Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1863-10-07
WOODWARD'S RECORD ON
SLAVERY.
AN ABoLIrIoNIsr IN 1888

,.Whatever the sin Of seizng the de fence
less African, of tearing him from his home aud
country, and carrying him into hopeless bon
dage 10 distant land, lies at the door OF En-
gland. And whatevar evil has resulted, or Is
20 result to the coOred people the whites
of this country, from the institution OF domes-
tic slavery, and the presence among us OF
large masses Of degraded and wretched blacks,
is also fairly chargeable to the inhuman pom
cy OF Great Britain"
ssIf the colonies desired participation In
this nefarous traffic, they were excluded py
the monopolizing inbumsnity OF the mother
country
.sAnd this policy so disgraceful to England,
and 50 injurious to the colonIes-so preserv-
ingly adhered to by her, and so abundant III
bitter fruits to us,was one OF the causes which
finally impelled the colonies to throw OH thel
allegiance to Great Britain"
1.-The Revolution WAS not yet tought-thelr
independeEce was not yet established, when
the ..Oid Dominion and the future ''key-
stone, of the Federal arch extinguishtd for
sver within their borders the Defarous trafhc
In human flesh
..Let Engisnd's patriots dwell on her own
guilty connrxion with slavery IN every part
of the world. Let them contemplate the huge
sin, which rests upon her conscience.
She must have torn from their homes, in Al
rica six or seven millions of human beings,
and carried them away into hopeless slavery
II the English instead OF superadding TO their
guilt, by att empts 10 dissolve our Union, and
10 sacrifice our liberties, were to enlighten'
ciyilize and christianize the remaining mil
lions on the Continent CT Africa. they would
scarcely atone for the deep and unntterable
injuries inflicted that race by the prosecu-
ton of the slave trade.
s.They Uhe negroes) were forced upon us
They came not as the primitive colonists came,
searching for liberty, bat torn from their na-
tive soil by English rapacity, they were
brought here slaves"
1T is the great excellence and beauty Of
our system that it is founded on the consent
OF the governed, so that allegiance and hdelI-
~ result as necessary consequences, and need
hot be enforced by oaths aud positive enact
ments. But, sir, the negroes never assented
and their presence here, since IT was procured
by fraud and force, could not be construed IN
to an adoption of the country, or an acqnes
cence in its forms OF government. They were
brought here To be slaves and not freemen.
..The act of 1880, which abolished slavery
In Pennsy yivania, proud monument tC
the humane policy OF the State. 1t wiped out
the stain OF slavery. which England had left
on our soil. and conferred on the negro what
he had not before enjoy ed-clrH freedom. IL
secured TO him those ciris rights TO tChich nc IN
common ucith all other human beings. Of schater,
er cline or compilation, had an ISFALLIBLE title
and Of tChici he Aersr ought 10 hare been dePrtr'
ed.''
s.For the manifold evils which connect
themselves with the black population of this
country-there is a renIedy. 1t is colonza
tion. The negroes belong to Africa-ihey
were cruelty torn from that country, and il
they could now be returned tn their fatherland
with the arts OF civilization, and the lights o
education and religion. their bondage nigh
prove blessing to the benighted millions o
that continent"
81 believe the negro race to be capable o
self government. Undoubtedly they deserve
civil and religious freedom, and with proper
culture, are capable of ENJOYING it. And sir
verify do believe that the much wronget
people of the South would add TO the tide o
emigration by gradually abollshing slavery ,an6
sending their blacks to Africa, so that W.
might hope that our country would see th'
day when slavery or her soil would he extinct.
See Debates Of Reform ConVeniion, Uot. 10
pages l6 10 "a.