The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1883-01-21

into the cOlOny anu was even ueIenueu on inc
hypocritical pretcnce THAI 1t offered opportu-
mites for tho religious instruction OF tho
heather African. 1t is true that as early as
1858 Francis Daniel Pastorius drew IN a vigor-
Gus memorial which was adopted. by the Ger
mantown Friends. and In which the buy
ing. selling. and holding men in sla-
very" il denounced rs inconsistent with
the Christian religion" But this pro.
test against slavery. seemingly the first
issued by q religious body In America was not
ratified at tho Yearly Meeting. as the convoca-
ton OF all the Friends OF the province was
called, and it never found an echo in the legis-
lation OF tho colony. Even q bill laid by Penn
before the Assembly for recognizing the mar
riages OF black slaves was lost. and. down to
tho Revolutionary epoch. negroes had no polit-
ical and few social rights In Pennsylvania. As
regards. indeed. tho Importation OF bondmen.
the colony showed ut ono time 4 willingness to
take n firm stand against their further intro
duction. and in 1872 passed an act to that
effect. which was. however. disapproved by the
Crown and repealed by tho British Parliament.
There wus no general disposition. however.
to free the slaves already owned within tho
province. and II bill providing for the emanci-
patton OF all persons hold to servitudo was re-
jocted by the Legislature OF the province in tho
last mentioned year.
Since the collapse of the foudal system there
has never been u moro iniquitous scheme OF
law than the Constitution which John Locke at
tho suggestion Of Lord Shaftesbury. prepared
for the colony OF Carolina. When we observe
that this oppressive code stripped even white
tenants who held no more than ton acres OF
land OF all political rights. and virtually re-
duced them to the condition OF serfs ddsoriph
0lebr We arc less surprised to learn that it
explicitly conferred on every slave owner " alb
solute power and authority" over his negro
slaves. In every other colony the masters pow
or to coerce. maltreat. and chastiso his slave
circumscrbed by statute within certain limits
OF decency ana mercy. 1t was reserved for u
philosopher to sweep away all such benignant
restrictions: and. although 1t may DO doubted
whether Lockes Constitution had actually the
force OF law. seeing that the clause affecting
poor white settlers prevented its ratification by
tho local Legislature. yet tho infamous spirit OF
the clauses bearing upon slavery was but too
faithfully reflected in tho unprecedented dis
erection allowed to slave owners in the province
Of Carolina.
The most disappointing page in the story OF
tho struggle between tho spirit of humanity
and the institution OF slavery during the colo
NAL period is presented by the record Of tho
experiment tried in Georgia. Here Mt last was
colony whose corner stone was to he the alb
solute prohibition OF sorvitudc within its bor-
ders. Gen. Oglethorpc its most conspicuous
promoter declared that Slavery is against the
Gospel. a. we'll as the fundamental law OF Eng
land We refused. rs trustees. to make law
permitting such n horrid crime" Another Of
the trustees in n sermon preached In London
in 1884. announced that in tho new colony
" Slavery. the misfortune. If not the dishonor.
OF other plantations. is absolutely prescribed.
n .~..,
est reluctance in humanity against buying and
selling, and regarding those Of our own species
rs our wealth and possessions" Notwith-
standing these fine sentiments, it appears. ac-
cordng 10 DR.. Stevens. tho historian OF Geor-
gia that in tho official publications OF the
Board Of Trustees the prohibition OF slavery
was based solely on political and prudential.
not at all on humane and liberal grounds; and
that the philaRthropic Oglethorpe himself
owned II plantation and negroes In South Caro-
lima some forty miles above Savannah. 1t was
n notion Of English statesmen that Georgia.
being the frontier province In the South. ought
to DO made "a strong barrier against encroach-
ment from the Spanish forts in Florida. and
1t was doomed the best method OF attaining the
object to settle the new colony with white men
exclusively. seeing that the Spanish authorities
had black regiment in their employ, Differed
means exercised much influence on the
slaves Of the English planters. But as in other
colonies. SO in Georgia. it proved imrracticable
to enforce the measure. and in 1749 seventeen
years after the settlement OF the province q
bin repeating the prohibition against the intro
ductfon OF slaves was with the assent OF the
trustees laid before Parliament and passed
Five years later, when the original charter OK
PRED by limitation and new Government WAS
established. one of the first ordinances to be
enacted was n provision that ALI offences
committed by slaves should be tried bv single
Justice. without jury. who was to award
execution" Thenceforward the legislation OF
the colony Of Georgia. begun with such high
professions, was. so far as 1t affected slavery.
II copy of the peculiarly harsh laws Of South
Carolina
Such having been the position Of the negro
slave in law and in public opinion. even in
those colonies where better things might have
been looked for. let us look next at his situa-
tion during the Revolutionary war. The part
OF Mr.. Wliams's book devoted to this branch
OF his subject is particularly useful and inter-
estng. much OF the material being for tho first
time presented in coherent form. II seems
clear for instance. from tho convictions ex-
pressed by the most keen sighted contempo-
rary observers. that tho author is right in
asserting that the struggle with Great Britain
would have been far more promptly ended
had the slave owners consented to q gem
cral enlistment OF their slaves. There were
more than half II million of black slaves in the
colonies at the outbreak OF tho war more than
half OF whom were in Virginia and South
Carolina The British commanders offered
freedom to nll bondmen who would join their
standard, and had the counter step been taken.
of which such men rs Madison Hamilton md