Volume II Part 6 (1/2)
But Mr. Greeley's philosophy was as destructive as his logic was defective. He wished the slave free, not because he loved him; but because of the deep concern he had for the welfare of the free, white working-men of America. He was willing the Negro should be free, but never suggested any plan of relief for his social condition, or prescribed for his spiritual and intellectual health. He handled the entire Negro problem with the icy fingers of the philosopher, and always applied the flinty logic of abstract political economy. He was an _anti-slavery_ advocate, but not an _abolitionist_. He was opposed to slavery, as a system at war with the social and commercial prosperity of the nation; but so far as the humanity of the question, in reaching out after the slave as an injured member of society, was concerned, he was silent.
THE AGGRESSIVE ANTI-SLAVERY PARTY had its birth in the pugnacious brains of E. P. Lovejoy, James G. Birney, Ca.s.sius M. Clay, and John Brown. All of the anti-slavery parties had taught the doctrine of _non-resistance_; that if ”thy enemy smite thee on thy cheek, turn the other also.” But there were a few men who believed they were possessed of sacred rights, and that it was their duty to defend them, even with their lives. It was not a popular doctrine; and yet a conscientious few practised it with sublime courage whenever occasion required. In 1836 James G. Birney, editor of _The Philanthropist_, published at Cincinnati, Ohio, defended his press, as best he could, against a mob, who finally destroyed it. And on the 7th of November, 1837, the Rev.
Mr. Lovejoy sealed the sacred doctrine of the liberty of the press with his precious blood in the defence of his printing-press at Alton, Illinois. Ca.s.sius M. Clay went armed, and insisted upon his right to freely and peaceably discuss the cause of anti-slavery.
But these men only laid down a great, fundamental truth; it was given to John Brown to write the lesson upon the hearts of the American people, so that they were enabled, a few years later, to practise the doctrine of _resistance_, and preserve the _Nation_ against the b.l.o.o.d.y aggressions of the Southern Confederacy.
THE COLONIZATION ANTI-SLAVERY SOCIETY ante-dated any of the other organizations. Benjamin Lundy was one of the earliest advocates of colonization. The object of colonizationists was to transport to Liberia, on the West Coast of Africa, all manumitted slaves. Only _free_ Negroes were to be colonized. It was claimed by the advocates of the scheme that this was the only hope of the free Negro; that the proscription everywhere directed against his social and intellectual endeavors cramped and lamed him in the race of life; that in Liberia he could build his own government, schools, and business; and there would be nothing to hinder him in his ambition for the highest places in Church or State. Moreover, they claimed that the free Negro owed something to his benighted brethren who were still in pagan darkness; that a free Negro government on the West Coast of Africa could exert a missionary influence upon the natives, and thus the evangelization of Africa could be effected by the free Negro himself.[21]
To this method Henry Clay, of Kentucky, Horace Mann, of Ma.s.sachusetts; Rev. Howard Malcom, of Pennsylvania; Rev. R. R. Gurley, of New York; and many other persons of distinction, gave their endors.e.m.e.nt and a.s.sistance. The American Colonization Society was organized in 1817.
Its earliest supporters were from the Southern and Middle States. A fair idea can be had of the character of the men who sustained the cause of colonization by an examination of the following list of officers elected in March, 1834.
”_President._--JAMES MADISON, of Virginia.
”_Vice-Presidents._--Chief-Justice MARSHALL; General LAFAYETTE, of France, Hon. WM. H. CRAWFORD, of Georgia; Hon. HENRY CLAY, of Lexington, Kentucky; Hon. JOHN C. HERBERT, of Maryland; ROBERT RALSTON, Esq., of Philadelphia; Gen. JOHN MASON, of Georgetown, D. C.; SAMUEL BAYARD, Esq., of New Jersey; ISAAC MCKIM, Esq., of Maryland; Gen. JOHN HARTWELL c.o.c.kE, of Virginia; Rt. Rev. Bishop WHITE, of Pennsylvania; Hon. DANIEL WEBSTER, of Boston; Hon.
CHARLES F. MERCER, of Virginia; JEREMIAH DAY, D.D., of Yale College; Hon. RICHARD RUSH, of Pennsylvania; Bishop MCKENDREE; PHILIP E. THOMAS, Esq., of Maryland; Dr. THOMAS C. JAMES, of Philadelphia; Hon. JOHN COTTON SMITH, of Connecticut; Hon.
THEODORE FRELINGHUYSEN, of New Jersey; Hon. LOUIS MCLANE, of Was.h.i.+ngton City; GERRIT SMITH, of New York; J. H. M'CLURE, Esq., of New Jersey; Gen. ALEXANDER MACOMB, of Was.h.i.+ngton City; MOSES ALLEN, Esq., of New York; Gen. WALTER JONES, of Was.h.i.+ngton City; F. S. KEY, Esq., of Georgetown, D. C.; SAMUEL H. SMITH, Esq., of Was.h.i.+ngton City; JOSEPH GALES, Jr., Esq., of Was.h.i.+ngton City; Rt.
Rev. WM. MEADE, D.D., a.s.sistant Bishop of Virginia; Hon.
ALEXANDER PORTER, of Louisiana; JOHN MCDONOUGH, Esq., of Louisiana; Hon. SAMUEL L. SOUTHARD, of New Jersey.
”_Managers._--Rev. JAMES LAURIE, D.D.; Gen. WALTER JONES; FRANCIS S. KEY; Rev. WM. HALEY; JOHN UNDERWOOD; WILLIAM W. SEATON; WALTER LOWRIE; Dr. PHINEAS BRADLEY; Dr. THOMAS SEWALL.
”_Secretaries._--Rev. RALPH R. GURLEY, WILLIAM H. MACFARLAND.
”_Treasurer._--JOSEPH GALES, Senior.
”_Recorder._--PHILLIP R. FENDALL.”
The Colonization Society was never able to secure the sympathy of the various anti-slavery societies of the country; and was unable to gain the confidence of the Colored people to any great extent. But it had the advantage of being in harmony with what little humane sentiment there was at the South. It did not attempt to agitate. It only sought to colonize on the West Coast of Africa all Negroes who could secure legal manumission. Nearly all the Southern States had laws upon their statute-books requiring all emanc.i.p.ated slaves to leave the State. The question as to where they should go was supposed to be answered by the Colonization Society. It had much influence with Congress, and did not hesitate to use it. A Mr. Joseph Bryan, of Alabama, pet.i.tioned Congress for the establishment ”of a line of Mail Steam-s.h.i.+ps to the Western Coast of Africa,” in the summer of 1850. The Committee on Naval Affairs reported favorably the following bill:
”A BILL TO ESTABLISH A LINE OF WAR STEAMERS TO THE COAST OF AFRICA. [Report No. 438.]
”_In the House of Representatives, August 1, 1850. Read twice, and committed to the Committee of the whole House on the State of the Union._
”Mr. F. P. Stanton, from the Committee on Naval Affairs, reported the following bill:--A bill to establish a line of war steamers to the coast of Africa, for the suppression of the slave-trade, and the promotion of commerce and colonization:
SEC. 1. ”_Be it enacted_ by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America, in Congress a.s.sembled, That it shall be the duty of the Secretary of the Navy, immediately after the pa.s.sage of this act, to enter into contract with Joseph Bryan, of Alabama, and George Nicholas Saunders, of New York, and their a.s.sociates, for the building, equipment, and maintenance of three steam-s.h.i.+ps to run between the United States and the coast of Africa, upon the following terms and conditions, to wit:
”The said s.h.i.+ps to be each of not less than four thousand tons burden, to be so constructed as to be convertible, at the least possible expense, into war steamers of the first cla.s.s, and to be built and equipped in accordance with plans to be submitted to and approved by the Secretary of the Navy, and under the superintendence of an officer to be appointed by him, two of said s.h.i.+ps to be finished and ready for sea in two and a half years, and the other within three years after the date of the contract, and the whole to be kept up by alterations, repairs, or additions, to be approved by the Secretary of the Navy, so as to be fully equal to the exigencies of the service and the faithful performance of the contract. The said Secretary, at all times, to exercise such control over said s.h.i.+ps as may not be inconsistent with the provisions of this act, and especially to have the power to direct, at the expense of the Government, such changes in the machinery and internal arrangements of the s.h.i.+ps as he may at any time deem advisable.
”Each of said s.h.i.+ps to be commanded by an officer of the Navy, who with four Pa.s.sed Mids.h.i.+pmen to act as watch officers, and any mail agents who may be sent by the Government, shall be accommodated and provided for in a manner suitable to their rank, at the expense of the contractors. Each of said s.h.i.+ps, if required by the Secretary, shall receive two guns of heavy calibre, and the men from the United States Navy necessary to serve them, who shall be provided for as aforesaid. In the event of war the Government to have the right to take any or all of said s.h.i.+ps for its own exclusive use on payment of the value thereof; such value not exceeding the cost, to be ascertained by appraisers chosen by the Secretary of the Navy and the contractors.
”Each of said s.h.i.+ps to make four voyages per annum; one shall leave New Orleans every three months; one shall leave Baltimore every three months, touching at Norfolk and Charleston; and one shall leave New York every three months, touching at Savannah; all having liberty to touch at any of the West India Islands; and to proceed thence to Liberia, touching at any of the islands or ports on the coast of Africa; thence to Gibraltar, carrying the Mediterranean mails; thence to Cadiz, or some other Spanish port to be designated by the Secretary of the Navy; thence to Lisbon; thence to Brest, or some other French port to be designated as above; thence, to London, and back to the place of departure, bringing and carrying the mails to and from said ports.
”The said contractors shall further agree to carry to Liberia so many emigrants being free persons of color, and not exceeding twenty-five hundred for each voyage, as the American Colonization Society may require, upon the payment by said Society of ten dollars for each emigrant over twelve years of age, and five dollars for each one under that age, these sums, respectively, to include all charges for baggage of emigrants and the daily supply of sailors' rations. The contractors, also, to carry, bring back, and accommodate, free from charge, all necessary agents of the said Society.
”The Secretary of the Navy shall further stipulate to advance to said contractors, as the building of said s.h.i.+ps shall progress, two thirds of the amount expended thereon; such advances to be made in the bonds of the United States, payable thirty years after date, and bearing five per cent. interest, and not to exceed six hundred thousand dollars for each s.h.i.+p. And the said contractors shall stipulate to repay the said advances in equal annual instalments, with interest from the date of the completion of said s.h.i.+ps until the termination of the contract, which shall continue fifteen years from the commencement of the service. The Secretary of the Navy to require ample security for the faithful performance of the contract, and to reserve a lien upon the s.h.i.+ps for the sum advanced. The Government to pay said contractors forty thousand dollars for each trip, or four hundred and eighty thousand dollars per annum.
”SEC. 2. _And be it further enacted_, That the President of the United States shall cause to be issued the bonds of the United States, as the same may, from time to time, be required by the Secretary of the Navy to carry out the contract aforesaid.”