The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1891-10-08
AONR OF ABOLITIONIATa.

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highly the suggestion that . society OF tn
sons of the Abolitionists shall be organized :
perpetuate the memories of those who too
an active part in creating in the Northern
States sentiment OF hostility to the continue
ton of the institution of slavery in the South
ITO hundreds of men and women" remark
the Tribune. ut is as lofty a source Of pride
to say that their fathers were Abolitionists a.
10 soy that their remoter ancestors fought a
Bunker Hill or came over in the Mayiower.
Without seeking to depreclate this pride
which we suppose from the Northern poin
of view is entirely natural. we wish simply e
call attention to a point in this connection
which would seem likely TO an ordinary mind
to infuse an element OF doubt into this exalted
feeling. Would not the establishment of q
society Of the sons of Abolitionists to show
reverence for the principles of the latter. be
a very severe reflection on the grandfather of
these sonsY The question is whether a man
is justified in doing honor to bis father on
grounds which must inevitably If those
grounds be Just sink bis grandfather into
grave disrepute.
There is no fact In the history Of this coun-
try more firmly established than that the
Northern States were slave-holding commu-
mites at the time Of the Revolution and con-
tuued so many years after that event. Slavery
was not abolished in those communities until
the general conditions of their soil and climate
showed by practical experiment that the insti-
tuition Of slavery instead OF assuring profit
entailed steady loss upon the owners of
human chnttels. The people of that section,
and especially OF New England. tho hotbed
subsequently Of the rnDkest aboltionism.
being of thrifty disposition. not as yet leav-
ened by philanthropy. were careful to adopt by
legislative enactment plan for emancipation
which allowed the holders Of slaves ample
time to remove their negroes and sell them in
the Southern markets A very considerable
proportion of our Virginia negroes to-day are
descendants Of Northern slaves, who were
transported TO this State by their owners in
order 10 save themselves from the loss that
would have followed the emancipation meas
ures Of their States il these measures had not
been anticipated
1t is very well known that the abolition,orthe
foreign slave trade was deferred as late as 1903.
against the wishes of Virginia, in order in part
to conform 20 the request of the New England
States. which were at that time heavily en-
gagged in the traffic of the double passage. and
as late as 1850. when Great Britain rcmon-
strated with the Emperor Of Brazil for his
supposed violation of the law of nations by
permitting slaves to be surreptitiously landed
on his coast he returned the reply that the
fault was to be laid not at his door. but at the
door Of the owners of slave ships who resided
in New York and Boston.
1t will be seen from these facts that there
are few sons of Northern Abolitionists. the
most prominent Of whom were to be found
in New England, who If they extended their
ancestral investigations in the past to the
third and fourth generations would not find
themselves to be the grandsons or great
grandsons of slave-owners, slave-catchers, or
men who expressly and openly approved of
both characters. The Mayflower itself on
which it was such an immortal honor, ac-
,ording TO the Tribune. to have had an ances-
Tor on its first voyage to this country. brought |
over a cargo Of slaves on its second voyage. |
and there are few seaboard cities in New |
England to-day whose original bricks. as was |
laid Of Liverpool, were not cemented with |
he blood of negroes.
1t is Il dangerous task for our Northern |
rends to look too closely into the historical
lde Of this matter. A man may pride himself |
ipon being the son Of an Abolitionist, but
What II the records show that he Il the direct
lescendent of long line Of ancestors who
ither traffickcd in human flesh as inter-conti-
rental traders, or deliberately bought and
old them at homo without their consciences
eing pricked 10y those pangs which were
My experienced by their posterity when
he latter had converted their slave property
nto the more useful and valuable form
( factories. banks and slave ships. The role
( philanthropists was not assumed until all
anger Of loss had been avoided by shrewdly
akng advantage of the demands OF the
outhern slave markets.
We would heartily recommend that when
he sons of the Abolitionsts shall establish
heir society they shall also establish a sister
ociety Of the grandsons Of shareholders. II
III not do for them to indulge too far their
motions OF pride. 1t should be tempered by
little wholesome humiliation.
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