Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1857-04-08

murders were oniv authorized by siaiu
ary enac,mrnts; Will If the master vii.
fully and maiiciouslg murdered bis slave,
he was punished for it, But YOU de
scribe the present practical condition of
Slavery rather than what il was at the
time Of our Declaration of independence.
Throughout ibe whole Of your remarks
you endeavor to attach TO slaves the
character of property
Ii they he property. the incidents of
property must attach to them; they loose
The character of persons. and can hav
no right whatever. and may be ''treal-
ed As an ordinary article of merchan.
disc" Ha fs
The right TO enslave the hearhens of
Africa was never generally aequiesced
in by the descendants of the Pilgrims
Ii was true that New England furnished
individuals who engaged in the piratical
business o. importing slaves; but when
the fast African slaves were brought 10
Massachusetts,. they were ordered bv the
colonial legislature to be sent back to
Africa at the public expense. The con-
science of the people revolted at the ijen
of holding men IN bundsge. But the
question was confined TO the ri shI of i,b
erty. no man then doubling the right Of
tue slave to enjoy life
As early as 1927 Mr.. Clarkson in
fmms us that the Qaaker> OF England
declared the right OF the Africans. tho
heathens, to remain upon their native
soil. and eojpy their liberty as well as
their lives. Some twenty years sfler the
commencement of this agitation, they
endrayored judicially to test the right of
master over his slave, where both
we're beyond thr jurisdiction of the law
declaring him slave. The court, how
ever. evaded The Question. giving the
slave his freedom on o;her grounds In
1851 the Quakers oi England became ST.
conscious that the hesthens of Africa
had not only the right 10 life but 10 lib
eriy, that they AS a people tmancipated
their slaves, and in this Ihey were sus-
tanned by many in New England THUS
for more than century the black man
has been regarded by that denomination
of christians, as holding the same rights
to life, liberty and happiness which the
white race possess. In 1856 the philan-
thropists Of England made another at
tempt to Test the legal right of m ,ster
TO hold his slave on The soil of that king
dom; but again The court eyaded The
question, giving ibe slave his freedom
on Other grounds. The master, howev
er. challenged Granville Sharp to mortal
combat for thus asser ing the naiural
rights Of his f.llow man.
In 1863 the Quakers published their
testimony against The Slave trade. for
the sole and only reason that the Afri
cans and their de. cendants had rights.
and that every human being was mo. ally
bound to respect their rights refer TO
the life of Granville Sharp to CIarkson's
History of the Slave Trade, and 10 every
historian who has treated on this sub
Ject, as my authority for these asser-
tons. - al.s.
In 1869 Granville Sharp aid others
brought up the celebrated case of Sum
merset in order 10 test the right of a
master over his slave in England. AT
that time the aristOtracy clearly saw the
great principle which lay at the basis of
these claims to liberty. and they opposed
every movement ir that direction The
King would not listen to the remon
strances against the Slave trade; and
Parliament acted in concert with the
King and his ministers
Lord Mansfield sympathised with the
nristocracy. and postponed the decision
in Summerset's case for more than two
years, endeav"ring to persuade the par
lies to compromise ihe matter and avoid
a final adjudication Sharp remained
firm, and his Lordship. in June 1779,
made that glorious decision which will
perpetuare lis fame in ccming ages. In
delivering his opinion he remarked,
''The state OF Slavery is of such ma ure
that it is incapable of being introduced
on any reasons moral or political. bu'
oaiy bv pos tire lar: 1t is 80 odious thai
nothing can be suffered 10 support il but
positive law" and he gave the Slave his
liberty. The same doctrine was recog
nized and confirmed by the court of ses
sions in Scotland, in the case OF Joseph |
knights. negro slave, VS.. John Wedde-
brum," 90 Howless State Trials. Eng
land and Scotland belonged to the .civ
ilized portion of the white race :" their
courts held that AFRICANS imported as
slaves lad rights whicA srl'te men rere
bound 70 respect" Mark the fact that
their decisions were made some years
previous to the Declaration of Indepen-
dence: They were incorporated into the
history of those times, and were gene
rally known and understood by the
American people.
The friends of freedom in America
did not remain inactive while their co !
iaborers ia England were thus sgilant.
The doctrines which induced the Qua.