The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1839-05-04
Colonization in the West.


Colonization in the West.
Notes Of preparation have been for some time
sounded in reference to a Convention of the Col.
onizationists of Western Pennsylvania and the ad
joining parts of Ohio and Virginia. 1t assembled
on the 9th inst. at Pittsburgh. Thirty delegates
all told, thirteen of whom were from the city it.
self, were in attendance. Judge Breckenridge
read a book (Which he has spent the past winter
in preparing) to the convention, of which oul
friend Burleigh, Of the Witness, who has fine
perception of the ludicrous, gives an amusing ac
count. He thus describes the second evening Of
the reading.-Penn. Freeman.
"The evening came-starry and balmy as even
ing need be-and with it came twenty-four men,
one boy, and six women 10 hear the Judge read
another portion of his book about one-third oil
the whole number present were abolitionists.-
We entered the spacious church few minutes
before eight o'clock, expecting that the exercises
of the meeting would be in full blast. We were
disappointed. Scattered over the church were
some two dozen individuals, looking more as il
they had come to bury colonization, than to lis
ten to its euogy, to hear eloquent stories of its
power and vitality. 1t was melancholy scene
very. In pew near the pulpit sat the orator. or
rather the reader, of the evening" and by his side,
in solemn silence, his Exceency Governor Pin
ney Fororner specimens of humanity we new
er expect to behold. In the enclosed space 'front.'
ing the pulpit, sat the excellent chairman of the
meeting, his fine forehead buried beneath his
hand apparently in deep cogitation as to the best
means of getting out of the scrape in which he
found himself involved. Occasionally some colo
nicer from without would steal timidly to the door
open it by STEALTH cast hurried glance over the
room, as if counting the noses of those present.
then quietly stink away, leaving the patient COM
pany within TO wait in silence as before. This
was certainly very interesting state of affairs, but
it couldn't always last. Eight o'clock was just at
hand. The propriety of commencing the exer-
cises OF the evening was suggested, and an effort
made to bring the scattered congregation into
something of focus, that the Judge might have
some assurance that he was not reading exclusive
ly to empty benches. An invitation was given to
those who sat in the back part of the house to
come near the pulpit, the chairman very facetous-
ly remarking that there was "plenty of room for
ward !" But two individuals needed the request
The Judge began. One by one an audience con-
tnued to drop in, and one by one the weared
and impatient dropped out. When we left at for
ty minutes past eight the Judge was wandering
in Africa, over the track that Denham and
Clapperton had trod before him. finding what
they had found, and describing what they had de-
scrbed, with a fahfulness and accuracy that must
have been gratifying to the admirers of these dis
tinguished travellers. There was what Samive
Weller would have called "a very remarkable CO.
incidence" Of view between them and the Judge
To person however who has not read all these
things hundred times BEFORE the Judges book
must have been interesting and instructive"
CoLoN1zAT1oN In confederation of the views re-
Gently presented in the Gazette, respecting Cooni-
cation, we offer some extracts from the Society's
own publications. The African Repository of
March last is before me. 1t contains an account
of organizing society in Alabama in December
last By way of preamble, there is a recitation of
reasons urging to sustain colonization. The fol-
lowing suggestions are mainly relied on -
because it proposes to remove from among
us degraded, useless, and vicious race"
because we consider the measure, ofall others,
best calculated to preserve good order and proper
discipline among our slaves"
"Therefore, we deem the plan of removing
them from the United States the most efectual
method Of counteracting the abotionists. 1t is
known that they are the most violent opponents
which the colonization scheme has to encounter.
Their penetration has discovered its tendency and
they denounce it as scheme originating among
shareholders for the perpetuation of slavery"
Thus reasoned the Shareholders of Baldwin
county, Alabama, December Sd, 1888. They re-
BdTueQ COlOnlZdLOn as eSSelltldl anu elSCludlly
the opponent of abolitionsm. For that reason,
and for the reason that colonization was a handi-
craft of slavery, they resolved to sustain it. Its
"tendemcy' to sustain slavery is freely admitted, as
is also the fact that this tendency" has been
"penetrated" by aboitionsts
How remarkably, time and object, do these avow
ais correspond with the views of colonization re-
Gently expressed in the Cincinnati Gazette The
war upon abolitionsts, and the reason why, are
distinctly avowed. "Their penetration has dis
covered ats tendency" Mr.. Gurley has left our
city, we presume, with the taco thousand dollar
contribution leoed upon IT, for colonization in his
pocket. 1t was contributed by those whose pene-
tration could or would not compass their tenden-
co." Many mechanics, who built churches for the
contributors, suffer for their pay, There is no
charity in Cincinnatians paying an honest debt,
equal to colonzing the free negroes of Virginia =
Cincinnati Gazette.
-----