Martinsburg gazette and public advertiser. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1826-1833, 1827-07-12

liestion by the author, at the written request
Of several intelligent sad respectable gentle
men Of our town: and in compliance win re-
solution Of the Auxiliary Colo EatiOn Society
Of this county.
DISCOURSE,
Delivered in the Episcopal Church OF Martins.
burg. on Sunday, succeeding the 4th of July,
1877. in behat and by request OF the "Auxllis
~ Colonization Society,"" OF Berkeley county,
Virginia, by the Rev. joan L. Brooke.
sind Jesus ven, sut and sav a greaf nalifudr
and had cOnbassi0H oH them Mat xiv i4th.
Benevolence, or a disposition to do
good to others, is the most exalted prin
cipie known TO human nature. Genius
may command our admiration; heroIsm
and high honour may impress US with
respect; wit may please us; but pure
b~enevoIence attracts our love and reve-
rence--like some friendly agent dele.
gated from Heaven. This benevolsuee
vas possessed in a pre- eminent d. gree,
by the Divine personage mentioned in
the words which head our DISCOURSE
The multitude here spoken of, were they
who followed him into the desert: and
the compassion which he had on them,
was exercised in healing their sick,
and feeding them in a miraculous
ner, with a few loayes and fishes.
Our design, my hearers, is to exhort
you this dav, TO follow the example of
Christ,by exereisingyo u compassion to-
ward a multitude, far greater han that
xUhtah kn n a nnv4iEfnAn urhs,h n4t.
exists, and a still larger multitude yet to
exist,to whom the benefits OF the scheme
for which we ask your aid, may be roll
ed by the stream of time. In advocat-
Jag this scheme we shall not get out of
temper with opposition, nor indulge in
bold Invective. If it is opposed by pre-
JUDGE only, we cannot hope to remove
il by violent denunciation Such oppo
sition should be left to die a natural death.
Mere prejudice always thrives under
persec ution. 1t is a weed which, even
reason cannot root out; and still less
could we hope to remove it, by sh YER.
ing its upper branches with defamation.
But if this scheme is opposed by honest
opinion, we need only TO set honesty a
gainst honesty, by fairly stating its OBJ
jects, IFS progress aad lis advantages
W. do not wish to inveigle you into con
tributions to this objective do not de.
sire 10 please for the moment by at
tempting to dress a plain subject with
false ornament. We desire to make an
open, manly appeal to reason and bene
violence: and we hope, in dependence
upon that God whom we believe to be
the author of this scheme, TO make and
deepen impressions Of it which will last
thro' life Impressions which will exert
an influence not only low and here, but
beyond this time and place.
You are aware that the project TO
which we alIude, is that of the Amer
can Society for CoIonizing the free PEG.
pie of colour of the U. States" This
Society has been in existence for up
wards Of ten years, and its success ia
that time, has exceeded the most SAN
guine expectations Of its projectors. As
the obs ects of this association have been
frequently misunderstood or misrepre
scented, it may not be auiss to state them.
And this we shall do. not in our own
words, but, bv quoting a resolution of
the Society Itself, passed for the purpose
OF correcting misrepresentation and pub
iished TO the world. The resolution is
in the 9th Annual Report, and runs thus:
"Resolyed, that the only object of this
Society is, what has been al all times a.
vowed, the removal 10 The coast Of .Afri.
ca NTH their o,on consent, Of such people
of colour within The United States as are
already free, and Of such as the laos of
the different states and the humanity Of
individuals may hereafter Lbsyaie."
1T has been asserted hat the Society
designs to interfere with the legal rights
of slavery, and forcib!y wrest this spe-
cies of property from its owners. In
answer to this misrepresentation, we re-
fer to another resolution under the same
head: Resolved, that this Society dis
"claims in the most unqualified terms,
"ths designs attributed to it of interior
sing on the one hand with the legal rights
sand obligations of slavery, and on the
Of perpetuating its existence with
no the limits of this country"
Briefly, then, it is the object of the
Society, 10 remove freepeople of colour
10 africa, without interfering at all with
individual rights. The misrepresenta
tons which have been made of the %
ciety's objects, and the clamours at.
tempted to be raised about interference