Sentinel of the valley. [volume] (Woodstock, Va) 1841-1848, 1845-01-23

14ss ~ Es4 .4a ~ *
i that of voting at the polls; who is no
/, cheered by the slightest hope of eve
improving his lot or leaving his chill
dren 10 better, and who actually seek
r the four walls of a prison, the hulks
and transportation, an comparative
blessing he free? sufficiently free
| Can you say that this sort Of freedom
+ the liberty to beg or steel--to choos'
between starvation and a prison-doe.
or ought to make him happier than gu
slave, situated as have truly describ
ed him without single care or gloom,
forethought!
| But you will perhaps say it is not il
! the Thing, but in the Name, that the
magic resides-that there is vast diff
ference between being called a slave
and being made one, though equally
enslaved by law, by social forms and
by immutable necessity. This is an
ideal and sentimental distinction which
it will be difficult to bring the African
race TO comprehend. But if it be true,
and freedom is a name and idea, rath-
er than reality, how many are there
even then entitled even to that name,
except by courtesy, and how many are
able to enjoy the idea to perfection'--
Does your operative regard it as a suf-
ficient compensation for the difference
between four ounces and three pounds
Of bacon? Ifhc does he is rare phi
losopher. In your powerful Kingdom
Social Grade is as thoroughly establish
ed and acknowledged as Military
Rank. Your commonallty see among
themselves series Of ascending clas-
ses, and rising above them all, many
more, composed of men not whit SUI
perior to themselves in any Of the en-
dowments of nature, who yet, in name
in idea, and in fact, possess greater
worldly privileges. TO what one of
all these classes does genuine freedom
belong? To the Duke, who fawns u
pom the Prince-to the Baron who
knuckles to the Duke-or the Commo-
ner, who crouches to the Baron'
Doubtless you all boast of being ide-
ally free; while the American citizen
counts your freedom slavery, and
could not brook state of existence in
which he daily encountered fellow
mortals, acknowledged and privileged
as his superiors, solely BY the accident
of birth. He, too, in turn, will boast
of his freedom, which might be just as
little to your TASTE l will not pursue
! this topic farther. But | think you
must admit, that there is not so much
/ in a name, and that ideal or imputed
freedom is a very uncertain source OF
happiness. ' IT,. as' @9 e. $3.50
! You must also agree that it would
be very bold thing for you or any one
to undertake TO solve the great problem
of good and evil-happiness and mise
ry, and decide in what worldly condi.
ton man enjoys most,and suffers least
Your profession calls on you to teacl
that his true happiness is seldom found
upon the stormy sea of politics, or in
( the mad race Of ambition-in the pur.
1 suit of mammon, or the cares Of boar
ded gain, that in short, the wealth ant
Ehonors Of this world are to be despis-
ed and summed. Will you then say
that the slave must be wretched because
he is debarred from them?-or because
he does, not indulge in the dreams O
philosophy, the wrangling ofsectarians
orthe soul disturbing speculations o
the sceptic,- or because having neve
tasted of what is called freedom, he il
ignorant of ideal blessings, and is al
contented with his lot, such as it is, al
most men are with theiIs:'
! You and your Presbytery doubtless
!, desire, as veal should, to increase the
happiness of the human family. Blu
since it is SO difficult, if not impossible
: to determine in what earthly state mai
may expect TO enjoy most Of it, VII,
: can you not be content to leave him il
that respect where God has placed hin
t TO give up the ideal and doubtful, 70
) the real-to restrict yourselves 10 TIL
! faithful fulflment Of your great mission
J Of preaching "the glad tidings of saliva
tom to all classes and conditions; 0
at the very least, sacredly abstain from
all endeavors to ameliorate the lot Q
man by revolution, bloodshed, massa
n Gre, and desolation, TO which all attempt
!, at abolition in this couutry,in the pres
ent and, SO far as I can see, in at an,
5 future age, must inevitably lead.
Be satisfied with the improvement
which slavery has made, and whlc.
nothing but slavery could have mad
!, to the same extent,in the race of Ham
: Look at the negro in Africn-a make
sayage-almost Cannibal, ruthlessl