The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1915-03-18
THE NORTH AND NEGRO SLA VERY.

in the town of Rochester. BY the mill Is
an inexaustible quantity of Pinewood.-l
And also, Stout, Healthy, Active, Negro
Wench. Any person inclined to purchase,
may know the particulars by applying to
John Schoonmaker, jun, at Rochester,
November 10, 1799."
The above advertisement, which we ex-
tract from the Ulster County (New York;
Gazette, dated January, 1900, shows the
Inconsistency of the Abolition demagogues
of later day, in their blood thirsty anti
slavery war against the South, while they
were we'll aware of the fact that their FORE
fathers had formerly actively engaged in
the slave trade; that Yankee vessels in the
early days OF the country constantly
brought stolen negroes from the coast of
Africa to America. Having amassed CO.
lossal fortunes by bringing to America tens
of thousands of African slaves, and selling
them to the early planters OF the South,
these ''pious" New England hypocrites,
concluded to ''assume virtue though they
had it not" by denouncing the system of
human slavery as ''the sum of all villain
ies,'' and anathematizing the men who
purchased African slaves from them.
The English prosecuted the slave trade
with tireless activity as long as they held
possession of the country. The trade sub
sequenty fell into the hands of New Eng
land dealers, from whom many of the most
wealthy, educated and arstocratic families
in Massachusetts,, Rhode Island and other
New England States are descended, who
are in the habit of claiming the "bluest
blood" and the loftiest descent. Many of
the weathiest and most highly educated
people in those States would affect to be
greatly shocked to-day at the mere sug-
gestion that their lineage could be traced
to the fountain source of vulgar and mer-
cenary slave traders, the trafficers in hu
man flesh and immortal souls.
A publication, "The Economic and So
cial History of New England, 1921 1884,
by William B. Weeden, throws some light
on the early views of our New England
friends as to the subject of slavery. The
Pusitans in the early colonial history of
New England were not so averse to the
system of African slavery as some of their
descendants of the present day affect to be.
In word, they We're not opposed to African
slavery at all, so long as it was profitable
to them and they were permitted to pose as
masters of the bondmen. They were in
different, too, to the color of their slaves,
for they would as readily buy an Indian
captive as an African stolen from his ma
tive jungles. 1t is learned from the VOL
umes of Mr.. Weeden-good New England
authority-that as lofty personages as the
: Winthrops, and other Puritan colonists,
asked and received Indian captives for
slaves as freely as any partisan went for
loot or plumber. Indians were enslaved on
all sides as long as the local tribes lasted !;
then Maine and other districts, fur
nished captives for a never-ceasing de-
mand for labor. Cotton Mather employed
his black servant, showing as little regard
for the rights of man as the Boston mer-
merchant, or the Narragansett planter -
1t is learned from the same author, that
Peter Faneuil, the original builder of the
hall which bears his name, and which has
been called ''the cradle of liberty for
more than century, was half owner Of a
slave ship which made regular voyages to
the African coast, carrying cargo of New
England rum to be exchanged for African
slaves.
Mr.. Weeden makes mention of reputa-
BILE "elder who sent ventures to the coast
with uniform success" and who was in the
habit Of returning thanks the first Sunday
after the arrival of his slave ship in New
port, "that an overruling Providence had
been pleased to bring to this land of free.
dom another cargo of benighted heather t.
enjoy the blessings Of a gospel dispensation.
In the African slave trade, as carried or
by the early Puritans, rum was a prime
factor, and Mr.. Weeden mentions Capt
Simeon Potter, who was engaged in the
slave trade, as instructing the master o.
his vessel to make we cheat trade with the
blacks, and little or none with the white
people, if possible to be avoided. Wortel
ye rum as much as possible, and sell a:
much by the short mesuer as you cam
And yet our Puritanic brethren of New
England, are wont, when they meet the
people of the South, whether the meeting
be in the market place or the church, i
matters not, they will surely indulge in The
language of the original pharisee, God,
thank Thee that am holier than any slave
hnlIar hot lund sod -