An Essay on Slavery and Abolitionism: With reference to the duty of American females — John Shaqi
An Essay on Slavery and Abolitionism: With reference to the duty of American femalesBeecher, Catharine Esther
Philosophy
An Essay on Slavery and Abolitionism: With reference to the duty of American females
Beecher, Catharine Esther
Abolitionists -- United States; Antislavery movements -- United States; Slavery -- United States
One of the first measures of Abolitionists was an attack on a benevolent
society, originated and sustained by some of the most pious and devoted
men of the age. It was imagined by Abolitionists, that the influence and
measures of the Colonization Society tended to retard the abolition of
slavery, and to perpetuate injurious prejudices against the coloured
race. The peaceful and christian method of meeting this difficulty would
have been, to collect all the evidence of this supposed hurtful tendency,
and privately, and in a respectful and conciliating way, to have
presented it to the attention of the wise and benevolent men, who were
most interested in sustaining this institution. If this measure did not
avail to convince them, then it would have been safe and justifiable to
present to the public a temperate statement of facts, and of the
deductions based on them, drawn up in a respectful and candid manner,
with every charitable allowance which truth could warrant. Instead of
this, when the attempt was first made to turn public opinion against the
Colonization Society, I met one of the most influential supporters of
that institution, just after he had had an interview with a leading
Abolitionist. This gentleman was most remarkable for his urbanity,
meekness, and benevolence, and his remark to me in reference to this
interview, shows what was its nature. "I love truth and sound argument,"
said he, "but when a man comes at me with a sledge hammer, I cannot help
dodging." This is a specimen of their private manner of dealing. In
public, the enterprise was attacked as a plan for promoting the selfish
interests and prejudices of the whites, at the expense of the coloured
population; and in many cases, it was assumed that the conductors of
this association were aware of this, and accessory to it. And the style
in which the thing was done was at once offensive, inflammatory, and
exasperating. Denunciation, sneers, and public rebuke, were bestowed
indiscriminately upon the conductors of the enterprise, and of course
they fell upon many sincere, upright, and conscientious men, whose
feelings were harrowed by a sense of the injustice, the indecorum, and
the unchristian treatment, they received. And when a temporary
impression was made on the public mind, and its opponents supposed they
had succeeded in crushing this society, the most public and triumphant
exultation was not repressed. Compare this method of carrying a point,
with that adopted by Wilberforce and his compeers, and I think you will
allow that there was a way that was peaceful and christian, and that
this was not the way which was chosen.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account