The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1827-01-29


recommending is perusslto every person inter
esled IN the Society.
There is no difficulty, resumed Mr. e. in Il.
iectng 'his great inject. The means are within
our reach. had iptendedto fav much more on
this part Of the subject; but viii hasten on 10
conclusion. As TO the willingness of the Africans
10 transport themselves: why should they object
10 g'1 Here they are aliens outcasts--strml-
gefs,a Though born in the land. There, in Am
ca, they would be at home although strangers.-
\ ne" world would open upon them; and they
would rise in he scale of being 10 the endowment
Of liberty and independence They would be 81.
egated TO an equality with men of other nations,
aud they would become redeemed and Tegenera-
ted beings
The intricate problem which has weighed the
thoughts Of o1lr great men, is solved The land
Is found where the Slave can become truly frte;
where the African can be naturalizcd; elevated
TO an equal rank with his fellow citizen: and
Wine he can become homogeneous with the
country The great question is satisfactorily es-
tabl.shcd-and the decd, uffhc Society have de
tended tire motives Of IFS projectors. The Cause
OF the SosictH IS the cause Of peace of civili2a-
ton, of religion, and Of humanity. The scheme
IS circle OF philanthropy, every segment of
which aeds 10 IN" heantY OF the whole. The
clergy of our country send missionaries forth 10
baibarous aud unr,SiIized countries. 10 epread
the reign of the gospel Bat here /, the most
glorious mission ever conceived Every Colon
Isl becomes mlsslonary--cartyng IN his own
person, an illustration Of the glorious influence
OF religion, and Of civilization. To every other
country, we send strangers: 10 AfrICa We send
back the native to teach and 10 convert his breth
ren. We send back the long lost members of
the sreai'tamlly to carry to their countrv1nen the
henehts Of liberty aud religion, taught them IN
tie land where they were Captves
Will not dwell upon the benefits to this eoun.
try Ola lddanr" 81 this unfortunate race Those
benefits are easily conceived and have doubtless
been presented 10 the minds of all | we'll know
that We have much cause 10 reproach our ancr,-
tors, tor having planted this evil among MS. But
We should not SIT down and content ourselves
with saying, that the evil was not produced by
ourselves. II becomes MS, if We would not be
Implicated III me reproach cast upon our ances-
tors to SHOW our detcstaton of IT, II becomes
US to rcnounce it five do not postcrity and |
tear higher tribunal, will accuse us OF pnrti-
clpation IN the guilt. 1--we do not exert our
selves 10 remove IT, We shall be accused, ifnot of
the origin at least of The continuance, OF ma.
tohdi evil, aSowedy great, and dcservcdly detes-
table. kno" that il has been said that we
should not even touch this subject: that VIZ
ought not TO iamper with the rights and proper
~ oilndiyidnas: that this Society has disturbed
the quiet Of those who were still in scrviindr;
thath has put notions into, then heads, which
caused difficulty and disturbance among slaves.
and injury to their masters
what has Tins Society done 10 merit these &C.
c"a'''"nS II has not addressed the slave, nor
endeavofcdto entice him from his master. VII
ing as the society would he to remove slavery
and the siateS it has addressed iisef to those n.
lone who altpnd, A., 4 g..
ed the attcmptto trouble the tranauilit, Which ex-
ISIS between the stakeholder aud his slave There
nav been leaonSies entertained ON this head
without cause, by persons too ready to fear what
ihey would avoid. But how IN the discussion ri
| 'aRJee, winch We have most undoubted right
| 'odis'uss, and which may rcdonnd 10 the honor
| "i our c"mtry--it SOM collateral sensation is
created, ale We the cause ofitl But what can
satisfy such mind, You must 20 back and
destroy the charter of our freedom: you must
| nu21ie the cannon whose thundcrs welcome
each anniversary of our independence ; YOU
| must abfogate the law which abolished the slave
| trade; sou must qucll the operations OF pbilan-
| throphy in Great Britain; Won must put
| out the torch which America hold, mp to
bcnighted world. Nay, motcl Wien You
have done all this, you must penetrate tho hn-
man mlnd. and cXtlnguish the light of reason
which God has lit up there, before YOU oan pro.
duee that total darkness which is alone congcn.
ial TO the souls Of such mcn
The resolution of Mr.. Clay was then consi.
dered and adopted.
Mr. Wcems then addressed the meeting. in
speech Of considerable length, in which he gave
his full assent 10 belief in the benevolent object
and'happy results ofthe exertions Of the Society
He also defended our ancestors from the impu.
tatlon which he considered too layshly thrown
upon thcm believing, as he remarked that
they considered that, cn2aing in the slave trade
Trey were doing no more than vas authorized
by Scripture,
MI Mercer in submitting the following prcam
be and resolution, accompanied it wilh some
highly interesting remarks.
"Whcroas, TO the affection Of The Christian
world, the African Slave Trade, Notwithstanding
all the efforts, past and present for its suppress
i'm, still exists and IS conducted with aggrayn-
ted cuc$ty, by the resources OF one continent, to
tho dshonor of another, and TO an extent little
short of the deSolation Of third and il is now
apparent thnt this guilty traffic mnst continue
without abatement, so long as there remains a
Gag to cover it from detection a demand for its
victims, aud the African coast is open 70 his IN
| cursions; Aud whereas its utter abolition ,scy.
| senhal to the security Of African labor and a
vowed 10 be one of the objects of the American
Society tor Coloni2lng the Free People Of olor
| of the United States; and has been, AT all times
since, steadily prosecuted by its friends in the
councils of the Union,
BE Hhsretore hcsoirsd, That Committee be
appointed to prepare, and cause TO be translated
into the several languages OF most current use in
Europe and Americas memorial to the Soye-
reign authority ofcVe,y maritime nation on
both Continents, earnestly soliciting the dcnun-
citation of the Slave Trade as piracy
Ind be atirthcr Resoired, That the mcmori-
ais having been approved and atestcd, by the
signature OF the President of the Society, shall
be forwarded, by hiS advice, to their respective
destinations.
The resolution was agreed TO, and the follow /
ing Committee appointed to carry its object IN |
to effect viz; Gen. MERCER, Gen. JOINS, and
Dr. LAURIE.
On motion Of Samuel Bayard, Esq. of New
Jersey
Resotred, That this Society. deeply impressed
with the loss its cause has sustained by the deaths