The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1855-06-19
From the New York Tribune.
HON. CHARLES SUMMERS LECTURE.
TIE AMI SLAVERY ENTEPRIsE.


Its Necessity, Practicabiiiy and Dignity; wiU
Giimpses Of The Special Duty Of Me NORTH.
Concluded from last week.
to see the foul fiend of Slavery in fight, thai
could not hesitate to build oven bridge oi
gold if necessary to promote his escape.
The practicabiHty of the Anti-s lavery enter
priso has been constantly questioned, often &C
specifically as to be answered at once / shall
not take time to consider the allegation, found
cd on considerations Of economy, which auds.
ciously assumes that Slave Labor 10 more ad-
vantageous than Froo Labor-that Slavery ID
more profitable than Freedom; for this is oil
explored by the official tables Of the census;
nor that other futile argument, that the Slaves
are not prepared for Freedom, therefore should
not be plecpitated into this condition-foI
that is no better than the ancient Greek folly
where the anxious mother would not allow her
son to 60 into the water until he had first
learned TO swim. But as against the Necessity
of the Anti-Slavery enterprise, there were two
chief objections, So also, against its practica-
bility are there two; tho first, founded on its
alleged danger to the master; and tho second
on its alleged damage to the slave himself
/ The first objection, founded on tho al
legged danger 10 the master, most generally
takes tho extravogant form, that tho slave il
released from his present condition would Gu,
his masters throat. Hero is blatant paradox
which can pass for reason only among those
who have lost their reason. With an absurdty
which finds no parallel except in the defenses
of Slavery, it assumes that the African, when
treated justly, will show vindictirenoss which
| no does not exhibit when treated unjustly; that
when elevated by the blessings of Freedom
he will develop an appetite for blood which he
never manifested when crushed by the curse of
bondage. Al present the slave sees his wife
avshed from his arms-sees his infant swept
away to tho auction bock--fees the heavenly
gate of knowledge shut upon hm--secs his
| industry and all its fruits unjustly clutched by
by another-soes himself and offspring doom
ed 10 servitude from which there is no redem-
tion; and still his master sleeps secure. viii
| the master sleep less secure when tho slave
no longer smarts under these revolving atroe-
tesl will not trifle with your intelligence, or
with the quick-passin: hour, by arguing this
question.
But thore is a lofty example frightening the
historic page, by which the seal of experience
! is affixed to the conclusions ofreason and you
would hardly pardon me If l failed to udducc
il. BY virtue Of a single Act Of Parliament
tho Slaves Of tho British West Indcs were
changed at once TO Freemen, and this great
transition wa accomplished absolutely with
out pers, nal danger OF any kind 10 tho mustor.
y,
or far than among US. In our broad country
the slaves are overshadowed by more than
six fold whiie population. Only in two States,
South Carolina and Mississippi, do tho slaves
! outuumber the whites and there but slightly
while in the entire Slave States the whites
outnumber the slaves by many millions. But
il was otherwise in tho British West Indies,
where tho whites were overshadowed by
moro tbOn six fold slave population. The
slaves were 100000 wnile the whites number
cd only l3l ,00e, distributed in different proper
iious on Tie different islands. And this dis
proportion has since increased ather than dim
nshcd, always without danger to tho whites.
In Januico, the largest Of these possessions,
there are now upward of 10000 Africans, and
only $1,000 whites in Barbados. the next and
largest possession, there ire 100000 Africans,
only 5000 whites; lin st. Lucia 8 500 Africans
and only GOO whites: in Tobago, IA 900 Afri-
cans and only 600 whites; in Montserrat 900
African and only $50 whites; and in tho Grona-
dies upward of 6 600 Africans and less than
80 whites. And yet, in all these places tho
authorities attest tho uniform good behavior of
the Africans. Sir Lionel Smith, the Governor
Of jamaica, in his speech to the Assembly.
declared that their conduct "proves how well
they deserve tho boon of Freedom" Another
Governor OF another Island dwclls on the
of grave or sanguinary crimes ong tho em-
mancipated portion of these Islands" and the
Queen of England, in speech from throne.
has announ ccd that tho complete and final
emancipation of tho Africans had "taken
place without any disturbance OF public order
and tranquility In this example hail new
confirmation of tho rule the highest safety is
in doing right: and thus do J dismiss the OBJ
joctioD founded on the alleged danger TO the
master.
Q. And am now brought to tho second
objection, founded oa-the alleged damage 10
the slare. 1t is common among the partisans
of Slavery to assert that our Enterprise has
actually retarded the very cause it seeks TO
promote; and his paradoxcal accusation which
might naturally show itself among the rank
weeds Of South, is cherished here in our
Northern soil by those who anxiously look for
any hg-leaf with which to cover their indiffer-
enre or regeneration.
This peculiar form Of complaint is an old
device which has been instinctvely employed
on other occasions until it has ceased to DO
even plausible. Thus, Throughout all things,
has every good cause been encountered. The
Savior was nailed to the cross with crown of
thorns on his head as disturber of that peace
on earth which he came 10 declare. The dis
eiples, while preaching the Gospel of forgive
ness and good will, were stoned as preachers
of sedition and discord. Tho reformers, who
sought to establish higher piety and faith,
were burned at the stake as blasphemers and
nfdcls Patriots in all ages vino have been
doomed TO tho scafod or to exile, even as their
country's enemies And those brave English
men who at home under the head of Edmund
Burke, even against their own county, cspous-
tho cause of our ia; ers. shared the Same i'll
ogical impeachment which was touched to the
quick by that orator statesman when, after ex
posing it's essential vco "In attr;buting the ILL
effect of ill.judged conduct TO the arguments
used to dIssuade us from IL" he denounced il
as "very absurd but very common in modern
"practice, and very wicked" Sir. IL is very
common in modern practice. In England il
has vainly renewed itself with special frequen
cy against the lliblo Societies; against tho
friends of education; against tho patrons Of
vaccination; against tho partisans of peace, al
of whom havo boon openly arraigned as provo
king and increasing tho very evils, whether OF
nfdelity, idleness, disease or war which they
bcnignly sought to check. And to bring an
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