The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1851-01-30
THE COLONIZATION SOCIETY AGITATION
AGAIN.

The Colonization Society held its Anniversary
on the evening of the 22d in the ~ street Pres
byterian church.
Mr. Fillmore, with some of the members Of his
Cabinet, was present and many persons were I'M
able to procure seats.
Mr. Clay, the President, on taking the chair,
addressed the audience at some length, and was
followed by the Rev. Mr.. Fuller Of South Caro-
lima, Mr. Latrobe and the Hon. Mr.. Stanton of
Tennessee.
The speakers generally avowed extreme hos
tilty to every form of anti-slavery agitation, and
the Compromise measures Of the last session. es-
pecially the Fugitive act, were fully endorsed
The great theme of all the addresses was, the
impossbiity Of two races existing under one
Government, except in the relation of master and
slave. How the prevalence of such an idea can
promote the sentiment of Emancipation, or have
any other effect than to reconcile the public mind
to the perpetuation of Slavery, we are unable to
see. It's tendency certainly is, to foster hostile
feeling towards the colored people, and check all
efforts to elevate their condition 10 this country
Mr.. Clay attempted to show how Colonization
would benefit the South and the North, the free
colored people, the slaves, and the cause of Civil
ization OF Africa
Mr.. Stanton Of Tennessee regarded it almost
exclusively as safeguard for the institution Of
slavery, and an anti-abolition scheme
"What he had intended to submit" he said
was a resolution-that the harmony of the
States Of this Union would be promoted by the
voluntary emigration of free blacks, and it would
b. sound policy on the part Of the Government to
adopt all efficient measures within the range of
acknowledged power for the encouragement of
African colonization.
"In speaking of this he had intended some re-
Elections on the first part of the proposition. The
harmony Of the States, the peace of the Union,
and it's perpetuity, would be promoted by the OBJ
ject which the Society has been endeavoring to
carry out for the last thirty years This would
have connected itself with the great questions of
policy and sectional disputes which have agitated
this country for some years, and hardly yet ceas-
ed to operate on its peace and prosperity.
"lie had said that the proposition was somewhat
crcumscribed, and he intended to confne himself
particularly and exclusively to the effect on the
subject which seemed to have operated on the
minds of statesmen and the country the surren-
der Of fugitive slaves and the Constitution which
requires this at the hands of the people Of this
| Confederacy. IL is the existence Of large num-
Der of free blacks which causes the excitement
among the slaves in the extreme Southern States,
which has rendered them unhappy, and excites
them to escape, and TO commit numberless crimes
in the country where they are located.
lie intended TO show, further, that they are
not only the means of exciting slaves to escape,
but that they afford the means Of concealment
which would not exist to the same extent If the
free negroes were fewer
! lie had intended to show that II was chiefly
the population Of free blacks in the free States
who commit volatians Of law which has produced
30 much excitement recently in the attempts to
rescue fugitive slaves from their masters and has
caused resistance to the execution ofthe law. And
II was the influence Of large body Of free blacks
which gives rise to the sentiment Of abolition in
the Northern States, and enlsts in support and
aid of these excited mobs the assistance Of white
men, who, of themselves, and without this excite
ment afforded by the free blacks, would not exist
and would not participate IN the attempts to vio-
late the law passed under the authority of the
Constitution. by pursuing this course Of argu-
ment, he had expected to show that one Of the
greatest evils and petty cases Of riots arise from
this very population of free blacks in the Northern
and Southern States
He remembered letter of the Hon Robert j.
Walker, on the subject Of the annexation of Tex
as, In which that gentleman endeavored to show
that in 1883 there would be four hundred thou
sand free blacks in the six States of New York,
New Jeraey, OHIO, Pennsylvania, Illinois, and In
diana; In 1860, eight hundred thousand in 1890,
sixteen hundred thousand that, including the
insane, deaf blind, and dumb, and convicts Of that
class the cost cfmaintsining them, &c, would be,
in 1883, three and one-third millions of dollars
in 1865, six and two-,hiris millions and in 1890
thirteen and one.third millions of dollars
lie had intended to devote some time 10 the
calculation Of his latter propostion-namely;
that the Government has the power TO do this
thing, encourage Colouizaion) lie thought
that he was able to show this to be competent, as
matter Of positive sclf-preservatiou, and to deny
such power TO the Government was to deny to the
Government that without which no Government
can exist-tho power of selfpreservation.
Gas to the establishment of the line of steamers
to Africa, he had only this to day, 30 far az the
proposition WAS concerned, that he had become
mixed up with IT, lie should not look back, but in
the distance, until he should succeed or fail, with
the best energies which he possessed Since this
had been presented to Congress, some attempts
have been made at rival schemes, based on the
same idea, and not in his judgment SURPRISING il
in any of its features. With regard to the indl-
viduals connected with this scheme, they have in
telligence, capacity, and enterprise TO carry il
out, II the patronage Of the Government be AZ
forded. They have the merit Of having been the
first to present the scheme, and they are entitled
to tho merit Of inventors, and should have the
precedence in this respect IL their proposition Is
not inferior to those Of others.
"On these grounds he hsd presented the prOpO.