The examiner. [volume] (Louisville, Ky.) 1847-1849, 1848-04-08

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with certainty that great interval Of TIM
must elapse before the harvest will be rip,
for the sickle. In this busy, busting, fleet
ing world, men walk rather by sight thar
by faith. A quick and sure return, and ;
present sensible good is imperiously de
manded by the great masses, in return fol
their outlay Of capital or labor; and the slow
and distant, but gigantic and magnificent
results Of colonization, however clearly dis
cerned by the far-seeing statesman and phi.
lanthropist, are crowded out by the thousand
and one schemes Of present gain and rapid
development which absorb the attention
and dazzle the eyes Of our countrymen. Ii
is not my purpose on the present occasion,
to discuss the merits or dement's OF slavery,
either in moral or political light. Whe,h-
er it is a sin in itself, or whether it is coun-
ltenanced, recognised and regulated by the
Jewish and Christian code, is a question
which | leave untouched. Whether the
mere physical condition of the slave is one
Of misery, or whether, on the contrary, it is,
in many important features greatly superior
to that OF the English laborer, is Of no i'm
Portance TO my present purpose. Whether
1t is convenient and useful political insti-
tuition, or whether, On the contrary, it is
baneful to wealth and population, dishonor-
lngto labor, and tending to encourage idle
ness and dissi patton, are questions Of legiti-
mate discussion, at proper time and place,
but which do not come within the range Of
my present object. Like the doctrines Of
the ancient schOolmen-fate, free-will, and
PredestinatiOn-these questions may be dis
cussed until all reason is lost, and the pas
slOns of the heart awakened TO a tempest.
without arriving at any fixed and undeniable
result. will embark upon no such trou-
bled and shOreless ocean. will speak OF
that which 1 believe certainly is, and Of that
which | believe certainly will be, leaving
the merits or dement's, the right or the wrong
TO another time and another occasion.
Ii is my purpose 10 show. that whatever
may be the future destiny OF African slavery
in the region OF the cotton plant and the
sugar cane. in the Northern slave States, at
least, ii is not permanent, but merely a
temporary institution, which Is even now
slowly receding in a Southward direction,
and if time be allowed, will certainly disap-
pear. | wish. secondly. to show that this
recession Of slavery does not rid us Of the
black population, but leaves us encountered
with moral and political nuisance in the
shape OF free blacks, Of which We can only
relieve ourselves, humanely and properly,
by the Colonization Society. | wish. lastly,
10 show that the Colonization Society, in
time, will not only relieve us of this insup-
portable pest. but Will, in all probability,
become the means OF regeneraiing the Afri-
can continent, and converting il into great,
and Christian nations. The Two
first propositions, in my opinion, are Sls-
ceptable Of rigid demonstration from admit
ted and undeniable facts, most OF which are
to be found in the census returns Of the
United States from 1890. down to the pre-
sent time. That since 80 the frontiers OF
slavery have been slowly Teceding in a
Southwark direction. from some cause, and
that this movement is still in progress is a
fact which, whether welcome or unwelcome,
right or wrong. cannot possibly be denied.
The final cause OF this recession may be
matter of dispute; but if We take a glance at
the progress OF public opinion upon the
question of slavery within the last century,
We will be at no loss to conjecture the i'm
mediate cause Of this great and remarkable
phenomenon. Rather more than one hun
dred years ago, the slave trade was as legi-
innate a traffic. in the eyes OF the world, IS
is now the transportation of ice from Bos-
ton TO Calcutta, or OF cotton from New
Orleans TO Liverpool. A Queen Of Great
Britain, in speech from the throne, gravely
her subiechs upon her having
obtained. by treaty with Spain, a monopoly
Of the slave trade from Alrica to the Spanish
West Indian colonies. Sixty ships would
sail from Liverpool in one season, laden
with shackles, handouts and toys, bound
to the African coast for a cargo Of slaves.
The Rev. John Newton, pious divine OF
the English Church, was for ten years en-
gagged in the slave trade, after making pro-
fession Of religion, without losing character,
and without scruples Of conscience. The
colonies OF every nation in the New World,
including all OF the thirteen States, not only
tolerated the institution at home, but were
all directly or indirectly engaged in the slave
trade, as an open, legitimate, and profitable
traffic. Public opinion gradually and slow
ly underwent change. But il was only
after years Of discussion, and an hundred taf
fled efforts, that the slave trade was abolish
ed by England; and nearly the whole civil
lied world has followed in her wake. The
Rev. John Newton's occupation, one hun
dred years ago, is now piracy by the mari
time code Of Christendom. Slavery was
abolished in the West Indies by England.
within the last few years, and nearly all
the European kingdoms have followed or
are following her example. Slavery to-
wards the close OF the last century, was abol-
shed in the New England States, in New
York, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey, and
all Of those are now free States. The first
census taken by the United States was
in the year 1890. Long before then the
movement had commenced in the New
England States, and the returns only dis
close to US its last stages; but the fragments
exhibited are interesting, from the regularity
of decrease which they exhibit. In 1870.
Massachusetts, and Maine had become en-
tirely free, while New Hampshire contained
only 155, and Vermont II. For all psac-
teal purposes, therefore, the four most
Northern and Eastern States may be regard
ed as free. In them the revolution had be-
come complete. But in the States, South