Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1826-01-16


the Society could command.
In reply to the insinuations thrown out a
painst the Society, Mr.F. said they might con,
tent themselves by referring to the materials OIL
which it was composed. 1t was made up OF the
most respectable individuals from every section
of the country. and included amongst them some
OF the most able statesmen from the East, West,
North, and South: they might also refer to the
publications which had gone forth under the
sanction OF the Society to disproye these char
ges. Let them look back to the annual reports
of the Society, and it would be found that none
of the objects with which they were cnarseu
ever came within the scope OF the intentions Oh
the Society. But, said Mr.. F. there Is stiii a
mother mode LETT Of proving the falslty OF these
accusations; it is to proclaim aloud, through the
instrumentality of your government, what are
YOUR real objects Go before the nation win
the assistance of Congress, and avail yourselves
of the opportunity of memorial, when VIII
penetrate into every corner OF the country, ana
declare your objects to be what you declared
them to be from the beginnlng-the removal
from your country Of such people OF color as
are already free, and oil such others as the hui
manity of individuals or the laws Of the differ
emf states shall hereafter liberate. Such IS your
eal object, and we feel prepared to recommend
its consideration to the people nha5ltlns every
section Of our cou,ry: we feel that The only
means that exist are presented to us Tor the re-
moyal from our territory of population whose
evils are felt and acknowledged i'll every portion
of the country; and The only means by which
still more degraded population can ever be
Withdrawn. 1t can hardly be necessary, after
all the discussion which has taken place on ST.
milar occasions, to dwell at length on the pc
culiar disadvantages resulting from the resi-
dence of an intermediate class OF treemen IN TINS
country; any one who looks at this population,
and considers its effect on our morals, habits,
laws, political institutions, our national wealth
and strength, will concur with me that reme-
DIV for the evil is necessary, and that no stone
ought to be left unturned to remove II from US
Let anv one go into the interior OF the country
or into the cities, and look at the condition oil.
this population, suddenly emerged from state
Of slavery, and carrying with il the feelings and
habits Of that condition. and say 1t is not an evil
There is no section Of the country but will unite
with us in endeavoring to remove it-there is
no section Of the country that does not feel very
sensibly the inconvenience and horrors OF being
Obliged to enact particular system OF laws TOR
one portion OF freemen, whilst the others are
subject to the general law OF the land. Such un-
happily is the case, but there is necessity for
it; and so long as they remain amongst us will
that necessity continue; and there Will be the a
in republican government OF class OF
freemen ENJOYING none Of the advantages and
privileges of freedom. We have population
Of this description amounting to about 1000,
and leave it to every individual to say, whe-.
Their, taking the whole mass together, it does
not consume more Of the national produce than
il adds 10 it, this is the fact, and, in the nature
Of things, il must be so: idleness is inseparable
from the class from which it springs; and, in
the condition in which it is placed, it rather hnds
cause to indulge in this idleness than 20 aban-
don it. The labor of day is sufficient to fur
nish the means Of subsistence for week, and,
if it do not, they are not influenced by any re-
straint Of moral law to supply the deficiency, by
taking il from Others In relation 10 the ma
tionai wealth, the evil is still more apparent
Is il either safe or prudent to retain amongst US
a large population, on whom we can place no
reliance, but from the control which the laws
exercise overit? Can we look 10 it in times OF
danger and difficulty? Can they be animated
by any feelings OF patriotism towards country
by which they feel themselves oppressed? What
is the practice on the subject? They are not
trained for the defence of the country, nor do
we look TO any period al which they are to be
called on to make any exertion for it; and, when
ever the occasion shall present itself, we may
rest assured they will rather detract from our
strength than add to it in the smallest degree
There are evils, connected with this population,
which prevail in every part of the country, they
may be pronounced national in their operation:
there are others still more serious, sectional, 1t
is true, in their immediate operation, but un-
national in their general results.
1t is the misfortune of a great portion of this
still to acknowledge the evils of slave
ry Now, sir, ask what effect would popu
ation, such as that whose condition we have
been considering, have on country thus stu
ated? They possess one advantage, al least,
the slave does not possess; they possess superb
or facilities for the indulgence of their condi-
ton; they are an object of envy and solicitude
10 the slave; he signs for the little privilege
which has been granted to the free man OF CO.
Tor, to indulge the natural propensities of'his
nature; restlessness is produced, and he inn
poses on the master necessity Of exercising,
with the greatest rigor, the power which the
law has con6ded to him, and imposes OH the le-
gislature of the country the necessity OF ncreas-
ing, ten fold, the rigors of that law. And what
do the various details Of such laws present? II
is known to large portion Of this meeting,
that there is hardly state in the Union, IN
which slavery exists, in which it is not found
to restrain, and, in some cases, to
ancin.f;on from, the fear thai the