The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1859-04-28

"0uAU CuaBCipdtc iuemStlftS. OaL
conviction was forced upon the Commit
tees of both Houses of Parliament; they
reported accordingly, and the doom of
slavery was sealed.
Sir, it was my privilege to be in Jamai-
Ca when slavery came TO an end, and /
rejolced the more to be a witness of its
extinction, because | bad suffered in cou-
mon with my brethren, in connection withit
We were sent out as the instructors of the
slaves and free colored people. We built
churches, assisted by the liberality of the
British people, all over the island, where
ever We could. and we were sustained BY
funds contributed by British benevolence,
as instructors of the negroes. Well, sir,
we were denounced by the planters, from
the beginning of our efforts, as spies of
the Anti Slavery Society. They had sa-
gacity enoug b to discover, at a very ear
ly period Of our labors, that slavery and
Christianity could not long co-exist; that
they were essentially autagonistic, and
that the one must ultimately destroy the
other. Determined to perpetu late slavery,
they resolved to do all they could to get
rid of Christianity, and keep their people
in heathen darkness; and, consequently,
throughout our history we were subjected
to the most bitter persecution; and, sir,
just after the insurreoton to which | have
referred, the whole white people of the
island of Jamaica banded themselves to-
gether in an association which they call
ed "The Colonial Union," the avowed OBJ
ject of which was to drive every instruc.
tor of the negroes from the island Eigh-
teen of our churches were levelled with
the ground. They dragged the mission
aries to prison, get false witnesses to
swear against them, treated with brutal
violence, and did everything they could to
put an end to our labors. But, as they
were determined to drive US away, we
we're determined to remain aud remain
We did. Though our churches lay in ru-
ins, and We could not gather congrega.
ton, though our societies were scattered,
and We were exposed to all the indignities
which the anti-slavery advocates have to
suffer now in the South, we stood our
ground, and By and by We saw the result
of all these things. We were much dis
couraged when these events took place
When we saw these violent men rampant
and triumphant, when We saw our church
es in rulns, and our congregations scat
tered hther and thither, and our mouths
closed for nearly two years together, we
were greatly discouraged. and We won
dered what Divine Providence was work.
ing out through all these things. By
and by we began to see what it was. By
these means it was that that storm of in-
diguation was raised among the British
people. that led to the abolition Of slave
rs. They saw there was no chance even
of eVangelizing the negroes while slavery
existed, and they rose in their might, and
the British Government was obliged to
yield; and slavery, with all it's abomina-
nations. its chains and whips. its tortures
and dungeons, was swept away to be
known no more in those colonies for ever.
Sir. was there when Slavery was a
bolisbed | saw the monster die. This
day, twenty four years ago,I stood up late
at night, in one-of the churches under my
ebarge,-a very large oburcb.-and the
aisles were crowded, and the gallery stairs
and the communion place, and the pulpit
stairs, were all crowded, and there were
thousands of people round the building,
at every open door and window looking
in. This was at 10 o'clock at night, on
the 3lst day of July. We thought that
it was right and proper that our Christian
people should receive their freedom as a
boon from God, and in the house of pray
er, and we gathered them together in the
church for midnight service 1t was
my privile to stand up in that congrega-
ton, and proclaim liberty to the captive,
and the opening Of the prison doors to
them that were bound" Sir, our mouths
had been closed about slavery up to that
time, We could not quote, without en-
dangeriDg our lives, passage that had
reference even to spiritual emancipation.
These planters found treason in the BIZ
bic and sedtion in the spiritual hymns of
Watts and Wesley, and We were obliged
to be careful how we used them, and in
wb at connection VIC used the word liber-
ty; because they had law,-the law OF
constructive treason" it was called
that doomed any nan TO death who made
use of language tending to excite desire
for liberty among the slaves. You may
i'm agine, then, with what feelings | saw
myself emaneipated from this tbraldom
and free to proclaim liberty to the cap
tive, and the opening of prison doors to
them that were bound. took for M y
text that night, Leviticus %; 10 By and
BY, the midnight hour approached. When
it was withithn two or three minutes OF
the first of August, day appointed
for the liberation ofthe slaves, request
ed all the people to kneel down, as bcft-
ting the soemn nity of the hour. and engage
in silent prayer to God. They did so;
and, sir, looked down upon the silence
into broken by the sobs of emotion which
il was impossible to repress. BY and by
tho clock began to strike; it was the knel
of Slavery
Twas The stroke which nrocla;med lib.