The tri-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1866-1868, 1868-05-28

TO THE LANDED PROPRIETORs IN THE SOUTH
ERN STATES OF NORTH AMERICA, AND
MORE ESPECIALLY THOSE WHOSE NEGROES
WERE EMANCIPATED BY THE LATE WAR
| The respectful Christian -1ddress of tile Society
| Of Friends in Great Britain.
1t is very generally, known that the men,
bers of our Religions Society on both sides
of the Atlantic have, for about a century,
borne firm but peaceable testimony against
Slavery; and having first cleared themselves
by manumitting their own slaves they have
| been enabled to plead with Others both in
Europe and in America, to do likewise
Our course of action, however, as friends of
Freedom and enemies of Slavery the world
over, has been wholly clear of any political
| motive; and we have, moreover, been as
corscientiously opposed to War as to Slave
ry Hence we can truly, and with no sense
| of inconsistency, acknowledge that we feel q
strong Christian interest for the best welfare
of those who were, by law, regarded as the
owners of the slaves. and who have suffered
heavy pecuniary loss through the late contest,
and the Emancipation which was effected
by it. 1t is with this feeling that we ask
permission to address to you few faithful,
but we trust courteous, words on this great
subject.
Whilst We deeply deplored the existence
of your Civil War and the desolations which
it made in your land, We cannot but regard
its principal result, namely, the termination
of Slavery, throughout the whole of your
vast Republic, as a striking evidence of the
everything providence of God, in bringing
good out of evil; and we rejoice, with
reverent thankfulness to Him, at the total
extinction of system of which England, in
giving you Slavery, shared the guilt.
We are at the same time sensible that all
violent changes, more especially where they
are of fundamental and extensive character,
are necessarily attended with much suffering.
And our sympathies have been called forth
for many amongst you, who have been re-
duced from afhuence. Stripped of much
that had been secured to you by law, and on
which you had naturally placed your de-
pendence, some of you may have been, and
perhaps still are, surrounded by hardships
to which you had previously been strangers.
Your position is one in which much
patience, forbearance and self-cOntrol may
be required; hut we would respectfully sub
nit to your consideration, whether there is
not true wisdom in meeting with calm reso
luton the present emergency, and seeking to
turn it to the best advantage, rather than in
spending time and strength in vainly en-
this especially the case where the change,
though painful in the process, leads to
state of society. and a condition of things
generally, more consistent with sound states
manship and with Christian morality also,
than that which previously existed?
Some of your greatest statesmen, whose
names are enrolled amongst the founders OF
your Commonwealth, depIored the existence
of Slavery; and, though they saw not how
the event was to be brought about, they
looked forward with hope to the day when
its final extinction should give completeness
and security to the cdifce of your national
liberties And it is our sincere conviction,
that as there is, on the part both of the
Freedmen and of their former owners, a
cordial and trusttul acceptance of all that be-
longs to their new relations, the great event
which has realized this hope will be found,
under the Divine blessing, to work benc-
ficially to each.
Permit US. therefore, to express our earnest
desire that you may be enabled, with conr-
age, energy and SKILL to do your part to-
wards the solution of the problem which
your country is called to solve. May you,
with real magnanimity, behave towards the
Freedmen as fellow citizens, now that the
law has clothed them with that character.
Nav the employers of labor treat with those
who work for them upon fair and reasonable
terms, giving them just and even liberal
wages for faithful work done, and zealously
CO. 0peratino with them for the common
good. That not few amongst you are al
ready setting bright example in these
respects, we can readily believe; and we
ong that this example may I've extensively
followed, and that, even should you find
hat your kindness and good treatment are
lot always at once appreciated by the newly
some allowance may he made
or the effect produced upon them 10y many
generations of slavery and Ignorance.
The present. allow US to remind you, is a
golden opportunity: you may now, by a
wise and prudent course of conduct, by pa
mi, and consolidation nv the DrO- |