The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1858-11-09

Georgia which was not planted until 100; anu,
without intending in any degree to extenuate the
guilt of anv of the colonies engaged in the tratc,
we must be permitted to say, that it was England
who brought the temptation to the door OF her
colonies; that England did it, not to serve them
but to enrich herself, and that it was England
commercial regulations touching the plantations,
that made the American colonists the more ready,
in the necessities Of their position, to yield to the
temptation.
But England did more cruel wrong III this
matter than that merely of tempting the Anglo
Americans to buy She placed before them per-
nicious example, and thereby provoked them to
imitation The chief part Of the commerce OF the
colonies was in New England; and it was not long
before the vessels of New England were on the
coast of Airca seeking their cargOes OF slaves
The molasscs of the West Indies was brought home
to the northern colonies, and converted into ram;
this rum was employed, III Africa, in the purchase
of slaves, who were carried to the West Indies and
the continental plantations. The trade as COM
pared to that Of England, WAS, of course, very
small, but still, it was established, and continued
for lon" years, even until it prohibited by
ourselves after we were free and, may add, be
fore England had abolished it. The coastlng YES
sells of the northern colonies too small to under
take VOYAGES to Africa, occasionally brought into
the country negroes from the West Indies, as did
also some of the small craft of the southern planta
tons; though the number from this source was
very small The chief portion of the traffic was in
the hands of the northern colonies, and SO contin
ucd as long as it was permitted in America.
All. however, North and South, were slavchold
crs: all. too, were slave-tr;dcrs. The northern
colonists brought the negroes from Africa; the
southern colonsts bought them, and paid literally
for the purchase. If the South sinned IN taking
the slave, the North could not sinned less i'll tax
ing the money. If relaration for the sin is to
be made by the party, religion equally demands
it of the other. If the South must enIanc!patc,
the North should disgorge principal and interest.
In no other mode can Lpth free themselves from
the guilt which the descendant of the northern
salesman imputes to the transaction i he North
man should preface his proposition to his Southern
brother by the offer, on his part, himself to do
that which he urges duty on his felOw-crmlnal.
Let him surrender the accumulated wealth which
has increased from the unlawtully acquired gains
Of his slave-scitiHg ancestor, and then may he,
with something like conscience and consistency,
ask Il surrender Of the profits derived from the
possession of the bondmen by the descendant of
the slaye-buyiuy ancestor Either he should do
this or cease to rcproach his brother for what he
pronourccs great sin, while he is himself con-
tcntedly living on the profits of that great sin he
thus condemns. And he should remember, too,
that in some instances, the sin, on the part OF his
ancestors, was greatly aggravated. After acts OF
emancipation i'll the northern colonies forbade the
existence of negro slavery in them, beyond future
specified time, ''there are living witnesses, says
modern writer whose picty and ability are alike
unuucstionable "who saw crowds of negroes
scmblcd along the shores Of New England and
the Middle States to be shipped to latitudes where
their bondage could be perpeutated Their pos
terty Toll to-day in the fields of the southern
planter I he reader may now whence the
negro slaves of Carolina first came, and who 1t was
that brought them. No North Carolina vessel
ever went to Africa for item. Neither Virginia
nor South Carolina ever deeply involved in
the business of importing them from their native
country. The vessels Of old England and New
England did that work. Both records and ira
Cliton have preserved the names of New England
men who amassed fortunes i'll the business Llv-
ing witnesses can lay their hands on the dcscen-
dants of these men, now rcveliing in the en- Joy
ment of the wealth that thus acquired. They
indeed, arc not answerable for the acts of their
furefathers but they responsible for their OWN
sinful hypocrisy, if they clamor for the slaves
emancipation, without being ready to surrender
the money they enjoying from his sale
But there was another class of slaves employed
in the agricultural labor of the province. This
was composed of the natives Of the country; some
of the unfortunate Indians were slaves. But this
species OF bondage was not peculiar to the south
crn colonies Indeed, the prevalent tone of pub
lie sentiment the subject of slavery, was at
that day very much the same in all parts of the
continent inhabited by Europeans Even III
Pennsylvania, the law recognized the existence OF
negro slavery, though it would allow 10 imPorta-
ton of Indian slaves from the other American
provinces But in New England a different doc
trine prevailed as to the Indians. Massachusetts,
in 1911, before Carolina settled declared by
law that, as to two classes of the natives. ''bond
slavery might exist These were ''lawiul cap
tves taken in just wars, and such Gas willingly
sell themselves or are said to us" i. E., by their
caltDrs. But Massachusetts went beyond this.
At the termination of the fight between the Ic-
quods and the troops of Massachus tits and Con
nccticut, in 1857, many Indians were captured.
Some made slaves in Connecticut, others Ill
Massachusetts,; and Trumbuli informs that of
these latter, 'many women and boys were sent to
the West inlieS and III into savCry." \ law
of Conn; ct;cu', touching the Indians, may still
be read among her old statutory provisions, in
which he cnacts that, "as it will be charyeablc
to keep Indians in prison, and, il they should cs
cape, they are likely to bear more malice it
thought fit that the magistrates of the jurisdiction
deliver up the Ind ans seized to the party par
ties cmc.ama aged, either to or to be hily,cd
ont ond eIchG"gcT for nccg rs, the will
Justly bear" When the e lws were made,
Carolina was not settled he carly atute books
of New York and New jersey also reveal the fact,
that the first inhabitants of those provinces scru-
pied to reduce the Indians to Il state of slavery.
h., f. 10 ,1Cl ho