Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1819-07-24

with others the commencement of the
abuse, but who pursued it by ourselves,
and for our own benefit? Do we claim
20 be guiltess Of the crime of introdu-
cling slavery? Impossible!
But if we had share in introducing
slavery, is it true "that we tolerate
it only from necessity, and that we, first
of all nations, have taken eilectual mea-
sures to eradicate it 20 Would to God
this were true. The example given by
this young republic to the world, to de-
sist from the deadly crime Of the slave
trade, showed sense of returning JUS
tice which promised much. Already
was the heart of the philanthropist glad.
He saw the manacles of the slaves gra-
dually crumbling from their hands, and
this injured race restored, at no distant
period, to the equal and unalienable
rights Of the great HUMAN family. He
saw the benevolent in every quarter lay
ing the foundation of system by which
the emancipated black would be returned
to his native cline. Real well founded
hopes Of practical corrective to the
evil were INDUCED. In slave states, the
sentiment was every where prevalent
" that we consider slavery as an evil Of
the highest grade: we tolerate it only
from necessity: gladly would we pro-
mote any plan by which it might be
gradually corrected, consistently with
the safety OF society. The evil has been
entailed upon us: show us how we can
get rid of it, and you will soon see that,
as we personally claim no share in its
origin, SO we have no wish for its con-
tinuance." Such was thought to be the
sentiments of the southern planter, till
the question arose in congress of ex-
Guiding slavery from the new state of
Missouri. Then it was, that such feel
ings were manifested, as convince US
that the spirit which dragged the miser-
able captives to our shores, holds them
here still, and extends the sphere of his
sufferngs. What miserable farce is
it to pretend to root out an evil, by send
ing away one slave, and suffer ten new
ones to fill his place Do we wish to re-
duce the number Of slaves Draw line
round his present habitation, and tell
him, thus far shalt thou go, and no far
Their. Allow no drain from embarrassing
population, and when it arrives at cer-
tain point it will stop. Then furnish the
means of restoring the emancipated to
Africa, and refuse emancipation to those
who will not go there, and time will do
the rest. But throw down your bull
warks open to his increase the I'M
measurable wilds of the west, and when
will your number diminish? When
would you exhaust the ocean by dipping
water from it, while rivers pour their
mighty tribute to its bosom?"
The following is believed to have been
the last production of DR.. Franklin's
pen, which has been given to the public.
The occasion of it is thus briefly ex-
planned in an account of his life written
by DIR. Stuber -
:" DIR. Franklins name as president of the
Abolition Society, was signed to the memorial
presented to the house of representatives of
the United States, on the 18th of February,
1879, praying them to exert the full extent of
the power vested in them by the constitution,
Ill tilc VI ulC Iulldl SPC-
cies. This was his last public act. In the de-
bates to which this memorial gave rise, several
attempts were made to justify the trade. In
the Federal Gazette of March 25th there APP
peared an essay, signed Historicus written by
DIR. Franklin, in which he communicated
speech, said to have been delivered in the di-
van of Alg;ers in 1857 in opposition to the
PRAYER of the petition of sect called E,fka,
or purists, for the abolition of piracy and slave
~. This pretended African speech was an
excellent parody of the one delivered by Mr..
Jackson of Georgia. All the arguments urged
in favor of negro slavery, are applied with
equal force to justify the plundering and en-
Shaving the Europeans. 1t affords, at the same
time, a demonstration of the futility of the ar
guments in defence of the slave trade, and of
the strength of mind and ingenuity of the au-
thor, at his advanced period of life, 1t furnish
ed too no less convincing proof of his power
of initiating the style of other times and ma
tons, than his celebrated parable against per-
secution. And as the latter led many to search
the scriptures with view to find it, so the
former caused many persons to search the
book stores and libraries, for the work from
which it was said to be extracted"
ON THE SLAVE TRADE,
Reading in the newspapers the speech
of Mr.. Jackson in congress, against med
ding with the affairs of slavery, or at.
tempting to mend the condition of slaves,
it put me in mind of similar speech,
made about an hundred years since, by
Sidi Mehemet Ibrahim, a member of the
divan of Algiers, which may be seen in
Martins account of his consulship, 1857.
1t was against granting the petition of a
sect called Erika or Purists, who prayed