Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1839-08-29
Anti-Slavery.


Hon. RooER nj. SHERMAN, Of Connec-
ticut, in answer TO an invitation from the
Anti-Slavery Society Of New York, to
represent with them at their Conven-
tion recently held in Albany.
FAIRFIELD, June &c, 1899.
Gentlemen-I have received youl
letter Of the 20lh instant, inviting Inc t'
attend the national anti-slavery conven
tion to be held at Albany, and request
ing my views Of the subject, il | shoult
be unable TO attend.
II is much TO be regretted that an oh
ject so dear TO humanity, and 80 impor
tant to our national honor, as the aboli
tion Of slavery in the United States, il
not pursued in manner more conducive
to its accomplishment than has hitherto
been adopted by the Anii-slavery So.
ciety. have no reason to doubt tho
benevolence or integrity Of its members;
but the mnxims Of wisdom may be viola
ted by the rsshness Of viruous yea as
really MS by the way wardness OF cor
rupted mind-howcver differently they
may be viewed by the casuIst-and sui-
ferings, unintentionally inflicted or pro-
longed by the errors Of friend, may be
as intense as if caused by the malice oi
an enemy. That emancipation never
can be effected in the slave states bul
by voluntary enactments Of their own
legislatures, or by successful resistance
on the part Of the slaves, is often admit
ted in your public alions, and the latter
course you most justly decry. Thus the
declaration Of the Anti-slaverv Society,
convened at Philadelphia in December,
1888, in contrasting the revolutionary
struggle Of our fathers, for national llber-
~, with that which your society are ma
king in behalf of the slave, expressly
says that "their principles led them to
wage war against their oPpressors, and
To spill human blood like water in order
to be free. Ours forbid the doing Of
evil that good may come, and lead US to
reject, and to entreat the oppressed tn
reject, the use OF all carnal weapons for
dcliverance from bondage"
The same declaration, in regard to the
power Of the several states, has this Ian
guage We fully and unanimously
recognize the sovereignty Of each state
to leg islate exclusively on the subject OF
the slavery which is tolerated within its
limits" Both these just opinions are
still more lorcibly announced in your
"Address 10 Me public" of the Sd Of Sep.
tember 1885. Now il is well known
that slavery exists only by force Of mu
nicipaI law, and can never be abolished,
by those which you all allow to be the
only admissible means Of its abolition.
until those who enact the laws shall
voluntarily restore to the oppressed negro
the liberty to which all men are entitled.
How is this TO be accomplished 2 BY
what means can slave owners be indu-
ced to consent 10 the manumission oI
their slaves Until that consent is OBJ
tanned, the slave, as you admit, will be
held in bondage. Can you discern that
any progress has been made toward this
most desirable result, by the means
which you have hitherto adopted F.? Do
the people Of the Southern states mani
fest disposition to yield the point, or
begin to listen to your persuasions, as il
their minds were approximating toward
conviction On the contrary, since the
institution of the Anti-slavery Society,
have they not more closely rivetted the
chains Of the unhappy African Are
not the privileges of the slaves for ac-
quiring instruction, and attaining intel
cctual and moral elevation, much a
,lidged within the last few years Not
ong since, the question Of gradual e.
was gravely debated in the
Legislatures Of some Of the principal
Southern states.
The philanlhropist began TO rejoice in
he anticipation Of measures similar to
hose which have restored liberty 10 the
colored population Of the North. But
recently, even among the people Of the
free states, a spirit has existed, from
some cause, against the course adopted
by the Anti-slavery Society, which has
keener bitterness, and ex-1
hibited more open violence, than were
ever before excited in this country,
against any efforts for moral reformation
What is the feature in the proceedings
Of the friends of emancipation which has
caused this unprecedented excitement
in the free states, and laid in slumber, or
excited into violent reaction, the incipi-
ent sentiments Of liberty which were felt
ut the South Our Northern people
have ever, with few, if any exceptions,
disapproved Of slavery. They have no
interest ia its continuance. 1t is wholly |
abhorrent to the principles which they
have been taught to cherish. In the
days Of our fathers, when it was abolish
ed at the North, every class of the COM
munity, except, perhaps, few of the
slave holders, favored its abolition. No
riots or excitemenis disturbed or threat
ened the public peace. At the South,
many Of the most distinguished m. con-
Cured in our sentiments, and addresses
Of unrivalled eloquence were made in
favor Of emancipation, in the midst OF
powerful slave holders. Witness that
Of the celebrated Pinkney, in Maryland,
more han half century ago Why is
hat the late exeriions in this holy cause
have met, both at the North and South,
he most determined, and often the most
awless resistance And why has open
,iolence been most unjustifably winked