Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1865-10-17
What has the Nation Done for the Negro7

What has the Nation Done for the Negro?
The nston has done 80 much for the negro and
at such cost, that il does not feel called upon
lust now to do much more.-.N !. Times.
We suppose, if the liter Of the above SEN
tence had found the man who fell among thieves,
be would have contented himself with standing
on the other side and warning the thieves of, or
might possibly have caused their arrest. But he
would most certainly not have become himself
the good Samaritan who poured oil and vine into
the wounds Of the victim Of cruelty, and brought
him on his way. There is a certain kind of PHI
lanthropy in the world which gets tired very early
in its efforts, and frequently comforts itself with
the reflection that it has done enough for human
ity, and that at does not feel called upon just
now to do much more" 1t is stngy kind OF
philanthropy, il, indeed it deserves the name of
philanthropy at all. 1t never seeks opportunities
Of doing good, but only does what it feels obliged
to do. 1t is not spontaneous and hearty but con-
tracted and selfish. II it gives, or is just, it is
because of importantly, and because it can not
decsntly get rid Of e. and not because it is earn
estly at work for the good of the race.
But miserable and mean as the sentiment of
Al, - ---,--rl- ~, ,sg IL iutsnSl-
fed by its Misrepresentation. What has the ma
ton done for the negro, that it should so compla
Gently contemplate it's work, and " not feel called
upon Just now to do much morep" 1t has suf
fered the negro to be enslaved for nearly ninety
years, and while boasting that this was the land
Of freedom and equal rights, it has suffered its
national capital to be dSgraoed during all that
time by the auction blocks and slave pens of the
barbarous institutions. For nearly ninety years
il never by any national act recognized the free
dom Of the negro, nor even admitted his man
hood. For nearly ninety years the greed Of gain
and the shackles Of commerce have bound the
nation and made it the servant OF slavery. AT
last justice would no longer sumber, and the
people declared that slavery should cease to rule
the republic. The shareholders in their madness
rose in rebellion. Yet for more than two years
of bloody and TO US disastrous war, the Govern
ment refused liberty TO the negro. At length the
fierce judgments, which seemed to be visited upon
US for our crime, led the nation to do simple
act Of justice, which W. dared not delay longer.
To save ourselves, 10 turn away the anger of
Just God from US, to draw to our side the sym
pathies Of humanity all over the world, to weaken
the rebel cause, and to aid our own arms and adj
vance our own flag, we determined to free the
slaves. Yet, in that terrible moment we hest
tated and held back from this work with an lnfat
uation almost as blind and wicked as that which in
fuenced Pharaoh. 1t was not to save the negro,
il was nj on his account at all, that we emanci-
pated him, but it was because We felt that our
only way Of escape was through his freedom and
when we at FIRST held up before the black loyalist
the hope Of freedom, we at the same moment
told his white rebel master that If he laid down
his arms in a hundred days he should have his
slaves again. What credit should we have for
this? II the writer u the Times should be held
with his head under water by a white man, until
be would acknowledge the humanity of a negro,
and afterwards should ask the negro to help him
iu getting upon firm land, what kind Of figure
would be present strutting about and gazing con-
descendngy upon this negro, and saying "
have done so much for you, Sambo, don't feel
called upon Just now to do much moreP And
yet he puts the nation il rocisely that wretehed
attitude, and is doing whath he can to induce the
people to be guilty Of the meanly ungenerous,
unjust and unrightoous abandonment of the negro
now, on the ground that it does MT feel like exert
ing itself any longer in behalf Of freedom. 1t
is some consolation, however, TO reflect that God
works, although man refuses to do justice; and
that there are millions Of men who believe that
injustice is never either right or sxpedient, aud
that while it finds advocates in high places, it is
no time for the friends OF humanity and equal
aud exact justice to remit single effort for its
overthrow.