,illustration    ,,appeal ,,to ,,the    
,,christian ,,women ,,of ,,the ,,south  
,angelina ,emily ,grimk       ,,appeal  
,,to ,,the ,,christian ,,women ,,of     
,,the ,,south  ,,by ,a4,e4 ,,grimk4     
,then ,mordecai commanded to answer     
,esther1 ,think not within thyself that 
thou shalt escape in the king's house   
more than all the ,jews4 ,for if thou   
altogether holdest thy peace at this    
time1 then shall there enlargement and  
deliverance arise to the ,jews from     
another place3 but thou and thy father's
 house shall be destroyed3 and who      
knoweth whether thou art come to the    
kingdom for such a time as this4 ,and   
,esther bade them return ,mordecai this 
answer3--and so will ,i go in unto the  
king1 which is not according to law1 and
 if ,i perish1 ,i perish4 ,esther ,,iv4 
#ac-af4   ,respected ,friends1  ,it is  
because ,i feel a deep and tender       
interest in your present and eternal    
welfare that ,i am willing thus publicly
 to address you4 ,some of you have loved

 me as a relative1 and some have felt   
bound to me in ,christian sympathy1 and 
,gospel fellowship2 and even when       
compelled by a strong sense of duty1 to 
break those outward bonds of union which
 bound us together as members of the    
same community1 and members of the same 
religious denomination1 you were        
generous enough to give me credit1 for  
sincerity as a ,christian1 though you   
believed ,i had been most strangely     
deceived4 ,i thanked you then for your  
kindness1 and ,i ask you now1 for the   
sake of former confidence1 and former   
friendship1 to read the following pages 
in the spirit of calm investigation and 
fervent prayer4 ,it is because you have 
known me1 that ,i write thus unto you4  
,but there are other ,christian women   
scattered over the ,southern ,states1 a 
very large number of whom have never    
seen me1 and never heard my name1 and   
who feel no interest whatever in me4    
,but ,i feel an interest in you1 as     
branches of the same vine from whose    

root ,i daily draw the principle of     
spiritual vitality--,yes6 ,sisters in   
,christ ,i feel an interest in you1 and 
often has the secret prayer arisen on   
your behalf1 ,lord open thou their eyes 
that they may see wondrous things out of
 thy ,law--,it is then1 because ,i do   
feel and do pray for you1 that ,i thus  
address you upon a subject about which  
of all others1 perhaps you would rather 
not hear any thing2 but1 would to ,god  
ye could bear with me a little in my    
folly1 and indeed bear with me1 for ,i  
am jealous over you with godly jealousy4
 ,be not afraid then to read my appeal2 
it is not written in the heat of passion
 or prejudice1 but in that solemn       
calmness which is the result of         
conviction and duty4 ,it is true1 ,i am 
going to tell you unwelcome truths1 but 
,i mean to speak those truths in love1  
and remember ,solomon says1 faithful are
 the wounds of a friend4 ,i do not      
believe the time has yet come when      
,christian women will not endure sound  

doctrine1 even on the subject of        
,slavery1 if it is spoken to them in    
tenderness and love1 therefore ,i now   
address you4  ,to all of you then1 known
 or unknown1 relatives or strangers1    
7for you are all one in ,christ17 ,i    
would speak4 ,i have felt for you at    
this time1 when unwelcome light is      
pouring in upon the world on the subject
 of slavery2 light which even           
,christians would exclude1 if they      
could1 from our country1 or at any rate 
from the southern portion of it1 saying1
 as its rays strike the rock bound      
coasts of ,new ,england and scatter     
their warmth and radiance over her hills
 and valleys1 and from thence travel    
onward over the ,palisades of the       
,hudson1 and down the soft flowing      
waters of the ,delaware and gild the    
waves of the ,potomac1 hitherto shalt   
thou come and no further2 ,i know that  
even professors of ,his name who has    
been emphatically called the ,light of  
the world would1 if they could1 build a 

wall of adamant around the ,southern    
,states whose top might reach unto      
heaven1 in order to shut out the light  
which is bounding from mountain to      
mountain and from the hills to the      
plains and valleys beneath1 through the 
vast extent of our ,northern ,states4   
,but believe me1 when ,i tell you1 their
 attempts will be as utterly fruitless  
as were the efforts of the builders of  
,babel2 and why8 ,because moral1 like   
natural light1 is so extremely subtle in
 its nature as to overleap all human    
barriers1 and laugh at the puny efforts 
of man to control it4 ,all the excuses  
and palliations of this system must     
inevitably be swept away1 just as other 
refuges of lies have been1 by the       
irresistible torrent of a rectified     
public opinion4 ,the supporters of the  
slave system1 says ,jonathan ,dymond in 
his admirable work on the ,principles of
 ,morality1 will hereafter be regarded  
with the same public feeling1 as he who 
was an advocate for the slave trade now 

is4 ,it will be1 and that very soon1    
clearly perceived and fully acknowledged
 by all the virtuous and the candid1    
that in principle it is as sinful to    
hold a human being in bondage who has   
been born in ,carolina1 as one who has  
been born in ,africa4 ,all that         
sophistry of argument which has been    
employed to prove1 that although it is  
sinful to send to ,africa to procure men
 and women as slaves1 who have never    
been in slavery1 that still1 it is not  
sinful to keep those in bondage who have
 come down by inheritance1 will be      
utterly overthrown4 ,we must come back  
to the good old doctrine of our         
forefathers who declared to the world1  
this self evident truth that all men are
 created equal1 and that they have      
certain inalienable rights among which  
are life1 liberty1 and the pursuit of   
happiness4 ,it is even a greater        
absurdity to suppose a man can be       
legally born a slave under our free     
,republican ,government1 than under the 

petty despotisms of barbarian ,africa4  
,if then1 we have no right to enslave an
 ,african1 surely we can have none to   
enslave an ,american2 if it is a self   
evident truth that all men1 every where 
and of every color are born equal1 and  
have an inalienable right to liberty1   
then it is equally true that no man can 
be born a slave1 and no man can ever    
rightfully be reduced to involuntary    
bondage and held as a slave1 however    
fair may be the claim of his master or  
mistress through wills and title-deeds4 
,but after all1 it may be said1 our     
fathers were certainly mistaken1 for the
 ,bible sanctions ,slavery1 and that is 
the highest authority4 ,now the ,bible  
is my ultimate appeal in all matters of 
faith and practice1 and it is to this   
test ,i am anxious to bring the subject 
at issue between us4 ,let us then begin 
with ,adam and examine the charter of   
privileges which was given to him4 ,have
 dominion over the fish of the sea1 and 
over the fowl of the air1 and over every

 living thing that moveth upon the      
earth4 ,in the eighth ,psalm we have a  
still fuller description of this charter
 which through ,adam was given to all   
mankind4 ,thou madest him to have       
dominion over the works of thy hands2   
thou hast put all things under his feet4
 ,all sheep and oxen1 yea1 and the      
beasts of the field1 the fowl of the    
air1 the fish of the sea1 and whatsoever
 passeth through the paths of the seas4 
,and after the flood when this charter  
of human rights was renewed1 we find no 
additional power vested in man4 ,and the
 fear of you and the dread of you shall 
be upon every beast of the earth1 and   
every fowl of the air1 and upon all that
 moveth upon the earth1 and upon all the
 fishes of the sea1 into your hand are  
they delivered4 ,in this charter1       
although the different kinds of         
irrational beings are so particularly   
enumerated1 and supreme dominion over   
all of them is granted1 yet man is never
 vested with this dominion over his     

fellow man2 he was never told that any  
of the human species were put under his 
feet2 it was only all things1 and man1  
who was created in the image of his     
,maker1 never can properly be termed a  
thing1 though the laws of ,slave ,states
 do call him a chattel personal2 ,man   
then1 ,i assert never was put under the 
feet of man1 by that first charter of   
human rights which was given by ,god1 to
 the ,fathers of the ,antediluvian and  
,postdiluvian worlds1 therefore this    
doctrine of equality is based on the    
,bible4  ,but it may be argued1 that in 
the very chapter of ,genesis from which 
,i have last quoted1 will be found the  
curse pronounced upon ,canaan1 by which 
his posterity was consigned to servitude
 under his brothers ,shem and ,japheth4 
,i know this prophecy was uttered1 and  
was most fearfully and wonderfully      
fulfilled1 through the immediate        
descendants of ,canaan1 i4e4 the        
,canaanites1 and ,i do not know but it  
has been through all the children of    

,ham but ,i do know that prophecy does  
not tell us what ought to be1 but what  
actually does take place1 ages after it 
has been delivered1 and that if we      
justify ,america for enslaving the      
children of ,africa1 we must also       
justify ,egypt for reducing the children
 of ,israel to bondage1 for the latter  
was foretold as explicitly as the       
former4 ,i am well aware that prophecy  
has often been urged as an excuse for   
,slavery1 but be not deceived1 the      
fulfilment of prophecy will not cover   
one sin in the awful day of account4    
,hear what our ,saviour says on this    
subject2 it must needs be that offences 
come1 but woe unto that man through whom
 they come--,witness some fulfilment of 
this declaration in the tremendous      
destruction1 of ,jerusalem1 occasioned  
by that most nefarious of all crimes the
 crucifixion of the ,son of ,god4 ,did  
the fact of that event having been      
foretold1 exculpate the ,jews from sin  
in perpetrating it2 ,no--for hear what  

the ,apostle ,peter says to them on this
 subject1 ,him being delivered by the   
determinate counsel and foreknowledge of
 ,god1 ye have taken1 and by wicked     
hands have crucified and slain4 ,other  
striking instances might be adduced1 but
 these will suffice4  ,but it has been  
urged that the patriarchs held slaves1  
and therefore1 slavery is right4 ,do you
 really believe that patriarchal        
servitude was like ,american slavery8   
,can you believe it8 ,if so1 read the   
history of these primitive fathers of   
the church and be undeceived4 ,look at  
,abraham1 though so great a man1 going  
to the herd himself and fetching a calf 
from thence and serving it up with his  
own hands1 for the entertainment of his 
guests4 ,look at ,sarah1 that princess  
as her name signifies1 baking cakes upon
 the hearth4 ,if the servants they had  
were like ,southern slaves1 would they  
have performed such comparatively menial
 offices for themselves8 ,hear too the  
plaintive lamentation of ,abraham when  

he feared he should have no son to bear 
his name down to posterity4 ,behold thou
 hast given me no seed1 c1 one born in  
my house is mine heir4 ,from this it    
appears that one of his servants was to 
inherit his immense estate4 ,is this    
like ,southern slavery8 ,i leave it to  
your own good sense and candor to       
decide4 ,besides1 such was the footing  
upon which ,abraham was with his        
servants1 that he trusted them with     
arms4 ,are slaveholders willing to put  
swords and pistols into the hands of    
their slaves8 ,he was as a father among 
his servants2 what are planters and     
masters generally among theirs8 ,when   
the institution of circumcision was     
established1 ,abraham was commanded     
thus2 ,he that is eight days old shall  
be circumcised among you1 every         
man-child in your generations2 he that  
is born in the house1 or bought with    
money of any stranger which is not of   
thy seed4 ,and to render this command   
with regard to his servants still more  

impressive it is repeated in the very   
next verse2 and herein we may perceive  
the great care which was taken by ,god  
to guard the rights of servants even    
under this dark dispensation4 ,what too 
was the testimony given to the          
faithfulness of this eminent patriarch4 
,for ,i know him that he will command   
his children and his household after    
him1 and they shall keep the way of the 
,lord to do justice and judgment4 ,now  
my dear friends many of you believe that
 circumcision has been superseded by    
baptism in the ,church2 ,are you careful
 to have all that are born in your house
 or bought with money of any stranger1  
baptized8 ,are you as faithful as       
,abraham to command your household to   
keep the way of the ,lord8 ,i leave it  
to your own consciences to decide4 ,was 
patriarchal servitude then like         
,american ,slavery8  ,but ,i shall be   
told1 ,god sanctioned ,slavery1 yea     
commanded ,slavery under the ,jewish    
,dispensation4 ,let us examine this     

subject calmly and prayerfully4 ,i admit
 that a species of servitude was        
permitted to the ,jews1 but in studying 
the subject ,i have been struck with    
wonder and admiration at perceiving how 
carefully the servant was guarded from  
violence1 injustice and wrong4 ,i will  
first inform you how these servants     
became servants1 for ,i think this a    
very important part of our subject4     
,from consulting ,horne1 ,calmet and the
 ,bible1 ,i find there were six         
different ways by which the ,hebrews    
became servants legally4  #a4 ,if       
reduced to extreme poverty1 a ,hebrew   
might sell himself1 i4e4 his services1  
for six years1 in which case he received
 the purchase money himself4 ,lev4 xxv1 
#ci4  #b4 ,a father might sell his      
children as servants1 i4e4 his          
daughters1 in which circumstance it was 
understood the daughter was to be the   
wife or daughter-in-law of the man who  
bought her1 and the father received the 
price4 ,in other words1 ,jewish women   

were sold as white women were in the    
first settlement of ,virginia--as wives1
 not as slaves4 ,ex4 xxi1 #g4  #c4      
,insolvent debtors might be delivered to
 their creditors as servants4 #b ,kings 
iv1 #a  #d4 ,thieves not able to make   
restitution for their thefts1 were sold 
for the benefit of the injured person4  
,ex4 xxii1 #c4  #e4 ,they might be born 
in servitude4 ,ex4 xxi1 #d4  #f4 ,if a  
,hebrew had sold himself to a rich      
,gentile1 he might be redeemed by one of
 his brethren at any time the money was 
offered2 and he who redeemed him1 was   
not to take advantage of the favor thus 
conferred1 and rule over him with rigor4
 ,lev4 xxv1 #dg-ee4  ,before going into 
an examination of the laws by which     
these servants were protected1 ,i would 
just ask whether ,american slaves have  
become slaves in any of the ways in     
which the ,hebrews became servants4 ,did
 they sell themselves into slavery and  
receive the purchase money into their   
own hands8 ,no6 ,did they become        

insolvent1 and by their own imprudence  
subject themselves to be sold as slaves8
 ,no6 ,did they steal the property of   
another1 and were they sold to make     
restitution for their crimes8 ,no6 ,did 
their present masters1 as an act of     
kindness1 redeem them from some heathen 
tyrant to whom they had sold themselves 
in the dark hour of adversity8 ,no6     
,were they born in slavery8 ,no6 ,no6   
not according to ,jewish ,law1 for the  
servants who were born in servitude     
among them1 were born of parents who had
 sold themselves for six years3 ,ex4    
xxi1 #d4 ,were the female slaves of the 
,south sold by their fathers8 ,how shall
 ,i answer this question8 ,thousands and
 tens of thousands never were1 their    
fathers never have received the poor    
compensation of silver or gold for the  
tears and toils1 the suffering1 and     
anguish1 and hopeless bondage of their  
daughters4 ,they labor day by day1 and  
year by year1 side by side1 in the same 
field1 if haply their daughters are     

permitted to remain on the same         
plantation with them1 instead of being  
as they often are1 separated from their 
parents and sold into distant states1   
never again to meet on earth4 ,but do   
the fathers of the ,south ever sell     
their daughters8 ,my heart beats1 and my
 hand trembles1 as ,i write the awful   
affirmative1 ,yes6 ,the fathers of this 
,christian land often sell their        
daughters1 not as ,jewish parents did1  
to be the wives and daughters-in-law of 
the man who buys them1 but to be the    
abject slaves of petty tyrants and      
irresponsible masters4 ,is it not so1 my
 friends8 ,i leave it to your own candor
 to corroborate my assertion4 ,southern 
slaves then have not become slaves in   
any of the six different ways in which  
,hebrews became servants1 and ,i        
hesitate not to say that ,american      
masters cannot according to ,jewish law 
substantiate their claim to the men1    
women1 or children they now hold in     
bondage4  ,but there was one way in     

which a ,jew might illegally be reduced 
to servitude2 it was this1 he might be  
stolen and afterwards sold as a slave1  
as was ,joseph4 ,to guard most          
effectually against this dreadful crime 
of manstealing1 ,god enacted this severe
 law4 ,he that stealeth a man and       
selleth him1 or if he be found in his   
hand1 he shall surely be put to death4  
#a ,as ,i have tried ,american ,slavery 
by legal ,hebrew servitude1 and found1  
7to your surprise1 perhaps17 that       
,jewish law cannot justify the          
slaveholder's claim1 let us now try it  
by illegal ,hebrew bondage4 ,have the   
,southern slaves then been1 stolen8 ,if 
they did not sell themselves into       
bondage2 if they were not sold as       
insolvent debtors or as thieves2 if they
 were not redeemed from a heathen master
 to whom they had sold themselves2 if   
they were not born in servitude         
according to ,hebrew law2 and if the    
females were not sold by their fathers  
as wives and daughters-in-law to those  

who purchased them2 then what shall we  
say of them8 what can we say of them but
 that according to ,hebrew ,law they    
have been stolen4  ,but ,i shall be told
 that the ,jews had other servants who  
were absolute slaves4 ,let us look a    
little into this also4 ,they had other  
servants who were procured in two       
different ways4  #a4 ,captives taken in 
war were reduced to bondage instead of  
being killed2 but we are not told that  
their children were enslaved ,deut4 xx1 
#ad4  #b4 ,bondmen and bondmaids might  
be bought from the heathen round about  
them2 these were left by fathers to     
their children after them1 but it does  
not appear that the children of these   
servants ever were reduced to servitude4
 ,lev4 xxv1 #dd4  ,i will now try the   
right of the southern planter by the    
claims of ,hebrew masters over their    
heathen slaves4 ,were the southern      
slaves taken captive in war8 ,no6 ,were 
they bought from the heathen8 ,no6 for  
surely1 no one will now vindicate the   

slave-trade so far as to assert that    
slaves were bought from the heathen who 
were obtained by that system of piracy4 
,the only excuse for holding southern   
slaves is that they were born in        
slavery1 but we have seen that they were
 not born in servitude as ,jewish       
servants were1 and that the children of 
heathen slaves were not legally         
subjected to bondage even under the     
,mosaic ,law4 ,how then have the slaves 
of the ,south been obtained8  ,i will   
next proceed to an examination of those 
laws which were enacted in order to     
protect the ,hebrew and the ,heathen    
servant2 for ,i wish you to understand  
that both are protected by ,him1 of whom
 it is said his mercies are over all his
 works4 ,i will first speak of those    
which secured the rights of ,hebrew     
servants4 ,this code was headed thus3   
#a4 ,thou shalt not rule over him with  
rigor1 but shalt fear thy ,god2  #b4 ,if
 thou buy a ,hebrew servant1 six years  
shall he serve1 and in the seventh year 

he shall go out free for nothing4 ,ex4  
xxi1 #b4 #b  #c4 ,if he come in by      
himself1 he shall go out by himself2 if 
he were married1 then his wife shall go 
out with him4  #d4 ,if his master have  
given him a wife and she have borne him 
sons and daughters1 the wife and her    
children shall be his master's1 and he  
shall go out by himself4  #e4 ,if the   
servant shall plainly say1 ,i love my   
master1 my wife1 and my children2 ,i    
will not go out free2 then his master   
shall bring him unto the ,judges1 and he
 shall bring him to the door1 or unto   
the door-post1 and his master shall bore
 his ear through with an awl1 and he    
shall serve him forever4 ,ex4 xxi1 #e-f4
  #f4 ,if a man smite the eye of his    
servant1 or the eye of his maid1 that it
 perish1 he shall let him go free for   
his eye's sake4 ,and if he smite out his
 man servant's tooth or his maid        
servant's tooth1 he shall let him go    
free for his tooth's sake4 ,ex4 xxi1    
#bf1 #bg4  #g4 ,on the ,sabbath rest was

 secured to servants by the fourth      
commandment4 ,ex4 xx1 #aj4  #h4         
,servants were permitted to unite with  
their masters three times in every year 
in celebrating the ,passover1 the feast 
of ,pentecost1 and the feast of         
,tabernacles2 every male throughout the 
land was to appear before the ,lord at  
,jerusalem with a gift2 here the bond   
and the free stood on common ground4    
,deut4 xvi4  #i4 ,if a man smite his    
servant or his maid with a rod1 and he  
die under his hand1 he shall be surely  
punished4 ,notwithstanding1 if he       
continue a day or two1 he shall not be  
punished1 for he is his money4 ,ex4 xxi1
 #bj1 #ba4  ,from these laws we learn   
that ,hebrew men servants were bound to 
serve their masters only six years1     
unless their attachment to their        
employers their wives and children1     
should induce them to wish to remain in 
servitude1 in which case1 in order to   
prevent the possibility of deception on 
the part of the master1 the servant was 

first taken before the magistrate1 where
 he openly declared his intention of    
continuing in his master's service1     
7probably a public register was kept of 
such7 he was then conducted to the door 
of the house1 7in warm climates doors   
are thrown open17 and there his ear was 
publicly bored1 and by submitting to    
this operation he testified his         
willingness to serve him forever1 i4e4  
during his life1 for ,jewish ,rabbins   
who must have understood ,jewish        
slavery1 7as it is called17 affirm that 
servants were set free at the death of  
their masters and did not descend to    
their heirs3 or that he was to serve him
 until the year of ,jubilee1 when all   
servants were set at liberty4 ,to       
protect servants from violence1 it was  
ordained that if a master struck out the
 tooth or destroyed the eye of a        
servant1 that servant immediately became
 free1 for such an act of violence      
evidently showed he was unfit to possess
 the power of a master1 and therefore   

that power was taken from him4 ,all     
servants enjoyed the rest of the        
,sabbath and partook of the privileges  
and festivities of the three great      
,jewish ,feasts2 and if a servant died  
under the infliction of chastisement1   
his master was surely to be punished4   
,as a tooth for a tooth and life for    
life was the ,jewish law1 of course he  
was punished with death4 ,i know that   
great stress has been laid upon the     
following verse3 ,notwithstanding1 if he
 continue a day or two1 he shall not be 
punished1 for he is his money4          
,slaveholders1 and the apologists of    
slavery1 have eagerly seized upon this  
little passage of scripture1 and held it
 up as the masters' ,magna ,charta1 by  
which they were licensed by ,god himself
 to commit the greatest outrages upon   
the defenceless victims of their        
oppression4 ,but1 my friends1 was it    
designed to be so8 ,if our ,heavenly    
,father would protect by law the eye and
 the tooth of a ,hebrew servant1 can we 

for a moment believe that he would      
abandon that same servant to the brutal 
rage of a master who would destroy even 
life itself4 ,do we not rather see in   
this1 the only law which protected      
masters1 and was it not right that in   
case of the death of a servant1 one or  
two days after chastisement was         
inflicted1 to which other circumstances 
might have contributed1 that the master 
should be protected when1 in all        
probability1 he never intended to       
produce so fatal a result8 ,but the     
phrase he is his money has been adduced 
to show that ,hebrew servants were      
regarded as mere things1 chattels       
personal2 if so1 why were so many laws  
made to secure their rights as men1 and 
to ensure their rising into equality and
 freedom8 ,if they were mere things1 why
 were they regarded as responsible      
beings1 and one law made for them as    
well as for their masters8 ,but ,i pass 
on now to the consideration of how the  
female ,jewish servants were protected  

by law4  #a4 ,if she please not her     
master1 who hath betrothed her to       
himself1 then shall he let her be       
redeemed3 to sell her unto another      
nation he shall have no power1 seeing he
 hath dealt deceitfully with her4  #b4  
,if he have betrothed her unto his son1 
he shall deal with her after the manner 
of daughters4  #c4 ,if he take him      
another wife1 her food1 her raiment1 and
 her duty of marriage1 shall he not     
diminish4  #d4 ,if he do not these three
 unto her1 then shall she go out free   
without money4  ,on these laws ,i will  
give you ,calmet's remarks2 ,a father   
could not sell his daughter as a slave1 
according to the ,rabbins1 until she was
 at the age of puberty1 and unless he   
were reduced to the utmost indigence4   
,besides when a master bought an        
,israelitish girl1 it was always with   
the presumption that he would take her  
to wife4 ,hence ,moses adds1 'if she    
please not her master1 and he does not  
think fit to marry her1 he shall set her

 at liberty1' or according to the       
,hebrew1 'he shall let her be redeemed4'
 ',to sell her to another nation he     
shall have no power1 seeing he hath     
dealt deceitfully with her2' as to the  
engagement implied1 at least of taking  
her to wife4 ',if he have betrothed her 
unto his son1 he shall deal with her    
after the manner of daughters1 i4e4 he  
shall take care that his son uses her as
 his wife1 that he does not despise or  
maltreat her4 ,if he make his son marry 
another wife1 he shall give her her     
dowry1 her clothes and compensation for 
her virginity2 if he does none of these 
three1 she shall go out free without    
money4 ,thus were the rights of female  
servants carefully secured by law under 
the ,jewish ,dispensation2 and now ,i   
would ask1 are the rights of female     
slaves at the ,south thus secured8 ,are 
they sold only as wives and             
daughters-in-law1 and when not treated  
as such1 are they allowed to go out     
free8 ,no6 ,they have all not only been 

illegally obtained as servants according
 to ,hebrew law1 but they are also      
illegally held in bondage4 ,masters at  
the ,south and ,west have all forfeited 
their claims1 7if they ever had any17 to
 their female slaves4  ,we come now to  
examine the case of those servants who  
were of the heathen round about2 ,were  
they left entirely unprotected by law8  
,horne in speaking of the law1 ,thou    
shalt not rule over him with rigor1 but 
shall fear thy ,god1 remarks1 this law  
,lev4 xxv1 #dc1 it is true speaks       
expressly of slaves who were of ,hebrew 
descent2 but as alien born slaves were  
ingrafted into the ,hebrew ,church by   
circumcision1 there is no doubt but that
 it applied to all slaves2 if so1 then  
we may reasonably suppose that the other
 protective laws extended to them also2 
and that the only difference between    
,hebrew and ,heathen servants lay in    
this1 that the former served but six    
years unless they chose to remain       
longer1 and were always freed at the    

death of their masters2 whereas the     
latter served until the year of         
,jubilee1 though that might include a   
period of forty-nine years1--and were   
left from father to son4  ,there are    
however two other laws which ,i have not
 yet noticed4 ,the one effectually      
prevented all involuntary servitude1 and
 the other completely abolished ,jewish 
servitude every fifty years4 ,they were 
equally operative upon the ,heathen and 
the ,hebrew4  #a4 ,thou shall not       
deliver unto his master the servant that
 is escaped from his master unto thee4  
,he shall dwell with thee1 even among   
you1 in that place which he shall       
choose1 in one of thy gates where it    
liketh him best3 thou shall not oppress 
him4 ,deut4 xxiii1 #ae1 #af4  #b4 ,and  
ye shall hallow the fiftieth year1 and  
proclaim ,liberty throughout all the    
land1 unto all the inhabitants thereof3 
it shall be a jubilee unto you4 ,lev4   
xxv1 #aj4  ,here1 then1 we see that by  
this first law1 the door of ,freedom was

 opened wide to every servant who had   
any cause whatever for complaint2 if he 
was unhappy with his master1 all he had 
to do was to leave him1 and no man had a
 right to deliver him back to him again1
 and not only so1 but the absconded     
servant was to choose where he should   
live1 and no ,jew was permitted to      
oppress him4 ,he left his master just as
 our ,northern servants leave us2 we    
have no power to compel them to remain  
with us1 and no man has any right to    
oppress them2 they go and dwell in that 
place where it chooseth them1 and live  
just where they like4 ,is it so at the  
,south8 ,is the poor runaway slave      
protected by law from the violence of   
that master whose oppression and cruelty
 has driven him from his plantation or  
his house8 ,no6 no6 ,even the free      
states of the ,north are compelled to   
deliver unto his master the servant that
 is escaped from his master into them4  
,by human law1 under the ,christian     
,dispensation1 in the nineteenth century

 we are commanded to do1 what ,god more 
than three thousand years ago1 under the
 ,mosaic ,dispensation1 positively      
commanded the ,jews not to do4 ,in the  
wide domain even of our free states1    
there is not one city of refuge for the 
poor runaway fugitive2 not one spot upon
 which he can stand and say1 ,i am a    
free man--,i am protected in my rights  
as a man1 by the strong arm of the law2 
no6 not one4 ,how long the ,north will  
thus shake hands with the ,south in sin1
 ,i know not4 ,how long she will stand  
by like the persecutor ,saul1 consenting
 unto the death of ,stephen1 and keeping
 the raiment of them that slew him4 ,i  
know not2 but one thing ,i do know1 the 
guilt of the ,north is increasing in a  
tremendous ratio as light is pouring in 
upon her on the subject and the sin of  
slavery4 ,as the sun of righteousness   
climbs higher and higher in the moral   
heavens1 she will stand still more and  
more abashed as the query is thundered  
down into her ear1 ,who hath required   

this at thy hand8 ,it will be found no  
excuse then that the ,constitution of   
our country required that persons bound 
to service escaping from their masters  
should be delivered up2 no more excuse  
than was the reason which ,adam assigned
 for eating the forbidden fruit4 ,he was
 condemned and punished because he      
hearkened to the voice of his wife1     
rather than to the command of his       
,maker2 and we will assuredly be        
condemned and punished for obeying ,man 
rather than ,god1 if we do not speedily 
repent and bring forth fruits meet for  
repentance4 ,yea1 are we not receiving  
chastisement even now8  ,but by the     
second of these laws a still more       
astonishing fact is disclosed4 ,if the  
first effectually prevented all         
involuntary servitude1 the last         
absolutely forbade even voluntary       
servitude being perpetual4 ,on the great
 day of atonement every fiftieth year   
the ,jubilee trumpet was sounded        
throughout the land of ,judea1 and      

,liberty was proclaimed to all the      
inhabitants thereof4 ,i will not say    
that the servants' chains fell off and  
their manacles were burst1 for there is 
no evidence that ,jewish servants ever  
felt the weight of iron chains1 and     
collars1 and handcuffs2 but ,i do say   
that even the man who had voluntarily   
sold himself and the heathen who had    
been sold to a ,hebrew master1 were set 
free1 the one as well as the other4     
,this law was evidently designed to     
prevent the oppression of the poor1 and 
the possibility of such a thing as      
perpetual servitude existing among them4
  ,where1 then1 ,i would ask1 is the    
warrant1 the justification1 or the      
palliation of ,american ,slavery from   
,hebrew servitude8 ,how many of the     
southern slaves would now be in bondage 
according to the laws of ,moses2 ,not   
one4 ,you may observe that ,i have      
carefully avoided using the term slavery
 when speaking of ,jewish servitude2 and
 simply for this reason1 that no such   

thing existed among that people2 the    
word translated servant does not mean   
slave1 it is the same that is applied to
 ,abraham1 to ,moses1 to ,elisha and the
 prophets generally4 ,slavery then never
 existed under the ,jewish ,dispensation
 at all1 and ,i cannot but regard it as 
an aspersion on the character of ,him   
who is glorious in ,holiness for any one
 to assert that ,god sanctioned1 yea    
commanded slavery under the old         
dispensation4 ,i would fain lift my     
feeble voice to vindicate ,jehovah's    
character from so foul a slander4 ,if   
slaveholders are determined to hold     
slaves as long as they can1 let them not
 dare to say that the ,god of mercy and 
of truth ever sanctioned such a system  
of cruelty and wrong4 ,it is blasphemy  
against ,him4  ,we have seen that the   
code of laws framed by ,moses with      
regard to servants was designed to      
protect them as men and women1 to secure
 to them their rights as human beings1  
to guard them from oppression and defend

 them from violence of every kind4 ,let 
us now turn to the ,slave laws of the   
,south and ,west and examine them too4  
,i will give you the substance only1    
because ,i fear ,i shall tresspass too  
much on your time1 were ,i to quote them
 at length4  #a4 ,slavery is hereditary 
and perpetual1 to the last moment of the
 slave's earthly existence1 and to all  
his descendants to the latest posterity4
  #b4 ,the labor of the slave is        
compulsory and uncompensated2 while the 
kind of labor1 the amount of toil1 the  
time allowed for rest1 are dictated     
solely by the master4 ,no bargain is    
made1 no wages given4 ,a pure despotism 
governs the human brute2 and even his   
covering and provender1 both as to      
quantity and quality1 depend entirely on
 the master's discretion4 #c  #c4 ,the  
slave being considered a personal       
chattel may be sold or pledged1 or      
leased at the will of his master4 ,he   
may be exchanged for marketable         
commodities1 or taken in execution for  

the debts or taxes either of a living or
 dead master4 ,sold at auction1 either  
individually1 or in lots to suit the    
purchaser1 he may remain with his       
family1 or be separated from them for   
ever4  #d4 ,slaves can make no contracts
 and have no legal right to any         
property1 real or personal4 ,their own  
honest earnings and the legacies of     
friends belong in point of law to their 
masters4  #e4 ,neither a slave nor a    
free colored person can be a witness    
against any white1 or free person1 in a 
court of justice1 however atrocious may 
have been the crimes they have seen him 
commit1 if such testimony would be for  
the benefit of a slave2 but they may    
give testimony against a fellow slave1  
or free colored man1 even in cases      
affecting life1 if the master is to reap
 the advantage of it4  #f4 ,the slave   
may be punished at his master's         
discretion--without trial--without any  
means of legal redress2 whether his     
offence be real or imaginary2 and the   

master can transfer the same despotic   
power to any person or persons1 he may  
choose to appoint4  #g4 ,the slave is   
not allowed to resist any free man under
 any circumstances1 his only safety     
consists in the fact that his owner may 
bring suit and recover the price of his 
body1 in case his life is taken1 or his 
limbs rendered unfit for labor4  #h4    
,slaves cannot redeem themselves1 or    
obtain a change of masters1 though cruel
 treatment may have' rendered such a    
change necessary for their personal     
safety4  #i4 ,the slave is entirely     
unprotected in his domestic relations4  
#aj4 ,the laws greatly obstruct the     
manumission of slaves1 even where the   
master is willing to enfranchise them4  
#aa4 ,the operation of the laws tends to
 deprive slaves of religious instruction
 and consolation4  #ab4 ,the whole power
 of the laws is exerted to keep slaves  
in a state of the lowest ignorance4     
#ac4 ,there is in this country a        
monstrous inequality of law and right4  

,what is a trifling fault in the white  
man1 is considered highly criminal--in  
the slave2 the same offences which cost 
a white man a few dollars only1 are     
punished in the negro with death4  #ad4 
,the laws operate most oppressively upon
 free people of color4 #d ,shall ,i ask 
you now my friends1 to draw the parallel
 between ,jewish servitude and ,american
 slavery8 ,no6 ,for there is no likeness
 in the two systems2 ,i ask you rather  
to mark the contrast4 ,the laws of      
,moses protected servants in their      
rights as men and women1 guarded them   
from oppression and defended them from  
wrong4 ,the ,code ,noir of the ,south   
robs the slave of all his rights as a   
man1 reduces him to a chattel personal1 
and defends the master in the exercise  
of the most unnatural and unwarrantable 
power over his slave4 ,they each bear   
the impress of the hand which formed    
them4 ,the attributes of justice and    
mercy are shadowed out in the ,hebrew   
code2 those of injustice and cruelty1 in

 the ,code ,noir of ,america4 ,truly it 
was wise in the slaveholders of the     
,south to declare their slaves to be    
chattels personal2 for before they could
 be robbed of wages1 wives1 children1   
and friends1 it was absolutely necessary
 to deny they were human beings4 ,it is 
wise in them1 to keep them in abject    
ignorance1 for the strong man armed must
 be bound before we can spoil his       
house--the powerful intellect of man    
must be bound down with the iron chains 
of nescience before we can rob him of   
his rights as a man2 we must reduce him 
to a thing before we can claim the right
 to set our feet upon his neck1 because 
it was only all things which were       
originally put under the feet of man by 
the ,almighty and ,beneficent ,father of
 all1 who has declared himself to be no 
respecter of persons1 whether red1 white
 or black4  ,but some have even said    
that ,jesus ,christ did not condemn     
slavery4 ,to this ,i reply that our     
,holy ,redeemer lived and preached among

 the ,jews only4 ,the laws which ,moses 
had enacted fifteen hundred years       
previous to his appearance among them1  
had never been annulled1 and these laws 
protected every servant in ,palestine4  
,if then ,he did not condemn ,jewish    
servitude this does not prove that he   
would not have condemned such a         
monstrous system as that of ,american   
slavery1 if that had existed among them4
 ,but did not ,jesus condemn slavery8   
,let us examine some of his precepts4   
,whatsoever ye would that men should do 
to you1 do ye even so to them1 ,let     
every slaveholder apply these queries to
 his own heart2 ,am ,i willing to be a  
slave--,am ,i willing to see my wife the
 slave of another--,am ,i willing to see
 my mother a slave1 or my father1 my    
sister or my brother8 ,if not1 then in  
holding others as slaves1 ,i am doing   
what ,i would not wish to be done to me 
or any relative ,i have2 and thus have  
,i broken this golden rule which was    
given me to walk by4  ,but some         

slaveholders have said1 we were never in
 bondage to any man1 and therefore the  
yoke of bondage would be insufferable to
 us1 but slaves are accustomed to it1   
their backs are fitted to the burden4   
,well1 ,i am willing to admit that you  
who have lived in freedom would find    
slavery even more oppressive than the   
poor slave does1 but then you may try   
this question in another form--,am ,i   
willing to reduce my little child to    
slavery8 ,you know that if it is brought
 up a slave it will never know any      
contrast1 between freedom and bondage1  
its back will become fitted to the      
burden just as the negro child's        
does--not by nature--but by daily1      
violent pressure1 in the same way that  
the head of the ,indian child becomes   
flattened by the boards in which it is  
bound4 ,it has been justly remarked that
 ,god never made a slave1 he made man   
upright2 his back was not made to carry 
burdens1 nor his neck to wear a yoke1   
and the man must be crushed within him1 

before his back can be fitted to the    
burden of perpetual slavery2 and that   
his back is not fitted to it1 is        
manifest by the insurrections that so   
often disturb the peace and security of 
slaveholding countries4 ,who ever heard 
of a rebellion of the beasts of the     
field2 and why not8 simply because they 
were all placed under the feet of man1  
into whose hand they were delivered2 it 
was originally designed that they should
 serve him1 therefore their necks have  
been formed for the yoke1 and their     
backs for the burden2 but not so with   
man1 intellectual1 immortal man6 ,i     
appeal to you1 my friends1 as mothers2  
,are you willing to enslave your        
children8 ,you start back with horror   
and indignation at such a question4 ,but
 why1 if slavery is no wrong to those   
upon whom it is imposed8 why1 if as has 
often been said1 slaves are happier than
 their masters1 free from the cares and 
perplexities of providing for themselves
 and their families8 why not place your 

children in the way of being supported  
without your having the trouble to      
provide for them1 or they for           
themselves8 ,do you not perceive that as
 soon as this golden rule of action is  
applied to yourselves that you          
involuntarily shrink from the test2 as  
soon as your actions are weighed in this
 balance of the sanctuary that you are  
found wanting8 ,try yourselves by       
another of the ,divine precepts1 ,thou  
shalt love thy neighbor as thyself4 ,can
 we love a man as we love ourselves if  
we do1 and continue to do unto him1 what
 we would not wish any one to do to us8 
,look too1 at ,christ's example1 what   
does he say of himself1 ,i came not to  
be ministered unto1 but to minister4    
,can you for a moment imagine the meek1 
and lowly1 and compassionate ,saviour1 a
 slaveholder8 do you not shudder at this
 thought as much as at that of his being
 a warrior8 ,but why1 if slavery is not 
sinful8  ,again1 it has been said1 the  
,apostle ,paul did not condemn ,slavery1

 for he sent ,onesimus back to          
,philemon4 ,i do not think it can be    
said he sent him back1 for no coercion  
was made use of4 ,onesimus was not      
thrown into prison and then sent back in
 chains to his master1 as your runaway  
slaves often are--this could not        
possibly have been the case1 because you
 know ,paul as a ,jew1 was bound to     
protect the runaway1 he had no right to 
send any fugitive back to his master4   
,the state of the case then seems to    
have been this4 ,onesimus had been an   
unprofitable servant to ,philemon and   
left him--he afterwards became converted
 under the ,apostle's preaching1 and    
seeing that he had been to blame in his 
conduct1 and desiring by future fidelity
 to atone for past error1 he wished to  
return1 and the ,apostle gave him the   
letter we now have as a recommendation  
to ,philemon1 informing him of the      
conversion of ,onesimus1 and entreating 
him as ,paul the aged to receive him1   
not now as a servant1 but above a       

servant1 a brother beloved1 especially  
to me1 but how much more unto thee1 both
 in the flesh and in the ,lord4 ,if thou
 count me therefore as a partner1       
receive him as myself4 ,this then surely
 cannot be forced into a justification  
of the practice of returning runaway    
slaves back to their masters1 to be     
punished with cruel beatings and        
scourgings as they often are4 ,besides  
the word ,greek3 doulos here translated 
servant1 is the same that is made use of
 in ,matt4 xviii1 #bg4 ,now it appears  
that this servant owed his lord ten     
thousand talents2 he possessed property 
to a vast amount4 ,onesimus could not   
then have been a slave1 for slaves do   
not own their wives1 or children2 no1   
not even their own bodies1 much less    
property4 ,but again1 the servitude     
which the apostle was accustomed to1    
must have been very different from      
,american slavery1 for he says1 the heir
 7or son71 as long as he is a child1    
differeth nothing from a servant1 though

 he be lord of all4 ,but is under tutors
 and governors until the time appointed 
of the father4 ,from this it appears1   
that the means of instruction were      
provided for servants as well as        
children2 and indeed we know it must    
have been so among the ,jews1 because   
their servants were not permitted to    
remain in perpetual bondage1 and        
therefore it was absolutely necessary   
they should be prepared to occupy higher
 stations in society than those of      
servants4 ,is it so at the ,south1 my   
friends8 ,is the daily bread of         
instruction provided for your slaves8   
are their minds enlightened1 and they   
gradually prepared to rise from the     
grade of menials into that of free1     
independent members of the state8 ,let  
your own statute book1 and your own     
daily experience1 answer these          
questions4  ,if this apostle sanctioned 
slavery1 why did he exhort masters-thus 
in his epistle to the ,ephesians1 and   
ye1 masters1 do the same things unto    

them 7i4e4 perform your duties to your  
servants as unto ,christ1 not unto me7  
forbearing threatening2 knowing that    
your master also is in heaven1 neither  
is there respect of persons with him4   
,and in ,colossians1 ,masters give unto 
your servants that which is just and    
equal1 knowing that ye also have a      
master in heaven4 ,let slaveholders only
 obey these injunctions of ,paul1 and ,i
 am satisfied slavery would soon be     
abolished4 ,if he thought it sinful even
 to threaten servants1 surely he must   
have thought it sinful to flog and to   
beat them with sticks and paddles2      
indeed1 when delineating the character  
of a bishop1 he expressly names this as 
one feature of it1 no striker4 ,let     
masters give unto their servants that   
which is just and equal1 and all that   
vast system of unrequited labor would   
crumble into ruin4 ,yes1 and if they    
once felt they had no right to the labor
 of their servants without pay1 surely  
they could not think they had a right to

 their wives1 their children1 and their 
own bodies4 ,again1 how can it be said  
,paul sanctioned slavery1 when1 as      
though to put this matter beyond all    
doubt1 in that black catalogue of sins  
enumerated in his first epistle to      
,timothy1 he mentions menstealers1 which
 word may be translated slavedealers4   
,but you may say1 we all despise        
slavedealers as much as any one can2    
they are never admitted into genteel or 
respectable society4 ,and why not8 ,is  
it not because even you shrink back from
 the idea of associating with those who 
make their fortunes by trading in the   
bodies and souls of men1 women1 and     
children8 whose daily work it is to     
break human hearts1 by tearing wives    
from their husbands1 and children from  
their parents8 ,but why hold            
slavedealers as despicable1 if their    
trade is lawful and virtuous8 and why   
despise them more than the gentlemen of 
fortune and standing who employ them as 
their agents8 ,why more than the        

professors of religion who barter their 
fellow-professors to them for gold and  
silver8 ,we do not despise the land     
agent1 or the physician1 or the         
merchant1 and why8 ,simply because their
 professions are virtuous and honorable2
 and if the trade of men-jobbers was    
honorable1 you would not despise them   
either4 ,there is no difference in      
principle1 in ,christian ethics1 between
 the despised slavedealer and the       
,christian who buys slaves from1 or     
sells slaves1 to him2 indeed1 if slaves 
were not wanted by the respectable1 the 
wealthy1 and the religious in a         
community1 there would be no slaves in  
that community1 and of course no        
slavedealers4 ,it is then the           
,christians and the honorable men and   
women of the ,south1 who are the main   
pillars of this grand temple built to   
,mammon and to ,moloch4 ,it is the most 
enlightened in every country who are    
most to blame when any public sin is    
supported by public opinion1 hence      

,isaiah says1 ,when the ,lord hath      
performed his whole work upon mount     
,zion and on ,jerusalem1 7then7 ,i will 
punish the fruit of the stout heart of  
the king of ,assyria1 and the glory of  
his high looks4 ,and was it not so8     
,open the historical records of that    
age1 was not ,israel carried into       
captivity ,b4,c4 #fjf1 ,judah ,b4,c4    
#ehh1 and the stout heart of the heathen
 monarchy not punished until ,b4,c4     
#ecf1 fifty-two years after ,judah's1   
and seventy years after ,israel's       
captivity1 when it was overthrown by    
,cyrus1 king of ,persia8 ,hence1 too1   
the apostle ,peter says1 judgment must  
begin at the house of ,god4 ,surely this
 would not be the case1 if the          
professors of religion were not most    
worthy of blame4  ,but it may be asked1 
why are they most culpable8 ,i will tell
 you1 my friends4 ,it is because sin is 
imputed to us just in proportion to the 
spiritual light we receive4 ,thus the   
prophet ,amos says1 in the name of      

,jehovah1 ,you only have ,i known of all
 the families of the earth3 therefore ,i
 will punish you for all your           
iniquities4 ,hear too the doctrine of   
our ,lord on this important subject2    
,the servant who knew his ,lord's will  
and prepared not himself1 neither did   
according to his will1 shall be beaten  
with many stripes3 and why8 ,for unto   
whomsoever much is given1 of him shall  
much be required2 and to whom men have  
committed much1 of him they will ask the
 more4 ,oh6 then that the ,christians of
 the south would ponder these things in 
their hearts1 and awake to the vast     
responsibilities which rest upon them at
 this important crisis4  ,i have thus1  
,i think1 clearly proved to you seven   
propositions1 viz43 ,first1 that slavery
 is contrary to the declaration of our  
independence4 ,second1 that it is       
contrary to the first charter of human  
rights given to ,adam1 and renewed to   
,noah4 ,third1 that the fact of slavery 
having been the subject of prophecy1    

furnishes no excuse whatever to         
slavedealers4 ,fourth1 that no such     
system existed under the patriarchal    
dispensation4 ,fifth1 that slavery never
 existed under the ,jewish dispensation2
 but so far otherwise1 that every       
servant was placed under the protection 
of law1 and care taken not only to      
prevent all involuntary servitude1 but  
all voluntary perpetual bondage4 ,sixth1
 that slavery in ,america reduces a man 
to a thing1 a chattel personal1 robs him
 of all his rights as a human being1    
fetters both his mind and body1 and     
protects the master in the most         
unnatural and unreasonable power1 whilst
 it throws him out of the protection of 
law4 ,seventh1 that slavery is contrary 
to the example and precepts of our holy 
and merciful ,redeemer1 and of his      
apostles4  ,but perhaps you will be     
ready to query1 why appeal to women on  
this subject8 ,we do not make the laws  
which perpetuate slavery4 ,no           
legislative power is vested in us2 we   

can do nothing to overthrow the system1 
even if we wished to do so4 ,to this ,i 
reply1 ,i know you do not make the laws1
 but ,i also know that you are the wives
 and mothers1 the sisters and daughters 
of those who do2 and if you really      
suppose you can do nothing to overthrow 
slavery1 you are greatly mistaken4 ,you 
can do much in every way3 four things ,i
 will name4 #ast4 ,you can read on this 
subject4 #b;d4 ,you can pray over this  
subject4 #c;d4 ,you can speak on this   
subject4 #dth4 ,you can act on this     
subject4 ,i have not placed reading     
before praying because ,i regard it more
 important1 but because1 in order to    
pray aright1 we must understand what we 
are praying for2 it is only then we can 
pray with the understanding and the     
spirit also4  #a4 ,read then on the     
subject of slavery4 ,search the         
,scriptures daily1 whether the things ,i
 have told you are true4 ,other books   
and papers might be a great help to you 
in this investigation1 but they are not 

necessary1 and it is hardly probable    
that your ,committees of ,vigilance will
 allow you to have any other4 ,the      
,bible then is the book ,i want you to  
read in the spirit of inquiry1 and the  
spirit of prayer4 ,even the enemies of  
,abolitionists1 acknowledge that their  
doctrines are drawn from it4 ,in the    
great mob in ,boston1 last autumn1 when 
the books and papers of the             
,anti-,slavery ,society1 were thrown out
 of the windows of their office1 one    
individual laid hold of the ,bible and  
was about tossing it out to the ground1 
when another reminded him that it was   
the ,bible he had in his hand4 ,o6 'tis 
all one1 he replied1 and out went the   
sacred volume1 along with the rest4 ,we 
thank him for the acknowledgment4 ,yes1 
it is all one1 for our books and papers 
are mostly commentaries on the ,bible1  
and the ,declaration4 ,read the ,bible  
then1 it contains the words of ,jesus1  
and they are spirit and life4 ,judge for
 yourselves whether he sanctioned such a

 system of oppression and crime4  #b4   
,pray over this subject4 ,when you have 
entered into your closets1 and shut to  
the doors1 then pray to your father1 who
 seeth in secret1 that he would open    
your eyes to see whether slavery is     
sinful1 and if it is1 that he would     
enable you to bear a faithful1 open and 
unshrinking testimony against it1 and to
 do whatsoever your hands find to do1   
leaving the consequences entirely to    
him1 who still says to us whenever we   
try to reason away duty from the fear of
 consequences1 ,what is that to thee1   
follow thou me4 ,pray also for that poor
 slave1 that he may be kept patient and 
submissive under his hard lot1 until    
,god is pleased to open the door of     
freedom to him without violence or      
bloodshed4 ,pray too for the master that
 his heart may be softened1 and he made 
willing to acknowledge1 as ,joseph's    
brethren did1 ,verily we are guilty     
concerning our brother1 before he will  
be compelled to add in consequence of   

,divine judgment1 therefore is all this 
evil come upon us4 ,pray also for all   
your brethren and sisters who are       
laboring in the righteous cause of      
,emancipation in the ,northern ,states1 
,england and the world4 ,there is great 
encouragement for prayer in these words 
of our ,lord4 ,whatsoever ye shall ask  
the ,father in my name1 he will give it 
to you--,pray then without ceasing1 in  
the closet and the social circle4  #c4  
,speak on this subject4 ,it is through  
the tongue1 the pen1 and the press1 that
 truth is principally propagated4 ,speak
 then to your relatives1 your friends1  
your acquaintances on the subject of    
slavery2 be not afraid if you are       
conscientiously convinced it is sinful1 
to say so openly1 but calmly1 and to let
 your sentiments be known4 ,if you are  
served by the slaves of others1 try to  
ameliorate their condition as much as   
possible2 never aggravate their faults1 
and thus add fuel to the fire of anger  
already kindled1 in a master and        

mistress's bosom2 remember their extreme
 ignorance1 and consider them as your   
,heavenly ,father does the less culpable
 on this account1 even when they do     
wrong things4 ,discountenance all       
cruelty to them1 all starvation1 all    
corporal chastisement2 these may        
brutalize and break their spirits1 but  
will never bend them to willing1        
cheerful obedience4 ,if possible1 see   
that they are comfortably and seasonably
 fed1 whether in the house or the field2
 it is unreasonable and cruel to expect 
slaves to wait for their breakfast until
 eleven o'clock1 when they rise at five 
or six4 ,do all you can1 to induce their
 owners to clothe them well1 and to     
allow them many little indulgences which
 would contribute to their comfort4     
,above all1 try to persuade your        
husband1 father1 brothers and sons1 that
 slavery is a crime against ,god and    
man1 and that it is a great sin to keep 
human beings in such abject ignorance2  
to deny them the privilege of learning  

to read and write4 ,the ,catholics are  
universally condemned1 for denying the  
,bible to the common people1 but1       
slaveholders must not blame them1 for   
they are doing the very same thing1 and 
for the very same reason1 neither of    
these systems can bear the light which  
bursts from the pages of that ,holy     
,book4 ,and lastly1 endeavour to        
inculcate submission on the part of the 
slaves1 but whilst doing this be        
faithful in pleading the cause of the   
oppressed4    ,will you behold          
unheeding1   ,life's holiest feelings   
crushed1   ,where woman's heart is      
bleeding1   ,shall woman's voice be     
hushed8  #d4 ,act on this subject4 ,some
 of you own slaves yourselves4 ,if you  
believe slavery is sinful1 set them at  
liberty1 undo the heavy burdens and let 
the oppressed go free4 ,if they wish to 
remain with you1 pay them wages1 if not 
let them leave you4 ,should they remain 
teach them1 and have them taught the    
common branches of an ,english          

education2 they have minds and those    
minds1 ought to be improved4 ,so        
precious a talent as intellect1 never   
was given to be wrapt in a napkin and   
buried in the earth4 ,it is the duty of 
all1 as far as they can1 to improve     
their own mental faculties1 because we  
are commanded to love ,god with all our 
minds1 as well as with all our hearts1  
and we commit a great sin1 if we forbid 
or prevent that cultivation of the mind 
in others1 which would enable them to   
perform this duty4 ,teach your servants 
then to read c1 and encourage them to   
believe it is their duty to learn1 if it
 were only that they might read the     
,bible4  ,but some of you will say1 we  
can neither free our slaves nor teach   
them to read1 for the laws of our state 
forbid it4 ,be not surprised when ,i say
 such wicked laws ought to be no barrier
 in the way of your duty1 and ,i appeal 
to the ,bible to prove this position4   
,what was the conduct of ,shiphrah and  
,puah1 when the king of ,egypt issued   

his cruel mandate1 with regard to the   
,hebrew children8 ,they feared ,god1 and
 did not as the ,king of ,egypt         
commanded them1 but saved the men       
children alive4 ,did these women do     
right in disobeying that monarch8       
,therefore 7says the sacred text17 ,god 
dealt well with them1 and made them     
houses ,ex4 i4 ,what was the conduct of 
,shadrach1 ,meshach1 and ,abednego1 when
 ,nebuchadnezzar set up a golden image  
in the plain of ,dura1 and commanded all
 people1 nations1 and languages1 to fall
 down and worship it8 ,be it known1 unto
 thee1 7said these faithful ,jews7 ,o   
king1 that we will not serve thy gods1  
nor worship the image which thou hast   
set up4 ,did these men do right in      
disobeying the law of their sovereign8  
,let their miraculous deliverance of    
,daniel1 when ,darius made a firm decree
 that no one should ask a petition of   
any mad or ,god for thirty days8 ,did   
the prophet cease to pray8 ,no6 ,when   
,daniel knew that the writing was       

signed1 he went into his house1 and his 
windows being open towards ,jerusalem1  
he kneeled upon this knees three times a
 day1 and prayed and gave thanks before 
his ,god1 as he did aforetime4 ,did     
,daniel do right this to break the law  
of his king8 ,let his wonderful         
deliverance out of the mouthes of lions 
answer2 ,dan4 vii4 ,look1 too1 at the   
,apostles ,peter and ,john4 ,when the   
ruler of the ,jews commanded them not to
 speak at all1 nor teach in the name of 
,jesus1 what did they say8 ,whether it  
be right in the sight of ,god1 to       
hearken unto you more than unto ,god1   
judge ye4 ,and what did they do8 ,they  
spake the word of ,god with boldness1   
and with great power gave the ,apostles 
witness of the resurrection of the ,lord
 ,jesus2 although this was the very     
doctrine1 for the preaching of which    
they had just been cast into prison1 and
 further threatened4 ,did these men do  
right8 ,i leave you to answer1 who now  
enjoy the benefits if their labours and 

sufferings1 in that ,gospel they dared  
to preach when positively commanded not 
to teach any more in the name of ,jesus2
 ,acts iv4  ,but some of you may say1 if
 we do free our slaves1 they will be    
taken up and sold1 therefore there will 
be no use in doing it4 ,peter and ,john 
might just as well have said1 we will   
not preach the gospel1 for if we do1 we 
shall be taken up and put in prison1    
therefore there will be no use in our   
preaching4 ,consequences1 my friends1   
belong no more to you1 than they did to 
these apostles4 ,duty is ours and events
 are ,god's4 ,if you think slavery is   
sinful1 all you have to do is to set    
your slaves at liberty1 do all you can  
to protect them1 and in humble faith and
 fervent prayer1 commend them to your   
common ,father4 ,he can take care of    
them2 but if for wise purposes he sees  
fit to allow them to be sold1 this will 
afford you an opportunity of testifying 
openly1 wherever you go1 against the    
crime of manstealing4 ,such an act will 

be clear robbery1 and if exposed1 might1
 under the ,divine direction1 do the    
cause of ,emancipation more good1 than  
any thing that could happen1 for1 ,he   
makes even the wrath of man to praise   
him1 and the remainder of wrath he will 
restrain4  ,i know that this doctrine of
 obeying ,god1 rather than man1 will be 
considered as dangerous1 and heretical  
by many1 but ,i am not afraid openly to 
avow it1 because it is the doctrine of  
the ,bible2 but ,i would not be         
understood to advocate resistance to any
 law however oppressive1 if1 in obeying 
it1 ,i was not obliged to commit sin4   
,if for instance1 there was a law1 which
 imposed imprisonment or a fine upon me 
if ,i manumitted a slave1 ,i would on no
 account resist that law1 ,i would set  
the slave free1 and then go to prison or
 pay the fine4 ,if a law commands me to 
sin ,i will break it2 if it calls me to 
suffer1 ,i will let it take its course  
unresistingly4 ,the doctrine of blind   
obedience and unqualified submission to 

any human power1 whether civil or       
ecclesiastical1 is the doctrine of      
despotism1 and ought to have no place   
among ,republicans and ,christians4     
,but you will perhaps say1 such a course
 of conduct would inevitably expose us  
to great suffering4 ,yes6 my ,christian 
friends1 ,i believe it would1 but this  
will not excuse you or any one else for 
the neglect of duty4 ,if ,prophets and  
,apostles1 ,martyrs1 and ,reformers had 
not been willing to suffer for the      
truth's sake1 where would the world have
 been now8 ,if they had said1 we cannot 
speak the truth1 we cannot do what we   
believe is right1 because the laws of   
our country or public opinion are       
against us1 where would our holy        
religion have been now8 ,the ,prophets  
were stoned1 imprisoned1 and killed by  
the ,jews4 ,and why8 ,because they      
exposed and openly rebuked public sins2 
they opposed public opinion2 had they   
held their peace1 they all might have   
lived in ease and died in favor with a  

wicked generation4 ,why were the        
,apostles persecuted from city to city1 
stoned1 incarcerated1 beaten1 and       
crucified8 ,because they dared to speak 
the truth2 to tell the ,jews1 boldly and
 fearlessly1 that they were the         
murderers of the ,lord of ,glory1 and   
that1 however great a stumbling-block   
the ,cross might be to them1 there was  
no other name given under heaven by     
which men could be saved1 but the name  
of ,jesus4 ,because they declared1 even 
at ,athens1 the seat of learning and    
refinement1 the self-evident truth1 that
 they be no gods that are made with     
men's hands1 and exposed to the         
,grecians the foolishness of worldly    
wisdom1 and the impossibility of        
salvation but through ,christ1 whom they
 despised on account of the ignominious 
death he died4 ,because at ,rome1 the   
proud mistress of the world1 they       
thundered out the terrors of the law    
upon that idolatrous1 war-making1 and   
slaveholding community4 ,why were the   

martyrs stretched upon the rack1        
gibbetted and burnt1 the scorn and      
diversion of a ,nero1 whilst their      
tarred and burning bodies sent up a     
light which illuminated the ,roman      
capital8 ,why were the ,waldenses hunted
 like wild beasts upon the mountains of 
,piedmont1 and slain with the sword of  
the ,duke of ,savoy and the proud       
monarch of ,france8 ,why were the       
,presbyterians chased like the partridge
 over the highlands of ,scotland--the   
,methodists pumped1 and stoned1 and     
pelted with rotten eggs--the ,quakers   
incarcerated in filthy prisons1 beaten1 
whipped at the cart's tail1 banished and
 hung8 ,because they dared to speak the 
truth1 to break the unrighteous laws of 
their country1 and chose rather to      
suffer affliction with the people of    
,god1 not accepting deliverance1 even   
under the gallows4 ,why were ,luther and
 ,calvin persecuted and excommunicated1 
,cranmer1 ,ridley1 and ,latimer burnt8  
,because they fearlessly proclaimed the 

truth1 though that truth was contrary to
 public opinion1 and the authority of   
,ecclesiastical councils and            
conventions4 ,now all this vast amount  
of human suffering might have been      
saved4 ,all these ,prophets and         
,apostles1 ,martyrs1 and ,reformers1    
might have lived and died in peace with 
all men1 but following the example of   
their great pattern1 they despised the  
shame1 endured the cross1 and are now   
set down on the right hand of the throne
 of ,god1 having received the glorious  
welcome of well done good and faithful  
servants1 enter ye into the joy of your 
,lord4  ,but you may say we are women1  
how can our hearts endure persecution8  
,and why not8 ,have not women stood up  
in all the dignity and strength of moral
 courage to be the leaders of the       
people1 and to bear a faithful testimony
 for the truth whenever the providence  
of ,god has called them to do so8 ,are  
there no women in that noble army of    
martyrs who are now singing the song of 

,moses and the ,lamb8 ,who led out the  
women of ,israel from the house of      
bondage1 striking the timbrel1 and      
singing the song of deliverance on the  
banks of that sea whose waters stood up 
like walls of crystal to open a passage 
for their escape8 ,it was a woman2      
,miriam1 the prophetess1 the sister of  
,moses and ,aaron4 ,who went up with    
,barak to ,kadesh to fight against      
,jabin1 ,king of ,canaan1 into whose    
hand ,israel had been sold because of   
their iniquities8 ,it was a woman6      
,deborah the wife of ,lapidoth1 the     
judge1 as well as the prophetess of that
 backsliding people2 ,judges iv1 #i4    
,into whose hands was ,sisera1 the      
captain of ,jabin's host delivered8     
,into the hand of a woman4 ,jael the    
wife of ,heber6 ,judges vi1 #ba4 ,who   
dared to speak the truth concerning     
those judgments which were coming upon  
,judea1 when ,josiah1 alarmed at finding
 that his people had not kept the word  
of the ,lord to do after all that was   

written in the book of the ,law1 sent to
 enquire of the ,lord concerning these  
things8 ,it was a woman4 ,huldah the    
prophetess1 the wife of ,shallum2 #b1   
,chron4 xxxiv1 #bb4 ,who was chosen to  
deliver the whole ,jewish nation from   
that murderous decree of ,persia's      
,king1 which wicked ,hannan had obtained
 by calumny and fraud8 ,it was a woman2 
,esther the ,queen2 yes1 weak and       
trembling woman was the instrument      
appointed by ,god1 to reverse the bloody
 mandate of the eastern monarch1 and    
save the whole visible church from      
destruction4 ,what ,human voice first   
proclaimed to ,mary that she should be  
the mother of our ,lord8 ,it was a      
woman6 ,elizabeth1 the wife of          
,zacharias2 ,luke #a1 #db1 #dc4 ,who    
united with the good old ,simeon in     
giving thanks publicly in the temple1   
when the child1 ,jesus1 was presented   
there by his parents1 and spake of him  
to all them that looked for redemption  
in ,jerusalem8 ,it was a woman6 ,anna   

the prophetess4 ,who first proclaimed   
,christ as the true ,messiah in the     
streets of ,samaria1 once the capital of
 the ten tribes8 ,it was a woman6 ,who  
ministered to the ,son of ,god whilst on
 earth1 a despised and persecuted       
,reformer1 in the humble garb of a      
carpenter8 ,they were women6 ,who       
followed the rejected ,king of ,israel1 
as his fainting footsteps trod the road 
to ,calvary8 ,a great company of people 
and of women2 and it is remarkable that 
to them alone1 he turned and addressed  
the pathetic language1 ,daughters of    
,jerusalem1 weep not for me1 but weep   
for yourselves and your children4 ,ah6  
who sent unto the ,roman ,governor when 
he was set down on the judgment seat1   
saying unto him1 ,have thou nothing to  
do with that just man1 for ,i have      
suffered many things this day in a dream
 because of him8 ,it was a woman6 the   
wife of ,pilate4 ,although he knew that 
for envy the ,jews had delivered        
,christ1 yet he consented to surrender  

the ,son of ,god into the hands of a    
brutal soldiery1 after having himself   
scourged his naked body4 ,had the wife  
of ,pilate sat upon that judgment seat1 
what would have been the result of the  
trial of this just person8  ,and who    
last hung round the cross of ,jesus on  
the mountain of ,golgotha8 ,who first   
visited the sepulchre early in the      
morning on the first day of the week1   
carrying sweet spices to embalm his     
precious body1 not knowing that it was  
incorruptible and could not be holden by
 the bands of death8 ,these were women6 
,to whom did he first appear after his  
resurrection8 ,it was to a woman6 ,mary 
,magdalene2 ,mark xvi1 #i4 ,who gathered
 with the apostles to wait at           
,jerusalem1 in prayer and supplication1 
for the promise of the ,father2 the     
spiritual blessing of the ,great ,high  
,priest of his ,church1 who had entered1
 not into the splendid temple of        
,solomon1 there to offer the blood of   
bulls1 and of goats1 and the smoking    

censer upon the golden altar1 but into  
,heaven itself1 there to present his    
intercessions1 after having given       
himself for us1 an offering and a       
sacrifice to ,god for a sweet smelling  
savor8 ,women were among that holy      
company2 ,acts i1 #ad4 ,and did women   
wait in vain8 ,did those who had        
ministered to his necessities1 followed 
in his train1 and wept at his           
crucifixion1 wait in vain8 ,no6 ,no6    
,did the cloven tongues of fire descend 
upon the heads of women as well as men8 
,yes1 my friends1 it sat upon each one  
of them2 ,acts ii1 #c4 ,women as well as
 men were to be living stones in the    
temple of grace1 and therefore their    
heads were consecrated by the descent of
 the ,holy ,ghost as well as those of   
men4 ,were women recognized as fellow   
laborers in the gospel field8 ,they     
were6 ,paul says in his epistle to the  
,philippians1 help those women who      
labored with me1 in the gospel2 ,phil4  
iv1 #c4  ,but this is not all4 ,roman   

women were burnt at the stake1 their    
delicate limbs were torn joint from     
joint by the ferocious beasts of the    
,amphitheatre1 and tossed by the wild   
bull in his fury1 for the diversion of  
that idolatrous1 warlike1 and           
slaveholding people4 ,yes1 women        
suffered under the ten persecutions of  
heathen ,rome1 with the most unshrinking
 constancy and fortitude2 not all the   
entreaties of friends1 nor the claims of
 new born infancy1 nor the cruel threats
 of enemies could make them sprinkle one
 grain of incense upon the altars of    
,roman idols4 ,come now with me to the  
beautiful valleys of ,piedmont4 ,whose  
blood stains the green sward1 and decks 
the wild flowers with colors not their  
own1 and smokes on the sword of         
persecuting ,france8 ,it is woman's1 as 
well as man's8 ,yes1 women were         
accounted as sheep for the slaughter1   
and were cut down as the tender saplings
 of the wood ,but time would fail me1 to
 tell of all those hundreds and         

thousands of women1 who perished in the 
,low countries of ,holland1 when ,alva's
 sword of vengeance was unsheathed      
against the ,protestants1 when the      
,catholic ,inquisitions of ,europe      
became the merciless executioners of    
vindictive wrath1 upon those who dared  
to worship ,god1 instead of bowing down 
in unholy adoration before my ,lord ,god
 the ,pope1 and when ,england1 too1     
burnt her ,ann ,ascoes at the stake of  
martyrdom4 ,suffice it to say1 that the 
,church1 after having been driven from  
,judea to ,rome1 and from ,rome to      
,piedmont1 and from ,piedmont to        
,england1 and from ,england to ,holland1
 at last stretched her fainting wings   
over the dark bosom of the ,atlantic1   
and found on the shores of a great      
wilderness1 a refuge from tyranny and   
oppression--as she thought1 but even    
here1 7the warm blush of shame mantles  
my cheek as ,i write it17 even here1    
woman was beaten and banished1          
imprisoned1 and hung upon the gallows1 a

 trophy to the ,cross4  ,and what1 ,i   
would ask in conclusion1 have women done
 for the great and glorious cause of    
,emancipation8 ,who wrote that pamphlet 
which moved the heart of ,wilberforce to
 pray over the wrongs1 and his tongue to
 plead the cause of the oppressed       
,african8 ,it was a woman1 ,elizabeth   
,heyrick4 ,who labored assiduously to   
keep the sufferings of the slave        
continually before the ,british public8 
,they were women4 ,and how did they do  
it8 ,by their needles1 paint brushes and
 pens1 by speaking the truth1 and       
petitioning ,parliament for the         
abolition of slavery4 ,and what was the 
effect of their labors8 ,read it in the 
,emancipation bill of ,great ,britain4  
,read it1 in the present state of her   
,west ,india ,colonies4 ,read it1 in the
 impulse which has been given to the    
cause of freedom1 in the ,united ,states
 of ,america4 ,have ,english women then 
done so much for the negro1 and shall   
,american women do nothing8 ,oh no6     

,already are there sixty female         
,anti-,slavery ,societies in operation4 
,these are doing just what the ,english 
women did1 telling the story of the     
colored man's wrongs1 praying for his   
deliverance1 and presenting his kneeling
 image constantly before the public eye 
on bags and needle-books1 card-racks1   
pen-wipers1 pin-cushions1 c4 ,even the  
children of the north are inscribing on 
their handy work1 ,may the points of our
 needles prick the slaveholder's        
conscience4 ,some of the reports of     
these ,societies exhibit not only       
considerable talent1 but a deep sense of
 religious duty1 and a determination to 
persevere through evil as well as good  
report1 until every scourge1 and every  
shackle1 is buried under the feet of the
 manumitted slave4  ,the ,ladies'       
,anti-,slavery ,society of ,boston was  
called last fall1 to a severe trial of  
their faith and constancy4 ,they were   
mobbed by the gentlemen of property and 
standing1 in that city at their         

anniversary meeting1 and their lives    
were jeoparded by an infuriated crowd2  
but their conduct on that occasion did  
credit to our sex1 and affords a full   
assurance that they will never abandon  
the cause of the slave4 ,the pamphlet1  
,right and ,wrong in ,boston1 issued by 
them in which a particular account is   
given of that mob of broad cloth in     
broad day1 does equal credit to the head
 and the heart of her who wrote it wish 
my ,southern sisters could read it2 they
 would then understand that the women of
 the ,north have engaged in this work   
from a sense of religious duty1 and that
 nothing will ever induce them to take  
their hands from it until it is fully   
accomplished4 ,they feel no hostility to
 you1 no bitterness or wrath2 they      
rather sympathize in your trials and    
difficulties2 but they well know that   
the first thing to be done to help you1 
is to pour in the light of truth on your
 minds1 to urge you to reflect on1 and  
pray over the subject4 ,this is all they

 can do for you1 you must work out your 
own deliverance with fear and trembling1
 and with the direction and blessing of 
,god1 you can do it4 ,northern women may
 labor to produce a correct public      
opinion at the ,north1 but if ,southern 
women sit down in listless indifference 
and criminal idleness1 public opinion   
cannot be rectified and purified at the 
,south4 ,it is manifest to every        
reflecting mind1 that slavery must be   
abolished2 the era in which we live1 and
 the light which is overspreading the   
whole world on this subject1 clearly    
show that the time cannot be distant    
when it will be done4 ,now there are    
only two ways in which it can be        
effected1 by moral power or physical    
force1 and it is for you to choose which
 of these you prefer4 ,slavery always   
has1 and always will produce            
insurrections wherever it exists1       
because it is a violation of the natural
 order of things1 and no human power can
 much longer perpetuate it4 ,the        

opposers of abolitionists fully believe 
this2 one of them remarked to me not    
long since1 there is no doubt there will
 be a most terrible overturning at the  
,south in a few years1 such cruelty and 
wrong1 must be visited with ,divine     
vengeance soon4 ,abolitionists believe1 
too1 that this must inevitably be the   
case if you do not repent1 and they are 
not willing to leave you to perish      
without entreating you1 to save         
yourselves from destruction2 ,well may  
they say with the apostle1 am ,i then   
your enemy because ,i tell you the      
truth1 and warn you to flee from        
impending judgments4  ,but why1 my dear 
friends1 have ,i thus been endeavoring  
to lead you through the history of more 
than three thousand years1 and to point 
you to that great cloud of witnesses who
 have gone before1 from works to        
rewards8 ,have ,i been seeking to       
magnify the sufferings1 and exalt the   
character of woman1 that she might have 
praise of men8 ,no6 no6 my object has   

been to arouse you1 as the wives and    
mothers1 the daughters and sisters1 of  
the ,south1 to a sense of your duty as  
women1 and as ,christian women1 on that 
great subject1 which has already shaken 
our country1 from the ,st4 ,lawrence and
 the lakes1 to the ,gulf of ,mexico1 and
 from the ,mississippi to the shores of 
the ,atlantic2 and will continue        
mightily to shake it1 until the polluted
 temple of slavery fall and crumble into
 ruin4 ,i would say unto each one of    
you1 what meanest thou1 ,o sleeper6     
arise and call upon thy ,god1 if so be  
that ,god will think upon us that we    
perish not4 ,perceive you not that dark 
cloud of vengeance which hangs over our 
boasting ,republic8 ,saw you not the    
lightnings of ,heaven's wrath1 in the   
flame which leaped from the ,indian's   
torch to the roof of yonder dwelling1   
and lighted with its horrid glare the   
darkness of midnight8 ,heard you not the
 thunders of ,divine anger1 as the      
distant roar of the cannon came rolling 

onward1 from the ,texian country1 where 
,protestant ,american ,rebels are       
fighting with ,mexican ,republicans--for
 what8 ,for the re-establishment of     
slavery2 yes6 of ,american slavery in   
the bosom of a ,catholic ,republic1     
where that system of robbery1 violence1 
and wrong1 had been legally abolished   
for twelve years4 ,yes6 citizens of the 
,united ,states1 after plundering       
,mexico of her land1 are now engaged in 
deadly conflict1 for the privilege of   
fastening chains1 and collars1 and      
manacles--upon whom8 upon the subjects  
of some foreign prince8 ,no6 upon native
 born ,american ,republican citizens1   
although the fathers of these very men  
declared to the whole world1 while      
struggling to free themselves the three 
penny taxes of an ,english king1 that   
they believed it to be a self-evident   
truth that all men were created equal1  
and had an unalienable right to liberty4
  ,well may the poet exclaim in bitter  
sarcasm1    ,the fustian flag that      

proudly waves   ,in solemn mockery o'er 
a land of slaves4  ,can you not1 my     
friends1 understand the signs of the    
times2 do you not see the sword of      
retributive justice hanging over the    
,south1 or are you still slumbering at  
your posts8--,are there no ,shiphrahs1  
no ,puahs among you1 who will dare in   
,christian firmness and ,christian      
meekness1 to refuse to obey the wicked  
laws which require woman to enslave1 to 
degrade and to brutalize woman8 ,are    
there no ,miriams1 who would rejoice to 
lead out the captive daughters of the   
,southern ,states to liberty and light8 
,are there no ,huldahs there who will   
dare to speak the truth concerning the  
sins of the people and those judgments1 
which it requires no prophet's eye to   
see1 must follow if repentance is not   
speedily sought8 ,is there no ,esther   
among you who will plead for the poor   
devoted slave8 ,read the history of this
 ,persian queen1 it is full of          
instruction2 she at first refused to    

plead for the ,jews2 but1 hear the words
 of ,mordecai1 ,think not within        
thyself1 that thou shalt escape in the  
king's house more than all the ,jews1   
for if thou altogether holdest thy peace
 at this time1 then shall there         
enlargement and deliverance arise to the
 ,jews from another place3 but thou and 
thy father's house shall be destroyed4  
,listen1 too1 to her magnanimous reply  
to this powerful appeal2 ,i will go in1 
unto the king1 which is not according to
 law1 and if ,i perish1 ,i perish4 ,yes6
 if there were but one ,esther at the   
,south1 she might save her country from 
ruin2 but let the ,christian women there
 arise1 at the ,christian women of      
,great ,britain did1 in the majesty of  
moral power1 and that salvation is      
certain4 ,let them embody themselves in 
societies1 and send petitions up to     
their different legislatures1 entreating
 their husbands1 fathers1 brothers and  
sons1 to abolish the institution6 of    
slavery2 no longer to subject woman to  

the scourge and the chain1 to mental    
darkness and moral degradation2 no      
longer to tear husbands from their      
wives1 and children from their parents2 
no longer to make men1 women1 and       
children1 work without wages2 no longer 
to make their lives bitter in hard      
bondage2 no longer to reduce ,american  
citizens to the abject condition of     
slaves1 of chattels personal2 no longer 
to barter the image of ,god in human    
shambles for corruptible things such as 
silver and gold4  ,the women of the     
,south can overthrow this horrible      
system of oppression and cruelty1       
licentiousness and wrong4 ,such appeals 
to your legislatures would be           
irresistible1 for there is something in 
the heart of man which will bend under  
moral suasion4 ,there is a swift witness
 for truth in his bosom1 which will     
respond to truth when it is uttered with
 calmness and dignity4 ,if you could    
obtain but six signatures to such a     
petition in only one state1 ,i would    

say1 send up that petition1 and be not  
in the least discouraged by the scoffs  
and jeers of the heartless1 or the      
resolution of the house to lay it on the
 table4 ,it will be a great thing if the
 subject can be introduced into your    
legislatures in any way1 even by women1 
and they will be the most likely to     
introduce it there in the best possible 
manner1 as a matter of morals and       
religion1 not of expediency or politics4
 ,you may petition1 too1 the different  
ecclesiastical bodies of the slave      
states4 ,slavery must be attacked with  
the whole power of truth and the sword  
of the spirit4 ,you must take it up on  
,christian ground1 and fight against it 
with ,christian weapons1 whilst your    
feet are shod with the preparation of   
the gospel of peace4 ,and you are now   
loudly called upon by the cries of the  
widow and the orphan1 to arise and gird 
yourselves for this great moral         
conflict1 with the whole armour of      
righteousness upon the right hand and on

 the left4  ,there is every             
encouragement for you to labor and pray1
 my friends1 because the abolition of   
slavery as well as its existence1 has   
been the theme of prophecy4 ,ethiopia   
7says the ,psalmist7 shall stretch forth
 her hands unto ,god4 ,and is she not   
now doing so8 ,are not the ,christian   
negroes of the south lifting their hands
 in prayer for deliverance1 just as the 
,israelites did when their redemption   
was drawing nigh8 ,are they not sighing 
and crying by reason of the hard        
bondage8 ,and think you1 that ,he1 of   
whom it was said1 and ,god heard their  
groaning1 and their cry came up unto him
 by reason of the hard bondage1 think   
you that his ear is heavy that he cannot
 now hear the cries of his suffering    
children8 ,or that ,he who raised up a  
,moses1 an ,aaron1 and a ,miriam1 to    
bring them up out of the land of ,egypt 
from the house of bondage1 cannot now1  
with a high hand and a stretched out    
arm1 rid the poor negroes out of the    

hands of their masters8 ,surely you     
believe that his aim is not shortened   
that he cannot save4 ,and would not such
 a work of mercy redound to his glory8  
,but another string of the harp of      
prophecy vibrates to the song of        
deliverance3 ,but they shall sit every  
man under his vine1 and under his       
fig-tree1 and none shall make them      
afraid2 for the mouth of the ,lord of   
,hosts hath spoken it4 ,the slave never 
can do this as long as he is a slave2   
whilst he is a chattel personal he can  
own no property2 but the time is to come
 when every man is to sit under his own 
vine and his own fig-tree1 and no       
domineering driver1 or irresponsible    
master1 or irascible mistress1 shall    
make him afraid of the chain or the     
whip4 ,hear1 too1 the sweet tones of    
another string3 ,many shall run to and  
fro1 and knowledge shall be increased4  
,slavery is an insurmountable barrier to
 the increase of knowledge in every     
community where it exists2 slavery1     

then1 must be abolished before this     
prediction can be fulfiled4 ,the last   
chord ,i shall touch1 will be this1     
,they shall not hurt nor destroy in all 
my holy mountain4  ,slavery1 then1 must 
be overthrown before the prophecies can 
be accomplished1 but how are they to be 
fulfiled8 ,will the wheels of the       
millennial car be rolled onward by      
miraculous power8 ,no6 ,god designs to  
confer this holy privilege upon man2 it 
is through his instrumentality that the 
great and glorious work of reforming the
 world is to be done4 ,and see you not  
how the mighty engine of moral power is 
dragging in its rear the ,bible and     
peace societies1 anti-slavery and       
temperance1 sabbath schools1 moral      
reform1 and missions8 or to adopt       
another figure1 do not these seven      
philanthropic associations compose the  
beautiful tints in that bow of promise  
which spans the arch of our moral       
heaven8 ,who does not believe1 that if  
these societies were broken up1 their   

constitutions burnt1 and the vast       
machinery with which they are laboring  
to regenerate mankind was stopped1 that 
the black clouds of vengeance would soon
 burst over our world1 and every city   
would witness the fate of the devoted   
cities of the plain8 ,each one of these 
societies is walking abroad through the 
earth scattering the seeds of truth over
 the wide field of our world1 not with  
the hundred hands of a ,briareus1 but   
with a hundred thousand4  ,another      
encouragement for you to labor1 my      
friends1 is1 that you will have the     
prayers and co-operation of ,english and
 ,northern philanthropists4 ,you will   
never bend your knees in supplication at
 the throne of grace for the overthrow  
of slavery1 without meeting there the   
spirits of other ,christians1 who will  
mingle their voices with yours1 as the  
morning or evening sacrifice ascends to 
,god4 ,yes1 the spirit of prayer and of 
supplication has been poured out upon   
many1 many hearts2 there are wrestling  

,jacobs who will not let go of the      
prophetic promises of deliverance for   
the captive1 and the opening of prison  
doors to them that are bound4 ,there are
 ,pauls who are saying1 in reference to 
this subject1 ,lord1 what wilt thou have
 me to do8 ,there are ,marys sitting in 
the house now1 who are ready to arise   
and go forth in this work as soon as the
 message is brought1 the master is come 
and calleth for thee4 ,and there are    
,marthas1 too1 who have already gone out
 to meet ,jesus1 as he bends his        
footsteps to their brother's grave1 and 
weeps1 not over the lifeless body of    
,lazarus bound hand and foot in         
grave-clothes1 but over the politically 
and intellectually lifeless slave1 bound
 hand and foot in the iron chains of    
oppression and ignorance4 ,some may be  
ready to say1 as ,martha did1 who seemed
 to expect nothing but sympathy from    
,jesus1 ,lord1 by this time he stinketh1
 for he hath been dead four days4 ,she  
thought it useless to remove the stone  

and expose the loathsome body of her    
brother2 she could not believe that so  
great a miracle could be wrought1 as to 
raise that putrefied body into life2 but
 ,jesus said1 take ye away too stone2   
and when they had taken away the stone  
where the dead was laid1 and uncovered  
the body of ,lazarus1 then it was that  
,jesus lifted up his eyes and said1     
,father1 ,i thank thee that thou hast   
heard me1 c4 ,and when he had thus      
spoken1 he cried with a loud voice1     
,lazarus1 come forth4 ,yes1 some may be 
ready to say of the colored race1 how   
can they ever be raised politically and 
intellectually1 they have been dead four
 hundred years8 ,but we have nothing to 
do with how this is to be done2 our     
business is to take away the stone which
 has covered up the dead body of our    
brother1 to expose the putrid carcass1  
to show how that body has been bound    
with the grave-clothes of heathen       
ignorance1 and his face with the napkin 
of prejudice1 and having done all it was

 our duty to do1 to stand by the negro's
 grave1 in humble faith and holy hope1  
waiting to hear the life-giving command 
of ,lazarus1 come forth4 ,this is just  
what ,anti-,slavery ,societies are      
doing2 they are taking away the stone   
from the mouth of the tomb of slavery1  
where lies the putrid carcass of our    
brother4 ,they want the pure light of   
heaven to shine into that dark and      
gloomy cave2 they want all men to see   
how that dead body has been bound1 how  
that face has been wrapped in the napkin
 of prejudice2 and shall they wait      
beside that grave in vain8 ,is not      
,jesus still the resurrection and the   
life8 ,did he come to proclaim liberty  
to the captive1 and the opening of      
prison doors to them that are bound1 in 
vain8 ,did ,he promise to give beauty   
for ashes1 the oil of joy for mourning1 
and the garment of praise for the spirit
 of heaviness unto them that mourn in   
,zion1 and will ,he refuse to beautify  
the mind1 anoint the head1 and throw    

around the captive negro the mantle of  
praise for that spirit of heaviness     
which has so long bound him down to the 
ground8 ,or shall we not rather say with
 the prophet1 the zeal of the ,lord of  
,hosts will perform this8 ,yes1 his     
promises are sure1 and amen in ,christ  
,jesus1 that he will assemble her that  
halteth1 and gather her that is driven  
out1 and her that is afflicted4  ,but ,i
 will now say a few words on the subject
 of ,abolitionism4 ,doubtless you have  
all heard ,anti-,slavery ,societies     
denounced as insurrectionary and        
mischievous1 fanatical and dangerous4   
,it has been said they publish the most 
abominable untruths1 and that they are  
endeavoring to excite rebellions at the 
,south4 ,have you believed these        
reports1 my friends8 have you also been 
deceived by these false assertions8     
,listen to me1 then1 whilst ,i endeavor 
to wipe from the fair character of      
,abolitionism such unfounded            
accusations4 ,you know that ,i am a     

,southerner2 you know that my dearest   
relatives are now in a slave ,slate4    
,can you for a moment believe ,i would  
prove so recreant to the feelings of a  
daughter and a sister1 as to join a     
society which was seeking to overthrow  
slavery by falsehood1 bloodshed and     
murder8 ,i appeal to you who have known 
and loved me in days that are passed1   
can you believe it8 ,no6 my friends4 ,as
 a ,carolinian ,i was peculiarly jealous
 of any movements on this subject2 and  
before ,i would join an ,anti-,slavery  
,society1 ,i took the precaution of     
becoming acquainted with some of the    
leading ,abolitionists1 of reading their
 publications and attending their       
meetings1 at which ,i heard addresses   
both from colored and white men2 and it 
was not until ,i was fully convicted    
that their principles were entirely     
pacific1 and their efforts only moral1  
that ,i gave my name as a member to the 
,female ,anti-,slavery ,society of      
,philadelphia4 ,since that time1 ,i have

 regularly taken the ,liberator1 and    
read many ,anti-,slavery pamphlets and  
papers and books1 and can assure you ,i 
never have seen a single insurrectionary
 paragraph1 and never read any account  
of cruelty which ,i could not believe4  
,southerners may deny the truth of these
 accounts1 but why do they not prove    
them to be false8 ,their violent        
expressions of horror at such accounts  
being believed may deceive some1 but    
they cannot deceive me1 for ,i lived too
 long in the midst of slavery1 not to   
know what slavery is4 ,when ,i speak of 
this system1 ,i speak that ,i do know1  
and ,i am not at all afraid to assert1  
that ,anti-,slavery publications have   
not overdrawn the monstrous features of 
slavery at all4 ,and many a ,southerner 
knows this as well as ,i do4 ,a lady in 
,north ,carolina remarked to a friend of
 mine1 about eighteen months since1     
,northerners know nothing at all about  
slavery2 they think it is perpetual     
bondage only2 but of the depth of       

degradation that word involves1 they    
have no conception2 if they had1 they   
would never cease their efforts until so
 horrible a system was overthrown4 ,she 
did not know how faithfully some        
,northern men and ,northern women had   
studied this subject2 how diligently    
they had searched out the cause of him  
who had none to help him1 and how       
fearlessly they had told the story of   
the negro's wrongs4 ,yes1 ,northerners  
know every thing about slavery now4     
,this monster of iniquity has been      
unveiled to the world1 her frightful    
features unmasked1 and soon1 very soon  
will she be regarded with no more       
complacency by the ,american republic   
than is the idol of ,juggernaut1 rolling
 its bloody wheels over the crushed     
bodies of its prostrate victims4  ,but  
you will probably ask1 if ,anti-,slavery
 societies are not insurrectionary1 why 
do ,northerners tell us they are8 ,why1 
,i would ask you in return1 did         
,northern senators and ,northern        

representatives give their votes1 at the
 last sitting of congress1 to the       
admission of ,arkansas ,territory as a  
state8 ,take those men1 one by one1 and 
ask them in their parlours1 do you      
approve of slavery8 ask them on         
,northern ground1 where they will speak 
the truth1 and ,i doubt not every man of
 them will tell you1 no6 ,why then1 ,i  
ask1 did they give their votes to       
enlarge the mouth of that grave which   
has already destroyed its tens of       
thousands8 ,all our enemies tell us they
 are as much anti-slavery as we are4    
,yes1 my friends1 thousands who are     
helping you to bind the fetters of      
slavery on the negro1 despise you in    
their hearts for doing it2 they rejoice 
that such an institution has not been   
entailed upon1 them4 ,why then1 ,i would
 ask1 do they lend you their help8 ,i   
will tell you1 they love the praise of  
men more than the praise of ,god4 ,the  
,abolition cause has not yet become so  
popular as to induce them to believe1   

that by advocating it in congress1 they 
shall sit still more securely in their  
seats there1 and like the chief rulers  
in the days of our ,saviour1 though many
 believed on him1 yet they did not      
confess him1 lest they should be put out
 of the synagogue2 ,john xii1 #db1 #dc4 
,or perhaps like ,pilate1 thinking they 
could prevail nothing1 and fearing a    
tumult1 they determined to release      
,barabbas and surrender the just man1   
the poor innocent slave to be stripped  
of his rights and scourged4 ,in vain    
will such men try to wash their hands1  
and say1 with the ,roman governor1 ,i am
 innocent of the blood of this just     
person4 ,northern ,american statesmen   
are no more innocent of the crime of    
slavery1 than ,pilate was of the murder 
of ,jesus1 or ,saul of that of ,stephen4
 ,these are high charges1 but ,i appeal 
to their hearts2 ,i appeal to public    
opinion ten years from now4 ,slavery    
then is a national sin4  ,but you will  
say1 a great many other ,northerners    

tell us so1 who can have no political   
motives4 ,the interests of the ,north1  
you must know1 my friends1 are very     
closely combined with those of the      
,south4 ,the ,northern merchants and    
manufacturers are making their fortunes 
out of the produce of slave labor2 the  
grocer is selling your rice and sugar2  
how then can these men bear a testimony 
against slavery without condemning      
themselves8 ,but there is another       
reason1 the ,north is most dreadfully   
afraid of ,amalgamation4 ,she is alarmed
 at the very idea of a thing so         
monstrous1 as she thinks4 ,and lest this
 consequence might flow from            
emancipation1 she is determined to      
resist all efforts at emancipation      
without expatriation4 ,it is not because
 she approves of slavery1 or believes it
 to be the corner stone of our republic1
 for she is as much anti-slavery as we  
are2 but amalgamation is too horrible to
 think of4 ,now ,i would ask you1 is it 
right1 is it generous1 to refuse the    

colored people in this country the      
advantages of education and the         
privilege1 or rather the right1 to      
follow honest trades and callings merely
 because they are colored8 ,the same    
prejudice exists here against our       
colored brethren that existed against   
the ,gentiles in ,judea4 ,great numbers 
cannot bear the idea of equality1 and   
fearing lest1 if they had the same      
advantages we enjoy1 they would become  
as intelligent1 as moral1 as religious1 
and as respectable and wealthy1 they are
 determined to keep them as low as they 
possibly can4 ,is this doing as they    
would be done by8 ,is this loving their 
neighbor as themselves8 ,oh6 that such  
opposers of ,abolitionism would put     
their souls in the stead of the free    
colored man's and obey the apostolic    
injunction1 to remember them that are in
 bonds as bound with them4 ,i will leave
 you to judge whether the fear of       
amalgamation ought to induce men to     
oppose anti-slavery efforts1 when they  

believe slavery to be sinful4 ,prejudice
 against color1 is the most powerful    
enemy we have to fight with at the      
,north4  ,you need not be surprised1    
then1 at all1 at what is said against   
,abolitionists by the ,north1 for they  
are wielding a two-edged sword1 which   
even here1 cuts through the cords of    
caste1 on the one side1 and the bonds of
 interest on the other4 ,they are only  
sharing the fate of other reformers1    
abused and reviled whilst they are in   
the minority2 but they are neither angry
 nor discouraged by the invective which 
has been heaped upon them by            
slaveholders at the ,south and their    
apologists at the ,north4 ,they know    
that when ,george ,fox and ,william     
,edmundson were laboring in behalf of   
the negroes in the ,west ,indies in     
#afga that the very same slanders were  
propogated against them1 which are now  
circulated against ,abolitionists4      
,although it was well known that ,fox   
was the founder of a religious sect     

which repudiated all war1 and all       
violence1 yet even he was accused of    
endeavoring to excite the slaves to     
insurrection and of teaching the negroes
 to cut their master's throats4 ,and    
these two men who had their feet shod   
with the preparation of the ,gospel of  
,peace1 were actually compelled to draw 
up a formal declaration that they were  
not trying to raise a rebellion in      
,barbadoes4 ,it is also worthy of remark
 that these ,reformers did not at this  
time see the necessity of emancipation  
under seven years1 and their principal  
efforts were exerted to persuade the    
planters of the necessity of instructing
 their slaves2 but the slaveholder saw  
then1 just what the slaveholder sees    
now1 that an enlightened population     
never can be a slave population1 and    
therefore they passed a law that negroes
 should not even attend the meetings of 
,friends4 ,abolitionists know that the  
life of ,clarkson was sought by         
slavetraders1 and that even ,wilberforce

 was denounced on the floor of          
,parliament as a fanatic and a hypocrite
 by the present ,king of ,england1 the  
very man who1 in #ahcd set his seal to  
that instrument which burst the fetters 
of eight hundred thousand slaves in his 
,west ,india colonies4 ,they know that  
the first ,quaker who bore a faithful   
testimony against the sin of slavery was
 cut off from religious fellowship with 
that society4 ,that ,quaker was a woman4
 ,on her deathbed she sent for the      
committe who dealt with her--she told   
them1 the near approach of death had not
 altered her sentiments on the subject  
of slavery and waving her hand towards a
 very fertile and beautiful portion of  
country which lay stretched before her  
window1 she said with great solemnity1  
,friends1 the time will come when there 
will not be friends enough in all this  
district to hold one meeting for        
worship1 and this garden will be turned 
into a wilderness4  ,the aged friend1   
who with tears in his eyes1 related this

 interesting circumstance to me1        
remarked1 that at that time there were  
seven meetings of friends in that part  
of ,virginia1 but that when he was there
 ten years ago1 not a single meeting was
 held1 and the country was literally a  
desolation4 ,soon after her decease1    
,john ,woolman began his labors in our  
society1 and instead of disowning a     
member for testifying against slavery1  
they have for fifty-two years positively
 forbidden their members to hold slaves4
  ,abolitionists understand the         
slaveholding spirit too well to be      
surprised at any thing that has yet     
happened at the ,south or the ,north2   
they know that the greater the sin is1  
which is exposed1 the more violent will 
be the efforts to blacken the character 
and impugn the motives of those who are 
engaged in bringing to light the hidden 
things of darkness4 ,they understand the
 work of ,reform too well to be driven  
back by the furious waves of opposition1
 which are only foaming out their own   

shame4 ,they have stood the world's     
dread laugh1 when only twelve men formed
 the first ,anti-,slavery ,society in   
,boston in #ahca4 ,they have faced and  
refuted the calumnies at their enemies1 
and proved themselves to be emphatically
 peace men by never resisting the       
violence of mobs1 even when driven by   
them from the temple of ,god1 and       
dragged by an infuriated crowd through  
the ,streets of the emporium of         
,new-,england1 or subjected by          
slaveholders to the pain of corporal    
punishment4 ,none of these things move  
them2 and1 by the grace of ,god1 they   
are determined to persevere in this work
 of faith and labor of love3 they mean  
to pray1 and preach1 and write1 and     
print1 until slavery is completely      
overthrown1 until ,babylon is taken up  
and cast into the sea1 to be found no   
more at all4 ,they mean to petition     
,congress year after year1 until the    
seat of our government is cleansed from 
the sinful traffic of slaves and the    

souls of men4 ,although that august     
assembly may be like the unjust judge   
who feared not ,god neither regarded    
man1 yet it must yield just as he did1  
from the power of importunity4 ,like the
 unjust judge1 ,congress must redress   
the wrongs of the widow1 lest by the    
continual coming up of petitions1 it be 
wearied4 ,this will be striking the     
dagger into the very heart of the       
monster1 and once 'tis done1 he must    
soon expire4  ,abolitionists have been  
accused of abusing their ,southern      
brethren4 ,did the prophet ,isaiah abuse
 the ,jews when he addressed to them the
 cutting reproofs contained in the first
 chapter of his prophecies and ended by 
telling them1 they would be ashamed of  
the oaks they had desired1 and          
confounded for the garden they had      
chosen8 ,did ,john the ,baptist abuse   
the ,jews when he called them a         
generation of vipers and warned them to 
bring forth fruits meet for repentance8 
,did ,peter abuse the ,jews when he told

 them they were the murderers of the    
,lord of ,glory8 ,did ,paul abuse the   
,roman ,governor when he reasoned before
 him of righteousness1 temperance1 and  
judgment1 so as to send conviction home 
to his guilty heart1 and cause him to   
tremble in view of the crimes he was    
living in8 ,surely not4 ,no man will now
 accuse the prophets and apostles of    
abuse1 but what have ,abolitionists done
 more than they8 ,no doubt the ,jews    
thought the prophets and apostles in    
their day1 just as harsh and            
uncharitable as slaveholders now1 think 
,abolitionists2 if they did not1 why did
 they beat1 and stone1 and kill them8   
,great fault has been found with the    
prints which have been employed to      
expose slavery at the ,north1 but my    
friends1 how could this be done so      
effectually in any other way8 ,until the
 pictures of the slave's sufferings were
 drawn and held up to public gaze1 no   
,northerner had any idea of the cruelty 
of the system1 it never entered their   

minds that such abominations could exist
 in ,christian1 ,republican ,america2   
they never suspected that many of the   
gentlemen and ladies who came from the  
,south to spend the summer months in    
travelling among them1 were petty       
tyrants at home4 ,and those who had     
lived at the ,south1 and came to reside 
at the ,north1 were too ashamed of      
slavery even to speak of it2 the        
language of their hearts was1 tell it   
not in ,gath1 publish it not in the     
streets of ,askelon2 they saw no use in 
uncovering the loathsome body to popular
 sight1 and in hopeless despair1 wept in
 secret places over the sins of         
oppression4 ,to such hidden mourners the
 formation of ,anti-,slavery ,societies 
was as life from the dead1 the first    
beams of hope which gleamed through the 
dark clouds of despondency and grief4   
,prints were made use of to effect the  
abolition of the ,inquisition in ,spain1
 and ,clarkson employed them when he was
 laboring to break up the ,slave trade1 

and ,english ,abolitionists used them   
just as we are now doing4 ,they are     
powerful appeals and have invariably    
done the work they were designed to do1 
and we cannot consent to abandon the use
 of these until the realities no longer 
exist4  ,with regard to those white men1
 who1 it was said1 did try to raise an  
insurrection in ,mississippi a year ago1
 and who were stated to be              
,abolitionists1 none of them were proved
 to be members of ,anti-,slavery        
,societies1 and it must remain a matter 
of great doubt whether1 even they were  
guilty of the crimes alledged against   
them1 because when any community is     
thrown into such a panic as to inflict  
,lynch law upon accused persons1 they   
cannot be supposed to be capable of     
judging with calmness and impartiality4 
,we know that the papers of which the   
,charleston mail was robbed1 were not   
insurrectionary1 and that they were not 
sent to the colored people as was       
reported1 ,we know that ,amos ,dresser  

was no insurrectionist though he was    
accused of being so1 and on this false  
accusation was publicly whipped in      
,nashville in the midst of a crowd of   
infuriated slaveholders4 ,was that young
 man disgraced by this infliction of    
corporal punishment8 ,no more than was  
the great apostle of the ,gentiles who  
five times received forty stripes1 save 
one4 ,like him1 he might have said1     
henceforth ,i bear in my body the marks 
of the ,lord ,jesus1 for it was for the 
truth's sake1 he suffered1 as much as   
did the ,apostle ,paul4 ,are ,nelson1   
and ,garrett1 and ,williams1 and other  
,abolitionists who have recently been   
banished from ,missouri1                
insurrectionists8 ,we know they are not1
 whatever slaveholders may choose to    
call them4 ,the spirit which now        
asperses the character of the           
,abolitionists1 is the very same which  
dressed up the ,christians of ,spain in 
the skins of wild beasts and pictures of
 devils when they were led to execution 

as heretics4 ,before we condemn         
individuals1 it is necessary1 even in a 
wicked community1 to accuse them of some
 crime2 hence1 when ,jezebel wished to  
compass the death of ,naboth1 men of    
,belial were suborned to bear false     
witness against him1 and so it was with 
,stephen1 and so it ever has been1 and  
ever will be1 as long as there is any   
virtue to suffer on the rack1 or the    
gallows4 ,false witnesses must appear   
against ,abolitionists before they can  
be condemned4  ,i will now say a few    
words on ,george ,thompson's mission to 
this country4 ,this ,philanthropist was 
accused of being a foreign emissary4    
,were ,la ,fayette1 and ,steuben1 and   
,de ,kalb1 foreign emissaries when they 
came over to ,america to fight against  
the tories1 who preferred submitting to 
what was termed1 the yoke of servitude1 
rather than bursting the fetters which  
bound them to the mother country8 ,they 
came with carnal weapons to engage in   
bloody conflict against ,american       

citizens1 and yet1 where do their names 
stand on the page of ,history4 ,among   
the honorable1 or the low8 ,thompson    
came here to war against the giant sin  
of slavery1 not with the sword and the  
pistol1 but with the smooth stones of   
oratory taken from the pure waters of   
the river of ,truth4 ,his splendid      
talents and commanding eloquence        
rendered him a powerful coadjutor in the
 ,anti-,slavery cause1 and in order to  
neutralize the effects of these upon his
 auditors1 and rob the poor slave of the
 benefits of his labors1 his character  
was defamed1 his life was sought1 and he
 at last driven from our ,republic1 as a
 fugitive4 ,but was ,thompson disgraced 
by all this mean and contemptible and   
wicked chicanery and malice8 ,no more   
than was ,paul1 when in consequence of a
 vision he had seen at ,troas1 he went  
over to ,macedonia to help the          
,christians there1 and was beaten and   
imprisoned1 because he cast out a spirit
 of divination from a young damsel which

 had brought much gain to her masters4  
,paul was as much a foreign emissary in 
the ,roman colony of ,philippi1 as      
,george ,thompson was in ,america1 and  
it was because he was a ,jew and taught 
customs it was not lawful for them to   
receive or observe1 being ,romans1 that 
the ,apostle was thus treated4  ,it was 
said1 ,thompson was a felon1 who had    
fled to this country to escape          
transportation to ,new ,holland4 ,look  
at him now pouring the thundering       
strains of his eloquence1 upon crowded  
audiences in ,great ,britain1 and see in
 this a triumphant vindication of his   
character4 ,and have the slaveholder1   
and his obsequious apologist1 gained any
 thing by all their violence and        
falsehood8 ,no6 for the stone which     
struck ,goliath of ,gath1 had already   
been thrown from the sling4 ,the giant  
of slavery who had so proudly defied the
 armies of the living ,god1 had received
 his death-blow before he left our      
shores4 ,but what is ,george ,thompson  

doing there8 ,is he not now laboring    
there1 as effectually to abolish        
,american slavery as though he trod our 
own soil1 and lectured to ,new ,york or 
,boston assemblies8 ,what is he doing   
there1 but constructing a stupendous    
dam1 which will turn the overwhelming   
tide of public opinion over the wheels  
of that machinery which ,abolitionists  
are working here4 ,he is now lecturing  
to ,britons on ,american ,slavery1 to   
the subjects of a ,king1 on the abject  
condition of the slaves of a ,republic4 
,he is telling them of that mighty      
confederacy of petty tyrants which      
extends over thirteen ,states of our    
,union4 ,he is telling them of the      
munificent rewards offered by           
slaveholders1 for the heads of the most 
distinguished advocates for freedom in  
this country4 ,he is moving the ,british
 ,churches to send out to the churches  
of ,america the most solemn appeals1    
reproving1 rebuking1 and exhorting them 
with all long suffering and patience to 

abandon the sin of slavery immediately4 
,where then ,i ask1 will the name of    
,george ,thompson stand on the page of  
,history8 ,among the honorable1 or the  
base8  ,what can ,i say more1 my        
friends1 to induce you to set your      
hands1 and heads1 and hearts1 to this   
great work of justice and mercy4        
,perhaps you have feared the            
consequences of immediate ,emancipation1
 and been frightened by all those       
dreadful prophecies of rebellion1       
bloodshed and murder1 which have been   
uttered4 ,let no man deceive you2 they  
are the predictions of that same lying  
spirit which spoke through the four     
hundred prophets of old1 to ,ahab king  
of ,israel1 urging him on to            
destruction4 ,slavery may produce these 
horrible scenes if it is continued five 
years longer1 but ,emancipation never   
will4  ,i can prove the safety of       
immediate ,emancipation by history4 ,in 
,st4 ,domingo in #agic six hundred      
thousand slaves were set free in a white

 population of forty-two thousand4 ,that
 ,island marched as by enchantment      
towards its ancient splendor1           
cultivation prospered1 every day        
produced perceptible proofs of its      
progress1 and the negroes all continued 
quietly to work on the different        
plantations1 until in #ahjb1 ,france    
determined to reduce these liberated    
slaves again to bondage4 ,it was at this
 time that all those dreadful scenes of 
cruelty occured1 which we so often      
unjustly hear spoken of1 as the effects 
of ,abolition4 ,they were occasioned not
 by ,emancipation1 but by the base      
attempt to fasten the chains of slavery 
on the limbs of liberated slaves4  ,in  
,gaudaloape eighty-five thousand slaves 
were freed in a white population of     
thirteen thousand4 ,the same prosperous 
effects followed manumission here1 that 
had attended it in ,hayti1 every thing  
was quiet until ,buonaparte sent out a  
fleet to reduce these negroes again to  
slavery1 and in #ahjb this institution  

was re-established in that ,island4 ,in 
#ahcd1 when ,great ,britain determined  
to liberate the slaves in her ,west     
,india colonies1 and proposed the       
apprenticeship system2 the planters of  
,bermuda and ,antigua1 after having     
joined the other planters in their      
representations of the bloody           
consequences of ,emancipation1 in order 
if possible to hold back the hand which 
was offering the boon of freedom to the 
poor negro2 as soon as they found such  
falsehoods were utterly disregarded1 and
 ,abolition must take place1 came       
forward voluntarily1 and asked for the  
compensation which was due to them1     
saying1 they preferred immediate        
emancipation1 and were not afraid of any
 insurrection4 ,and how is it with these
 islands now8 ,they are decidedly more  
prosperous than any of those in which   
the apprenticeship system was adopted1  
and ,england is now trying to abolish   
that system1 so fully convinced is she  
that immediate ,emancipation is the     

safest and the best plan4  ,and why not 
try it in the ,southern ,states1 if it  
never has occasioned rebellion2 if not a
 drop of blood has ever been shed in    
consequence of it1 though it has been so
 often tried1 why should we suppose it  
would produce such disastrous           
consequences now8 ,be not deceived then1
 ,god is not mocked1 by such false      
excuses for not doing justly and loving 
mercy4 ,there is nothing to fear from   
immediate ,emancipation1 but every thing
 from the continuance of slavery4       
,sisters in ,christ1 ,i have done4 ,as a
 ,southerner1 ,i have felt it was my    
duty to address you4 ,i have endeavoured
 to set before you the exceeding        
sinfulness of slavery1 and to point you 
to the example of those noble women who 
have been raised up in the church to    
effect great revolutions1 and to suffer 
for the truth's sake4 ,i have appealed  
to your sympathies as women1 to your    
sense of duty as ,christian women4 ,i   
have attempted to vindicate the         

,abolitionists1 to prove the entire     
safety of immediate ,emancipation1 and  
to plead the cause of the poor and      
oppressed4 ,i have done--,i have sowed  
the seeds of truth1 but ,i well know1   
that even if an ,apollos were to follow 
in my steps to water them1 ,god only can
 give the increase4 ,to ,him then who is
 able to prosper the work of his        
servant's hand1 ,i commend this ,appeal 
in fervent prayer1 that as he hath      
chosen the weak things of the world1 to 
confound the things which are mighty1 so
 ,he may cause ,his blessing1 to descend
 and carry conviction to the hearts of  
many ,lydias through these speaking     
pages4 ,farewell--,count me not your    
enemy because ,i have told you the      
truth1 but believe me in unfeigned      
affection1  ,your sympathizing ,friend1 
,angelina ,e4 ,grimk4    ,,third        
,,edition4    #a ,and again1 ,if a man  
be found stealing any of his brethren of
 the children of ,israel1 and maketh    
merchandise of him1 or selleth him2 then

 that thief shall die2 and thou shall   
put away evil from among you4 ,deut4    
xxiv1 #g4  #b ,and when thou sendest him
 out free from thee1 thou shalt not let 
him go away empty3 ,thou shalt furnish  
him liberally out of thy flock and out  
of thy floor1 and out of thy wine-press3
 of that wherewith the ,lord thy ,god   
hath blessed thee1 shalt thou give unto 
him4 ,deut xv1 #ac1 #ad4  #c ,there are 
laws in some of the slave states1       
limiting the labor which the master may 
require of the slave to fourteen hours  
daily4 ,in some of the states there are 
laws requiring the masters to furnish a 
certain amount of food and clothing1 as 
for instance1 one quart of corn per day1
 or one peck per week1 or one bushel per
 month1 and one linen shirt and         
pantaloons for the summer1 and a linen  
shirt and woolen great coat and         
pantaloons for the winter1 c4 ,but      
still1 to use the language of ,judge    
,stroud the slave is entirely under the 
control of his master1--is unprovided   

with a protector1--and1 especially as he
 cannot be a witness or make complaint  
in any known mode against his master1   
the apparent object of these laws may   
always be defeated4 ,,ed4  #d ,see ,mrs4
 ,child's ,appeal1 ,chap4 ,,ii4         
,transcriber's ,note3 ,footnotes have   
been relocated to the end4