Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1850-11-08
From the Philadelphia Evening Bulletin.
who are the Friends OF the Black

IN conneXOn with the fugitive slave law, proves con-
clusivey who are and who are not the real friends
of the black. For years it has been claimed, by |
Garrison and other aboltionists, that they the
only friends the colored had in America. Let
how far the advice given, by these agitators
to the blacks will establish the value of this friend
ship.
Suppose, in the late case before Judge Grier the
prisoner had been proved to be fugitive, and had
been consequently delivered up to his master,-and
supposed the coored population in obedience to the
suggestions of their multiplying friends had attempt
ed his rescue-what would have been the result 81
The federal arm would have been invoked to execute
the law. The marines from the Navy Yard would
have been ordered out, the mob would have been
charged at the bayonets point and the participants
In the riot would have been arrested and thrown INTO
prison on charge of high treason. 1t may be said,
however, that the marines would have proved insult
cient for their task and that the colored population
would have triumphed and carried of their rescued
prisoner But this momentary success would have
been more terrible, as every must know, than
the most utter defeat. The federal government
would never have permitted its dignity to remain
insulted thus but would have called up an over
Uhelminc force and followed the guilty to their
treats. It is probable indeed, that, before this
could be done popular violence would have already
Inundated innocent well as guilty tor such a
collision with the black population, terminating in
the defeat of the sOdiery could not occur without
raising to pitch of madness the prejudices OF race
in the more uneducatcd and british OF the whites
and, in the fury of that moment, we should see a
riot to which all preceding outbreaks would be pet
ty afrays-a riot which the constituted authorities
would fud it impossible to arresTa riot in, which
the whole negro quarter would probably be laid IN
ashes, hundreds of blacks murdered and thousands
of women and children driven to seek refuge in the
fields.
No man, acquainted with human nature, or famil-
lar with the social relations existing between the
of the whites and the colored population, can
doubt but that such would be the result of coils
ion between the two races. In every such struggle
no okoSt hava to he of
the contest moreover, would be in act proportion to
the strength Of the PREF udce. successful attempt
to rescue slave in defiance of the federal govern
ment, would as certainly awake such collision, as
that steel and flint produce flame 1t is useless to
declaim the abolitionists d. about the wicked
ness of such revenge. Statesmen have to do with
facts as they are, not as they should be. No one
but fool would rritate tiger, expecting from him
the meekness of lamb. Men are not angels. We
have SEEM both in this city and elsewhere, how easy
it is to this antagonism between the two
and the remembrance of the terrible enacted
here, not many years ago, should make cautious
how we fire another similar train. 1t is easier to
whrlwind than to quell one. We would all
denounce mailman, nay as a murderer, the
theorist who, contendng that water ought not to
seek level, should break down dyke, inundate a
populous country, and drown thousands of people in
their beds. We would send such a fellow to the
lunatic asylum the gibbet But in what is the
abolitonist recommending conduct that must lead
to collision between whites and blacks, wiser than
known properties of water Who would call such
the friend of those sacrificed to his insane
experiment! And can these Northern nullifers,
who would excite the colored to resist the law,
be more the friends of the blacks than this mailman
would be the friend of his victims
The friend Of the black man Rather say his foe,
his worst, though secret foe. Since the beginning
of this abolition agitation, now some twenty years
ago. the clouds have been darkening about the path
of the colored race settling backer and deeper
tinually, and muttering with Ominous thunder All
the worst laws of the South against the slaves and
against the free black population there, have orgi-
mated since the commencement of this excitement,
and can be traced directly to the reaction against
abolition violence. If the negro is oppressed
than formerly beyond the Potomac; if, even here
he is viewed with greater pre- udice, it is because
the ill-advised conduct of those who pretending to
be his friends are, in fact his worst enemies The
social relations of the two is not to be
remedied by irritation, but by assuaging. heloud
er the abuse of slave holders the exasperated
they become the greater the efforts taken to arouse
the slaves, the sterner become precautionary laws
In word modern abolitionsts short
sighted as they violent. They think, because
the British West Indies were emancipated by aglta
tion that the slaves of Carolina be freed in the
same way, forgetting that agitation in Massachusetts
can legally do no more good, than agitation in Lon
don. Every attempt of these Northern nullifers tc
assail slavery is met and overthrown by the ram
parts Of the Constitution. They can only triumph
therefore, by the destruction of that Instrument
And with the abrogation of the federal compact
and horrors would flow in upon the slaves and ever
the free colored population of the North. that W.
shudder to contemplate them The Importance o
the subject, however, forces to attend to it for
moment.
Let suppose, then, that the Union was dissolved
The South would Immediately take steps to secur
its slaves, and to do this would form army, t.
which each State would contribute, in order to de
fcnd its northern frontier Either the slaves in spit
Nof this, would escape, they would not 1t the,
did not escape and were carried back, their latte
fate would be than their first. If they crossed
the border unhurt where would they go? Woult
we have them in Pennsylvania 1t needs sooth
sayer to predict that Legislature, by almos
unanimous law, would refuse to become aims
house for impoverished runaway slaves. The stats
tics Of our prisons and houses show that for thu
proportion of the population. the blacks outnumbe
the whites, in terrible ratio, candidates for tn
Jail and for public charity. Whatever the cause
such is the fact, would influx of foreigner
remedy the matter. In reality it would make
worse. The Legislature would either turn the runa
ways back upon their native soil, as now ship o.
to Bermuda the beggars of Eng land, would com
pei them to leave the State within certain numbe
of days If the former, slavery would be the fate
the fugitive if the latter where next would he go
New York, notwithstanding her strong tincture Q
aboltionism, would soon be sick of this tax on he
resources, and would act as Canada already talks
acting in view of the present rush of runaways. w
are supposing of course that large numbers of tn
slaves would escape, for if large numbers did MOI
how could dissolution of the Union assist them 2?
And if large numbers did escape to be thus turne
from door to door, how could their condition be bel
tered Even the philanthropy of Garrison woul
give way under such drain on his pocket. Men VIII
will not contribute cent to redeem slave woul
scarcely divide their fortune with fugitive.
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