Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1861-04-03
s,,xerx--rss origin, Nature, History,

We make the following extracts from an ar
rument made by Rev. THORNTON SrRINGFELlow,
D. D., of Culpepper, Va. We find it in the Re
;oious Heraid, Richmond, Va;
So far as the capacity of the African has vet
been developed, we have no reason to believe
they can retain the blessings Of civilization and
the Gospe. which we have given them, when our
control and protection are withdrawn. The evil
dence which sustaias this conclusion stares the
civilized world in the face like the sun in the
heavens,
On this continent, at an early age of our his
tory, well-meant efforts were permitted in the
Providence of God-the object of which was to
bless Hams race by releasing them from our
control, and giving them freedom. These efforts
have gone on among well meaning men for more
than two centuries. For the whole of this time,
facts have been accumulating which prove their
freedom TO be a curse-bOth to them and the white
race. Still, additional aids, suggested by benev
olence, have been resorted TO by good men in the |
slave States, to make the experiment successful,
until the demonstration seems complete thatfre
dom to them is curse on this continent, and ev-
erywhere else on the globe. These untiring ef- |
forts on the part of benevolent individuals have
been in silent progress in the slave States, and
are but little known by those at distance. Their
voice is the voice Of God He thus proclaims 10
US that in these efforts, ice are earring against
ever, still found excuses for the failure. That
failure, it was thought, would not have taken
place upon fair field for the experiment. To
meet this bewitching blindness of benevolent
shareholders at the South, God, in His Provi-
dence has tolerated the selection of three differ
ent theatres, more favorably situated, upon which
to make the experiment on a large scale. Two
of them he surrounded with the overAOwings of
sympathy, aid and counsel, by three of the most
powerful nations of the earth.
In Jamaica, one hundred millions of dollars
were paid to the owners of Hams descendants in
that island by the English Government, to re-
lease from bondage a set of well fed laborers-
who were supplying their own wants-rendeTing
remunerating income to their owners-and a
needful supply of tropical productions for the
wants of the mother country. Here the expert
msnt was thoughtfully made, and surrounded by
wise forecast that seemed to bid defiance to
failure The land was owned by the white race !;
their farms were all in good order; on these
farms there was a supply of good houses-in
these houses the slaves had lived and reared their
families-these farms were supplied with the tools
and machinery necessary for their successful cul-
| tivation-and to the use of these tools and this
machinery the slaves had been accustomed since
childhood. These farms-the houses on them
the tools and machinery-with the supervision of
the owner-were the capital which England said
and believed was to be rendered more valuable
by free than by slave labor. On every farm the
needed supply of labor was to be found.
moral guarantee given to the labOrer, that
capital should not Cypress him-because the de-
mand of capital for labor should always be kept
greater in that island than the supply. OF course
capital would be completed to give the highest
price for labor which a small return of profit
would allow.
| What has been the result of this well arranged
experiment, to give freedom to this race of peo-
.IaT
homes, too, in which they were raised-the
highest price for labor awaited every one of them
who would 60 to work. powerful and sympa-
thetic Government threw her shield around them
the avails of their labor were secured to them
with assurance doubly sure that merit should
have everything accorded to it which justice could
demand. l ask, again, what has been the result
of this well arranged and costly experiment, to
give freedom to Hams descendants? The result
is, according to reports made to the English Par
Lament, (by abolition members sent in different
years from their own body, to make strict per
sonal examination) that the export of sugar in a
short time had fallen off from upwards of six
hundred millions to two thousand pounds-and
very soon after to nothing-and that every other
product OF labor had shared the same fate. That
the farms had grown over in bushes-that the
bitches were filled up-that the roads were i'm
passable-that the machinery was rusting and
rotting unused-that the houses weie surrounded
with brushwood and trees that nearly concealed
them-that thousands of negroes were lowering
around the towns on the coast in restitution and
starvation, whose existence was n mystery as
none could account for it-that others had re-
treated FROM civilization and the reach of law to
the mountains, where they were living in savage
and beastly degradation on roots and herbs, and
that no price would secure labor. That the value
Of real estate was reduced, according to an as
sessment, twelve millions in very short time
in short, that the island and the negroes were
ruined, unless efficient control in some form was
e-assumed by their well meaning but misguided
benefactors.
The second experiment, TO which allusion has
been made, is the one in Africa. Tie best nla-
terials to be found among the free negroes of the
United States were selected for this experiment
Long and anxously in our country had the
highest order of minds, the purest philanthropy,
| the most dsinterested patriotism, and the most
self-sacrifcing benevoIence, sought to do good to
this race of people, and to originate and put in
operation practical plan for elevating them to
the blessings of higher civilization, and a more
enlarged freedom, or self-control. For accom-
plshing their desires, these great men, so dis
tinguished in the worlds history for disinterested
goodness, met in the City of Washington in 1876,
and after mature elaboration, adopted plan for
carrying out their wishes by the agency of an or
ganization which they called "The American
Colonization Society" Their purpose was, to
aid free persons of color to settle a COLONY or
colonies in Africa In pursuance of this PLAN
they raised by voluntary contributions sufficient
fund, employed suitable agents to explore the
coast, and finally purchased of the natives on that
continent a territory large enough for the settle
ment of every negro, free and bond, in the United
States.
To this well selected home-rich in soil-sa-
lubrious in climate, and highly adapted to COM
merce-tbey commenced transporting such of
Hams descendants in the United States as we're
most advanced in civilization, public spirit and in
telligence.
So great was the desire of Southern philan-
thropists to succeed in this experiment, that
through their influence indirect aid was obtained
from the Federal Government, to sustain the
colony against hostile natives. Places of de
tense were built by the aid of our sailors, and the
presence of our ships afforded security against
aggression.
The passage of the emigrants to their new
home-slx months provisions when they arrived
there-lands surveyed and ready for settlement
hospitals for the sick, and medical aid for
Their assstance-were all thoroughly arranged
and secured to them by those noble hearted men.
But the above catalogue of bounty falls far
short of the whole-soued benevolence and fore
thought which characterized their efforts. The
society and its influence secured for the colonists
all kinds of tools to cultivate their fields, carts
ana wagons Tor the use OF their farms steam
mills to saw their lumber, to grind their grain,
and to manufacture their cane into sugar and mo-
lasses; draft animals to pillow their land; arms TO
defend their persons by land, and ships for their
commerce by sea.
They provided for them government free of
charge, and secured for them, either directly or
indirectly, school houses and teachers for their
children-churches in which to worship God
Bibles and preachers to teach them the way to hea
ven-books filed with instruction on all suitable
subjects-printing papers to diffuse knowledge
clothing for their bodies-and affectionate and
enlightened counsel for their minds Thousands
of hearts in all parts of the country assembled to
God for their success, and followed them to their
new homes, in every form of benevolence. Our
Government has indirectly secured them against
hostility and violence, at an expense of If fairly
estimated that would reach many millions of dol
lars. Every motive quickened into activity
which could be awakened in their hearts, for the
regeneration of Africa, and their own progress in
Christian civilization.
Could better theatre have been selected
could better materials have been secured to oc-
cupy it-could wiser and better counselors have
been selected on the globe, to guide their infant