The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1845-06-23
TILE SLAVE TRADE-uow CAN IT BE PRE-
VENTED?


VENTED?
Our Government as well as that OF Great Britain
have for some years attempted, less sincere
y, probably, to check the trade of stealing and buy
ing the unciyzed blacks on tie coasts Of Africa for
the purpose Of selling them into eternal slavery
Armed vessels attended with great expense have
been KEEP: upon the Of Africa TO detect and pun
ish those who go there FOR caigoes Of Africans or
late, however, it has been very clearly demonstrated
that these ineaecluSl-the business OF men
stealing is about brisk rs ever As better mea-
sure is proposed to buy up the lands upon the Ar
rican coast and settle there by planting colonies like
that OF Liberia, all along the borders, and thereby
wall out these depredators upon the rights OF the g
norant Africans. This plan accomplished, it is
plain, would kill the slave trade and indirectly tend
10 undermine the slave system. Ii would stop the
stream at the fountain, though it would not Of itself
root out edectually slavery from this any other
country. There is now organized in this country
society foT colonzng Africa in this way, and that al
so is one object of the American Con2atioh Society
and in this purpose good reason why the
whole American people who have any regard for the
slave the uncivzed African should not unite hear
and hand. Can this be effected? Can colonies be
thus established and made to Aoursh7 In answer to
this point the CitristiGa -ddvOcate says:
cit had been doubted whether the coored race
were capable of any degree o. civilization, and there
are semi nfdel philosophers who affect to doubt
it yet. II necessary TO demonstrate by expert
ment the faacy of this theory, and show that the
colored man not only capable Ofcivlization under
the government of those who claim TO be a superior
race, but that he capable Of self government
der the reest forms of commonwealth; and the ex-
experiment has been made by the Colonization Soci-
ETY. with success which leaves ground for doubt
or caval. We point 10 the shores of Africa for the
example, and challenge the rigid scrutiny of an
infde! philosophy Never colonization and the
establishment Of free government attempted under
discourasng circumstances The colonists
were gathered from community which it is no re-
proach to say were at home, little elevated above
the condition Of paupers. The of them too had
been slaves condition Of life under which il is not
10 be expected that learn the habits of FORE
cast and providence which essential TO success
in competitor for the means OF subsistence. The
slave is accustomed to have his physical sup
piled by his owner. He has occasion to take
thought for Tomorrow in regard to food, raiment
shelter; freemen only do liom necessity. The col
onsts also, for the most part, uneducaed; very
few of them could write or read, and scarcely any
went to their new home, with any other preparation
to enter upon the OF society il presented,
than was furnished by the hand of charity. Yet the
forest has been feed, and the earth made to yield its
fruits. Villages have been built, mechanics, trades
men and merchants, have sprung up, and thriven a
mOng them, and a commonwealth has been establish