delegated constitutional    
power4  ,the wisdom of the sages who    
founded the ,american ,union left       
nothing for experiment to their         
successors1 so far as the absolute      
equality of ,american citizens is       
concerned2 and there is no safety but in

 the recognition of that perfect        
equality which the spirit of our race   
demands1 and which the power of the     
civilized world will be invoked to      
maintain4   ,,the ,,necessity ,,of ,,our
 ,,onward ,,progress ,,as ,a ,,nation4  
,the intimate commercial relations      
existing between this ,republic and the 
principal maritime and warlike nations  
of the globe1 mainly by means of the    
products of slave labor1 constitute a   
necessity for our onward1 uninterrupted 
progress1 as the great agricultural and 
commercial almoner of civilization1 and 
cannot be disturbed1 except at the peril
 of that civilization which they have   
been so instrumental and conspicuous to 
promote4 ,the proposed annihilation of  
the hand of labor whose products amount 
to #bej1jjj1jjj per annum1 and those    
products constituting the articles of   
prime necessity to civilization1 is a   
matter which involves other interests   
than our own2 and however willing       
monarchists and their minions may be to 

disrupt our political system1 and       
destroy this temple of freedom1 they    
will find the genius of commerce and the
 genius of liberty will continue to go  
hand in hand to uphold the principles of
 right and justice1 which demand that   
barbarism shall subserve civilization4  
,,american ,,cotton4  ,american cotton1 
the product of slave labor1 clothes1 to 
a large extent1 one-fourth part of the  
human race2 without it the glory of     
civilization would vanish4 ,it          
embellishes the denizen of the city1 and
 hides the nakedness of barbarism4 ,it  
is the tablet on which is inscribed the 
history of the present1 and rescues from
 oblivion the mouldering records of the 
past4 ,it is the talisman of thought1   
and the vehicle of those electric       
currents that blaze athwart the sky of  
mind1 with which intellect binds        
together1 with silver thread1 the mind's
 great empire1 where kings do homage at 
the shrine of genius1 and bow in awe1   
and humble reverence before the majesty 

of mind4 ,it is the medium through which
 the internal and external domains of   
thought are blended1 and truth made     
universal1 and obvious to the           
apprehension of a world6   ,,washington 
,,not ,,opposed ,,to ,,slavery ,,as     
,,wrong4  ,it has been urged1 that      
because ,washington regretted the       
impossibility of devising some feasible 
means of emancipation1 that1 therefore1 
he was opposed to slavery1 as wrong4    
,the precise opposite was the case4 ,he 
was too wise to oppose that which he    
could not overcome4 ,his whole career   
was success in overcoming opposition4   
,he might1 with us1 regret the barbarism
 of the ,african and the                
impracticability of his release from    
servitude1 on account of his unfitness  
for freedom2 but he never could         
logically or reasonably oppose1 as      
wrong1 that which made the ,african     
better and happier1 and which protects  
him from the dangers and miseries of    
barbarism1 though it placed him in the  

position to learn only the rudiments of 
civilization4 ,to assert that           
,washington deemed slavery a wrong to   
the slave1 is to accuse him of knowingly
 doing wrong1 for he held slaves to the 
day of his death2 and if he emancipated 
them then1 it was more with the hope    
than the reasonable expectation1 that   
even ,,his slaves1 with all the force of
 his example during his whole life1 had 
become fitted for freedom1 or that they 
would be benefited by the experiment of 
their own attempted self-control4       
,washington could not1 therefore1       
consistently oppose slavery as a wrong  
to the slave1 nor conscientiously       
believe it to be wrong2 because he would
 not oppose that which he could not     
overcome1 and because his whole life was
 occupied in doing right4 ,it is against
 the prophetic character of             
,washington's mission1 ever crowned with
 success2 against his wisdom1 which was 
most profound2 and against his judgment1
 which was unerring1--to presume his    

hostility to slavery as wrong1 or his   
opposition to it in a moral point of    
view1 when he knew1 as we know1 the     
emancipation of the slaves to be wrong  
in itself1 and impossible1 even if right
 or desirable4 ,it is plain1 then1 that 
if ,washington had any real aversion to 
,negro slavery1 it was not because it   
was wrong so far as any natural right of
 the slave was involved1 but because of 
his ability to do without slaves2 and   
notwithstanding his fortune was ample1  
he held his slaves during the whole     
course of his life2 whereas1 if he had  
deemed slavery a wrong to the slaves1 he
 would undoubtedly have granted them    
their liberty4 ,what right would he have
 had1 as a just man1 to bestow his      
generosity upon the public1 by refusing 
the emoluments of office1 justly due    
him1 and unjustly appropriating the     
proceeds or avails of the labor of his  
slaves1 if he knew1 or believed they    
were justly entitled to their freedom4  
,if our moral view of slavery is clear1 

he was just1 as well as generous1 and   
wise as well as successful4             
,,washington ,,reproaches ,,the         
,,emancipationists4  ,it is well known  
how powerful the secret influence of the
 ,british and ,tory abolitionists was in
 this country immediately after the     
,american ,revolution1 as well as before
 and since that time2 and that at about 
that time1 or soon after1 the question  
was seriously entertained of abolishing 
slavery in ,virginia by legislation1 as 
was done in other ,states of the ,union2
 and it was on account of the annoying  
importunities of these disinterested    
philanthropists 7871 and the apparent   
inclination of the people of the ,state 
of ,virginia to experiment in their     
theories1 that ,washington expressed his
 willingness to see slavery abolished by
 legislative enactment4 ,but in what    
characteristic terms of manly reproach  
did he address the ,emancipation        
,society on the subject when he found   
their principles and practices to be    

that the end justifies the means4 ,he   
says3  ,but when slaves1 who are happy  
and contented with their present        
masters1 are tampered with and seduced  
to leave them2 when masters are taken   
unawares by these practices2 when a     
conduct of this kind begets discontent  
on one side1 and resentment on the      
other2 and when it happens to fall on a 
man whose purse will not measure with   
that of the ,society1 and he loses his  
property for want of means to defend    
it1--it is oppression in such a case1   
99,,and ,,not ,,humanity ,,in ,,any991  
because it introduces more evils than it
 can cure4#f   ,,our ,,fathers ,,on     
,,the ,,right ,,of ,,slavery4  ,it is   
not to be concealed1 however1 that some 
of the sages who framed this ,republic1 
in their zeal for freedom1 overlooked   
the fact of ,african barbarism1 or      
failed to be explicit in their          
unpremeditated enunciations of human    
freedom4 ,perhaps1 however1 they had    
more astuteness than has been supposed  

by some4 ,perchance they considered     
barbarity not humanity1 but its         
opposite1 and would have deemed it a    
work of supererogation to explain that  
which natural history1 the history of   
the ,african ram for four thousand      
years1 and common sense1 and common     
observation1 had established as a       
self-evident proposition2 to wit1 that  
equality was a political1 and not a     
social1 nor moral1 nor even physical    
condition2 and that1 especially1 neither
 equality nor freedom were to be        
construed to be the prerogatives nor the
 right of barbarism4 ,and the           
,constitution of the ,united ,states1   
the work of their own hands1 sanctions  
this supposition1 by recognizing the    
existence1 and providing for the right  
of ,negro slavery1 and rescues the      
,fathers of the ,republic from the      
absurd and opprobrious imputation of    
advocating ,negro equality4 ,whatever   
opinions they may have expressed under  
the varying aspects of our              

,revolutionary epoch1 the ,constitution 
of these ,united ,states was the        
finality of their arduous toils1 heroic 
achievements1 and sublime wisdom2 and   
that ,constitution1 the very sublimation
 and quintessence of a hundred          
civilizations1 exhibiting the onward    
progress of the human race1 recognizes  
the ,right of ,slavery1 founded upon the
 immutable principles of justice4       
,,monarchical ,,schemes ,,to ,,destroy  
,,this ,,republic4  ,is it strange1     
however1 that since this ,republic is   
the mighty antagonism of monarchy1 and  
since it is invincible in arms1 is it   
strange1 that civil dissension1 and the 
appropriate means to produce it1 should 
be employed by despotism to subvert this
 government8 ,what else should they do2 
,what is the interest of monarchy in    
relation to the existence and onward    
progress of this ,empire of ,freedom8   
,what1 but its subversion1 its          
disseverment1 by its own internal       
antagonism8 ,and what other means could 

monarchy and its parasites employ to    
accomplish this1 but precisely the means
 and agency which have been employed1 at
 vast expense1 especially for the last  
twenty-five years1 first to divide1 and 
finally to destroy that which no        
external force1 nor combination of      
external forces could subdue8 ,is it not
 already the boast of the minions of    
despotism that they have rendered our   
government insecure8 ,with what         
jubilation did they catch the tidings of
 our recent rebellion1 as the harbinger 
of their own redemption from the fate of
 political decadence and downfall1 which
 our all-absorbing greatness was        
beginning to make so manifest to the    
willing apprehension of mankind8 ,their 
ears were charmed1 even at the supposed 
triumphant voice of barbarism over a    
civilization as stable as the sun1 which
 is immortal in its every individual    
microcosm1 and to which they are        
conscious their own unequal systems of  
government never can attain4   ,,our    

,,vindication4  ,need we inquire further
 what is the interest of monarchy8 ,can 
we any longer be blind to our own       
interest8 ,are we not arraigned at the  
tribunal of civilization1 by the helots 
of despotism8 ,are we not accused of    
wrong8 ,are not we1 and our sainted and 
godlike ancestors1 held as amenable to  
moral law for a violation of ,right8    
,and shall we submit in silence to all  
this clamor3 this false and slanderous  
accusation1 when all history1 all       
knowledge1 all experience1 all reason1  
and all nature1 are voluble in our      
defense1 and pronounce our just and     
triumphant vindication6  ,let us1 then1 
henceforth cultivate and encourage      
friendship and cordial co-operation     
between the different sections of the   
,union1 and a patriotic emulation for   
its continuance2 not upon any such      
visionary and deceptive hypothesis as   
the superiority and predominance of     
sectional partiality1 but upon the      
equable and fundamental principles of   

justice1 and of the absolute equality of
 these sovereign ,states1 and the       
equality of the citizens of a           
well-compacted and glorious confederacy4
   ,,the ,,philosophical ,,postulates   
,,of ,,american ,,slavery4  #a4 ,right  
holds a just and heaven-derived         
supremacy over wrong4  #b4 ,barbarism is
 wrong4 ,it conduces to the misery and  
degradation of mankind4 ,africa is      
barbarous4 ,the ,african race is a race 
of barbarians4  #c4 ,civilization is    
right4 ,it conduces to the elevation and
 happiness of mankind4  #d4             
,civilization carries with it the right 
of supremacy over barbarism4  #e4 ,it is
 right to summon the barbarian to the   
lessons of civilization1 and to teach   
him its primary lessons2 to elevate him 
to the dignity of labor4  #f4 ,it is    
right to ,,hold the barbarian subject to
 the rules of civilization2 to protect  
him by its laws1 and rescue him from the
 wrongs and miseries of barbarism4 ,in  
this way1 only1 he can be made happier  

and better4 ,he falls1 if unsupported by
 external power4  #g4 ,american ,slavery
 promotes civilization by the production
 of materials wherewith to clothe the   
nakedness of mankind1 and the useful    
medium or knowledge and intelligence1   
through books1 and literature1 printed  
upon materials which are the product of 
slave labor4  #h4 ,it is just that      
barbarism should subserve civilization2 
that ,wrong should subserve ,right4  #i4
 ,the ,african is not equal to the white
 man1 but is a barbarian1 and as such   
has no political rights4  #aj4 ,american
 ,slavery is ,right4   ,,conclusion4    
,if1 then1 it is not right1 nor         
practicable1 nor possible1 to restore   
these #d1jjj1jjj of ,africans to        
barbarism1 why any longer agitate the   
subject8 ,why keep the negro in         
perpetual dread of change1 and the owner
 dubious of the future8 ,why1 by this   
negro agitation1 create apprehension in 
the minds of our own people for the     
stability and permanence of this        

government1 and hope in the minds of all
 the monarchists of the world that this 
agitation will divide and destroy this  
last great bulwark of human freedom8    
,why shall we put to hazard that freedom
 which is already secure8 ,why involve  
in experiments those tangible           
acquisitions which we have made to this 
priceless inheritance of freedom8       
,washington is gone1 but he has left us 
his bright example1 and his solemn      
admonitions4 ,let those who are greater1
 and wiser1 and purer than ,washington1 
impeach him4 ,let those whose precepts  
or examples excel his1 question the     
superiority of his virtue and valor4    
,let those who have done more for human 
freedom1 denounce him as the enemy of   
mankind1 and erect for themselves a     
standard of moral action1 which shall   
rise to the stupendous height of their  
own boundless egotism6  ,but if it is   
found to be inexpedient and wrong to    
agitate the subject of slavery1 when it 
is known to be impracticable1           

impossible1 and unjust to emancipate the
 slaves1 then let us go on in our career
 of greatness1 with success and         
tranquility4 ,let us watch with jealous 
care the honor of our country1 and scorn
 the aspersions of its vilifiers4 ,let  
us honor and vindicate our country in   
its attitude of justice1 and in its     
mission of civilization1 and mark with  
the imputation of opprobrium every      
recreant defamer of our government and  
its institutions4 ,let the emissaries of
 despotism find some other means of     
subduing us than to divide and conquer4 
,let the name of ,washington be revered2
 let his admonitions be heeded3 let his 
commands be obeyed1 and his example     
followed4 ,let barbarism still be       
blessed with the light of civilization2 
let the glory and dominion of freedom be
 established1 and the citizens of this  
,republic rest in security and peace    
within their patriarchal bowers6        
99       99       99       99       99  
,,footnotes3  #a ,leo ,africanus says1  

,book vii41 ,the ,king of ,borno sent   
for the merchants of ,barbary1 and      
willed them to bring the great store of 
horses2 for in this country they used to
 exchange horses for slaves1 and to give
 fifteen and sometimes twenty slaves for
 one horse2 and by this means there were
 abundance of horses brought2 howbeit1  
the merchants were constrained to stay  
for their slaves till the king returned 
home with a great number of captives and
 satisfied his creditors for their      
horses4 ,the king maketh invasions but  
every year once1 and that at one set and
 appointed time of the year4--,geogr4   
,hist4 of ,africa1 trans4 by ,pory1 pp4 
#bic1 #bid1 ,lon41 #afjj4  #b ,from     
,abyssinia1 the caravans carry yearly to
 ,cairo nearly two thousand ,negroes1   
those poor creatures having             
unfortunately been captured in war4     
,most of the chiefs and sovereigns in   
the interior of ,africa sell or put to  
death all their prisoners4--,narrative  
of a ,ten ,years' ,residence at         

,tripoli1 p4 #ahe1 ,london1 #ahaf4  #c  
,hegel1 the distinguished ,german       
philosopher1 in his ,philosophy of      
,history1 says1 pp4 #ajb1 #ajc3  ,an    
,english traveler states that when a war
 is determined on in ,ashantee1 solemn  
ceremonies precede it4 ,among other     
things1 the bones of the king's mother  
are laved with human blood4 ,as a       
prelude to the war1 the king ordains an 
onslaught upon his own metropolis1 as if
 to excite the due degree of frenzy4    
,in ,dahomey1 when the king dies1 the   
bonds of society are loosed2 in his     
palace begins indiscriminate havoc and  
disorganization4 ,all the wives of the  
king 7in ,dahomey their number is       
exactly #c1ccc7 are massacred1 and      
through the whole town plunder and      
carnage run riot4 ,the wives of the king
 regard their deaths as a necessity2    
they go richly attired to meet it4 ,the 
authorities have to hasten to proclaim  
the new governor1 simply to put a stop  
to massacre4  ,the only essential       

connection that has existed and         
continued between the ,negroes and      
,europeans is that of slavery4 ,in this 
the ,negroes see nothing unbecoming     
them2 and the ,english1 who have done   
most for abolishing the slave trade and 
slavery1 are treated by the ,negroes    
themselves as enemies4 ,for it is a     
point of first importance with the kings
 to sell their captured enemies1 or even
 their own subjects2 and viewed in the  
light of such facts1 we may conclude    
slavery to have been the occasion of the
 increase of human feeling among        
,negroes4  ,tyranny is regarded as no   
wrong1 and cannibalism is looked upon as
 quite customary and proper4 ,among us1 
instinct deters from it1 if we can speak
 of instinct at all as appertaining to  
man4 ,but with the ,negro this is not   
the case1 and the devouring of human    
flesh is altogether consistent with the 
general principles of the ,african race2
 to the sensual ,negro1 human flesh is  
but an object of sense1--mere flesh4 ,at

 the death of a king1 hundreds are      
killed and eaten2 prisoners are         
butchered1 and their flesh is sold in   
the markets4 ,the victor is accustomed  
to eat the heart of his slain foe4 ,when
 magical rites are performed1 it        
frequently happens that the sorcerer    
kills the first that comes in his way1  
and divides his body among the          
bystanders4  #d ,says ,herder1--,but the
 peculiar formation of the members of   
the human body says more than all these2
 and this appears to me applicable in   
the ,african organization4 ,according to
 various physiological observations1 the
 lips1 breasts1 and private parts1 are  
proportionate to each other2 and as     
nature1 agreeably to the simple         
principle of her plastic art1 must have 
conferred on these people1 to whom she  
was obliged to deny nobler gifts1 an    
ampler measure of sensual enjoyment1    
this could not but have appeared to the 
physiologist4 ,according to the rules of
 physiognomy1 thick lips are held to    

indicate a sensual disposition2 as thin 
lips1 displaying a slender1 rosy line1  
are deemed symptoms of chaste and       
delicate taste2 not to mention other    
circumstances4 ,what wonder1 then1 that 
in a nation for whom the sensual        
appetite is the height of happiness1    
external marks of it should appear8 ,a  
,negro child is born white2 the skin    
round the nails1 the nipples1 and       
private parts1 first become colored2 and
 the same consent of parts in the       
disposition to color is observable in   
other nations4 ,a hundred children are a
 trifle to a ,negro2 and an old man who 
had not above seventy1 lamented his fate
 with tears4  ,with this oleaginous     
organization to sensual pleasure1 the   
profile and whole frame of the body must
 alter4 ,the projection of the mouth    
would render the nose short and small1  
the forehead would incline backwards1   
and the face would have at a distance   
the resemblance of that of an ape4      
,conformably to this would be the       

position of the neck1 the transition to 
the occiput1 and the elastic structure  
of the whole body1 which is formed1 even
 to the nose and skin1 for sensual1     
animal enjoyment4--,herder's ,philosophy
 of the ,history of ,man1 pp4 #aej1     
#aea4 ,translated by ,churchill1        
,london1 #ahjj4  #e ,witness the        
following extract from the ,report of   
the ,committee of the ,maryland         
,legislature in #ahfj1 recommending the 
discontinuance of the annual            
appropriation of #e1jjj to the          
,colonization ,society for the purpose  
of sending free ,negroes back to        
,africa4 ,it will be seen by this       
extract1 that the expense of            
transporting ,negroes to ,africa is much
 greater than ,i have stated1 owing1    
perhaps1 to an extravagant use or waste 
of the money by the ,colonization       
,society2 for if it costs #ejj1jjj to   
transport #cjj ,negroes1 it would       
certainly cost #f1ffh1jjj1jjj to send   
away the #d1jjj1jjj of ,negroes in the  

,united ,states4 ,add to this the value 
of the ,negroes1 to be paid in          
remuneration to the owners for their    
property1 #b1jjj1jjj1jjj1 and the total 
cost of purchase and transportation1    
based upon the experience and the       
statistics of the ,state of ,maryland1  
would be #h1ffh1jjj1jjj6 or more than   
forty times the amount of all the gold  
and silver in the ,united ,states6 ,it  
will be seen that my own is a low       
estimate compared with this1 and either 
of those estimates shows the utter      
futility of the advocacy of             
emancipation4 ,that ,report says3--     
,the passage of the act of #ahca1 ch4   
#bha1 was framed with the design of     
removing our free ,negroes beyond the   
limits of this ,state4 ,but experience  
has shown that they will not willingly  
leave us4 ,that act has been in         
operation for twenty-seven years1 at an 
expense to the ,state of about #bhj1jjj1
 raised by taxation upon our citizen    
population4 ,it is safe to say that     

#ge1jjj more has been cleared by the    
profits in trade to the coast of ,africa
 in that time2 and that #ade1jjj has    
probably been bestowed by voluntary     
contribution for the same object--making
 in all the sum of #ejj1jjj4 ,and yet1  
with all this vast outlay of money1 not 
over three hundred free ,negroes have   
been removed4 ,slaves to a larger number
 have been set free and sent to ,africa4
 ,during the last year not one single   
free ,negro was sent to ,africa from    
this ,state4 ,when this law went into   
effect1 we had #eb1jjj free ,negroes in 
the ,state2 and after a trial of        
twenty-seven years1 we now have #ij1jjj 
or #ajj1jjj4 ,the inefficiency of this  
enterprise being so obvious to every one
 of the least reflection1 your committee
 propose the repeal of all laws taxing  
the people for colonization purposes4   
#f ,scroeder's ,max4 of ,washington1 p4 
#bef4         99       99       99      
99       99  ,transcriber's ,notes3     
,every effort has been made to replicate

 this text as faithfully as possible1   
including obsolete and variant spellings
 and other inconsistencies4  ,the       
transcriber noted the following issues  
and made changes as indicated to the    
text to correct obvious errors3    #a4  
p4 #ad1 sieze changed to seize   #b4 p4 
#cj1 ,iagas changed to ,jagas   #c4 p4  
#cj1 ,iaga changed to ,jaga   #d4 p4    
#ca1 ,macoco partially illegible1       
changed to ,macaco   #e4 p4 #da1        
retrogaded changed to retrograded   #f4 
p4 #db1 psuedo- changed to pseudo-   #g4
 p4 #ea1 opprobium changed to opprobrium
   #h4 various1 ,the source document for
 this ebook contains several            
handwritten changes4 ,they have not been
 incorporated               into this   
ebook1 except as noted above4   #i4     
various1 text in bold is marked as      
99,,bold994  ,end of ,transcriber's     
,notes