Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1847-12-03
JUAN DE LA GRANJA.
Liberty and Equality.
BY SAMUEL ]. MAY,

BY SAMUEL ]. Nay.
But,say our opponents, your plan contem-
plates The elevation Of negroes, to the rank of
white men-you claim for them equal civil
and social privileges. Surely we do. We
would give them every opportunity, every
facility, every assistance to rise to an equali-
ty with US, ay, surpass US, if they can. For
we do not presume, that even white men,
though they are rich, and proud, and indo-
lent, have attained the summit Of human ex-
cellence; and we dare not bid the sable chill
dren of our heavenly Father to aspire after a
resemblance to any lower one than that dear
ly beloved Son, with whom the Father de-
clared himself well pleased.
And where is the folly, or the hazard, in
what we say, and would do! We by no
means insist, that ignorant men shall be re-
garded as wise, or vicious men accounted as
upright and pure. But we do insist, that the
ignorant of all compilations ought TO be per-
mitted and assisted to become wise-and the
wicked to become good. And we insist that
men, black, no less than white, should be
a~cknowledg ed to be what they are, both pos
itively and comparatively.
Our white brethren, we suspect, would
not be SO very sensitive on this point, as they
are, if their title to the superiority they claim
was not doubtful. Were some visionary dis
ciples of Lord Monboddo, (if he has any !,
te propose a plan for the improvement Of tn
race of monkies, and their elevation to th
rights and privileges of men,, who wculc
think of seriously opposing the projects =
Who would not readily say to the dreamers
go on, if you will, and when you get you
monkies 10 be men, we will acknowledge
them.
Many there are, who affect to regard the
negroes as a race of beings nearly akin to
monkies. But when we see severe laws
enacted, prohibiting the instruction of color
ed people throughout the slaveholding States;
and heavy penalties inflicted upon those who
dare to teach them land when, at the N orth,
we see every impeachment thrown in the way
of their improvement, what does it prove E
What! That their opposers know there are
beneath their darker skins intellectual pow
ers, and moral affections, which, if cherished
and suffered to unfold, would command fol
these despised, oppressed, outraged ones al
that respect and affection, which are due Il
those, who are made of The same blood, are
the children of the same parents, and heirs o
the same immortality.
We are fairly ashamed of our white breth
rem. They have had the advantage of tn
colored men for two centuries, if no more
and are afraid to give them an equal chance
even now. This is mean. For ourselves
we can feel no self-complacency in keeping
in a advance of our colored brethren, so lonj
as they are chained behind us. We woul'
rather strike off their chains, lay aside ever,
weight that encounters them, remove ever,
impeachment from their path, lend them a
helping hand, if they need it, raise them u
when they fall, and in every way encourag
them to run the race, which is set befor
them, as well as US, and to stretch forwar
that they may attain, if they can, nearer tina
ourselves to the mark of our high calling
the stature of perfect men.