The Portland gazette., 1820-05-30
MISCELLANY.


able charge of The Hon. Judge sToHY 10 ibe
Grand Jury, al the late Circuit Court OF the
United States in this town. we presume no
apology is necessary for The space 1t occupies
in our paper. The subject is OF deep Interest
10 the people of Maine. and to the friends o
religion and humanity elsewhere. The more
our citizens are enlightened by such doctrines
and sentiments as those advanced by this ex-
celent Judge, the more highly they will
prixe the exeriops of their Representatives
in Congress 10 prevent The adHiss'on oil
slavery into Missouri.-After calling the az
,ent;on of the Grand Jury TO The offence OF
slave trading, anu stating the various statutory
provisions against II, The learned Judge pro-
ceeds thus -:
uIJnder such c;rcnms,ancesit m ght well Re sup
no.ed that the Slave Trade would in practice he
extinyuishsd that virtuous men would by their
adherence stay its polluted march. and wicked
mer would be overawed by its potent punish
ment,. But unfortunately the case Is far other
wise We have hut too many melancholy proofs
from unouc.iionod sources, that II is still carried
on with all the implacsble ferocty and insatia-
BILE rapacisy Of former times. Avarce has grown
more subtle in its evasions; and watches ana
.eizes il. prey with appetite qnickened rather
than suppressed by its guilty vie'is. American
citizen. are stepped up to their very mouths 4
scarcely use too bold fgurc) in this stream Of
iniouity. They throng 10 the Coasts of Africa
under the stained flags Of Spain and Portugal,
sometimes selling abroad " their cargoes OF de'-
pair" and sometimes bringing them into some oi
our southern ports, ar mere under the ior $ oi
the law defeating the purposes Of the law isse'i,
and legalizins their inhuman but proh'ao'e al.
ventures wish could say that New England
and New Fnglandmen were free from tins deep
po,lntion, But there is reason to believe, that
thew who drive loathsome traffic, /" and buy the
muscles and the bones Of men, are to be iound
here also. II is to be hoped the number is small
but our cheeks NAV we'll burn with shame whiie
a solitary case is permitted to GO unpnn,shed.
W And. Gentlemen, how can we justify our
,elye. or apologize for an indifference to this sub
ject? Our constitutions of government nave ae.
clared that all men are born free and equal, and
have certain unainable rights, among which are
the right of enjoying their lives, liberties and
rroperty. and of seeking and obtaining their own
safety and happiness. May not tho miserable
African ask cam not man and brother Z"
We boast Of our noble struggle against the en-
croa oachnents of tyranny. bnt do we forget that IT
assumed the mildest form in which authority
ever assailed the rights Of its subjects; and yet
that there are men among us who think IT no
wrong TO condemn the shivering negro to perpet-
ual slavery
I'VE believe in the Christian religion. II
commands us TO have good will to all men; to
love our neighbours as ourselves, and to do unto
all men 10 we would they should do unto us. IL
declare. our accountability 10 the supreme God
for all our actions, and holds out 10 Us state Of
future rewards and punishments as the sanction
by which our conduct is to be regulated. And
vet there are men calling themselves Christians
who degrade the negro by ignorance TO level
with the brutes. and deprive him OF all the con-
solations Of religion. He alone Of all the rational
creation, they seem 10 think, is to be at once ac'
countable for his actions, and yet his actions are
not to be at his own disposal but his mind, his
body, and his feelings are 10 be sold TO perpetual
bondage To me il appears perfectly clear that
the slave trade is equally repugnant to The dc
tates of reason and religion and is an offence e.
oually against the laws of God and man.--Yet,
strange to tell, one of the pretences upon which
the modern slavery ofthe Africans was Jnsilfed,
was the - duty Of converting the heaihen.'
~ have called this an inhun'an trahlc, and
gentlemen, with view TO enlist your sympathies
as well as your judgments in its suppression, per.
NIT me 10 pass from these cold generalities TO
some of those details, which are The ordinary at
tendants upon this trade. Here indeed there Is
no room for the play ofimagination. ! he records
of tho British Parliament present US a ooay OF
evidence on this subject, taken with the most
scrupulous care while the subject Of the abolu |
ticn was before il taken too from persons VINO
had been engaged in, or eye witnesses oi the \