The North Star, 1851-01-30, vol. 4 iss. 6 no. 162

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LIST OF AGENTS.
Massachusetts.—R.l. Wallcut,21, Corhill,
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RIGHT IS OF NO SEX; TRUTH IS OF NO COLOR; GOD. IS THE FATHER OF US ALL; AND ALL MEN ARE BRETHREN.
VOL. IV. NO. 6.
ROCHESTER, N. Y., THURSDAY, JANUARY 30, 1851.
WHOLE NO. J 62.
WILLIAM   B.   CLOUGH. PRINTER.
coming forward as a noble advocate
of the rights of the slave. Every
new election gave evidence ofthe fact
that the anti-slavery movement was
progressing. Some might have been
discouraged to a considerable extent
by the passing of  the Fugitive   Slave
AMERICAN  SLAVERY.
On Monday evening the annual
meeting of the Edinburgh Ladies'
Emancipation Society was held in
Nicholson Street Church. The audience was large and respectable; a
considerable amount of interest having
been excited by the intimation that
William and Ellen Crafts, fugitive
slaves from America, were to be present, the former of whom was to deliver
an address. On the platform we observed the Rev. Dr. Ritchie, the Rev.
George Johnston, the Rev. J. R.
Campbell, then Rev. A. Nicol, Councillor Tod, Mr. H. Wigham, Mr. J.
H. Stott, Mr. Millar, Mr. Thompson,
Mr. Purve, Mr. Crowe, missionary
from Guatemala, 8tc, &c.
On the motion of Councillor Tod, the
Rev. Dr. Ritchie was called to the
chair.
The chairman, having opened the
meeting with prayer, observed that although one better qualified than he to
occupy the chair might easily have
been found, there would be some difficulty experienced in pitching upon
one more wi.ling or ready to promote
the great cause which had brought
them together this evening. It was
more than half a century since he first
embarked his energies in the cause of
the poor down-trodden slave, and he
looked back with feelings of pleasure
to the time when he co-operated with
such fifi h as Wilberforce, Zachary
Macaulay, Fowell Buxton, and many I
others, in endeavoring to secure liberty
and freedom for the oppressed. He
need not tell those whom he saw before
him that they were on the right side.
(Applause. (What were they contending for? Just to have it broadly
stated and admitted by all that man is
man—that man has a right over his
own body, his own mind, his own conscience, and his own soul; and that he
is entitled to the produce of the labor
of his own hands. (Hear, hear.) After
making some remarks on the American
Fugitive Slave Bill, the Rev. Dr. called
on the Secretary to read the report for
the last year.
Mr. H. Wigham, Secretary [to the
Society, then read the report of the
proceedings of the Association during
the last year. The report contained
an able synopsis of the progress which
has been recently made in the anti-
slavery cause, and concluded by calling upon the friends of the slave to
exert themselves, even more vigorously than heretofore, in their efforts to
deal a death-blow to the accursed
system, which holds in chains millions
of our fellow creatures.
Mr. J. H. Stott moved that the report be adopted, printed, and circulated. He said that the report was
so excellent, that he need not say a
word in support of his motion, and he
should, therefore, content himself with
advising every lady present, who was
not already connected with the Associa-J
tion, to join it without delay.
Mr. Millar seconded the resolution,
which was unanimously agreed to.
Mr. William WeJls Brown, a fugitive slave, moved the second resolution:—"Being renewedly impressed
with the iniquity of slavery in all its
phases, resolved, that we adopt every
means in our power to promote its overthrow, by circulating information, so
that an enlightened public opinion in
this country may react on that of Amo-
rica, by testifying against all union
with slaveholders, religious, social, or|
commercial, and maintaining a preference for the products of free over those
of slave-labor, by watching over the
interests of our freed colored fellow-
subjects in the West Indies, by continuing to assist the true-hearted laborers in the anti-slavery field, wherever
they are to be found, by our unwearied
vigilance in the cause ofthe oppressed,
and by increasing earnestness in imploring the Divine blessing to crown
our labors with success." After supporting at some length the various propositions embodied in the above resolution, Mr. Brown remarked that at
present there was good ground for
hope as to the ultimate success of the
anti-slavery movement. During the
last five or six years many new instrumentalities had been brought into operation in the the United States; many
new converts had been added to the
ranks ofthe abolitionists; and many individuals who formerly cared nothing
for his enslaved countrymen were now
laboring zealously to procure their
emancipation. Every session of Congress they heard of some new member
Bill, but he (Mr. Brown) believed that
the passing of thac measure was to be
looked upon as a last desperate struggle on the part of the slaveholders.
(Hear, hear.) It appeared, in fact,
to be a manoeuvre by certain parties
who wished to get into the Presidential
chair, but he believed that very move
would have the effect of throwing these
parties aside. The passage of that bill
had roused up a feeling n the Free
States that wa3 never known before.
It had stirred up the white to examine
carefully into the condition of the
colored people in the United States,
and it had stirred up the colored people
to watch more narrowly over their own
rights and to labor more zealously for
the overthrow of slavery. It had also
put new life into the efforts of the abolitionists, and the effect of this revived
energy was to be seen in the recent
elections. These were cheering signs
ofthe times, and he would urge upon
the friends ofthe slave to take encouragement from the eheering tidings that
daily reached them, and manfully to
go forward.  (Applause.)
Mr. Purves seconded the resolution,
which was unanimously agreed to.
Mr. William Crafts, who was received with loud cheers, next addressed
the meeting. He said—It affords me
great pleasure to meet with you here
this evening, not because I feel capable
of interesting you with a speech, but
because I feel myself in the midst of
friends, amongst whom I can exclaim,
Thank God, I am free! (applause.) It
is only two years since I escaped from
slavery, and previous to my escape I
was unable to read a syllable. I hope,
then, if I should speak ungrammatically, or so as not to be clearly understood, that my friends will attribute it,
not to any neglect of mine or of my
parents, but to that accursed' system
which kept me in a state of ignorance.
(Hear, hear.) My wife and I escaped
together from Georgia, and came on
to Boston, a distance of 200 ijiiles. We
remained quietly in Boston for about
two years, till the passage of the Fugitive Slave Bill. A couple of ruffians,
who were hired by the men that claimed us as slaves to come to Boston and
arrest us, got out warrants for our apprehension and placed them in the
hands ofthe District Marshal; but, for
some reason or other, the Marshal refused to execute them. He knew that
we had been slaves,, and that, from
knowing what slavery was, I was prepared to protect myself and wife at all
hazards against a United States Marshal or anybody else that attempted to
drag us back to bondage. (Loud applause.) A Committee of Vigilance
was formed in Boston for the purpose
of protecting us and other fugitive
slaves who should be claimed under the
new law; but we were compelled in the
end to flee to a country where we could
feel ourselves in greater security. But
I suppose it will be more interesting if
I give an account of the manner in
which we made our escape from Georgia. (Applause.) My wife belonged to
one family and I to. another, and we
contrived plans for many years, both
before and after our marriage, to escape lrom Georgia. At last we came
to the conclusion that my wife should
disguise herself in gentlemen's ap-
pearel, (Mrs. Crafts being a white woman,) and that I should attend her as
her servant. I set to work, therefore,
and collected the clothes necessary to
enable us to accomplish our purpose,
bying one article of dress at one time
and another at another. When everything was ready my wife told her mistress that her aunt, who lived at a
place about twelve miles off, was very
ill, and that she was exceedingly anxious to go and see her before she died.
Her mistress refused at first to let her
away, but my wife, after a great deal
of crying, succeeded in getting her
consent. I then told the man for whom
I was working, who had hired me from
m> master, that my wife was going to
see her sick aunt,, and that I wished to
go along with her, and at last I was
permitted to go. But my wife, insead
of going to see her aunt, went to see
her uncle in Philadelphia. (Laughter.)
She got herself dressed as a gentleman, and pretending that she was suffering severely from inflammatory
rheumatism, told the people we came
in contact with, while travelling northwards, that she was going to consult
her uncle, who was an eminent physician in Philadelphia. The morning
after we received permission to pay a
visit to her aunt, 1 cut her hair square
off, dressed her up in the clothes I had
procured, and provided her with a pair
of green spectacles. A poltice was applied to her right hand, for not being
able to write, we were afraid that she
would be discovered when requested to
register her name at the hotels, &c.
We travelled first to Savannah, and
then took the steam-boat to Charleston
in South Carolina. When we arrived
there, our luggage was taken off, and
we went to a hotel. When he got to
the hotel, we had a room to ourselves,
and the first thing I did was to purchase
two hot poltices, one for the face of my
poor master, and the other to bind up
her hand. (Laughter.) I then went
to the kitchen and blackened my master's boots. My master was asked
down to dinner, and took it along with
a number of gentleman, who were in
the hotel, while I was sent to the kitchen to eat some  scraps with a rusty
knile and fork.    But I did not eat very
much; I was not  very   hungry   about
that time.    (Applause.)   After  dinner
I went to see how master was  getting
along, and it was soon time for us  to
go down to the steam-boat again. She
was so lame on account ofthe  inflammatory reheumatism, that as we  went
down to the steam-boat I had  to  hold
her by the  arm   to prevent her from
falling.    (Laughter.)    When we went
to   the steam-boat office,   my   master
asked-for a ticket for herself and servant   to    Philadelphia.    1  was  asked
where we came   from, and  I  said  we
came from   Atalanta, which is distant
| about a hundred miles from the   place
we belonged to, so that if they thought
of telegraphing back, they  might   be
put on   a  wrong   scent.     When   we
were about to leave the office, my wife
was asked to register her name.    She
pointed to her poulticed hand,  and requested the clerk to do it for her, but
he said it was not in accordance  with
his   duly.    The captain of   the  boat,
however, who was in  the  office, said
he would nut down the name, and  ac-
cordingljrentered the name   "William
Johnston" in the clerk's  books.    We
soon arrived at Wilmerton, where  we
took the railway cars, and travelled on
through Virginia.    A: Petersburg an
old gentleman with some  nice  daughters got  into  the  car  along with us.
The old gentleman commenced a con
versation with my master, who told him
we were from Georgia,   and that  she
was going to see her   uncle  in  Phila
delphia,   in   order to be cured  of her
inflammatory   rheumatism.      The  old
gentleman said, "Ah! I kaow what that
is;    1 know how   to   sympathize  with
you."    And if he   did know what in
flammatory rheumatism was,  he  knew
more than my master did.    After some
conversation  the old  gentleman   suggested to my master that she should lie
down on the sofa at the end of the car,
and asked if she would not suffer  him
to take off her   boots, for the  sake of
giving her   ease.    She very   willingly
consented, so as to be   freed from the
necessity  of   talking.    After she  had
lain down for some time, I   heard  one
of the young ladies remarking,   "that
is a very nice young man, I never felt
so much for a young man in my  life."
(Great laughter.)    After lying  on the
sofa for a considerable time, my master
rose, and got some cakes and  candies
for the young   ladies.    They  enjoyed
themselves together very finely, till at
last the old gentleman with his  daughters got out   at   Richmond,  Virginia;
before he left us he  gave   my  master
his address, and said he and his daughters would be very happy to receive   a
visit from  him,   whenever   he should
find   it convenient.     My   master,   of
course, thanked him  very kindly   and
promised to give him a call when she
went that   way   again.    But I   guess
that she won't go that way again   very
soon.     (Laughter.)     We    went   on,
then, to Fredericksburgh—from Fred-
ericksburgh we went  to   Washington,
and   thence to   Baltimore, where   we
arrived on the third day from the time
when we made our escape.    At  Baltimore officers were appointed to  prevent fugitive slaves  from  escaping to
Philadelphia, and as we were stepping
into the cars a man accosted me and
asked me where I was going.    I said I
belonged to a   sick young  gentleman
who was travelling to Philadelphia.    I
was then told that it was   against  the
rules to let any slaves pass along without having first been   examined at the
office.    So   we   went  to the  railway
office, and the  clerk  asked,   "Is this
your   servant?"   ,  She   said   I   was.
"Well,' said  he,   "it   is  against our
rules to allow any slave  to   go  along
here, unless security is given, that all
is right.    You must get some  gentleman who knows you to certify that you
have a right to take   this  slave   along
with you."      She said she had bought
tickets in Charleston to  carry  herself
and her servant through   to Philadelphia, and that she was acquainted with
several gentlemen, but did   not  know
that it was necessary   to   bring them
along with her to certify that she  was
master of her own slave.    "You must
stay   here then," said the clerk,   "as
it is against our rules to let you pass."
But in the end,   after   some   minutes'
consultation with the other clerks,  he
said, "Well, 1 don't know what   to do
about it; he is a sick young fellow, and
I suppose I must tell the conductor to
let him   and   his   slave pass  along."
About five o'clock next morning we arrived in Philadelphia,   and  went  to a
hotel, for colored people, to  which we
had been   recommended by   a  fellow-
passenger.    After being in  the   house
tor a short   time, 1 told   the  landlord
who we were.    He   introduced   us   to
Mr. William Wells Brown and  other
friends; but it was thought   the safest
plan that we should go  on to Bosion,
where  we resided in peace and quiet
till the passage of the Fugitive  Slave
Bill.    Mr. Crafts concluded by stating
that he always felt embarrassed in relating the manner of their escape, on
account ofthe deception   which   they
were obliged to use; but  he  believed
that the greatest portion of the guilt of
that deception belonged to the   system
under which they had formerly groaned.
Considerable    disappointment    was
felt on account ofthe aDsence of Ellen
Crafts, who was detained   by  illness.
It was stated, however, that   she  was
expected to be present at  the meeting
gress; and deeply sympathize with all
who are now suffering, and liable tf:
suffer, from its enforcement, while we
cordially welcome William end Ellen
Crafts to these shores, where they are
safe from the pursuit of the inhuman
slavehunter." In reference to the last
part of his resolution, Mr. Johnston
said that he need not ask this meeting
to welcome William and Ellen Crafts
to our shores, and to say to them, 'We
give you a cordial welcome; here yon
can breathe the air of freedom." They
must have left, when they Kfct their
feet on the shores of (Brh»*i ,. how true
were the words ot the poet Oo-vper—-
"England cannot, bear a slave;
He that breathes tlieairof England must be firer "
(Applause.) And free they were. Wo
Fugitive Slave Bill could reach them
here. He would call, therefore, upon
this meeting to congratulate WjHiam
and Ellen Crafts on the freedom which
they had so heroically obtained for
themselves. He would say nothing ol
the means by which they obtained their
freedom. He would make no remark
upon the system of deception wnich
they were compelled to practice while
journeying over those thousand perilous
miles; but, if there was one thing
more than another which they had
heard to-night that calculated to fix in
their minds an utter detestation of the
horrid system of slavery, it was this
very circumstance that they had been
compelled to practice so much deception
in gaining their freedom. (Applause.)
The Rev. J. R. Campbell said he
thought what had been Stated about
eloquence and grammaUcalness and all
that sort of thing in reference to Mr.
Crafts was quite unnecessary, for it did
not require grammar to make a man, a
Christian, or an eloquent pleader, and
such a pleader they had heard to-night.
(Applause.) In regard to the system
of deception which had been practiced,
it struck him (Mr. Campbell) that
there was a somewhat ingenious and
very intelligible allegory running
throughout the greater part ofthe story.
He was quite sure, from what he had
heard, that Ellen Crafts was a man
every inch of her. so that there was no
deception in that part ofthe story.
(Loud applause.) As to her being sick
of inflammatory rheumatism, it war j
pretty evident that she was heartily j
sick ofthe accursed system of slavery. (
(Hear, hear.) Her right arm was!
buckled up; and was not the right arm
ofher power, and strength, and vi> .
weakened and diseased when she c%.   !\
their offspring, to instruction in life,
and to consolation in death. Whatevei
each man can do without trespassing
on others, he has a right to a fair portion of all which society, with all its
combinations of skill and force, can do
m his favor. In this partnership all men
have equal rights, though not equal
things." Such are the principles, and
such the language of enlightened men,
and they find an echo in the common
sense and conscience of mankind. But
slavery negatives a fundamental right;
it deprives men of their liberty; it reduces them to the condition of chattels;
will fail to use his most earnest and un
tiring exertions to terminate a system
which outrages all that is sacred in
man's nature, and all that is righteous
in God's law.
Under this criminal system multitudes of the African race have been
murdered and enslaved, and millions of
that race and its descendants are yet
retained within its iron grasp, and the
important question arises, "How is. it
to be dealt with?" Our reply is brief
and plain, If you have the power,
"Abolish it immediately and completely:" if you have  not the power "Seek
it robs them of a'l   property  in  them-Mts  immediate   and  entire  abolition."
selves, in   the  labors  of their  hands, |f Accept no excuse for delay, j Allow of
not call her husband
he was the   slave of
(Applause.)    When |
he was her   servant,
her own,—
ie»' husban
that   wa&
wf
husbands said to their waives ev
(Laughter.)    The circumstancb ui
applying poultices  to  her   hand    a
face to   get   rid of  the   inflammator
rheumatism, might   teach   the  lesson
that it would require something  bette
than Colonization Societies   and  sj
like, to heal slavery. (4pplause.)   y   e
was, therefore,   perfectly   satisfied  of
the truthfulness   of the   whole  story,
viewing it as an  allegory.    (Laughter
and applause.)    He was not disposed,
then, to be very casuistical or censorious in the matter,   but  he  thoroughly
went along with the sentiment expressed by Mr. Johnston, that if there  was
one thing more than another that should
lead them determinedly, and with their
whole hearts, to hate  the  abominable
system of slavery, it was the  circumstance that a man   and woman, impelled by the strong instincts that God had
implanted in  their  hearts,   should  be
driven to such deception  in   order  to
secure for themselves their inalienable
rights as human beings.     (Applause.)
Mr. Crowe, missionary from Guatemala, supported the resolution, which
was unanimously adopted.
On the motion of Mr. Thompson, a
vote of thanks was then cordially
passed to the Rev. Dr. Ritchie for his
conduct in the chair, and the meeting
separated.—Scottish Press.
and the resources ol their iutellect, by
censtituting them the property of other
men; it makes them merchantable
commodities, things to be used or
abused at the discretion or caprice ol
their masters; it is an atrocious exemplification ofthe law of force and fraud
in opposition to that of equity and justice.
It is unncessary to dwell upon the
incidents of slavery — its oppressive
cruelties—the awful degradation it inflicts on the slave, and the revolting
character it impresses on his master—
but it should ever be remembered that
its victims are innocent human beings
have never forfeited thoir freedom by
crime; and that their slavery is not
only perpetual, but is perpetuated in
their equally innocent offspring. The
original injustice is continued from
generation to generation, and its guiit
consequently heightened by its continuance. It should also be remembered
that in those countries where slavery
does not require the importation of new
victims to repair the wastes of mortality, it sanctions a slave-trade in some of
its featuaes more revolting than that
which has so long desolated Africa,
which all men indignantly condemn,
and the nations of Europe and America have agreed to punish.
As slavery violates a fundamental
law of man's nature, so it expressly
contravenes the revealed will of God.
That will requires that every man
.should love his nighbor as himself. Now
" love worketh no ill to his neighbor,"
neither to his person, his property, or
his life. It respects them all. It does
more: it endeavors as opportunity-presents, to advance the interests and enlarge the happiness of all mankind,
without distinction of race, or clime, or
color. Its office and its delight i« to instruct the ignorant—to relieve the op-
dress/>ed—to bind up the broken-hearted
"•-•■ proclaim liberty to the captive
and the opening of the prison-doors to
them that are bound     It is in every re-
 ,    . of slavery.
.Miy be said  that  the Divine
v sanctions the principle of slavery,
no apology for its continuance. 'Slavery IS A SIN AGAINST GoD AND OUGHT
THEREFORE TO BE INSTANTLY ABANDONED and abolished. To maintain any
other doctrine were treason against the
Most High, and an outrage on every
principle of sound morals, for no modification of slavery can alter or destroy
its original and essential iniquity, and
no amelioration of its character can
justify its existence.
But it may be said that slavery is
the creature of law, and what the law
makes property is property. This is
the plea ofthe slaveholder; but we utterly repudiate and deny the impious
assumption. The laws of nature and
of God are paramount and universal,
and we assert, that no legislative body,
however constituted, possess the moral
competency to condemn by law the innocent to punishment, to convert robbery into justice, or to make men property. On this plea also the slaveholder
rests his right to compensation in the
event of emancipation, and unhappily
not a few think him entitled to it. In
the mouth ofthe poor slave who has become the victim of this unrighteous law,
the plea were just, for all shall compensate him for the years he has toiled under the coercion of the whip, for his
children sold away to strangers,and for
the debasement and cruelty to which he
has been subjected. But however the
question of compensation may be disposed of, it is clear that the freedom of
the slave ought not to depend on its payment. His claim to be considered in
this great matter is "prior in time, paramount in title, and superior in equity,,
to that of the slaveholder. Liberty,
immediate, absolute, unconditional liberty, is his right, and to deny him this
is sovereign injustice.
It may be further alleged, that the
slaves for whose rights we so earnestly
contend, are unfit for freedom,and that
therefore means must be taken to prendre them for it. " But how can the
preparation here contended for, take
place under the system of slavery.    It
age—the American United States, in
all its sham, vain glory and pretence
for liberty and equal rights.    The specimens of proof will be the fugitives,
Pennington,   Garnet,   Wells   Brown,
Box  Brown,   Crafts,   &c,  &c.    The
history of each and all of these would
electrify the choice gatherings from-all
the nations which would doubtless attend.    If England could be aroused to
| a sense of duty by a single pamphlet
from the pen of a woman, and moved
to the disenthrallment of nearly a million of human beings from " Slavery's
chains," why may we not hope for a
like glorious result to millions by the
combined power of the world, put forth
in the language of entreaty, indignation
and demand?   However flatteringly we
may note the successes of anti-slavery
effort   in   this  country, have we  pro-'
gressed in view of the greatness of our
cause,   and  the  spirit  of the  age in
which we live?   In physical and mental
advancement,   who   disbelieves    anything?    What new discovery breaks in
upon us to be denied or ridiculed?    In
many   enterprizes  for  the  moral  improvement of the world, the means and
success  have  followed so closely that
surprise seeks no explanation, but excites new desires and expectations.—
Can we not make some dash upon the
world and strike home upon the American heart,   by that awakened world's
power, in the name of Justice,   Humanity and God, for the overthrow of
Slavery, the  destruction  of Prejudice
and   fair,   equal, just   recsgnition   of
man's rights, without regard to condition or the color of the skin, which one
common   God   and   Father  has
him.      Ever truly yours,
Robt. Purvis.
given
Slave Purchasing in Pittsburg.—
A fine mulatto lad named Geo. White,
a fugitive slave from Wellsburg, Va.,
was for some time working at Mr. J.B.
Vashon's Barber Shop in this city. At
the time the Fugitive Slave Bill went
info operation, George left and went to
Canada. By the following documents
it will be seen that Mr. Vashon has recalled him and made him a freeman.
The generosity of his conduct towards
a poor boy of his own color is worthy
of all praise.
"Know all men by these presents.
That I, E. M. P. Rose, of Wellsburg,
Brooke County, Va., have manumitted,
emancipated and set free, and by these
presents do manumit, emancipate and
set free, a negro man, named George,
and sometimes called George White,
and hereby declare him, the said Geo.
White, to be entirely liberated from
slavery and entitled to all the privileges and rights of a free person, with
which it is in my power to vest him.
" He, the said George White, hereby emancipated, is a boy of light complexion, about four feet six inches high,
and will be fourteen years of age in
February next.
" In testimony whereof, 1 have hereunto set my hand and seal, this 10th
day of February, 1851.
E. M. P. Rose, [Seal.]
Attest: Thomas Steel."
"Brooke County, ss:—E. M. P.
Rose, party to the annexed deed of
manumission, this day appeared before
me, a Justice of the Peace of said
county, within the State of Virginia,
and acknowledged the same to be his
act ^lnd deed.
"Done in my office in Wellsburg, in
the county of Brooke, aforesaid, this
10th day of January, 1851.
Samuel L. Marks."
" I hereby ackno'vlc \fe to .<«»♦»
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ 6eived from J.  B.   VaVucn*  of Pjtj
is  slavery  which ,has  debased "them, j-ourgh, Pa , the   sum  of two  h»nd^d
and yet it is in slavery  they are to be
and only   wars with  its'abuses.    We j prepared for the enjoymenVof" liberty^
IMMEDIATE ABOLITION OF
SLAVERY.
The absolute right of every human
being to personal liberty has been too
clearly ascertained, and is too gen-
eraily acknowledged, to require either
argument or illustration in its support.
God has created all men equal, and endowed them with life that they might
enjoy it, in subordination to his will;
and liberty that th% might use it, for
promoting the ^ceat ends of their existence as rational and accountable creatures. Human laws may declare these
natural rights to be inviolable, but
they need not this aid to be more effectually vested in every man than they
are. "On the contrary," as remarks
the great jurist, Blackstone," " no human legislature has the power to
abridge or destroy them, unless the
owner himself shall commit some criminal act that amounts to a forfeiture.
To maintain the opposite doctrine
would be to confound competency with
force, and to allow that might were
right. In contemplating the end for
which civil government was instituted,
Edmund Burke eloquently observes,
" If civil society be made for the advantage of man, all the advantages
for which it is made become his
right It is an institution of beneficence; and the law itself is only beneficence acting by  rule.    Men  have   a
right to live by that  rule; they have a
^^^   ^^^ right to justice, as between their fel-
in Brighton Street Church on Thurs-llows,   whether their  fellows    are    in
day night.
The Rev. George Johnston moved
the next resolution:—"That we reprobate in the strongest manner the Fugitive Slave Law, which has recently
been passed by the United States' Con-
politic function or in ordinary occupation; they have a right to the fruits of
their industry, and the means of making
their industry fruitful; they have a right
to the acquisitions of their parents, to
the nourishment and improvement of
simply deny the statement, and observe
that whatever form of servitude it admitted under the Jewish dispensation,
whether as the punishment of crime, or
as the result voluntary contract, it
allowed no property in man, uttered
forth its most awful denunciations
against the traders in the person of
man. That law, moreover, surrounded
the bondsman, with every possible
safeguard against the tyranny and
cruelty of the master, by limiting the
period of his engagements, and securing instant release whenever injury
was inflicted. In the lowest relation
which the law permitted man to sustain
towards his fellow-man, it always distinguished him from " the brutes that
perish," and required that in all things
he should be treated as a free, a rational, and an accountable creature. We
observe further, that the servitude referred to had not its origin in a slave-
trade, such as that which has now existed for nearly four centuries, between
Africa and the Continent and Islands
of America. The slavery which now
exists had its root in a crime which incurred the Divine displeasure and
drew upon it the severest penalty of
His law; and the atrocious system is
still fed and sustained by the same
crime in one or another of the worst
forms. The slave-vessels of Brazil and
the Spanish Colonies infest the shores
of Africa for their prey, and the traffic-
ers in men of the United States ply
their unhallowed trade to procure a
supply of slaves for the far south. If
the horrors of the middle passage do
not characterize this traffic, other horrors mark the transit of the victims
from one State to another. In every
slave-coffle, how many husbands have
been torn from their reputed wives and
wives from their husbands?—for, alas!
the sanctity of the marriage tie is legally unknown, and practically disregarded by the masters of slaves. How
many parents from their children, and
children from their parents? The fetters which bind their limbs are light
compared with the sorrows that break
their hearts. All of these slaves, men,
women and children, are innocent of
crime. Contrary to justice, humanity,
and religion, they have been subjected
to a merciless despotism, despoiled of
their rights, and deprived of hope.—
Some of these, it may be, have had
their hearts melted by the grace of
the gospel, and have become the disciples of Him who came to redeem men
"from all iniquity," and these too have
been put up for sale in the common
market place, and their price enhanced
by their being Christians. What man
with the feelings of a man, what Christian with the principles becoming a
Christian, but must shudder at the
daring impiety which can expose for
sale to the highest bidder, beings created "in the image of God," and redeemed by the- precious blood of the
Savior; and what man,  what Christian
No; the best, the only preparation for
freedom is freedom. But in point of
fact the slaves are fit for freedom; and
the best proof is this, that, whether as
agriculturists or artizans, they have
not only sustained themselves but have
enriched their masters. They want
neither the skill nor the ability to care
for themselves. All they want is the
unfettered use of their limbs; the free
use of their minds; unrestrained access
to the fountains of knowledge, in common with their fellow-men; and the
protection of equal and just laws, to
become an honorable and useful part
of the body politic. And to this they
are entitled, without stint and without
delay.
LETTER FROM ROBERT PURVIS.
We commend the following letter to
the consideration of our English friends,
also to the noble fugitives now in England. We think that the proposition
therein contained of a grand meeting
in Exeter Hall, on the Fugitive Slave
Law, might be productive of great
good in touching the sense Of shame,
if not the senso of justice, in this
country.—f.d.
Byberry, Jan. 11, 1851.
J. M. McKim —My dear friend:—
The abominable conservatism of the
messages of the Goverors of this and
the State of New York, in reference to
the Fugitive Slave Law; the recent
decision in the Long case; the alacrity
with which the U. S. Officers performed
the "disagreeable duty;" the ready
volunteering of Long's extradition; the
anxiety with which our Municipal Police in rendering service for Northern
Editors declare that there was no "attempt of a breach of the peace,"
that the law was upheld, &.c; the increased persecution of our race in
considerable many of the States; the
busy and active zeal of Colonization,
now warmed into life; and, worse than
all, the settled and determined calm
which now pervades all classes of
Northern society, and all parties, in
regard to the atrocious Fugitive Slave
Bill, augers its reception and support
by the American people. Now, what
can be done? The concentrated moral
sentiment of the world, brought to bear
upon this nation in regard to slavery,
would stagger, perhaps prove fatal, to
the bloody system. There is no class
of men in this country more solicitous
of a good name and cordial greeting in
Europe, than the slavehojding American—this, too, to a very great extent,
is a very desirable thing to the non-
slaveholder, In the approaching great
World's Convention, a large representation from this country will be
there—a larger, and among them the
best talent and influence, from every
nation, civilized or uncivilized, under
heaven, will be there. What opportunity more fitting and glorious to hold
a series of meetings at '' Exeter Hall,"
dollars in cash, in •"••!! consideration for
the above deed o^ manumission tt..<>
the boy George thero1'^ r.zzr,~'*~
Witness my hand and seal '^'a 10th
day of January, A. D. 1851.
E. M. P. Rose, V'Seal.J
Witness: Thomas Steel,''"
"City of Pittsburgh, ss:—Personally
appeared before me, an Alderman in
and for said city, E. M. P. Rose, and
acknowledged the foregoing receipt to
be his act and deed, desiring that the
same might be received and recorded
as such Witness my hand and seal
this fourteenth day of January, A. D.
1851. Thomas Steel, Aid.
IQ3* The following is from a friend,
dated
San Francisco, Nov. 28, 1850.
"Frederick Douglass. — It is said
that the slave-catchers recently went
North in search of this negro, who has
been petted by the English and Northern abolitionists for the past three or
four years. We trust his former owners will be successful in their search,
and rescue their property. His insolence and abuse of the North, and denunciations of the Union, should condemn him to perpetual labor in the
most menial capacity at the South.—
God-speed the slave-catcher in this instance."
Frederick Douglass,—Esteemed
Friend:—The above precious relict of
California Christianity I have cut from
a daily paper published in this city,
called the Pacific Daily News, edited
by J. Winchester, assisted by H. L.
Winants and C. M. Blake. I was so
completely astonished at it, that I concluded to send it to you. You can
make your own comments. Please
send a paper to the News and to me
also. You may not be awara that the
colored man has no oath in California
against a white man—disfranchised and
of no earthly use. My love to all the
friends.
Believe me ever yours for downtrodden humanity,
Geo. W. Goines.
Southern Spirit.—The Legislature
of Vermont recently passed resolutions
in favor of peace, and directed the
Governor to forward a copy to the
Governor of each State in the Union.
The Legislature of Virginia has adopted a resolution unanimously instructing
the Governor to return the Peace
Resolutions to Vermont, with a declaration that when Vermout shall prove
her willingness to consult the peace of
the Union by doing justice to the Constitution, it will be time enough for
Virginia to consult with her on the
peace ofthe world.
ICJ* Late English journals inform
us that Queen Victoria has appointed
Alfred Tennyson to the office of Poet
Laureate, made vacant by the death of
Wordsworth. The term of Poet Laureate signifies a poet employed to com-
for   the
u pose  poems   tor   the   birthdays of a
to show up the greatest curiosity ofthe sovereign, or other special occasions,