Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1853-02-09

agency of which was to stir up system OF uniyer-
sal hostility; not merely between nation and ma
ton, but between tribeand tribe, clan and clan,
family and family, and often between members of
the same household; for, am sorry to say it is no
thing fnrthese poor creatures to sell
their wives and children 10 the slave trader.
In tins way the whole western coast of Africa
became like the Northern and Eastern coast be-
fore, one general mart for the slave trade. This
lasted for three hundred years. At length the pub
lie sentiment of the world, In Europe and America
was awakened, Several of the, colonial assem-
blies IN this country passed inhbing the slave
trade, but they were uniformly negatived by the
Crown. The Continental Congress in 1776, de-
snounced the traffic. The federal convention in
llss fixed a prospective period for its abolition in
this country The example was followed by the
States of Europe At the present day every chris
tan and several Of the Mahonedan powers have
forbidden it; yet it is extensively carried on, and
some authorities say that the number of slaves ia
ken from Africa has not materially diminished; but
hope this is not true. This state of facts has led
several persons most desirous of putting end to
the traffic, to devise some new system, some new
agency; and all agree-there is not dissenting
voice on that po:nt-that the most eIectual, and N
fact the only substitute is the establishment OF
colonies. Wherever colony is established on the
coast of Africa under the direction, of christian
power in Europe or America, there the slave trade
disappears, not merely from the coast of the COLONY
but from the whole interior of the country which
found an outlet at any point on that coast In this
way from the most northern extremity of the French
and English colonies down to the NEST Southern
limit of the American settlements the slave trade
has entirely disappeared. The last slave mart IN
that region, the Gallinas. has within short time
believe, come within the jurisdiction Of the Ameri-
can colony OF Liberia. Now, along that whole
line of coast and throughout the whole interior
connected with it, line ofcoast as believe. NOT
less than that from Name to Georgia-from every
port and every harbor of which the foreign slave
trade was carried on-within the memory of man.
1t has entirely disappeared. What Congresses of
10. paI1s,
not do, what squadrons of war steamers cruising
along the coast could not achieve, what quintuple
treaties among the powers Of Europe could not eff
feet by the arts of diplomacy, has been done by
these poor little colonies, one of which al least
that OF Liberia, has in latter times, been almost
without the recognition OF this government strug-
CLING iato permanence by the resources furnish
ed by private benevolence. (Applause.)
ask what earthly object of this kind more meretor-
GUS than this can be named? And what career Is
there opened to any colored man in Europe or
Amerlca, more pialseworthy more inviting than this
to form ms 1t were in his own person portion of
that living Gordon. stretching along the coast and
barring its whole extent from the approaches cf
this traffic? [Applause.) - .,.
But even the suppression of the slave trade, ali
important as 1t Isl Is but auxiliary to another uIt.-
rlor object oil SILL more commanding importance
and that is the civilization OF Africa The condi.
ton OF Africa is disgrace 10 the rest of the civilized
world With an extent nearly three times as great
as that OF Europe, its known portions of great fer
versed by magnificent chains Of mountains. East
ana West, North and South, whose slopes send
down the tributaries of some of the nublest rivers
IN The world, connecting on the North by the Me,-
Ietranean, with The ancient and modern culture of
Europe, projecting on the West far into the Allan
TIC ocean, that great highway of the worlds cyili
zauon, running on the South east into near prox
unity t? our own South American continent open
on The East to the trade of lndia and the North
East by the Red Sea and the Nile, locked closely
INTO the Aslatc continent, one would have thought
that with all these natural endowments, with this
noble geographical position Africa was destined 10
De the emporium, the garden Of the Globe. Man
alone IN this unhappy continent has dropped so far
into arrears in the great march OF humanity. behind
the other portions of the human family that The
question has at length been started whether he
does not lab'r under SUne incurable, natural inf-
riority. In this, for myself, have no belief What
ever
do not deny that among the numerous races in
the Airlcan continent, as among the numerous ra-
ces IN all the other continents, there are great tli
verSltleS, from the polite and warlike tribes upon
The central plateau, 10 the broken down hordes OH
the slave coast, and on the banks of the Congo and
the squalid, half human Hottentot. But do YOU
think the difference is any greater between them
than 1t IS between the Laplander, the Gypsy, the
Calmuc, and the proudeSt and brightest specimens
oil humanity in Europe or America! think not.
w hat then can be the cnuse of the continued
unclvilization of Africa? Without attempting pre-
sunptuousy to pry into the mysteries of Providence
historical and geographical circumstances. 1t
seems law OF human progress, which however
dihcut to explain is too we'll sustained by facts 10
be doubted, that in the first advances out of bar
oarism into civilization, the first IMPULSES and
euldances must come from abroad. This of course.
leaves untouched the great mystery who could
nave made beginning; but still as far back as
history or tradition runs, we find that the first
guidance anu impulse came from abroad. From
Egypt and Syria the germs of improvement were
brought to Greece, from Greece 70 Rome, from
home TO the North and West of Europe from Eu-
roi'e to America, and they are now speeding on
from us to the iarthest West, until at length il
shall meet the East again. To what extent th,.
aboriginal element shall be borne down and over
powered by the foreign influences, or enter into
klLdly combination with them, depends upon the
moral and intellectual development of both parties
There may be such aptitude for irnprov ement mr.
the disparity between the native and foreign rac,.
may be so small, that kindly combination will at
once take place. This is supposed to have been
the case with the ancient Grecian tribes in refer
ence tolhe emigrants from Egypt and the East Or
The inuptltude may he SO great and lie d,snor;tv
between the natives and the foreigners may be so
wide that no such kindly union can take place
Tins IS commonly supposed to be the case with the
natives of our own continent, who are slowly and
silently retiring before the insoads OF foreign in
huence. -n..r
Now in reference 10 this law OF social progress
there have been i'll Africa two most unfortunate
difficulties. In the first place all the other branch
es of the human family that have had the STAT of
Africa in civilization have, from the very dawn of
history, been concerned in the slave trade so that
Intercourse with foreigners, instead of being
source OF mutual improvement to both parties par
ticulary TO the weaker, has. in the case of Africa
only tended TO sink them deeper into barbarisn
and degenerac5 of every kind. This has been one
difficulty Another is the cliinate-this vast eoua-
torlal e&panse-this aggregate of land between the
tropics greater than all the other parts of the globe
together, her fervid vertical sun, burning down
upon the rank vegetation of her fertile plains, and
rendering her shores and water courses pesiierous
to foreign constitution. This circumstances also
seems to shut Africa out from the approaches Of
civilization through the usual channels. The or
binary inducements of gain, are too weak to tempt
the merchant TO those feyerous Shores Nothing