when between two and three thousand slaves were killed, and a large
number of whites. The loss occasioned by the rebellion was estimated
at five millions of dollars, a part of which was occasioned by the
burning of one hundred and fifty plantations. _Now,_ the British West
Indies are forever exempted from all danger of insurrection, while
the danger of a servile war in America will, until slavery is
abolished, every year increase.
In the month of June, 1839, a vessel, called the Amistad, Ramon
Ferrer, Captain, sailed from Havana for Principe, about one hundred
leagues distant, with fifty-four negroes and two white passengers,
(Spaniards,) viz., Pedro Montez and Jose Ruiz, one of whom claimed to
be the owner of the negroes, who were all natives of Africa. While on
board, they "suffered much from hunger and thirst." In addition to
this, there was much whipping, and "the cook told them that, when
they reached land, they would all be eaten." This "made their hearts
burn." To avoid being eaten, and to escape the bad treatment, they
rose upon the crew with the design of returning to Africa. This was
on June 27th, four days after leaving Havana. After killing the
captain and the cook, and permitting the crew to escape, they under
command of Cinque, who compelled Montez to steer the ship for Africa,
which he did in the day time, because the negroes could tell his
course by the sun, but put the vessel about in the night. In this
manner, the vessel drifted about till August 26th, when she was taken
possession of by Capt. Gedney, U. S. N. After an interesting trial in
Connecticut, the negroes were set free, and, under the American
Missionary Association, were sent to their native country, Africa,
and of whom many are now receiving religious instruction by means of
missionaries who accompanied them to the Mendi country. It is in
relation to these blacks that President Buchanan, in his late
message, thus speaks:--"I again recommend that an appropriation be
made to be paid to the Spanish Government for the purpose of
distribution among the claimants in the Amistad case"!!
On the 27th of October, 1841, the Creole sailed from Richmond with
one hundred and thirty-five slaves, bound for New Orleans. On
November 7th, they rose on the crew, killed a passenger named Howell,
and on November 9th, arrived at Nassau, New Providence, where they
were all set free by the British authorities. The leader in this
successful attempt to secure their freedom was Madison Washington.
"The sagacity, bravery and humanity of this man," says the Hon.
William Jay, "do honor to his name, and, but for his complexion,
would excite universal admiration."
In 1846, the slaves in Santa Cruz rose in rebellion against their
masters, took possession of the island, and thus obtained their
freedom, but did no injury to any white person. This was remarkable,
as the whites numbered 3,000, and the blacks 25,000.
Now, what is the inference from this list of conspiracies and
insurrections, and scores of others which could be collected? Why,
(1,) that all danger arises from the continuance of slavery, and not
from its abolition. And, (2,) that if the Bible sanctions slavery,
the God of the Bible does not. The language of God's providence is
one and uniform, and too explicit to be misunderstood. It assures us,
and writes the assurance in lines of blood, that the way of the
transgressor is hard, and that though hand join in hand, the
violators of God's law shall not go unpunished. All history, ancient
and modern, is full of examples and warnings on this point. Shall we
slight these warnings, shut our eyes against the light, and madly
rush on our own destruction? Let us remember that slavery is an
unnatural state; that Nature, when her eternal principles are
violated, always struggles to restore them to her true estate; and
that the natural feelings accord with the sentiment of the poet,
"If I'm designed yon lordling's slave,
By Nature's laws designed,
Why was an independent wish
E'er planted in my mind?"
"If the Bible," says the Rev. Albert Barnes, "could be shown to
defend and countenance slavery as a good institution, it would make
thousands of infidels; for there are multitudes of minds that will
see more clearly that slavery is against all the laws which God has
written on the human soul, than they would see that a book,
sanctioning such a system, had evidence of divine origin."
Says Charles Alcott, of Medina, Ohio, in his very able lectures on
slavery:--"It is easy to show that slavery has, from first to last,
been supported directly and solely by crimes, and that the commission
of nearly every crime in the Bible calendar, and many crimes against
the common law, are absolutely necessary to support it, and give it
full effect. It is a fact equally curious and true, that crime of any
kind can only be supported by crime; and that, in order to persevere
in the commission of one crime, and prevent its detection and
punishment, it is necessary to commit still further crimes."
This being true, it follows conclusively that immediate repentance
of the sin of slavery is the duty of every master, and immediate
emancipation the right of every slave. Says Charles Alcott, "A man
cannot stir, or move, or begin to act, either in support of slavery,
or in opposition to its immediate abolition, without committing
crimes or sins of some sort or other." He cannot be neutral.
Therefore, gentle reader, in the _"irrepressible conflict"_ that is
now agitating the country, and will continue to agitate it till
slavery is abolished, which side have you chosen, or do you intend to
choose? Will you take the "higher law," which is in harmony with
God's providence and his word, or act in favor of the "lower law,"
which opposes both? If slavery is right, sustain, defend and justify
it; but if it is a crime, do all in your power, by moral means, to
overthrow the execrable system. If you are a professed Christian,
remember the words of Rev. Albert Barnes:--"There is not vital energy
enough, there is not power of numbers and influence enough, _out of
the Church,_ to sustain it. Let every religious denomination in the
land detach itself from all connection with slavery. All that is
needful is, for each Christian man, for every Christian church, to
stand up in the sacred majesty of such a solemn testimony, and to
free themselves from all connection with the evil, and utter a calm,
deliberate voice to the world, _and the work is done."_
* * *
Published at the Office of the AMERICAN ANTI-SLAVERY SOCIETY, No. 5
Beekman Street, New York. Also, to be had at the Anti-Slavery
Offices, No. 21 Cornhill, Boston, and No. 107 North Fifth Street,
Philadelphia.