Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1818-07-15

are kidnappers. Ii would be wonderfI,
! indeed, il the human being who h. c,ush-
ed IN his breast every instructive principe
Of his nature, and had trampled upon Inc
laws Of God, should stop short in his ca.
reer, because lie was too harmless to VIC.
late the much less binding laws Of man
Besides, if TIE slave-trade was abolished.
these merci!ess men would have no pre,ext
for the erection Of those dung eons. by which
alone they can secure their victims and a.
! void detection.
What have been narrating are rot The
| tales OF other times they ale not crea-
! lures Of the Imagination. AZ this very INC.
ment, while | am attempting 10 U e my fee
bic excrtions in the cause Of injured hu-
manity, and while you are thus honorin,
me with your attention, scenes like those
have been describing, are acting throughou,
the state OF Maryland. Thousands Of ne
| mOrseess slave traders are this instant prac.
Using their diabolical designs-the groapS
of muIiitudes OF tortured victims are iust
how ascending Up 10 mayen. Within this
city-in the very ncighborEOod OF this ten.
pie of religion, ferocious kidnarpers are lur-
| king in their dens, watching with cruel Ca
gerness the approach OF night, when they
may with safety seize upon their prey
But Though the darkness vi the night NAV
| conceal them from mortal sight, il cannot
! hide them from the view OF him " no never
s!umbers or sleeps, W no can not only pierce
the thickest shades oi darkness but WHO can
read the most secret purposes OF the soul;
who can penetrate the most intricate laby-
rinth of guilt, ever wound within the hear:
of msr--who beholds all things past, pr.
sent, and TO con.s-who sees with edusI
eve, as Lord of alt, ''a hero perish, or :
sparrow fall and " no vii! hereafter rep.
der ur'o every slave trader, according 10
his deeds.
have hitherto Only limited at anothe.
grievance which il is one OF the objects o!
This society TO redress mean the slay.
trade to the coast OF Africa. Indeed i.
would be useless presumption TO enter
into 4 discussion Of this ubject, since il
has been so ably unfolded 10 the public
view, by the immortal Wilberiorce and
Clarkscn. BIT am sorry to be compelled
10 say, that we are induced by strong rea-
sons to believe, that there are even in this
enlightened city, men, abandoned enoug!
to engage in this deicstable traffic trai-
fc which even congress OF unlimited DIES.
pots has declared b be abominable, and
whose destruction has called forth the con-
bihed humanity of almost all the world
When the guilt Of these unworthy citizens
shall be fully established in The view OF the
Protection Society OF Maryland, they will
not scrup.e 10 declare TO the delinquents ia
the face Of the world, no matter how high
they may stand in the public estimation
no matter bow great their credit may be in
the mercantile community-no matter how
dazzling they may shine, dsshing in their
gilded vehicles, and surrounded with lhei!
splendid equipage, that their riches, their
credit, and their spiendor are the price OF
blood; and that they deserve to be ranked
by their indignant fellow citizens among
those monsters whose delight is cruelty,
who live by the death, and rise upon the
ruin OF innocent and unoffending man.
But | am tired of describing, and you
must be tired Of hearing this detail Of cru
elty-Stripes, dungeons, tortures, chains,
and death, have alternately passed in glOo-
my silence before your eyes.-lf The pre-.
sence OF slaye-trader row profanes this
sacred edifice, these scenes, il he be capa.
bic of feeling, must be as terrible 10 his
conscience, as the kingly ghosts were to
the conscience OF Macbeth, when they
passed in CHASTITY array before him, follow
ell by the spectre OF the man whom he had
murdered.
Dreadful as these scenes must have ~.
peared 10 the eye Of sensibIi.y, most 50.
lemnly avow, that have not told one hi
OF what know to he the direiul reality
70 do this, it would be necessary that /
should be gifted with all the music and oil
the thunder Of eloquence. But merciigl
heaven is there not enough to arouse The
feelings even of barbarian? Go 10 ths
savage OF the western wild talk 10 him q
the blessings Of civilization; tell him q
the christian creed ''do unto others as ys
would tint others should do to you"-:ei
MIN OF our wonderful skill in the arts az. n
sciences--ol cur mighty ships, deiyjrg tie
turbulence Of ocean-ot our stUpenGou 4
ediiices towering 10 the .clouds-of the s..
perabundant luxurarce of our soll-oi he
subimity OF our laws, and The purity Of er =
liberty. Then tell him OF the woes, whIr4
| have attempted 10 describe; and aftersI
ask him 10 become civilized Rising SUI
denly from his moss covered seat, with tr
crimson dye mantiing in his cheek, he VII
Indignantly spurn al The request. IL il K
the creed Of civilization, he will say
profess virtue and practice vice, aithOcg'
your boosted blessings were lar greae
than they are, and as numerous as b.
leaves of the surrounding forest, yc!
would not for all of them surrender :;
bow, my woods and liberty. We nevt'
torture those who are not our enemies W
never bind their children to the stake; ~
do we ever enslave either enemy or irlenc
IL civilization be what you 1--we descrts.
it, may ever be savage hunter On u
woods-ny covering the canopy OF hearel
my led the Tock-my drink the chV:|
fountain