New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-08-23
THE FALL OF SLAVERY.
RECoLLECTIONs OF AN ABOLITIONisT
RY OLIVER JOHNSON.
FREE PEOPLE OF CoLoR--CAsTE AND COZ
ONIZATlON.


When n 10 remembered that the New-England
Apti-slaverv Society sought not only to free the
slaves. but to Improve the character ana conui'
finn of the free people of color" may seem strange
that among those who took part In It's formatlon
there WAS not single individual OF the latter clasS'
But the fact Is easily explained. 1t was not Hoin
on Iack of interest on their part in the movement
for they saw in it bright star OF promise LOT Vne
race and thanked God for the sight. Ihey hao
rallied at least the most Intelligent among
them. TO the support of The Liber0tor and
were indulging in bright dreams OF speedy
dcliverance from civil and social prescription
Faces that had long expressed the anguish
of hone deferred were radiant now WIN
authorizations of a better day to come. why theh
were they conspicuous among the formers OF tno
new societyi 1t was because thew instlhctNeS
knew that their presence and cooperation "ouiu
serve only to increase and intensity the peJu"''o
which the society must encounter. lher very
anxiety for its success kept them aloof az hrst'
They were careful not TO embarrass IN ltS lhiaucS
movement on which they had staked their deares'
HOMES Anglo-Saxon prejudice against the negro Is
strong even vet but il is weak compared WIN what
IL was then. No man with a black skin cOulu
enter Christian church without consenting 10
the DEGRADATION of the "nigger pew" lie coud
not ride in any public conveyance on terms
Of equality with others. very intelligent colored
girl the daughter Of a devoted and useful clergy
man of Boston. was suddenly summoned to the bed
side of a dying relative in New-Hampshire. seat
was bespoken for her in the stage, then the only
means of public conveyance; but the driver, on
coming TO the door and finding that she was
mono cracked his whip with accompanying
oath and drove off without her. cOlored man OF
Boston, in trading with white man, became the
owner of pew in the central aisle of the Park
Street Church. and thinking he might be prohted
nv the mnistrations Of intelligent white
minister went TO 1t one Sunday morning with
his family. They listened to the " stated
preaching of the Gospel" for once under the
gaze of whole battery of frOwning faces but they
were not permitted to enjoy the privilege second
time The trustees of the church found some tech
nicalifv by which to deprive the black man of his
LEGAL rights His appearance and that Of his family
in that fashionable house of worship was accounted
by all Boston as an outrage scarcely less Migrant
than would have been the use of the pew As pig
pen A colored merchant from Liberia, man of
intelligence as we'll as wealth. and highly
esteemed by Colonizationists, being on visit to
Boston took the opportunity of making the ac-
ouaintance of the Abohtionists. As he wished to
hear DR.. Beecher preach, invited him. as an act Of
courtesy to a distinguished foreigner, to
take a seat IN my pew. On my way out
of church / encountered the indignant
frowns of a large number of the congregation; but
II was Amusing TO witness the change of counter
auce that fell upon the advocates Of colonization as
introduced to them Mr.. -, of Liberia" They
really seemed 70 think his odor was not quite so
offensive, after ALL as they had suspected The air OF
Liberia was such n powerful dIsinfectaut! The
SHAREHOLDERS used to think the atmosphere
of their homes was perfectly de'ectable
when slaves in kitchen, dning-room, par
Tor and boudor were al-pervadIng as
lies; but there was no Odor offensive to them as
that impaired to Niger " when he was set free;
and Northern people in tho DAYS Of slavery, while
they required the free negro to occupy separate
apartment steamboat and rail-car as being per
sonally offensive to white ofactories, never thought
of remon strating when the shareholders lin the hot
Summer weather, too claimed for their slaves all
the privileges of frst-olass travellers Strange that
in republican country freedom was so offensive,
while slavery so fragrant!
The meanness and cruelty OF this hateful race
prejudice as il was often manifested in that day,
were simply indescribable bright coored lad,
belonging to nv class in Sun1ay-school. in 1881,
said to me sadly, in reply to my efforts to awaken
In him an ambition for s,lf-improvement, WHATS
the use IN my attempting to improve myself, when,
do what may, / can never be anything but a mig
neri" tried to cheer this boy, to kndle some hope
in his breast by reminding him that a few good
men were struggling TO deliver him and his un-
fortunate race from their terrible surroundings;
and / am glad to say that be became an
honorable aud useful man, and during the
later years of his life he was faithful
servant of the United States IN the psf Office De-
partment. In that day no colQred boy could be APP
prentced to anv trade in a shop where white men
worked; still less could he find place, except as a
menIa in any store or Office well remember
what amazement was excited when Mr. Garrison
and his partner first took black boy an appren-
tice in the office Of The Li6eraOr. l heard 1t de-
clared on every side that no "ncrer" could learn
the art of printing, and it was held to be evidence
of arrant folly to try the experiment. If the ne
Croes under such circumstances, sometimes seemed
duh and even stupid. who can wOnderi What
race or class of men is strong enough to keep its
feet under such load of prejudice and cOntumely
The wonder is that the negroes bore it patiently
and cheerfuy keeping alive in their souls the hope
of better day to come when the hearts Of Chris
tians should be purged from the foul spirit Of caste.
They could not have done il if God had not made
them gentle patient and foTgiving above almost
every other class of the human family. The worst
OF II all was that the prejudice defended in
pupt and press as natural and therefore ustfable.
The scheme of African Colonization rested upon
81 as its cornerstone. If it had pleased God In a
night to give the slaves white skin, every man IN
the United States would have arisen from his bed
the next morning a flaming AbOitiOnist. No need
of any colonies then in Africa elsewhere and no
danger that the slaves If set Free would cut the
throats of their masters Every excuse and apology
for slavery would have been instantly swept away
and no premium for text of Scripture to support it
would have been of any avail, for no theological
professor would have dared in that case to torture
the Bible even for a reward
Mr. Garrison won the grateful confidence of the
free colored Deople not more by demanding the in