The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1854-09-28
VOL. VIII.


Oho ciao5 Oh them READ IN the past history Of
the country the indefinite future extension If
Slavery southwark, and, as they fondIy be.
lieve, its perpetuity. Another class are equal.
ly confident in the opinion, and equally dog.
NAUTICAL in its assertion, that the whole nesro
race in America is destined to be transporto3
back to Africa, after serving out long n,o
baton in state of Slavery-a probation which
they hold to be prOvidentially designed for II.
civilization of the negro, and therefore copsis,
emit with religion and morality.
There can be no denying that it has bea,
our destiny thus far, to extend the curse q,
Slavery, and the perpetualists have this fac.h
sustain their theory. But it is shallow nh
losophy which can see in the future notbin,
but a succession of events similar to tbosa
which have passed within our own recols,
tiop; as it is a narrow range Of observation
which cannot perceive wide distinction bo.
tween the circumstances which surround rs or
the present day, and those which have bitber.
to caused the spread of Slavery. The theory
of the pro-slavsry colOnizationist, which insist,
that manifest destiny points to the res.ora.
ton of the whole colored race TO Africa. is st;u
less supported by reason OF analogy The wish
is evidently =" father to the thought" as there
is no fact in the whole history of mankind
which will warrant SO far-fetched a conclu.
sion. The general migration or exodus of the
Hebrew people bears faint resemblance to
the case of the eolored race on this continent
in the simple circumstance of their coum1n
enslavement, by dissimilsr nations. But tia
Hebrew exodus was a grand miracle, which
has been the wonder Of ages. The Hebrew,
themselves were the chosen people of God
and, after all, their migration was only few
hundred miles, to land flowing with milk
and honey" Its remarkable beauty and fer.
tility melted the cupidity of the people, whilo
the commands and entrestios Of their priests
and leaders, in the name Of Heaven, constrain.
ed their condolences in the same direction. The
cOlored people of America, on the contrary.
feel no such obligation of duty, or aIlurcmen:
of interest. The great mass of them are II.
reeoncilably opposed to African colonization.
and cherish tenacious love of their native
soil. Like the Americans of Caucasian origin,
they have no repugnance to emigration within
the limits of cur own country and continent:
but they have no idea, as a general thing, Of
going to Africa.
Besides, there is room enough, as we'll as q,
imperative demand for the colored people On
the continent and islands Of America WHO'S
to people the West Indies, Mexico, and Cen
trail America! Who is to inhabit and cult
vate the immense, fertile, but, for white men,
plains which border the Gulf Of
Mexico, in Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Ala.
bams, and Florida? And who is to make rice
and cotton, and cut lumber in the lowlapds Of
Georgia and the Carolinss! Would the Quix.
otto colOnizationst transport the populations Of
Hsyti, Cuba, and Jamaica, to say nothing Of
Brazil, to Africa, in order to people those tyOpi-
cal regions with Europeans? The idea is too
absurd for serious contemplation. The bare
statement of it is enough to expose it to dors-
ion and contempt.
In making this remark, We mean to express
no disspprobation of African Colonization. We
look for unmixed good from it in its tendency
to spread civilization and Christianity over Az
RIGA, and in the honorable testimony which
the Liberian Republic has furnished to the
self governing power of the colored race. These
considerations alone give inestimable value to
the colonization enterprise; aud if it had al
ways been held up to the public approbai1n
on these grounds, there can be no doubt tia.
its popularity in the free States, where it is
chiefly supported, would have been far great.
er Its chief value is as an auxiliary Of the
cause.
In our view, the great mistake of the Col.
consists in combining their efforts
to the coast of Africa. If they had included
Hayti, Jamaica, and the other free West India
Islands, with Mexico and Central America in
their field of operations, they would have been
far more successful.
The tendency of the colored people of this
continent towards the tropics seems to be one
of the clearost manifestations of "destiny'
A glance at the abstract of the seven Censuses
of the slave population will satisfy any one
of this truth. Every decennisl period exhibits
a marked recession of the slaves from the
more northern latitudes and shows the centre
of slave population to be constantly removing
southwark. That the free colored people are
not found to be going in the same direction is
owing to the fact that they are repealed By
laws as unjust and cruel in their nature as
they are rigorous in their application. Uni
versal emancipation, by removing these unna!
ural restraints, would at once exhibit the natu
raj affinity of the colored people for southern
ATTITUDES; and the demand for labor in tha
section would be supplied by their voluntary
migration. They would thus become as
people, separated from the whites-they would
constitute the lsboring class, as they do at
present, but with the difference of being free
and contented, and with the privilege Of rising
to wealth and distinction.
These things are coming. There is no help
for it. Freedom would concentrate the cOlOred
race in the tropical regions of the South, By the
laws of political economy which govern The
demand aud supply of labor. But Slavery Is
doing the Same thing, and can only prOlong
and retard the process.
The black population Of the South is nov
three and half millions that Of the West In.
dies is some two and half millions; Brazil
contains some three other millions-makings
least nine millions altogether. They are oil
either within the tropical regions, or tending
thisherward; they readily harmonic and
amalgamate with the other races, Indian OF
Spaniard, or both; and it were folly to dOno'
that they will one day form great powerful
peoplo or that aided bV the