Part 8 (1/2)
CHAPTER X
Although the Quakers were the first, as a religious society, to recognize the iniquity of slavery, and to wash their hands of it, so far as to free all the slaves they owned; few of the all commercial intercourse with slave-holders They nearly all continued to trade with the South, and to use the products of slave-labor After the appearance in this country of Elizabeth Heyrick's paed upon abolitionists the duty of abstinence from all slave products, the number was increased of those who declined any and every participation in the guilt of the slave-holder, and exerted themselves to convert others to the same views; but the e, and it refused to see the good results which could be reasonably expected from such a system of self-denial As the older me discussions, and to popular er ones could not sreat reforh all were opposed to slavery in the abstract, there was no fixed principle of action aradualists and immediatists, advocates of unconditional e it impossible to discuss the main question without exciteed and even forbidden
The Society never counted a its members many colored persons There were, however, a few in Philadelphia, all educated, and belonging to the best of their class Alass, to whoelina Grimke became much attached, and hom Sarah kept up a correspondence for nearly thirty years
The first letter of this correspondence which we have, ritten in March, 1885, and shows that Sarah had known very little about her colored brethren in Philadelphia, and it also shows her inclination towards colonization Shebeen cheered by an account of several literary and benevolent societies a the colored residents, expresses warood, practical advice about helping theo to an anti-slavery , and heard with , temperate, and judicious; but _one_ word struck my ear unpleasantly He said, 'And yet it is _audaciously_ asked: What has the North to do with slavery?' The word 'audaciously,' while I am ready to admit its justice, seeh we may abhor the systeuilt of the oppressor demands Christian pity and Christian prayer
”My sister went last evening to hear George Thompson She is deeply interested in this subject, and was much pleased with his discourse Do not the colored people believe that the Colonization Societyto Africa, that itso a portion of them there, they hted region?
That the Colonization Society can ever be thethe yoke in America appears to me utterly impossible, but when I look at poor heathen Africa, I cannot but believe its efforts will be a blessing to her”
In the next letter, written in April, she descants on the universal prejudice against color,--”a prejudice,” she says, ”which will in days to come excite as much astonishment as the facts now do that Christians--some of them I verily believe, sincere lovers of God--put to death nineteen persons and one dog for the crih, she does not, at this time, notice the inconsistency of a separate seat for colored people in all the churches In the Quaker , as it was placed either directly under the stairs, or off in a corner, was called the ”negro seat,” and was regularly guarded to prevent either colored people fro a elina both denounced it; but before that, though they may have privately deplored it, they seem to have accepted it as a necessary conforainst the blacks
The decision of Friends' Society concerning discussion Sarah Grimke seems to have accepted, for, as we have said, there is no expression of her views on eelina felt that her obligations to huations to the Society of Friends; and as she listened to the eloquent speeches of George Tho interest in the slave was stimulated, and it aroused in her a desire to work for hi that would practically help his cause
On one of several loose leaves of a diary which Angelina kept at this ti under date, ”5th Mo 12th, 1835: Five months have elapsed since I wrote in this diary, since which time I have beco regarded this cause as utterly hopeless, but since I have examined anti-slavery principles, I find them so full of the power of truth, that I am confident not many years will roll by before the horrible traffic in hues My soul has measurably stood in the stead of the poor slave, and my earnest prayers have been poured out that the Lord would be pleased to perraded, oppressed, and suffering fellow-creatures Truly, I often feel ready to go to prison or to death in this cause of justice, mercy, and love; and I do fully believe if I a before I shall suffer persecution of so enthusiasm alarmed her cautious sister, and drew from her frequent and serious remonstrances But that she also travelled rapidly towards the final rending of the bonds which had hitherto held her, we find fro of 1835 Speaking of Jay's book of Colonization, which had just appeared, she says:--
”The work is written for the most part in a spirit of Christian candor and benevolence There is here and there a touch of satire or sarcasm I would rather should have been spared The subject is one of solemn ihteous ive to Auilt that rests upon her for trading in the souls of men, yet I do want the friends of emancipation to take no unhalloeapons to sever the manacles of the slave I rejoice in the hope that all the prominent friends of abolition are peace aged in the cause of immediate, unconditional emancipation I believe she does often pray for it”
In July, 1835, Angelina went to visit a friend in Shrewsbury, New Jersey In this quiet retreat she had ample time for reflection, and for the study of abolition She could, she says, think of nothing else; and the question continually before her was, ”What can I do? What can I do?” But the ht, the more perplexed she became The certainty that any independent action, whatever, would not only offend her Society, but grieve her sister, stood in the way of reaching any conclusion, and kept her in a state of unrest which plainly showed itself in her letters to Sarah
Doubtless she did consider Sarah's advice, for she still looked up to her with filial regard, but before she could do more than consider it, an event occurred whichpoint in her career, and emancipated her forever froly assented
The difficulty which abolitionists found in holding land, brought out in July an Appeal to the citizens of Boston froelina's hands, and so touched her feelings, so aroused all her anti-slavery enthusiasive expression to her syreat cause She wrote to the author--a brave thing for her to do--but we doubt if she could have refrained even if she could have fully realized the storht down upon her On account of its length, I cannot copy this letter entire, but a few extracts will give an idea of its general tone and spirit It is dated Philadelphia, 8th Month 30th, 1835, and begins thus:--
”Respected Friend: It seems as if I was co allon thy valuable tinificant a person asthee the senti crisis
”I can hardly express to thee the deep and soles of the last feeeks Although I expected opposition, I was not prepared for it so soon--it took reatly feared abolitionists would be driven back in the first outset, and thrown into confusion Under these feelings I was urged to read thy Appeal to the citizens of Boston Judge, then, ere roundless, and that thou stoodest firm in the midst of the storm, determined to suffer and to die, rather than yield one inchThe ground upon which you stand is holy ground; never, never surrender it”
She then goes on to encourage hi him of the persecutions of reforan with mobs
”If,” she says, ”persecution is the means which God has ordained for the accoreat end, Eth to bear it, I feel as if I could say, Let It Come! for it is my deep, sole for I say so, from what I have seen, heard, and known in a land of slavery, where rests the darkness of Egypt, and where is found the sin of Sodom Yes! Let it come--let us suffer, rather than insurrections should arise”
This letter Mr Garrison published in the Liberator, to the surprise of Angelina, and the great displeasure and grief of her Quaker friends
But she who had just counselled another to suffer and die rather than abate an inch of his principles was not likely to quail before the strongly expressed censure of her Society, which was at once communicated to her Only over her sister's tender disapproval did she shed any tears Her letter of explanation to Sarah shows the sweetness and the firmness of her character so conspicuously, that I offer no apology for copying a portion of it It is dated Shrewsbury, Sept
27th, 1335, and enters at once upon the subject:--
”My Beloved Sister: I feel constrained in all the tenderness of a sister's love to address thee, though I hardly knohat to say, seeing that I stand utterly condee me by--the opinion of my friends This thou seemest to feel an infallible criterion If it is, I have not so learned Christ, for He says, 'he that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me,' etc I do most fully believe that had I done what I have done in a church capacity, I should justly incur their censure, because they disapprove of any inter with the question, but what I did was done in a private capacity, onto be conde; but to thee I owe the sacred duty of vindication, though hardly one ray of hope dawns on my mind that I shall be acquitted even by _thee_ If I know mine own heart, I desire _not_ to be acquitted; if I have erred, or if this trial of my faith is needful for me by Him who knohat food to feed His poor dependent ones, thou hast been with hts and in depths, in joy and in sorrow, therefore to thee I speak Thou knohat I have passed through on the subject of slavery; thou knowest I am an exile from the home of my birth because of slavery--therefore, to thee I speak