The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1844-05-23

ply, that He who hath made Of one blood
all nations of men to dwell on the earth,
has imposed upon large race, an organ.
ization and hue, which must entail upon
them and their descendants to the end of
time, degrading. inferiority. regard it
as cruel, because it subjects that race TO
insult and wrong-and for ages past has
been made to justify the untold miseries
of slavery and the slave trade. Heavens
smiles have been confidently invoked by
The dealers in the accursed traffic, and
they have denounced those who would
have rescued their victims as irreverent
intermediates with the policy of GoD.--
1t is true that among us of the North,
slavery has no existence, but we are re-
sponsble fora system of prejudice and
CASTE, which our counlrymen OF the
South denounce as more oppressive in its
operation than their own domestic lnsti-
tutions,' "a system which good men are
endeavoring TO destroy, but which DR..
BeakIey's theory goes to strengthen and
perpetuate. Ii robs the colored people of
the elective franchise it denies 10 them
the privileges of citizens; it rldicules the
idea that they are entitled 10 the right of
petition it excludes them from the army
and militia, and from all participation in
the administration of government or of
justice; it bars against them schools, col.
Ieges, and theological seminaries it i'm
pedes their religious improvement; it
drives them from the councils of the
church, tramples upon them in the very
courts of the Lords house; degrades
them even while Officiating at His altar.
1t places Obstacles in the way oftheir hon.
est industry, closes against them the count
ing-house and the workshop, snatches
from them the ordinary motives to exer-
ton, and tends to keep them penn!ess and
ignorant, depriving them of every oppor-
,unity of distinction, closing every avenue
to advancement 1t subjects them to con-
slant insult and outrage, for which Right
Reverend Bishops and high dignuares
have afforded precedent; and when the
fury of the baser sort has been reused
against them, as has been frequently the
case in New York, Newark, Cincinnati,
and especially Philadelphia, which is now
suffering a terrible punishment in kind
the civic authorities have not thought it
worth while to protect wretches guilty Of
a colored skin-and the magistrates sat
composedy in their pleasant parlors, re.
volv!ng, perhaps, the beauties of DR..
Beakley's theory, while the unhappy VIC
Tins of this unholy prejudice, were hunt
ed from their homes by savage mobs;-
their children exposed to hunger and ma
kedness their wives and daughters bru-
tally insulted their houses sacked, and
their churches burned.
And when we ourselves have thus re-
duced our colored countrymen, by means
as cowardy as they are wicked, to state
of infelollty, we think it mani y and be-
coming 10 taunt them with the degrada-
ton we have imposed, and 10 attribute to
their innocent complexion and their harm
less features, the natural consequence of
our own baseness. In other lands, where
slavery has been abolished, its emancipat-
ed subjects have at once discarded their
abject posture. Here We place our foot
upon their neck aud reproach them that
they do not rise-nay more, we pretend
TO call in the aid of science to explain the
marvellous mystery OF our superior intel
Iigence, and end with impiousIy attribut-
ing il to the will of COP. And paper
broaching such theory is received with
applause, by some members of the His
torical Society.
In Gaudaloupe, Columbia, Mexico, ia
va, The Cape of Good Hope, and the
British West Indies the emanciputed
slaves found no difficulty in taking care
of themselves. Aud in 1888, an incident
occurred in Antigua, which forcib y ex-
hibits the capacity and character of some
OF the native Africans. Three hundred and
seventy-one Africans, taken from the holds
of captured slave ships, were set free in a
single day; and in May, 1889, the Gov
ernor, Sir Patrick Ross, said in an official
despatch, that no one of them had been
brought before a magistrate for the slight
est offence that no one Of them had ap'
piled for relief on the score of poverty
and that they were generally industrious.
y occupied in providing for their own
livelihood This, be it remembered, was
in foreign land, among strangers, speak,
/ ing another language than their own.
But have no intention of entering up
t on the retula'ion of DR.. Beakley's theory
The coIored people OF this city, despite
= their many disadvantages, are abundanlly
able 10 diSprove it, and DR.. James Nc
: Cune Smith, who so eminently refues i
in mis- own person. and who has recent
Y so ably and satisfactorily demolished thu
.. false facts and bold SANDERS of the Score
4 tary of Safe, will doubt not be ready a
h. any time 10 enter the list with DIR. Beal<
i ley and perhaps his power of argumen
!. and eloquence, combined with his I'm
i classical attainments, may succeed In Con