The Kansas herald of freedom., 1855-01-27
To the People of the 0. s. of America.


land on the subject of Slavery.
AMERICANS You acknowledge the
brotherhood of nations. You ayow the
doctrine that the nations of the earth con.
stitute one great family, and that, as such.
they are bound to each other by common
interests and common ties. And in avow.
ing this, you grant the right of any one
member of that brotherhood to lift up a
calm and truthful testimony before any
other member, on behalf of humanity,
justice, and freedom, when these are as
sailed or outraged.
We are as one with you in the mainte-
nance of this principle and it is because
we look to you as brethren-bound to us
by the most endeared associations-that
We now address you.
It is in no spirit of pride or fancied su-
periority that we make our appeal, but
rather in spirit of self-humiliation, call
ing to mind that we also were partakers
in this iniquity. And we hope that the
fact of our having done what we could tc
wipe out our reproach as nation-once
implicated in upholding slayery-will in
duce you to give the more willing and
earnest heed to our remonstrance.
Americans, we plead with you on be.
half of three millions of immortal beings
whom you hold in bondage. We plead
for the removal of the curse from then
brow, the gall from their earthly cup, the
chain from their limbs, the iron from theil
souls. We plead for the immediate, en-,
tire, and unqualified abolition of slavery
throughout your land.
tits not necessary that we enter on any
heightened proof of the evils of this sys
tenn. 1t carries its condemnation with
it. That condemnation is heard in groans
of anguish, and written in tears of blood
1t has been inscribed, as with letters o.
fire, on the desolated hearts and homes o.
millions. The voice of the Eternal pro-
claims it. A system which subjects three
millions of human beings to the condition
of mere "chattels PERSONAL in the eye
of the law-which deprives them of al
their rights and privileges as intelligent
and accountable creatures-which disal'
lows or breaks asunder the most sacred
ties of ife-which virtually annuls " the
higher law" of God, and substitutes in
its stead the absolute will of a sinful man
as the rule of obedience-which robs its
victims of the fruits of their toll, and de,
nies to them the means and opportunities
of cultivating their deathless faculties
system which sanctions atrocities like
these must be essentially wrong and un-
utterably shameful, and cannot be men,
toned in the same breath with truth,
righteousness, and freedom.
3 Americans, we appeal to you, on the
ground of our common HUMANITY, to
abolish this system. We assert the man
hood of the enslaved. These three mil
lions who are in bondage are men and
women like ourselves; gifted with like
thoughts, like feelings, like aspirations
and like us, too, destined for Immortality
Why, then, treat them as { they belong
ed not to human kind +? That there are
humane men among the upholders of the
slave system, and slaves who receive hu-
name treatment, we readily acknowledge
and yet we are compelled to say that the
inevitable tendency of such system
must be to subject the enslaved to treat
ment that is anything but humane
Where is the humanity of treating mer
and women as if they were brute beasts
or creeping things of trampling in the
dust the most sacred relationships of life
of rearing slaves like cattle for the mar
ket? of subjecting them to the lash, and
to numerous indignities and immoralities
and this, according to the caprices or pas
sion of an irresponsible owner. Is there
even the semblance of humanity here
We plead with you to treat the slave as
man.
We appeal to you on the ground o
JUSTICE. Where is the justice that i:
dealt out to the slave |? Where is there
anything meriling the name !? The sys
TEN takes from the slave all he has, al
that he gains, from life's commencement
even to its close. It strips him of money
house, wife, children, 1t deprives hin
of education, civil rights, liberty of con
science, the Bible. 1t condemns hin
without hearing, and subjects him with
cut trial to bonds, imprisonment, ant
even death. In vain does he look fol
justice at the hand of his oppressor.-
There is no tribunal of righteousness t.
which he can appeal. In the preamble
!, to your noble Constitution, it is affirmed
that it was framed $. to establish justice,
and yet there are three millions of human
beings at this hour, within the bounds o
your Republic, who may be treated wit
every indignity and cruelty, while tn
Justice Of your land extends NO shiel'
lover their helpless heads.
We appeal to you on the ground Q
j CossIsrENcY. And is not this the funda
mental principle set forth in your glori
GUS Declaration of Independence--tha
call men are born free and equal; tha
they are endowed by their Creator wit
/. certain inalienable rights; that anon
/ these are life, liberty, and the pursuit q
Happiness. y What means this language
does it not mean that the man of colo
| as well as the white IS a man. that tn
! black man is born free as well as tn
white /? that God has given to the blac
i man, as well as the white, those inaliens
/ BILE rights ? Where, then. is the eonsis
j tency between your profession and you
practice as people ~ slzs--5d
Again, in your past history, you has
shown that you are ever ready to symp.
| thize with the victims of desposism
other lands IN their struggles for freedom
i In this you do well. We mingle OF
sympathies with yours. But where
i the consistency Of having oyoraowin
4 sympathies for the enslayed afar off, an
4 bondage and oppression for millions ]
your own land 81 -. va.gs
We appeal to you on the sacred groun
of our common CHRIsrIANIrY. Shall OF
appeal here be unheeded? Ameri6
proclaims itself TO be q Christian lan'
4 And IS not the very spirit of Christianii
one of love But where is the mauifes
| alton of that spirit in the enslayement
three millions of your fellow-men
i not this the teaching of Christianity
divine author" Love. thy neighbor ;