Mr. B. asserts, page 110, that the free blacks 'in nearly every part
of America,' enjoy all civil rights 'to a degree utterly unknown to
millions of British subjects,' in various parts of the empire, and
'even in England itself.' 'It would be easy,' says the Emancipator,
'to show that he is wrong in several particulars.' And then, as one,
refers to the fact, that the colored man is not secure in his rights
or person, but may be dragged into slavery, even from free states,
without a jury trial. This one fact is certainly sufficient to
disprove Mr. B's assertion.
'But,' says Mr. B. 'If any rights have been denied them,' as for
instance, that of preaching the gospel, 'which Virginia had lately
done,' it was all owing to the fury of abolition. See page 110. Yet
Stroud cites a law of Virginia, dating back as far as 1819, and being
then but the re-enactment of a law before in force, which rendered all
assemblies of slaves and free negroes in a meeting house or other
place by night, or at any school for teaching reading and writing, by
day or night, _unlawful_ assemblies, and subjects any person, slave or
free black, found in them, to the punishment of twenty lashes, by
order of a justice of the peace. Stroud, page 89.
Mr. B. in the true colonization spirit, takes occasion to slander the
colored people, accusing them of 'insolence and imprudence,' and of
'insulting females in the streets of our cities,' and 'setting up
claim of perfect domestic equality with their masters,' &c. See page
114. We give the Emancipator's note on this wicked accusation, which
is as cruel as it is false. 'This whole representation is false.
Nothing can be more so. The modest deportment and the spirit of
forbearance manifested by the colored people, from the outset, has
been of the most marked as well as praiseworthy character, and in
instances not a few, has secured to them the approbation of avowed
enemies of the anti-slavery cause.' We add our own testimony, so far
as our observation has extended, to the truth of this statement.
In the fifth evening's debate, Mr. B. complains, page 120, that Mr.
Thompson 'did not tell them that none of the ministers in twelve whole
states were or could easily be slaveholders, seeing they were not
inhabitants of a slave state.' And why should he. Would not the mere
knowledge of the fact, that 'they were not inhabitants of slave
states' render it unnecessary that his hearers should be particularly
informed that they were not slaveholders? Does Mr. B. believe that the
people of Glasgow supposed Northern ministers to be generally
slaveholders? We say _generally_, for we should not dare to assert
that '_none_' of them 'were,' whether they '_easily_ could be' or not.
If we have not been misinformed, and we believe we have not, it has
been our fortune, good or ill, to hear a northern slaveholding
minister preach, a minister too, whose pastoral charge was in the very
cradle of this _free_ nation.
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.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account