,,transcriber',s ,,note ,italic text is denoted by underscores4 ,some minor changes to the text are noted at the end of the book4 ,,anti-,,slavery ,,catechism4 ,,by ,,mrs4 ,,child1 ,author of #8,an ,appeal in favor of that class of ,americans called ,africans1' the #8,evils of ,slavery1 and the ,cure of ,slavery1' #8,authentic ,anecdotes of ,american ,slavery1' #8,history of the ,condition of ,women1' #8,the ,oasis1' #8,frugal ,housewife1' c4 8,on the nation's naked heart ,scatter the living coals of ,truth40 ,second ,edition4 ,,newburyport3 ,,published ,,by ,,charles ,,whipple4 #ahci4 ,entered according to ,act of ,congress1 in the year #ahce1 ,by ,,charles ,,whipple1 ,in the ,clerk's ,office of the ,district ,court of ,massachusetts4 ,,anti-,,slavery ,,catechism4 ,question4 ,why do you consider it a duty to preach and publish abolition doctrines8 ,answer4 ,first1 ,i consider it my duty as a ,christian2 for the system of slavery1 as a whole1 and in each one of its details1 is in direct opposition to the precepts of the gospel4 ,secondly1 ,i consider it my duty as a conscientious citizen of this republic2 for ,i believe slavery is prejudicial to the best interests of my country2 and ,i dare not hope that ,god's blessing will rest upon us1 if we persevere in our iniquity4 ,q4 ,but the abolitionists are accused of showing the worst side of slavery4 ,is it not true that they seek to give an exaggerated idea of its evils8 ,a4 ,i believe every man1 who candidly examines the subject1 will come to the conclusion1 that every side appears to be the worst side4 ,allow me to give a brief statement of the case4 ,between two and three millions of people are compelled to labor without wages4 ,they gain nothing more by working ten hours than they would by working one hour4 ,it is not in human nature that they should be disposed to be industrious under these circumstances4 ,they try to do as little as possible4 ,the chief part of the labor that is got out of their bones and sinews is obtained by fear of the whip4 ,a peck of corn a week is the usual allowance for the food of a slave4 ,the planters generally estimate that a slave can be fed and clothed at an expense of from fifteen to twenty dollars a year4 ,the following is the printed testimony of ,thomas ,clay1 of ,georgia1 himself a slave-holder1 though reputed to be an amiable1 conscientious man3 8,a peck of corn per week1 if it be sound flint corn1 is sufficient to sustain health and strength under moderate labor4 ,but there is often a defect in the quality1 and the quantity is then insufficient4 ,the present economy of the slave system is to get all you can from the slave1 and give in return as little as will barely support him in a working condition4 ,even where there is not direct intention to abridge his comforts1 they are but little consulted2 and the slave1 seeing his master wholly engrossed by his own advantage1 naturally adopts the same selfish course1 and1 when not restrained by higher principles1 becomes deceitful and selfish40 ,q4 ,if ,mr4 ,thomas ,clay is a good man1 and really thinks slavery so bad in its effects1 why does he not emancipate his own slaves8 ,a4 ,if you were to ask him1 ,i suppose he would give an answer very common among planters4 ,he would tell you that he could not do it because the laws of the ,state in which he lives impose such heavy penalties1 that the process of emancipation is extremely difficult and expensive4 ,q4 ,who makes the laws of the ,southern ,states8 ,a4 ,the slave-holders themselves4 ,when ,i hear a man say that he would gladly emancipate his slaves1 if the laws would allow it1 it makes me think of an anecdote ,i have often heard4 ,a little girl had been ordered to perform some household work in the absence of her mother4 ,when the parent returned1 and saw that her orders had not been obeyed1 she said1 8,my child1 why have you not done as ,i bid you80 ,the little girl replied1 8,i should have been glad to do it1 mother2 but ,i could not4 ,don't you see ,i am tied80 8,and pray who tied you80 inquired the mother4 8,i tied myself10 was the reply4 ,now this is plainly the case with the slave-holders4 ,they make oppressive laws1 and persist in upholding those laws1 and then say1 8,i would do my duty1 if ,i could2 but the laws will not permit it40 ,q4 ,do the slaves have to work all the time8 ,a4 ,in some ,states the laws ordain that slaves shall not be compelled to work more than fourteen hours a day1 from ,september to ,march1 nor more than fifteen hours a day1 from ,march to ,september2 and it is reasonable to conclude that there would have been no necessity for making such a law1 unless some masters did compel their slaves to toil beyond the specified hours4 ,convicts1 who are imprisoned for crime1 are not obliged to work more than ten hours a day1 and are better fed than the slaves4 ,it is an extraordinary thing for a slave to be sent to the state prison for an offence4 ,instead of punishment1 it would in fact be amelioration of his lot4 ,q4 ,but ,i have been told that the slaves sometimes work for themselves4 ,a4 ,when they happen to have kind masters1 they are sometimes allowed a part of the time to earn something for themselves2 but the laws are extremely inefficient for the protection of property thus acquired4 ,if a white man sees fit to seize the products of their industry1 the law in most cases affords no redress2 because in slave ,states a colored man is never allowed to give evidence against a white man1 under any circumstances4 ,any note of hand1 or written contract with a slave is worth no more than a promissory note to a dog2 because no slave can bring an action at law4 ,in several of the ,states1 a slave is liable to punishment if it is ascertained that he has acquired any property4 ,q4 ,i have been told that masters are allowed to kill their slaves4 ,can this be true8 ,a4 ,the laws do indeed nominally consider the killing of a slave as murder2 but no instance has ever been recorded of a white man executed for killing a slave4 ,one law on this subject has the following strange qualification3 8,except said slave die of moderate punishment40 ,as if any punishment1 that occasioned death1 could be moderate6 ,if a hundred blacks or mulattoes1 either bond or free1 should see a slave murdered1 it avails nothing against the murderer2 because the laws of slave ,states do not allow a colored person1 under any circumstances1 to testify against a white man4 ,the laws of ,south ,carolina favor the master to such a degree1 that when accused of murdering a slave1 he may be absolved simply upon his own oath1 that he did not commit the crime6 ,q4 ,but ,i am told that white men are not unfrequently prosecuted for cruelty to slaves2 and this looks as if the laws afforded the poor creatures some protection4 ,a4 ,i have read not a few ,reports of ,cases in ,southern ,courts2 and those reports did more than any thing else to make me an abolitionist4 ,prosecutions are always brought for the master's interest--never for the protection or redress of the slave4 ,in ,martin's ,louisiana ,reports1 #ahah1 you will find the case of ,jourdan vs4 ,patten4 ,in this case a lady sued a neighboring proprietor for the damage of putting out the only eye of one of her slaves4 ,the ,supreme ,court decided that the defendant should pay the lady the sum of twelve hundred dollars2 in consideration of which1 the slave should be placed in his possession4 ,the lady received all the money1 as an indemnification for the loss of property2 but the poor slave not only received no atonement for his sufferings1 but was actually given to the very man that had knocked his eye out6 ,this is a fair sample of the nature of all such prosecutions4 ,in ,nott ,mc,cord's ,south ,carolina ,reports1 #ahah1 it is stated that a slave belonging to ,mrs4 ,e4 ,witsell1 was shot through the head by two men who were hunting runaway negroes4 ,the lady commenced an action to recover the value of her slave4 ,the judge told the jury that circumstances might exist to authorize the killing of a negro1 without the sanction of a magistrate1 or even the order of a militia officer2 but it was thought such circumstances were not connected with this case2 the lady was therefore entitled to compensation for injury done to her property4 ,as for the poor slave himself1 his parents1 his wife1 or his children1 they were never once thought of in the matter4 ,q4 ,but do you really believe they hunt negroes with dogs and guns1 as some people say8 ,a4 ,there cannot be the slightest doubt of the fact4 ,dogs are trained for that express purpose4 ,the planters justify the practice1 by saying it is absolutely necessary for their own safety2 because runaway negroes1 who collect in the woods and swamps1 will soon begin to commit depredations on the neighboring estates4 ,thus the evils inevitably growing out of this bad system are made use of to justify its cruelties4 ,free laborers would have no inducement to run away and hide in swamps4 ,it would obviously be for their own interest to keep at work4 ,these negro hunts seem to be entered into with all the keen excitement of sportsmen going out to hunt squirrels or hares4 ,a letter written near ,edenton1 ,n4,c4 among other items of news1 states3 8,we have had great negro shooting lately40 ,a gentleman well known in the literary world resided for some time in the family of a ,georgia planter2 and he himself stated to me that three negro hunts took place during the first nine months of his stay there4 ,he said1 that one night hearing a noise below stairs1 he hastened to ascertain the cause4 8,the gentlemen of the family were cleaning and loading their guns1 trying their flints1 and going through the usual preparations1 apparently for a deer hunt1 as buck shot and bullets were in demand4 ,the children of the family had partaken of the general excitement1 and arisen from their beds4 ,as ,i entered the room1 ,i could hear one of the youngest say1 #8,why1 pa1 you wouldn't kill ,ralph1 would you8' #8,i would take him1 and sell him1 and get money for him1' said the next of age4 #8,you will only lame him1 so as to seize him1 ,i suppose1' said the mother4 #8,i would rather kill him than the best fat buck in the country1' replied the father1 as he rammed down the heavy charge4 ,the moonlight from the window glanced along the barrel of the piece1 and caught the eye of the eldest boy4 ,the reflected light kindled up his glance with something of an unnatural flash1 but in vivid sympathy with the paternal look and attitude4 ,the anticipated joy of vengeance seemed to be the predominating emotion40 ,q4 ,if the laws are as you say1 ,i should think the slaves did not stand a fair chance when they are wrongfully accused4 ,a4 ,if you will examine ,stroud's ,compendium of the ,slave ,laws1 you will be convinced for yourself that what ,i say is true2 and the effect is as you suppose4 ,the poor slaves are completely in the power of their masters4 ,the same men who accuse them are often their judges and executioners4 ,in illustration of this1 ,i will tell you a case that occurred in ,edenton1 ,north ,carolina4 ,it was told by a woman who lived there at the time1 and witnessed some of the executions4 ,many of the slaves in that place were skilful in mechanical trades4 ,the planters in the back country were very desirous to purchase some of them2 but their masters found it so profitable to let them out1 that they would not consent to sell them4 ,those who were anxious to buy1 hit upon the following expedient to obtain their purpose3 ,they wrote anonymous letters1 charging these intelligent slaves with having projected an insurrection4 ,these letters were scattered about in ,edenton1 with the idea that the masters would be glad to sell such dangerous fellows2 but instead of this1 the poor innocent slaves were tried1 convicted1 and sentenced by their frightened owners2 and a large number of them were put to death1 upon no other evidence than anonymous letters4 ,q4 ,it does not seem as if such things could take place in a civilized country4 ,can you believe it8 ,a4 ,if you reflect a little upon human nature1 ,i believe you will think it perfectly natural that such abuses should exist1 wherever one human being has arbitrary power over another4 ,you would not like to place yourself completely in the power even of the best man you know2 you would be afraid to have it depend entirely on his will how much work you should do in a day1 what food you should eat1 and what clothes you should wear1 and how and when you should be punished4 ,it is not considered entirely safe for an aged parent to relinquish all his property1 and trust entirely to the generosity of his own children2 what then do you suppose the poor slave has to expect1 when he becomes too old and infirm to be profitable to his master8 ,q4 ,but the ,southerners are said to be very honorable1 generous men4 ,a4 ,our ,southern brethren are just what any human beings would be under similar circumstances4 ,they are generous with the proceeds of other men's labor1 for the same reason that the heir is prodigal of money1 which another accumulates for him4 ,he who can let out his neighbor1 and his neighbor's wife and children1 and receive all their wages1 will naturally be more profuse than a man who depends entirely on his own exertions4 ,planters have heretofore generally confessed that slavery is an evil1 and many of them speak of its detailed abuses with strong regret2 but these abuses are merely the necessary and inevitable results of the system they are helping to support2 and they never can cure the abuses until they are willing to renounce the system itself4 ,i suppose that few planters would think of palliating the treatment ,mrs4 ,salarie's slaves received2 yet they are all helping to support a system under which such cruelties can be committed with impunity4 ,perhaps very humane and amiable masters do even more mischief than the desperately wicked2 for they are always quoted as palliations of the whole system2 and they approach so near to the right line1 that they can more easily draw over kind-hearted people1 who have not thought much upon the subject4 ,q4 ,what is the history of ,mrs4 ,salarie8 ,a4 ,she resided in ,new ,orleans4 ,on the #ajth of ,april1 #ahcd1 her splendid mansion took fire4 ,during the midst of the conflagration1 a rumor arose among the crowd that there were slaves chained in the burning dwelling2 but those who asked for the keys were reproved for interfering with their neighbor's business4 ,at last the doors were forced open by sailors and mechanics1 that had collected around the spot2 and a ,new ,orleans paper thus describes the horrible scene that presented itself3 8,seven slaves more or less horribly mutilated1 were seen1 some chained to the floor1 and some suspended by the neck to the ceiling1 with their limbs stretched and torn from one extremity to the other4 ,their bodies1 from head to foot1 were covered with scars and sores1 and filled with wounds4 ,one poor old man1 upwards of sixty years of age1 was chained hand and foot1 and made fast to the floor1 in a kneeling position4 ,his head bore the appearance of having been beaten until it was broken1 and the worms were actually seen making a feast of his brains40 ,q4 ,every body must have thought her a very wicked woman4 ,did the slave-holders in the neighborhood pretend to justify her measures8 ,a4 ,i have no doubt that every humane person1 that heard of the event1 expressed horror1 and sincerely felt it4 ,for several months previous to the discovery1 her neighbors had been in the habit of living in apartments as far as possible from her house1 on purpose to avoid the shrieks and groans of her poor suffering slaves2 yet during all that time no complaint was laid before the public authorities1 and no investigation demanded6 ,i suppose neighbors were afraid to say any thing1 lest they should be accused of promoting discontent among the negroes4 ,those who endeavor to keep human beings in the situation of beasts1 are more afraid of them than they would be of beasts2 because the human being has reason1 which is always prone to offer resistance to tyranny4 ,the consciousness of this makes slave-holders very irritable when any one in the community takes part with an abused slave1 or expresses the slightest pity for his sufferings4 ,q4 ,is it not for the master's interest to treat the slaves well8 ,a4 ,so it is for the interest of men to treat their horses and cattle well2 and yet their passions not unfrequently make them forget their interests4 ,passive obedience is obtained from human beings with more difficulty than from animals2 and when the master is provoked1 the poor slave is completely in his power1 with scarcely the shadow of protection from the law4 ,the law in no case recognises slaves as human beings2 on the contrary1 it expressly declares they 8shall be deemed1 sold1 taken1 and reputed to be chattels personal1 in the hands of their owners and possessors1 their administrators and assigns1 to all intents1 constructions1 and purposes whatever40 ,an act of ,maryland1 for the settlement of estates1 enumerates specific articles1 such as 8slaves1 working beasts1 animals10 c4 ,where even the laws consider human beings as animals1 it is not a matter of surprise that they are generally treated no better than self-interest leads men to treat animals4 ,you will likewise perceive that when the slave becomes old1 or diseased1 or in any way unfit for labor1 it is not for the interest of his master to prolong his existence by rendering it comfortable4 ,then again that part of the system connected with overseers1 shows plainly that the self-interest of the master cannot effectually secure good treatment to the slave4 ,if planters were to give overseers a stated salary1 without regard to the amount of produce1 the overseers 7who are proverbially unprincipled men7 would have no motive for consulting the interest of their employers--it would be a matter of indifference to them whether much or little work were done4 ,to obviate this difficulty1 it is customary to give the overseer a certain proportion of the profits of the plantation4 ,of course1 it becomes his ruling desire to get the greatest possible amount of work done4 ,he does not care how much the soil is exhausted1 nor how much the negroes are broken down4 ,if a slave says he is very ill1 the overseer is unwilling to believe the story1 because he is reluctant to lose a day's labor4 ,if the poor creature droops under his allotted task1 he must be stimulated by the whip1 because the overseer cannot spare an hour of his exertions4 ,if the 8slave dies under moderate punishment10 the master must furnish a new laborer2 and the loss falls on him1 not on the overseer4 ,it is obviously natural for the latter personage to think more of his own gains than of his employer's losses4 ,every body knows that men are prone to drive hired horses with less mercy than their own2 because they do not meet with any personal loss from injury done to the beast1 and their object is to get their money's worth of riding4 ,is it not a fearful thing for one human being to be placed towards another in the same relation that a stable-horse is toward the man who hires him8 ,when planters are reminded of instances of cruelty1 too well authenticated to be denied1 they are prone to lay the blame upon overseers4 ,mr4 ,wirt1 of ,virginia1 speaks of this class of men as 8the lowest of the human race--always cap in hand to the dons who employ them1 and furnishing materials for their pride1 insolence1 and love of dominion40 ,if we had no such information concerning the character of these men1 we should naturally conclude that good people would be averse to enter into such an employment4 ,yet overseers and drivers are a necessary part of this bad system1 because slaves are entirely deprived of the motives which induce free laborers to work2 and since overseers must be employed1 it is necessary to make it for their interest to get as much work out of the slave as possible4 ,the evils of slavery are necessary and inevitable parts of the system2 and whether the planters reprobate them or not1 they cannot possibly avoid them1 except by relinquishing the system4 ,the master and his subordinate agents must have discretionary power to punish1 because their poor human brutes1 being deprived of salutary motives to exertion1 must be driven to it4 ,the slave must not be allowed to buy or sell1 or make the most trifling contracts2 because the oppressed being would naturally avail himself of this privilege1 and sell some of the cotton or tobacco1 which he cultivates for his master without wages4 ,the laws must punish them with great severity2 because the very nature of their condition is a constant temptation to theft1 falsehood1 and murder4 ,they must be kept brutally ignorant2 because if they were otherwise1 they could not be kept in slavery4 ,licentiousness must be countenanced among them2 because their master's interest is connected with their increase1 and he might lose many good bargains if the laws did not allow him to sell a wife from her husband1 or a husband from his wife4 ,the law must suppose a negro to be a slave1 till he proves himself free2 because runaway slaves would of course pretend that they were free4 ,they must not be allowed to witness against a white man2 for a slave may have had a wife or a child whipped to death by a white man--and he may have many other good reasons for strong prejudice against white men4 ,an unnatural system must be sustained by unnatural means4 ,hence we find the same characteristic features in every country where negro slavery has been allowed4 ,q4 ,some people think slavery as great a sin as the slave trade4 ,are you of that opinion8 ,a4 ,there seems to me just the same difference as there is between the thief and the man who pays him for stealing4 ,what would you say of a man who buys a horse1 knowing it to be stolen8 ,the following circumstance1 which took place a short time before our ,revolution1 furnishes a good commentary on this matter4 ,a ,philadelphia negro was accused of having stolen goods in his possession4 ,he acknowledged the fact1 saying1 8,massa ,justice1 me know me got dem tings from ,tom dere1 and me tink ,tom teal dem too2 but what den1 ,massa8 dey be only a piccaninny knife1 and a piccaninny corkscrew2 one cost sixpence1 and tudder a shilling2 an me pay ,tom honestly for dem1 ,massa40 8,pretty story1 truly60 said his worship2 8you knew they were stolen1 and yet allege for excuse1 you honestly paid for them4 ,don't you know1 ,pompey1 that the receiver is as bad as the thief8 ,you must be severely whipped1 you black rascal40 8,very well1 ,massa1 if de black rascal be whipt for buying tolen goods1 me hope de white rascal be whipt too1 for same ting1 when you catch him40 8,to be sure10 replied the ,justice4 8,well den10 says ,pompey1 8here be ,tom's ,massa--hold him fast1 constable6 ,he buy ,tom1 as ,i buy de piccaninny knife1 and de piccaninny corkscrew4 ,he know very well ,tom be tolen from his old fadder and mudder2 de knife and de corkscrew had neder40 ,i do not see how we can escape from the conclusion that the slave-owner is an accomplice of the slave-trader4 ,so long as a profitable market is kept open1 the article will be supplied1 despite of difficulties and dangers4 ,the only way to stop the trade1 is to shut up the market2 and this can be done only by the entire abolition of the system of slavery4 ,when nobody will buy a man1 nobody will be tempted to steal a man4 ,slavery never exists without having more or less of the slave-trade involved in it4 ,there is in the very heart of our land a slave-trade constantly carried on1 and sanctioned by our laws1 which is as disgraceful and cruel as the foreign slave trade4 ,the new slave ,states at the extreme ,south have not slaves enough1 and the climate1 together with the hard labor of the sugar plantations1 kills them very fast4 ,the old slave ,states have a surplus of slaves1 which they send off to supply these markets4 ,about ten thousand are annually exported from ,virginia alone4 ,niles1 in his ,register1 vol4 #ce1 page #d1 says3 8,dealing in slaves has become a large business4 ,establishments are made at several places in ,maryland and ,virginia1 at which they are sold like cattle4 ,these places are strongly built1 and well supplied with thumbscrews1 gags1 cow-skins1 and other whips1 often bloody40 ,in these sales no regard is paid to domestic ties4 ,the newly married wife is torn shrieking from her husband1 and the mother with her little ones are sold in 8separate lots to suit purchasers40 ,a gentleman in ,charleston1 ,s4 ,c41 writes to his friend in ,new ,york3 8,curiosity sometimes leads me to the auction sales of the negroes4 ,there ,i saw the father looking with sullen contempt on the crowd1 and expressing an indignation in his countenance that he dares not speak2 and the mother pressing her infants closer to her bosom1 exclaiming1 in wild and simple earnestness1 #8,i can't leff my children6 ,i won't leff my children6' ,but the hammer went on1 reckless whether it united or sundered for ever4 ,on another stand ,i saw a man apparently as white as myself exposed for sale40 ,q4 ,i have heard some people say that the negroes do not care so much about such separations as we should suppose4 ,a4 ,there is no doubt that their degraded situation tends to blunt the feelings1 as well as to stultify the intellect2 and it is a fearful thing to think what ,christians have to answer for1 who thus brutalize immortal souls4 ,but there are numerous instances to prove that the poor creatures do often suffer the most agonizing sensations when torn from those they love4 ,near ,palmyra1 in ,marion county1 ,missouri1 two boys were sold to a slave-trader1 who did not intend to leave the place until morning4 ,during the night1 the mother was kept chained in an out-house1 that she might not make any effort to prevent the departure of her children4 ,she managed to get loose from her fetters1 seized an axe1 cut off the heads of her sleeping boys1 and then ended her own life by the same instrument4 ,the ,missouri ,intelligencer1 a few months ago1 gave an account of a slave named ,michael1 who was sold by his master to ,mr4 ,j4 ,e4 ,fenton1 by whom he was to be immediately shipped for the ,southern markets4 ,at the mouth of the ,ohio1 he filed off his irons1 and contrived to escape4 ,he immediately returned to the place where his wife resided1 and having armed himself1 declared he never would be sent to the ,south1 unless his wife was allowed to accompany him4 ,he was finally taken by stratagem1 and lodged in jail for safe keeping4 ,finding that his oppressors were determined to separate him from his beloved wife1 he committed suicide4 ,i believe the attachments of slaves are even stronger than ours2 for these ties constitute the only pleasure they are allowed to have4 ,hundreds of instances might be told1 where they have preferred death to separation4 ,q4 ,i have been told they sometimes kidnapped free colored persons1 to sell them as slaves4 ,is it so8 ,a4 ,it is unquestionably true that this is carried on to a considerable extent4 ,more than twenty free colored children were kidnapped in the single city of ,philadelphia1 in #ahbe2 and in #ahbg two were stolen in open day4 ,it is a common thing to decoy the unsuspecting victims on board a vessel1 or to some retired spot1 and then seize and bind them4 ,a ,new ,york paper of #ahbi1 says3 8,beware of kidnappers6 ,it is well understood that there is at present in this city1 a gang of kidnappers1 busily engaged in their vocation of stealing colored children for the ,southern market40 ,as the law supposes every colored person to be a slave unless he can prove himself free1 and as no person of his own complexion is allowed to be evidence for him1 the kidnappers have an easy time of it4 ,q4 ,some people say we ought to pity the masters as well as the slaves4 ,a4 ,i agree with them entirely4 ,the masters are to be deeply pitied2 because the long continuance of a wicked system has involved them in difficulties1 and at the same time rendered them generally blind to the best means of getting rid of those difficulties4 ,they are likewise to be compassionated for the effects which early habits of power produce on their own characters4 ,mr4 ,jefferson1 who lived in the midst of slavery1 says3 8,the whole commerce between master and slave is a perpetual exercise of the most boisterous passions2 the most unremitting despotism on the one part1 and degrading submission on the other4 ,our children see this1 and learn to imitate it4 ,the parent storms2 the child looks on1 catches the lineaments of wrath1 puts on the same airs in a circle of smaller slaves1 gives loose to the worst of passions2 and thus nursed1 educated1 and daily exercised in tyranny1 cannot but be stamped by it with odious peculiarities4 ,the man must be a prodigy1 who can retain his morals and manners undepraved in such circumstances40 ,the general licentiousness produced by this system can never be described without using language too gross to be addressed to a civilized community4 ,some idea of it may be derived from the fact1 that every female slave is completely in the power of her master1 of his sons1 of his overseers1 and his drivers4 ,the law does not allow her to offer resistance to a white man1 under any circumstances2 and the state of public opinion is such that any pretensions to virtue on her part would be treated with brutal ridicule4 ,the slave is not allowed to have any right in his wife and children4 ,if his master's interest can be served by his keeping three or four wives1 or by his wife's having a succession of husbands1 he cannot dispute the commands of his owner4 ,the wife1 or the husband1 is sometimes sold1 and sent thousands of miles from each other1 and from their little ones1 without the slightest hope of ever meeting again4 ,under these circumstances1 the man1 or the woman1 is soon ordered to take another partner2 because it is for the interest of the master that they should do so4 ,it is a shameful fact that the laws and customs of our country make it absolutely impossible for a large portion of our population to be virtuous1 even if they wish to be so4 ,the wealth of ,virginia is principally made by the breeding of slaves and horses2 and persons unaccustomed to the system would be shocked by the detail of well authenticated facts1 which prove that about as little regard is paid to decency in one case as the other4 ,mulatto slaves bring a higher price than black ones2 hence licentiousness in slave ,states becomes a profitable vice1 instead of being expensive1 as it is under other forms of society4 ,q4 ,i have been told that a great many of the slaves have very light complexions4 ,is it so8 ,a4 ,in the old slave ,states1 where the process of amalgamation has been going on for a long time1 this is remarkably the case4 ,an old soldier1 who lately visited the ,south1 said he was not so much struck by any circumstance1 as by the great change that had taken place in the complexion of the slaves since the ,revolution4 ,now and then ,i have seen in the southern papers advertisements for a runaway slave1 8who passes himself for a white man40 ,a ,boston gentleman1 who dislikes the abolitionists very much1 visited ,georgia a few years ago4 ,he told me that when he was walking with a planter one day1 they met a man driving a team1 who had a perfectly fair complexion1 with blue eyes and brown hair4 ,the ,bostonian remarked1 8,that must be an independent fellow1 to be driving a team in this part of the country1 where it is considered so disgraceful for a white man to work40 8,o1 that fellow is a slave10 replied the ,georgian4 ,almost every body has heard of the recent case of ,mary ,gilmore1 of ,philadelphia1 a perfectly white girl1 of ,irish parentage1 who was taken up and tried as a runaway slave4 ,a ,missouri newspaper proves that a white man may1 without a mistake1 be adjudged a slave4 8,a case of a slave sueing for his freedom1 was tried a few days since in ,lincoln county1 of which the following is a brief statement of particulars3 ,a youth of about ten years of age sued for his freedom on the ground that he was a free white person4 ,the court granted his petition to sue as a pauper upon inspection of his person4 ,upon his trial before the jury1 he was examined by the jury and two learned physicians1 all of whom concurred in the opinion that very little1 if any1 race of negro blood could be discovered by any of the external appearances4 ,all the physiological marks of distinction1 which characterize the ,african descent1 had disappeared4 ,his skin was fair1 his hair soft1 straight1 fine and white1 his eyes blue1 but rather disposed to the hazel-nut color2 nose prominent1 the lips small1 his head round and well formed1 forehead high and prominent1 ears large1 the tibia of the leg straight1 and feet hollow4 ,notwithstanding these evidences of his claims1 he was proved to be the descendant of a mulatto woman1 and that his progenitors on the mother's side had been and still were slaves3 consequently he was found to be a slave40 ,i have been told of a young physician1 who went into the far ,southern ,states to settle1 and there became in love with a very handsome and modest girl1 who lived at service4 ,he married her2 and about a year after that event1 a gentleman called at the house1 and announced himself as ,mr4 ,j99999999999999y1 of ,mobile4 ,he said to ,dr4 ,w99999999991 8,sir1 ,i have a trifling affair of business to settle with you4 ,you have married a slave of mine40 ,the young physician resented this language2 for he had not entertained the slightest suspicion that the girl had any other than white ancestors since the flood4 ,but ,mr4 ,j4 furnished proofs of his claim1 and ,dr4 ,w4 knew very well that the laws of the country would uphold him in it4 ,after considerable discussion1 the best bargain he could make was either to pay eight hundred dollars1 or have his wife put up at auction4 ,he consented to the first alternative1 and his unwelcome visiter departed4 ,when he had gone1 ,dr4 ,w4 told his wife what had happened4 ,the poor woman burst into tears and said1 8,that as ,mr4 ,j4 was her own father1 she had hoped that when he heard she had found an honorable protector1 he would have left her in peace40 ,q4 ,there can be no doubt that slavery is a bad system2 but don't you think it ought to be done away gradually8 ,ought not the slaves to be fitted for freedom1 before they are emancipated8 ,a4 ,the difficulty is1 it is utterly impossible to fit them for freedom while they remain slaves4 ,the masters know very well that their vassals will be servile just in proportion as they are brutally ignorant2 hence all their legislation tends to keep them so4 ,it is a disgraceful fact1 that in half of these ,united ,states the working men are expressly forbidden to learn to read or write4 ,the law ordains that twenty lashes shall be inflicted upon every slave found in an assembly met together for the purpose of 8mental instruction40 ,any white person who teaches a slave to read or write1 or gives or sells him any book 7the ,bible not excepted71 is fined two hundred dollars2 and any colored person who commits the same crime1 is punished with thirty-nine lashes1 or with imprisonment4 ,the ,rev4 ,charles ,c4 ,jones1 of ,georgia1 said in one of his sermons3 8,generally speaking1 the slaves appear to us to be without ,god and without hope in the world--a nation of heathen in our very midst4 ,we cannot cry out against the ,papists for withholding the ,scriptures from the common people2 for we withhold the ,bible from our servants1 and keep them in ignorance of it40 ,a writer in the ,observer1 of ,charleston1 ,s4 ,c4 says3 8,i hazard the assertion1 that throughout the bounds of our synod1 there are at least one hundred thousand slaves1 speaking the same language as ourselves1 who never heard of the plan of salvation by a ,redeemer40 ,the reason assigned for these oppressive laws is1 that 8teaching slaves to read and write tends to excite dissatisfaction in their minds10 and to produce insurrection4 ,in ,georgia1 a white man is fined five hundred dollars for teaching a slave or free negro to read or write2 and if a colored man attempts to teach the alphabet even to his own child1 he is liable to be fined or whipped1 according to the discretion of the court4 ,such laws are necessary for the preservation of this detestable system2 and while such laws exist1 how can the slaves ever be better fitted for freedom8 ,when the ,british government insisted that female slaves should no longer be flogged naked in the ,colonies1 the ,jamaica legislature replied1 that the practice could not possibly be laid aside1 8until the negro women acquired more of the sense of shame1 which distinguishes ,european females40 ,fitting men for freedom by keeping them slaves1 is like the ,jamaica mode of making women modest by whipping them without clothing4 ,q4 ,but don't you think it would be dangerous to turn the slaves at once loose upon the community8 ,a4 ,the abolitionists never desired to have them turned loose4 ,they wish to have them governed by salutary laws1 so regulated as effectually to protect both master and slave4 ,they merely wish to have the power of punishment transferred from individuals to magistrates2 to have the sale of human beings cease2 and to have the stimulus of wages applied1 instead of the stimulus of the whip4 ,the relation of master and laborer might still continue2 but under circumstances less irksome and degrading to both parties4 ,even that much abused animal the jackass can be made to travel more expeditiously by suspending a bunch of turnips on a pole and keeping them before his nose1 than he can by the continual application of the whip2 and even when human beings are brutalized to the last degree1 by the soul-destroying system of slavery1 they have still sense enough left to be more willing to work two hours for twelve cents1 than to work one hour for nothing4 ,q4 ,i should think this system1 in the long run1 must be an unprofitable one4 ,a4 ,it is admitted to be so4 ,southerners often declare that it takes six slaves to do what is easily performed by half the number of free laborers4 ,henry ,clay says1 8,it is believed that slave-labor would no where be employed in the farming portions of the ,united ,states1 if the proprietors were not tempted to raise slaves by the high price of the ,southern market1 which keeps it up in their own20 and he says the effects of introducing slavery into ,kentucky have been to keep them in the rear of their non-slave-holding neighbors1 in agriculture1 manufactures1 and general prosperity4 ,general ,washington1 when writing to ,sir ,john ,sinclair on the comparative value of the soil in ,pennsylvania and ,virginia1 ascribes the very low price of land in ,virginia to the existence of slavery among them4 ,john ,randolph declared that ,virginia was so impoverished by slavery1 that slaves would soon be advertising for runaway masters4 ,a distinguished writer on political economy says3 8,the slave system inflicts an incalculable amount of human suffering1 for the sake of making a wholesale waste of labor and capital40 ,q4 ,but the masters say the negroes would cut their throats1 if they were emancipated4 ,a4 ,it is safer to judge by uniform experience than by the assertions of the masters1 who1 even if they have no intention to deceive1 are very liable to be blinded by having been educated in the midst of a bad system4 ,listen to facts on this subject4 ,on the #ajth of ,october1 #ahaa1 the ,congress of ,chili decreed that every child born after that day should be free4 ,in ,april1 #ahab1 the government of ,buenos ,ayres ordered that every child born after the #ast of ,january1 #ahac1 should be free4 ,in #ahba1 the ,congress of ,colombia emancipated all slaves who had borne arms in favor of the ,republic1 and provided for the emancipation1 in eighteen years1 of the whole slave population1 of #ijj1jjj4 ,in ,september1 #ahbi1 the government of ,mexico granted immediate and entire emancipation to every slave4 ,in all these instances1 not one case of insurrection or of bloodshed has ever been heard of1 as the result of emancipation4 ,in ,st4 ,domingo no measures were taken gradually to fit the slaves for freedom4 ,they were suddenly emancipated during a civil war1 and armed against ,british invaders4 ,they at once ceased to be property1 and were recognized as human beings4 ,col4 ,malefant1 who resided on the island1 informs us1 in his ,historical and ,political ,history of the ,colonies1 that1 8after this public act of emancipation1 the negroes remained quiet both in the south and west1 and they continued to work upon all the plantations4 ,the colony was flourishing4 ,the whites lived happily and in peace upon their estates1 and the negroes continued to work for them40 ,general ,lacroix1 in his ,memoirs of ,st4 ,domingo1 speaking of the same period1 says3 8,the colony marched as by enchantment towards its ancient splendor2 cultivation prospered2 every day produced perceptible proofs of its progress40 ,this prosperous state of things lasted about eight years1 and would perhaps have continued to the present day1 had not ,bonaparte1 at the instigation of the old ,french planters1 sent an army to deprive the blacks of the freedom they had used so well4 ,the enemies of abolition are always talking of the horrors of ,st4 ,domingo1 as an argument to prove that emancipation is dangerous2 but historical facts prove that the effort to restore slavery occasioned all the bloodshed in that island2 while emancipation produced only the most peaceful and prosperous results4 ,in ,june1 #agid1 ,victor ,hugo1 a ,french republican general1 retook ,guadaloupe from the ,british1 and immediately proclaimed freedom to all the slaves4 ,they were #he1jjj in number1 and the whites only #ac1jjj4 ,no disasters occurred in consequence of this step4 ,more than seven years after this1 the ,supreme ,council of ,guadaloupe1 in an official document1 alluding to the tranquillity which reigned throughout the island1 observed3 8,we shall have the satisfaction of having given an example1 which will prove that all classes of people may live in perfect harmony with each other1 under an administration which secures justice to all classes40 ,in #ahjb1 ,bonaparte sent a powerful ,french force1 and again reduced the island to slavery1 at the cost of about #bj1jjj negro lives4 ,in ,july1 #ahbh1 thirty thousand ,hottentots in ,cape ,colony were emancipated from their long and cruel bondage1 and admitted by law to all the rights and privileges of the white colonists4 ,outrages were predicted1 as the inevitable consequence of freeing human creatures so completely brutalized as the poor ,hottentots2 but all went on peaceably2 and1 as a gentleman facetiously remarked1 8,hottentots as they were1 they worked much better for ,mr4 ,cash1 than they had ever done for ,mr4 ,lash40 ,q4 ,but they say the ,british have had difficulties in their ,west ,indies4 ,a4 ,the enemies of the cause have tried very hard to get up a 8raw-head and bloody-bones0 story2 but even if you take their own accounts1 you will find that they have not been able to adduce any instances of violence in support of their assertions4 ,the real facts are these3 ,the measure was not carried in a manner entirely satisfactory to the ,english abolitionists4 ,their knowledge of human nature1 combined with the practical evidence afforded by history1 led them to conclude that immediate and unqualified emancipation was safest for the master1 as well as just to the slave2 but the planters raised such a hue and cry concerning bloodshed and insurrection1 that the ,british government determined to conciliate them by a gradual abolition of slavery4 ,it was ordained that the slaves should work six years longer without wages1 under the name of apprentices2 but no punishment could be inflicted without the special order of magistrates4 ,the colonies had a right to dispense with the apprenticeship system if they pleased2 but out of the seventeen ,west ,india colonies1 ,antigua and ,bermuda were the only ones that chose to do so4 ,the act of ,parliament provided that each apprentice should work for his master forty and a half hours a week1 and have the rest of the time to himself4 ,the masters were not satisfied with this2 and they tried1 by a series of petty vexations1 to coerce the apprentices into individual contracts to work fifty hours in a week4 ,while the people had been slaves1 they were always allowed cooks to prepare their meals1 a person to bring water to the gang during the hot hours1 and nurses to tend the little children while their mothers were at work in the field2 but because the ,abolition ,act did not expressly provide that these privileges should be continued1 the masters saw fit to take them away4 ,each apprentice was obliged to quit his or her work1 and go1 sometimes a great distance1 to the cabin to cook his meals1 instead of having it served up in the field2 and the time taken up in this operation was to be made up out of the apprentices' own time4 ,no water was allowed to be brought to quench their thirst2 the aged and infirm1 instead of being left1 as formerly1 to superintend the children under the shade1 were ordered out into the burning fields2 and mothers were obliged to toil at the hoe with their infants strapped at their backs4 ,in addition to all these annoyances1 the planters obtained a new proclamation from the governor1 by which they were authorized to require extra labor of the apprentices in times of emergency1 or whenever they should deem it necessary1 in the cultivation1 gathering1 or manufacture of the crop1 provided they repaid them an equal time at a convenient season of the year4 ,this was very much like taking from a ,new ,england laborer the month of ,july1 and paying it back to him in ,january4 ,the negroes had behaved extremely well when emancipation was first proclaimed1 and universally showed a disposition to be orderly1 submissive1 and thankful2 but this system of privation and injustice soon created discontent4 ,they knew that they were to receive no wages1 however industrious they might be2 and they were well aware that their masters no longer had a right to flog them4 ,a bad stimulus to labor had been removed1 without supplying a good one in its place4 ,in three of the colonies1 the apprentices refused to work on the terms required by their masters4 ,in ,jamaica1 a very small military force was sent into one parish1 and only on one occasion2 but no violence was offered on either side2 for the apprentices confined themselves to passive resistance--merely refusing to work on the required terms4 ,in ,st4 ,christophers1 difficulties of a similar kind occurred2 but no outrage of any kind was committed4 ,in one fortnight all the trouble was at an end2 and out of twenty thousand apprentices1 only thirty were found to be absent from their work2 and some of these were supposed to be dead in the woods4 ,in ,demarara1 the principal difficulty occurred4 ,the laborers assembled together1 and marched round with a flag staff2 but the worst thing they did was to beat a constable with their fists4 ,it is a solemn fact that a few fisty cuffs with a constable are the only violence to persons or property1 that has been attempted by the eight hundred thousand slaves emancipated in the ,british ,colonies6 ,even the difficulties above enumerated 7slight as they were1 and unworthy to be named in connexion with such a great moral change7 were but temporary4 ,the governor of ,jamaica1 after five months' trial of emancipation1 declares1 in his address to the ,assembly1 8,not the slightest idea of any interruption of tranquillity exists in any quarter2 and those preparations which ,i have felt it my duty to make1 might1 without the slightest danger1 have been dispensed with40 ,by recent news1 we learn that the planters finding the system of coercion was likely to be ruinous to their own interest1 offered the apprentices #bs4 #f;d4 per day for extra work4 ,the enemies of abolition prophesied that nothing would induce the negroes to work more than they were actually compelled to by law1 and that the crops would perish for want of gathering4 ,but the result proved otherwise4 ,as soon as wages were offered1 they came forward eagerly1 and offered to do more work than the planters were willing to pay for4 ,we have the testimony of one of their magistrates1 that as soon as this system was tried1 8their apparent indifference was every where thrown off1 and their work carried on in a steady1 persevering1 and diligent manner40 ,q4 ,and how was it in ,antigua and ,bermuda1 where they gave up the apprenticeship system1 and tried immediate and unqualified emancipation8 ,a4 ,in those colonies not the slightest difficulty1 of any kind1 has occurred4 ,the ,antigua journals declare1 8,the great doubt is solved2 the highest hopes of the negroes' friends are fulfilled4 ,a whole people1 comprising thirty thousand souls1 have passed from slavery into freedom1 not only without the slightest irregularity1 but with the solemn and decorous tranquillity of a ,sabbath40 ,the ,christmas holidays were always seasons of alarm in the slave-colonies1 and a military force was always held in readiness2 but the ,christmas after emancipation1 the customary guard was dispensed with4 ,up to the present time1 every thing remains perfectly tranquil in ,antigua2 and a negro is at the head of the police in that island4 ,the population consists of #b1jjj whites1 #cj1jjj slaves1 and #d1ejj free blacks4 ,q4 ,yet people are always saying that free negroes cannot take care of themselves4 ,a4 ,it is because people are either very much prejudiced or very ignorant on the subject4 ,in the ,united ,states1 colored persons have scarcely any chance to rise4 ,they are despised1 and abused1 and discouraged1 at every turn4 ,in the slave ,states they are subject to laws nearly as oppressive as those of the slave4 ,they are whipped or imprisoned1 if they try to learn to read or write2 they are not allowed to testify in court2 and there is a general disposition not to encourage them by giving them employment4 ,in addition to this1 the planters are very desirous to expel them from the ,state1 partly because they are jealous of their influence upon the slaves1 and partly because those who have slaves to let out1 naturally dislike the competition of the free negroes4 ,but if colored people are well treated1 and have the same inducements to industry as other people1 they work as well and behave as well4 ,a few years ago the ,pennsylvanians were very much alarmed at the representations that were made of the increase of pauperism from the ingress of free negroes4 ,a committee was appointed to examine into the subject1 and it was ascertained that the colored people not only supported their own poor1 but paid a considerable additional sum towards the support of white paupers4 ,q4 ,i have heard people say that the slaves would not take their freedom1 if it were offered to them4 ,a4 ,i sincerely wish they would offer it4 ,i should like to see the experiment tried4 ,if the slaves are so well satisfied with their condition1 why do they make such severe laws against running away8 ,why are the patroles on duty all the time to shoot every negro who does not give an account of himself as soon as they call to him8 ,why1 notwithstanding all these pains and penalties1 are their newspapers full of advertisements for runaway slaves8 ,if the free negroes are so much worse off than those in bondage1 why is it that their laws bestow freedom on any slave1 8who saves his master or mistress's life1 or performs any meritorious service to the ,state80 ,that must be a very bad country where the law stipulates that meritorious actions shall be rewarded by making a man more unhappy than he was before6 ,some months ago1 ,i had a conversation with a woman1 who went from ,boston to ,tuscaloosa1 in ,alabama4 ,she was the wife of a ,baptist clergyman1 professed to be a pious woman1 and was considered as such4 ,i found her an apologist for slavery1 but was not aware at the time that she actually owned slaves4 ,she maintained that freedom was the greatest curse that could be bestowed on a slave2 and when ,i attempted to put the case home to her conscience1 she1 for consistency's sake1 declared1 that she should be quite as willing to die and leave her own little son in slavery1 as to leave him a free laborer at the ,north4 ,she said if she had a hundred slaves1 she should treat them all kindly1 and endeavor to make their condition comfortable4 ,i replied1 8,i am willing to believe that you would do so1 madam2 but in case of your death1 or of any pecuniary distress in the family1 the poor slaves would be divided among heirs1 or seized by creditors2 and then who can tell into whose hands they may fall8 ,the condition of the slave depends on the character of the master2 and that is entirely a matter of accident04 ,the pious woman rejoined1 8,oh1 ,i should take care of that4 ,if they were good1 faithful servants1 they would find at my death that papers of manumission had been duly prepared40 8,but you told me that freedom was the greatest curse that could be bestowed upon a slave10 replied ,i3 8,now is it possible1 madam1 that you would leave1 as your dying legacy to good and faithful servants1 the greatest curse you could bestow80 ,q4 ,do you suppose they really believe what they say1 when they declare that slaves are happier than freemen8 ,a4 ,i leave your own republican good sense to determine that question4 ,governor ,giles of ,virginia did not take that ground in his address to the ,legislature in #ahbg4 ,speaking of punishing free blacks by selling them as slaves1 he says3 8,slavery must be admitted to be a punishment of the highest order2 and according to every just rule for the apportionment of punishment to crimes1 it would seem that it ought to be applied only to crime of the highest order60 ,but even if it were true that the slaves were as happy and contented as slave-holders try to represent them--what would it prove8 ,it would merely prove that they had fearfully brutalized immortal souls before they could be happy in such a situation4 ,edmund ,burke said very truly1 8,if you have made a happy slave1 you have made a degraded man40 ,q4 ,but how is it that some people1 who really do not intend to make false representations1 bring back such favorable accounts of slavery1 after they have visited at the ,south8 ,a4 ,it is because they go among rich1 hospitable planters1 and see favorite household slaves4 ,of the poor wretches on the plantations1 subject to the tender mercies of an overseer1 they know as little1 as the guests of a ,russian nobleman know of the miserable condition of his serfs4 ,their sympathies all go with the master4 ,they ask questions of the master1 and not of the slave4 ,even if they tried to talk with the latter1 the poor creatures would be afraid to speak freely1 lest any expressions of discontent might be reported to the master1 or the overseer4 ,i should like to have you hear them talk as ,i have heard runaway slaves talk1 when they knew they had a friend to listen to them6 ,q4 ,but do you think the suitable time has yet come to exert ourselves on this subject8 ,a4 ,i will answer1 as a similar question was lately answered by a lady who had been brought up in the midst of slavery3 8,if thou were a slave1 toiling in the fields of ,carolina1 ,i apprehend thou wouldst think the time had fully come40 ,this explains the whole difficulty4 ,we do not put ourselves in the condition of the slave1 and imagine what would be our feelings if we were in his circumstances4 ,we do not obey the ,scripture injunction1 8remember those that are in bonds1 as bound with them40 ,but if we look at this question merely with a view to expediency1 without reference to justice or mercy1 when can we hope that a time will come more propitious to the discussion of this subject8 ,the fact is1 difficulties and dangers increase every day4 ,in ,south ,carolina and ,louisiana1 the blacks are already a majority4 ,the annual increase of the slaves1 without including the free blacks1 in the ,united ,states1 is now #fb1jjj annually4 ,it is a fact worthy of consideration1 that the licentiousness of the white man increases the colored race2 but the vices of colored men or women can never increase the white race2 for the children of such connections are of course not white4--,these people are increasing in the midst of us in startling ratio4 ,if we pursue a kind and ,christian course1 we can identify their interests with the rest of the community1 and make them our friends2 but if we persevere in the course we have pursued1 their feelings and interests must be all in opposition to ours1 and there is great reason to fear the consequences4 ,q4 ,don't you think the ,colonization ,society is doing some good8 ,a4 ,those who have examined into the subject1 have so universally come to the conclusion that ,colonization is entirely ineffectual for the abolition of slavery at any time1 however remote1 that it seems hardly worth while to waste words on that subject4 ,i do not pretend to impeach the motives of benevolent individuals1 who have been engaged in it2 but there is no doubt that its practical tendency is to perpetuate slavery4 ,john ,randolph1 and other slave-holders1 have advocated that ,society1 upon the avowed ground that by sending off an inconvenient surplus it would increase the price of the slaves left4 ,in the new slave ,states1 where they have not as yet an 8inconvenient surplus0 of slaves1 they don't like the ,colonization ,society2 but the old slave ,states have been its warmest friends4 ,there is one brief objection to the idea of abolishing slavery by ,colonization3 it is impossible4 ,even if it were desirable to remove these valuable laborers from our soil1 it could not be done1 if the whole ,treasury and ,navy of the ,united ,states were devoted to it4 ,the ,colonization ,society has been in operation about nineteen years2 they have had immense funds2 and they have transported to ,africa1 during that time1 about three thousand colored persons1 of which not one thousand were manumitted slaves4 ,now the annual increase of the slaves alone is #fb1jjj2 and the annual increase of the free blacks is about #aj1jjj4 ,in nineteen years the ,colonizationists have not been able to carry off one sixtieth part of the increase of the slaves in one year6 ,this is worse than the old story of the frog1 who jumped out of the well two feet every night1 and fell back three feet every morning4 ,but even if the colored people could be all carried out of the country1 what is the ,south to do for laborers8 ,they have been in the habit of excusing themselves1 by saying that white men cannot work in their climate1 and by taking it for granted that black men will not work for wages4 ,if the climate is unsuitable for white laborers1 it is manifestly very impolitic to send off the black ones4 ,it would be far wiser to try the experiment they have tried in ,bermuda and ,antigua4 ,labor is needed in all parts of our country2 and it is worse than a childish game to be sending off ship-loads of laborers to ,africa1 while we are bringing in ship-loads from ,ireland1 ,holland1 and ,switzerland4 ,q4 ,i have heard some people say they gave their money to the ,colonization ,society merely as a missionary establishment4 ,a4 ,it would be well for those people to examine into the matter1 and first ascertain whether it is a missionary establishment4 ,when we send missions to ,india1 the ,sandwich ,islands1 c41 we send men believed to be pious and enlightened4 ,for the probable influence of the emigrants carried out by the ,colonization ,society1 let the ,society answer for itself4 ,they assure us that the colored persons colonized from the ,united ,states will 8carry religion and the arts into the heart of ,africa40 ,yet ,mr4 ,clay1 ,vice ,president of the ,society1 says1 8,of all classes of our population the most vicious is that of the free colored--contaminated themselves1 they extend their vices to all around them40 ,and the ,african ,repository1 which is the organ of the ,society1 declares that 8they are notoriously ignorant--a curse and a contagion wherever they reside40 ,now1 are not these admirable missionaries to send out to christianize ,africa8 ,it would be wise to put them under better and more encouraging influences at home1 before we attempt to send them to enlighten heathen lands4 ,q4 ,some say that these people are naturally inferior to us2 and that the shape of their skulls proves it4 ,a4 ,if ,i believed that the colored people were naturally inferior to the whites1 ,i should say that was an additional reason why we ought to protect1 instruct1 and encourage them4 ,no consistent republican will say that a strong-minded man has a right to oppress those less gifted than himself4 ,slave-holders do not seem to think the negroes are so stupid as not to acquire knowledge1 and make use of it1 if they could get a chance4 ,if they do think so1 why do their laws impose such heavy penalties on all who attempt to give them any education8 ,nobody thinks it necessary to forbid the promulgation of knowledge among monkeys4 ,if you believe the colored race are naturally inferior1 ,i wish you would read the history of ,toussaint ,l',ouverture1 the ,washington of ,st4 ,domingo4 ,though perfectly black1 he was unquestionably one of the greatest and best men of his age4 ,i wish you would hear ,mr4 ,williams of ,new ,york1 and ,mr4 ,douglass of ,philadelphia preach a few times1 before you hastily decide concerning the capacity of the colored race for intellectual improvement4 ,as for the shape of their skulls1 ,i shall be well satisfied if our ,southern brethren will emancipate all the slaves who have not what is called the 8,african conformation40 ,q4 ,what do you think about property in slaves8 ,a4 ,let me reply to that question by asking others4 ,if you were taken by an ,algerine pirate1 and an ,arab bought you1 and paid honestly for you1 should you ever consider yourself the property of the ,arab8 ,should you think your fellow-citizens ought so to consider you8 ,can what is stolen in the beginning1 be honest property in the transmission8 ,if you and your children had toiled hard for years1 and received only a peck of corn a week for your services1 should you not think that some compensation was due to you8 ,q4 ,these are hard questions2 and ,i find it is hard to answer a good many things1 when we once get into the habit of imagining how we should think and feel if we ourselves were the slaves4 ,but what have the ,north to do on this subject8 ,a4 ,they cannot help having a great deal to do with it1 either for good or for evil4 ,they are citizens of this republic2 and as such cannot but feel a painful interest in a subject which makes their beloved country an object of derision to the civilized world4 ,if the slaves should make any attempt to gain their freedom1 we are bound to go with an armed force and rivet their chains4 ,if a slave escapes from his master unto us1 we are bound to deliver him up to the lash4 ,the people of ,pennsylvania1 living so near the slave ,states1 have a great many of these painful scenes to encounter4 ,a few months ago1 an industrious and pious colored man in ,philadelphia was torn from his home at midnight1 and beaten in such a degree that the snow for some distance was stained with his blood4 ,his poor wife1 who was devotedly attached to him1 had an infant about eight or ten days old2 but regardless of her situation1 she plunged into the snow1 and implored mercy for her husband4 ,her shrieks and entreaties were of no avail4 ,the citizens of ,philadelphia could not help her1 because the free ,states are bound by law to give up runaway slaves4 ,the evil might be cured by the extreme cheapness of labor1 if the surplus population were not drained off to supply new slave ,states4 ,but in order to accommodate slave-holders in this respect1 ,louisiana has been bought1 and ,florida bought1 by revenues principally raised in the free ,states2 and now they want to purchase ,texas likewise for an eternal slave market4 ,every time a member from the free ,states votes for the admission of a slave state into the ,union1 he helps to increase the political power1 which has always been wielded for the perpetuation of this abominable system4 ,it is high time for the free ,states to begin to reflect seriously1 whether they ought any longer to give their money and their moral influence in support of this iniquity4 ,q4 ,i did not know we were obliged to give up runaway slaves to their masters4 ,are you sure it is so8 ,a4 ,when masters bring their slaves into the free ,states1 or send them1 the slaves can legally take their freedom2 but when the slaves run away1 we are obliged by law to give them up1 let the circumstances be what they may4 ,many conscientious people prefer to obey the law of ,god1 which says1 8,thou shalt not deliver unto his master the servant which hath escaped unto thee40 ,q4 ,but would you at once give so many ignorant creatures political power1 by making them voters8 ,a4 ,that would be for the wisdom of legislators to decide2 and they would probably decide that it would not be judicious to invest emancipated slaves with the elective franchise2 for though it is not their fault that they have been kept brutally ignorant1 it unfits them for voters4 ,at the present time1 slaves are represented in ,congress4 ,every five slaves are counted equal to three freemen2 which is just the same as if our farmers were allowed to count every five of their oxen as three voters4 ,this system gives the ,southern aristocracy great political power1 entirely unchecked by democratic influence1 which comes in as a counterpoise in ,states where the laboring class are allowed to vote4 ,w4 ,b4 ,seabrook1 of ,south ,carolina1 has lately published an ,essay on the management of slaves1 in which he says3 8,an addition of #a1jjj1jjj to the private fortune of ,daniel ,webster would not give to ,massachusetts more weight than she now possesses in the ,federal ,councils4 ,on the other hand1 every increase of slave property in ,south ,carolina1 is a fraction thrown into the scale by which her representation in ,congress is determined40 ,this country has been governed by a ,president forty-eight years4 ,during forty of those years we have been governed by a slave-holder6 ,the ,new ,england candidates each remained in office but four years2 and the great middle section has never given a ,president4 ,the ,middle ,states are politically stronger than the ,northern1 and are therefore more likely to act independently1 and without reference to ,southern support4 ,perhaps this may be the reason why those ,states1 large and wealthy as they are1 have never given a ,president to their country4 ,slave-holders are keen-sighted politicians2 and they are closely knit together by one common bond of sympathy on the subject of slavery4 ,it is a common remark with them that they never will vote for any man north of the ,potomac4 ,q4 ,you know that abolitionists are universally accused of wishing to promote the amalgamation of colored and white people4 ,a4 ,this is a false charge1 got up by the enemies of the cause1 and used as a bugbear to increase the prejudices of the community4 ,by the hue and cry that is raised on the subject1 one would really suppose that in this free country a certain set of men had power to compel their neighbors to marry contrary to their own inclination4 ,the abolitionists have never1 by example1 writing1 or conversation1 endeavored to connect amalgamation with the subject of abolition4 ,when their enemies insist upon urging this silly and unfounded objection1 they content themselves with replying1 8,if there be a natural antipathy between the races1 the antipathy will protect itself4 ,if such marriages are contrary to the order of ,providence1 we certainly may trust ,providence to take care of the matter4 ,it is a poor compliment to the white young men to be so afraid that the moment we allow the colored ones to be educated1 the girls will all be running after them40 ,at a town meeting in ,new ,hampshire1 one of the citizens rose to say that he did not approve of admitting colored lads into the school4 8,if you suffer these people to be educated10 said he1 8the first thing we shall know they will be marrying our daughters60 ,after some other remarks1 he concluded by saying1 8it is impossible for the colored and white race to live together in a kind social relation--there is a natural antipathy--they cannot be made to mix any better than oil and water40 ,a plain farmer replied1 8,i thought you said just now1 that you was afraid that they'd marry our darters2 if they won't mix any better than ile and water1 what are you afraid of80 ,any one who observes the infinite variety of shadings in the complexions of the colored people1 will perceive that amalgamation has for a long time been carried on4 ,the only justification that the apologist for slavery can give is1 that it is not sanctioned by marriage4 ,according to ,southern laws every child must follow the condition of its mother2 that is1 if the mother is a slave1 her offspring must be so likewise4 ,if they would change one word1 and say the child shall follow the condition of its father1 a large proportion of their slaves would be free at once2 and the others would soon become so1 provided no new cargoes were in the mean time smuggled in from ,africa4 ,in this subject1 the truth is briefly told in a juvenile couplet1 viz4 8,by universal emancipation1 ,we want to stop amalgamation40 ,q4 ,is there any truth in the charge that you wish to break down all distinctions of society1 and introduce the negroes into our parlors8 ,a4 ,there is not the slightest truth in this charge4 ,people have pointed to an ignorant shoe-black1 and asked me whether ,i would invite him to visit my house4 ,i answered1 8,no2 ,i would not do so if he were a white man2 and ,i should not be likely to do it1 merely because he was black40 ,an educated person will not naturally like to associate with one who is grossly ignorant4 ,it may be no merit in one that he is well-informed1 and no fault of the other that he is ignorant2 for these things may be the result of circumstances1 over which the individual had no control2 but such people will not choose each other's society merely from want of sympathy4 ,for these reasons1 ,i would not select an ignorant man1 of any complexion1 for my companion2 but when you ask me whether that man's children shall have as fair a chance as my own1 to obtain an education1 and rise in the world1 ,i should be ashamed of myself1 both as a ,christian and a republican1 if ,i did not say1 yes1 with all my heart4 ,q4 ,but do you believe that prejudice against color ever can be overcome8 ,a4 ,yes1 ,i do2 because ,i have faith that all things will pass away1 which are not founded in reason and justice4 ,in ,france and ,england1 this prejudice scarcely exists at all4 ,their noblemen would never dream of taking offence because a colored gentleman sat beside them in a stage-coach1 or at the table of an hotel4 ,be assured1 however1 that the abolitionists have not the slightest wish to force you to give up this prejudice4 ,if1 after conscientious examination1 you believe it to be right1 cherish it2 but do not adhere to it merely because your neighbors do4 ,look it in the face--apply the golden rule--and judge for yourself4 ,the ,mahometans really think they could not eat at the same table with a ,christian1 without pollution2 but ,i have no doubt the time will come when this prejudice will be removed4 ,the old feudal nobles of ,england would not have thought it possible that their descendants could live in a community1 where they and their vassals were on a perfect civil equality2 yet the apparent impossibility has come to pass1 with advantage to many1 and injury to none4 ,when we endeavor to conform to the spirit of the gospel1 there is never any danger that it will not lead us into the paths of peace4 ,q4 ,but they say your measures are unconstitutional4 ,a4 ,is it unconstitutional to talk1 and write1 and publish on any subject8 particularly one in which the welfare and character of the country are so deeply involved8 ,this is all the abolitionists have ever done2 it is all they have ever desired to do4 ,nobody disputes that ,congress has constitutional power to abolish slavery and the slave-trade in the ,district of ,columbia4 ,that ,district belongs in common to all the ,states1 and each of them has an interest in the slaves there4 ,the public prisons of that ,district1 built with the money of the whole people of the ,united ,states1 are used for the benefit of slave-traders1 and the groaning victims of this detestable traffic are kept confined within their walls4 ,the keepers of these prisons1 paid with the money of the whole people1 act as jailers to these slave-traders1 until their gang of human brutes can be completed4 ,when we are acting as accomplices in all this1 have we no right to petition for the abolition of slavery and the slave trade there8 ,i do not see how any conscientious man can help believing it to be a solemn duty4 ,q4 ,is there any truth in the charge1 that abolitionists have tried to excite insurrections among the slaves8 ,a4 ,this charge is destitute of the slightest foundation in truth4 ,the abolitionists have addressed facts and arguments to the slave-holders only4 ,they have never sought for any communication with the slaves2 and if they did so1 their principles would lead them to teach patience and submission1 until their deliverance could be accomplished by peaceful measures4 ,i believe the publications by the ,peace ,society do not contain so much in defence of non-resistance under injury1 as the publications of the abolitionists4 ,if it should be discovered that any member of an ,anti-,slavery ,society had tried to excite disaffection among the slaves1 he would be immediately turned out of the ,society1 with strong expressions of disapprobation4 ,this false charge has been got up at the ,south merely to excite sympathy4 ,a little while ago a paragraph went the rounds of the newspapers1 concerning an abolitionist who had been overheard trying to persuade a negro lad to run away1 and offering to forge free papers for him4 ,it was afterwards ascertained that the man was a kidnapper1 and took this means of getting the boy into his own power1 for the sake of selling him4 ,complaints are made that pictures of a man flogging slaves having been on some of the books sent to the ,south2 and it is urged that negroes can understand these pictures1 if they do not know their letters4 ,in the first place1 the books are sent to the masters4 ,in the next place 7as has been well observed71 the pictures represent a thing that is either true1 or not true4 ,if it is not true1 the negroes would look at the picture without being reminded of any thing they had ever seen or known--if told that it represented a driver beating slaves1 they would laugh at such ,munchausen stories of things that never happened4 ,on the other hand1 if the representation is true1 would the mere picture of a thing be more likely to excite them to insurrection than the thing itself8 ,these stories of efforts to excite violence are mere spectres raised on purpose for the occasion4 ,if you will take notice of the charges brought against abolitionists1 you will find that they are always mere assertions1 unsupported by quotations1 or any species of evidence4 ,when ,i have read the resolutions passed at public meetings against the abolitionists1 ,i have smiled at the farce which those men have been acting4 ,in nearly all their resolutions1 the abolitionists could most cordially and conscientiously concur4 ,the enemies of the cause have in several cities gravely met together to declare that they do not approve of attempts to promote insurrections4 ,the abolitionists agree with them entirely4 ,with the same ridiculous gravity1 they make known to the world that they do not approve of any legislative interference with the ,southern ,states4 ,the abolitionists have never dreamed of any such interference4 ,they merely wish to induce the ,southerners to legislate for themselves2 and they hope to do this by the universal dissemination of facts and arguments1 calculated to promote a correct public sentiment on the subject of slavery4 ,this is all they ever intended to do2 and this they will do1 though earth and hell combine against their efforts4 ,the men engaged in this cause are not working for themselves1 but for ,god--and therefore they are strong4 ,q4 ,but do you believe the ,southerners ever can be persuaded8 ,a4 ,at all events1 it is our duty to try4 8,thus saith the ,lord ,god1 ,thou shalt speak my words unto them1 whether they will hear1 or whether they will forbear2 neither be afraid of their words1 though briers and thorns be with thee1 and thou dost dwell among scorpions40 ,if public sentiment becomes universally reformed on this subject1 it cannot fail to have a powerful influence4 ,slavery was abolished in the ,british dominions entirely by moral influence4 ,parliament never would have voted for the bill1 the king never would have signed it1 if an enlightened public sentiment had not made the step absolutely necessary2 and the public became enlightened by the exertions of benevolent men1 who were obliged to endure every form of obloquy and rage1 before the good work was completed4 ,the slave-holders are perfectly aware that the same causes will produce similar effects in this country4 ,one of the ,southern editors has lately declared that what is most to be feared is1 that these fanatical abolitionists will make some people of morbid consciences believe that slavery really is wrong1 and that it is their duty to relinquish it4 ,another ,southern newspaper complains that the worst effect of this discussion is1 that it is causing good men to regard slave-holders with abhorrence4 ,q4 ,but if the system works so badly in every respect1 why are people so unwilling to give it up8 ,a4 ,human nature is willing to endure much1 rather than relinquish unbridled licentiousness and despotic control4 ,the emperor of ,russia1 and the pachas of ,egypt would be reluctant to abridge their own power1 for the sake of introducing a system of things more conducive to the freedom1 virtue and happiness of their subjects4 ,they had rather live in constant fear of the poisoned bowl and the midnight dagger1 than to give up the pleasant exercise of tyranny1 to which they have so long been accustomed4 ,in addition to this feeling1 so common to our nature1 there are many conscientious people1 who are terrified at the idea of emancipation4 ,it has always been presented to them in the most frightful colors2 and bad men are determined1 if possible1 to prevent the abolitionists from proving to such minds that the dangers of insurrection all belong to slavery1 and would cease when slavery was abolished4 ,at the ,north1 the apologists of slavery are numerous and virulent1 because their interests are closely intertwined with the pernicious system4 ,inquire into the private history of many of the men1 who have called meetings against the abolitionists--you will find that some manufacture negro cloths for the ,south--some have sons who sell those cloths--some have daughters married to slave-holders--some have plantations and slaves mortgaged to them--some have ships employed in ,southern commerce--and some candidates for political offices would bow until their back-bones were broken1 to obtain or preserve ,southern influence4 ,the ,southerners understand all this perfectly well1 and despise our servility1 even while they condescend to make use of it4 ,one great reason why the people of this country have not thought and felt right on this subject1 is that all our books1 newspapers1 almanacs and periodicals1 have combined to represent the colored race as an inferior and degraded class1 who never could be made good and useful citizens4 ,ridicule and reproach have been abundantly heaped upon them2 but their virtues and their sufferings have found few historians4 ,the ,south has been well satisfied with such a public sentiment4 ,it sends back no echo to disturb their consciences1 and it effectually rivets the chain on the necks of their vassals4 ,in this department of service1 the ,colonization ,society has been a most active and zealous agent4 ,q4 ,but some people say that all the mobs1 and other violent proceedings1 are to be attributed to the abolitionists4 ,a4 ,they might as well charge the same upon ,st4 ,paul1 when his fearless preaching of the gospel brought him into such imminent peril1 that his friends were obliged to 8let him down over the wall in a basket10 to save his life4 ,as well might ,st4 ,stephen have been blamed for the mob that stoned him to death4 ,with the same justice might ,william ,penn have been called the cause of all the violent persecutions against the ,quakers4 ,when principles of truth are sent out in the midst of a perverse generation1 they always come 8not to bring peace1 but a sword40 ,the abolitionists have offered violence to no man--they have never attempted to stop the discussions of their opponents2 but have1 on the contrary1 exerted themselves to obtain a candid examination of the subject on all sides4 ,they merely claim the privilege of delivering peaceful addresses at orderly meetings1 and of publishing what they believe to be facts1 with an honest desire to have them tested by the strictest ordeal of truth4 ,q4 ,but do you think a foreigner ought to be allowed to lecture on this subject8 ,a4 ,we have some hundred missionaries abroad lecturing other nations--preaching against systems most closely entwined with the government and prejudices of the people4 ,if good and conscientious men leave ease1 honor1 and popularity behind them1 to come here1 and labor among the poor and the despised1 merely from zeal in a good cause1 shall we refuse to hear what they have to say8 ,if we insult1 mob1 and stone them1 how could we consistently blame the ,hindoos and ,sandwich ,islanders for abusing our missionaries8 ,we sent out agents to ,england1 to give her the benefit of our experience on the subject of temperance2 ought we not to be willing to receive the benefit of her experience on the subject of slavery8 ,let us candidly hear what these men have to say4 ,if it be contrary to reason and truth1 reject it2 if it be the truth1 let us ponder it in our hearts4 ,q4 ,but everybody says the discussion of slavery will lead to the dissolution of the ,union4 ,a4 ,there must be something wrong in the ,union1 if the candid discussion of any subject can dissolve it2 and for the truth of this remark1 ,i appeal to your own good sense4 ,if the ,south should be injudicious enough to withdraw from the ,union for the sake of preserving a moral pestilence in her borders1 it is very certain that slavery cannot long continue after that event4 ,none of the frontier ,states could long keep their slaves1 if we were not obliged by law to deliver up runaways2 nor could they any longer rely upon the free ,states1 in cases of emergency1 to support slavery by force of arms4 ,the union of these ,states has been continually disturbed and embittered by the existence of slavery2 and the abolitionists would fain convince the whole country that it is best to cast away this apple of discord4 ,their attachment to the ,union is so strong1 that they would make any sacrifice of self-interest to preserve it2 but they never will consent to sacrifice honor and principle4 8,duties are ours2 events are ,god's60 ,,transcriber',s ,,note ,obvious typographical errors and punctuation errors have been corrected after careful comparison with other occurrences within the text and consultation of external sources4 ,some hyphens in words have been silently removed1 some added1 when a predominant preference was found in the original book4 ,except for those changes noted below1 all misspellings in the text1 and inconsistent or archaic usage1 have been retained4 ,pg #ac3 #8cut off the the heads' replaced by #8cut off the heads'4 ,pg #ae3 #8,ths wife1 or the' replaced by #8,the wife1 or the'4 ,pg #af3 #8amagamation has been' replaced by #8amalgamation has been'4 ,pg #cf3 #8not not to bring peace' replaced by #8not to bring peace'4