Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1855-07-27
For the Journal.
African SIaYcry.

ent Crisis OF our political affairs, well to con-
slider. A portion OF any nation or people,
being reduced to servilude, BY another, is
revolving enough 10 the common feelings
of humanity. Yet, in early days, some ap-
pOlOgy was found among the Egyptians,
Babylonians. Persians, Jews, Carthogenians,
Greeks and Romans, for su5jecling their
captives. taken in war, to abject seryitude;
and it became an established custom among
them, and many other nations, TO sell or re-
tain great portion Of those whom they
conquered as slaves; this seemed a natur-
al consequence in war, and all parties ex-
pected and calculated on it, as an inevita-
bic result. Although justice could not
sanction the proceeding, it appears to have
been made condition, in those bloody and
desolating wars, that the survivors of the
vanquished, should be held as slaves, at
the discretion of the victors This kind Of
servitude, we know, was borne with aston
ishing meekness and humility, century af-
ter century, particularly among the Greeks
and Romans. very few instances being on
record, of slaves rising to establish their
rights, or regain their liberty. And in fact,
it was not till the Roman Empire was pros
tratcd by the Barbarians, and the feudal
system introduced, that this kind of slavery
became abolished. From that time, till
about 1920, we hear very little of slavery,
except as vassals, or serfs, according to the
feudal system; then it was, and after the
discovery and conquest Of Hispanaola, that
Lescass, franciscan Friar, to favor the
native Indians, put into the gold mines, So
licited Of his sovereign, Charles V, the
privilege of importing and employing ne
groes from Africa, believing they could
perform more labor, and suffer less disease
and death, than the natives. A grant was
obtained by a company to import annually
four thousand negroes for that purpose
Thus commenced, believe, the first gener-
al negro slavery in the world, at least the
first in America, not for any depredatiOns
they had committed, or any portion of the
whole race, nor was ii contended that it
was by right of conquest, but that they
would be serviceable to the planters.
They we're found able to do more labor
than natives, and hence, when different
portions of the Continent were discovered
and conquered, they were continually
bought or kidnapped in Africa, and trans.
ported TO new colonies. The Dutch event
ually became competitors in the slave trade,
and were the first who introduced negros
into Yirginia-this has been urged by some
in extenuation of mother Britain's crime,
and it would be some palliation had she
not afterwards engaged with more ardor,
in the slave trade, than any other nation
on the globe.
It is known that in the XVIIIth century
her Navy eclipsed those of Spain and Hol-
lane, and she became Mistress of the Seas" 4"
claimed. and obtained by treaty, the exclus-
i've right of the slave trade, that none
should be transported except in her own
ships, during the period of thirty years.
All! philanthropic Britain, can you now
wash your hands, and exclaim, without a
blush, against those whom you taught and
compelled to hold slaves? Some resist
ance, surely, was made; in 1903 Massachu-
sets laid duty of "a per head, yet you
succeeded in leaving the blighting curse
of slavery in tie thirteen Colonies. When
they declared themselves independent, so
many had become tenacious in their sup
posed right in human properly, it could not
be discarded in forming our constitution,
and it could only be stipulated that after
1900 duty of $40 should be imposed
This was but small mitigation of the evil,
and Congress in 1908 interdicted all i'm
portation of slaves. The wisdom and bu-
manity Of the North, in q few years, abol-
ished slavery among them entirely, and
many noble minds of the South we're an
xious to do the same, but the pride and
self interest of the aristoeracy prevented.
The most that could be done by our
philantbropic members in Congress, was to
endeavor to prevent slavery extending into
territories, and in 1924 to engage England
to unite with US in suppressing the slave
trade. This was an important accomplish.
ment, yet it does not do away the evils of
slavery, it was too firmly established at the
South, while Portugal, Spain and Brazil
continued the traGc, and our slaveholding
States, with the aid of weak or dishonest
men of the North, are ,exerting their utmost
influence TO extend Slavery, into both our
old and newly acquired territories, so that
at present the Institution Of slavery, in our
land of boasted freedom, has become truly
alarming aud terrific. The awful conse-
quences of disunion can only be averted
hv ouicklv raetraininO and circunnsrrih-