Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1854-09-22
From the Richmond Dispatch.
Letter of Hon. Henry A. Wise.

We referred Yesterday to an interesting correspon-
dence between Rev. DR.. Adams, OF Boston and Hon,
/ H. A Wise. DIR. A propounds, IN his letter. the
| following inquiries
At the South heard you, sir and your opinions
spoken of with great respect representing one side
| of the subject II would strengthen me much in my
aim to do good know your opinions on few points,
viz:
l. What idea have you of the destiny of the slave
population in the United States
2 What is your conviction with regard to the
praccability and usefulness to all concerned OF the
colonization scheme
g. If slave asserts his liberty and runs away, do
you feel that he ought to be recovered, or has he
( natural right 10 escape if he chooses
a. Does slavery west of Georgia and in the South
west differ much as to severity from that in the east
ern and central southern States
s. Is emancipation desirable possible in any
view OF it, if the blacks to remain here Where
did John Rando phs slaves find refuge at last after
being driven out by several free States
Mr.. Wises reply is a splendid production; cogent
in its reasoning original and striking in IFS illus
trations vigorous, manly and eloquent throughout.
We regret that have not space 10 lay before our
readers even such synopsis of ii will do justice
TO its unanswerabe argument commanding eloquence
and lofty tone.
He begins by enlightening DR.. Adams as TO the
! f chgs and relations of the South in the matter OF
slavery. lie shows that slaves are sacred as proper
| ty by the moral well municipal law and that
] the interference of the North only ALLEVIATE the
affections of patriots, which alone the Union rests
His 10 the first question is admirable, repete
with sound sense and playful wit. Mr.. Wise does
moi profess to know the designs of Providence
Nevertheless, he has no doubt some wise end was in
view, in bringing Africans from worse state OF
slavery in their own country to Il ml!er one here,
| and from Paganism to Christianity. In two centu-
ries, 434675 of them in the United States have been
set free, and the Slave States have liberated more
than the Free States. The following passage show
ing the effect of American slavery upon the African,
so strong and striking that must give it entire
''There 3,2O4.3l3 slave population in the United
States which, for civilization ants arms, social and
moral blessings worth all the prlncipalltles, pow
ers and peoples of all Africa, without excepting the
Dutch, Portuguese and English settlements there,
/ from the Nile through Timbuctoo, to the Cape Of
Good Hope In the very words | would repeat this
proposition thousand times to emphasize it and
show mean literally what say: h0t The descend
ants Of africa here an bondage, i'll the United
States are Ell mass as u rh0le We0lM of people, IN
b0dY comfort, morality, enlightenment, ChrlSttan1tY
and actual personal freedom, uUorM more than their
mother country entire, not excepting the Europeans
there combined arlh the natiueS! This is no boast,
but fact which challenges comparison This Is an
enormous result Nothing short of the power of
God could have effected this prodigous result upon
near four millions of human beings III so short time
as that Of two centuries Gods churches IN the
southern States of this Union have done this some
and all by operating both upon the master and the
slaves The Methodist and Baptist churches have
been the great apostles among these Gentles And
thus add another proposition, 10 wit: that aGCefy,
american slaUery IN the United &ateS has been the
most efficient missionary among the heather IA the last
ttrO centuries. Not by going TO Africa AMI raising
affairs there at first but by bringing The fathers here
and preparing priests to go back to Africa and bear
! the Christian torches through the darkness Of her
night"
The answer Of Mr., Wise to the first question is
! The destiny of the slave population in the United
. - Uor1s he Second is
answered BY the reply to the first. Looking to the
ends Of ultimate colonization. and what he considers
the true policy of the States at home, MIR. Wise would
prohibit by law the future emf grafton of the free
cooed population from the slave to the flee States.
/ He expresses the opinion that marked revolution
would have been produced if slave labor had been
permitted in California. He thinks Virginia, North
Carolina, Maryland, Missouri, Tennessee and Ken
lucky, and perhaps the cotton and sugar plantations
would have been emptied of black laboers, to work
the gold mines. This, says Mr. Wise, Would not
haze dused s0ue poacer, but would rather haze
Centrdted the Staues all, comparatively, IN State
and thus haze ueakened ITS federal strength IN the
Union and fre years of their labor in the gold mines
would haze enriched masters 50 that they could more
nbiV enanCipate them at the end of tat time, than
H.q r,"d q1oac sell them for full market price and
When en nripated, there all Polynesia-all the
isles ,.e Pacific before them for colonization in
the pleasant place for them earlh.'
Therefore, Mr. Wise thinks fanaticism defeated its
own ends in excluding slavery from California. Mr.
Wise denounces the military usurpation of Gen. Ri
ley. who. from the camp proclaimed territorial gov
eminent, SC To the third question, he replies tha
the slave has natural right t. escape, for his
cia are his natura! rights and the law of his socia
being forbids his chance to escape. TO the fourth
question he answers that there is moi better provi
: ded body of laborers earth than the slaves ant
that slavery nowhere in the United States is severe
To the fifth question he gives emphatic negative
And he adds: We free them as fast and faster
than they be colonized in some land of bette
. promise to them"
Mr.. Wise concludes his capital letter, by invoking
DR.. Adams to put Boston philanthropy at removing
the beam out of lis own eye, of furnishing vessel
: and cargoes to the Brazilian African slave trade II
teach the phlanthropists to be charitable to men o
= their own and blood TO obey the laws and pu
down mobs.