The Portland gazette. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1818-1824, 1819-10-05
PAYABLE YEARLY.

ne fftatlVh ~ the society appears II Us llt4s
the society for colanlzing the frse people Of
col IN ne Uniel STATES The condition q these
people has Tor a long time excited alternate pity
and alarm. in those regions where the black
population l. numerically stronger than the white,
fears have sometimes existed Of insurection and
murder And why should they not fear What but
bloody revenge could be expected from a slave
torn from friends and from Observation-Disclosures
fgraded-demoraized-- enraged Y
On the other hand this very state Of the AfrCaas
IN America has excited tie tandsrast pity In O.
free country -b0gsliRg, too OF its ireedom-arc
holden million OF slaves. The spirit Of our coa-
stution iofhids il. Our revolution commenced Oh
the principle of equal rights among all men-yes
we hold million f2ves-our laws forbid their
farther introduction. and strongly reprobate the
very principle OF this inhumau tTa4tiC-and yet We
\ bold slaves-gu some states. indeed, they air
legged to BE- frec-and how9 Their condition IL
still state ofdegradation-they are still almost
driven out from among men-emploved ia mono
but the meanest ofices-illiterzte and pressed
down with contompt-There are some honorable
exceptions but this IN general the condition of
the tree people ofcolor in our country. And it IS
an evil by no means working its own cure but N
the contrary continually increasing. The blacks
in the south rapidly increase-5ut aot 50 theif
knowledge their good morals. Or the disposition
| or ability to instruct them. Until very recently
what societies have been formed for their improves
| ment in useful arts What schools opened fcS
their Instruction. Or what clergymeh specially
deputed to show them the way Of salvation2
Many humane individuals in the South have IA
vored the emancipation Of slaves All agree
that their condition ought to be made better-apa
the number Of free people was rapidly increasing
when the laws at most Of the Southern States ax-
tinSulshed this ray of hope, BY rende ring it peaa
to grant any farther freedom 70 slaves S1cnis
ffI,. -r 4l-s III n.
them free. but the laws forbid it and yet there
is bali million Of free people OF color ID the
Union, of whom vast majority reside in the
slave-holding states. Their residence there is an
evil to themselves, TO the slaves and to the whites
They are often kidnapped and sold again. or put
TO the most tedious and peXatious process Of prov
ing and obtaining q second freedom. Nor ara
they better treated than while slaves They are
still poor, degraded Africans often, indeed, fur.
nishing an asylum 90 runaway slaves-but often
er unjustly suspec ed Of doing this They cans
not he established in The old states a. distinct
colony this the whites would by no means allow:
nor would public policy justify the measure vet
while they remain aJong them thew cannot
though free, become iucorp grated into the mass
Of the community but are compslled 10 reside
flrever without siFs camp, As Jews under an IN
: curable lePrccy. Attempts have Of late been
made to col0uize them on some new lands West
q OF the mountains. But this has excited strong
sentiment Of disgust il the Western people, aad
: viii not produce any good. To the colonists
themselves il is certain misery for those states
] as well as the Carolinas and Georgia and even
Virginia are infested with those feads IN human
I, shape called negro-stealers, who catch up every
unfortunate black, with the ierocity Of VOL YES,
e TO resell him in some distant region. Last year
? colony Of about $40 were sent from Virginia 10
settle on the Ohio river. Their numbers are con-
e stantiy diminishing, and the settlement viii soon
be extinction boats are almost hourly descend
ing the river notorious man stealer resides not
far Of, and New Orleans i capital market for
| slaves
: It is needless to recount, BY items, the various
plans which have at times been devised BY the
a philanthropic statesman and the Christian to ef-
: feet some good % these unhappy people. Let il
Suffice, Cor the present. To say, that the necessity
of colonizing them S0R1eI5bere is almost uniycr-
sally acknowledged that their religious and
moral condition requires th. that ali parts al
D North and South America has been considered III
relation to this object, but, for various good rea-
sons, have been rejected and that The Western
coast Of Africa has been examined and found "a
promise every advantage which The most nguine
could expect or desire. The Society therefore
intend "a establish colony on this part Of the
coastof Africa. thus returning 10 that country a
portion other own emancipated children anu with
J them sending the arts of domestic and civil life
the seeds ofiiterature aud science, and the bles
sings al the Christian religion. This object was
styled by committee Of the House OF Z epresen-
tatiTes i'd Congress, =" the noblest end which se-
neyolcnCe can conCelFc.N
y Al Antwerp " announced total eclipse WI