r> .''-r*;^^' "Of "OP- > .N^^^-. '*^^/ .^^'%. --^ ^0' r "'^^ %' ^HO. .'io^ . j,^^^ ' /\!i^*^^ o°^-i^jLl*% /Vii^/^ 0°^ "t 1^^°^ ^o,/:^T*\o^ "^ **TT;«*\aP CORRESPOJVDEIVCE BETWEEN 5"iillS31© (^0 llniBSTim^ ©IF SEHSJS^'lSriSIE'ir^ AND SEVERAL INDIVIDUALS OP THE SOCIETY OF FRIENDS HAVERHILL : PRINTED AT THE ESSEX GAZETTE OFFICE. 1835. CORRESPONDENCE 5th month, 2Sth, 1835. James G. Birney : Esteemed Friend,— The undersigned, members of the New measure. England Yearly Meeting of Friends, being, in some acquainted with the grievous sufferings of more than two millions of our fellow-beings, who are unjustly held in degrading bondage m these United States ; and being aware of the distressing fact, that more than two hundred infants are daily born to an inheri- tance of ignorance and chains ; and feeling, in common with our fellow professors, a deep interest in the cause of their univer- sal emancipation ; and as deep an interest for the emancipation of their masters from that spirit of oppression, which lays the iron hand of despotism on these new-born infants, and claims them as their property, are induced to address thee on this im- portant subject for the purpose of procuring some further infor- mation for the benefit of ourselves and others. We are also in- duced to make this application more particularly to thee, from having been informed, that thou hast always resided in the slave- holding States ; that thou hast been, for the most of thy life, a sjaveholder ; and that thou hast recently, from a deep convic- tion of the great sinfulness of the whole system of slavery, eman- cipated all thy slaves, and art now employing them as hired la- borers, paying them " what is just and equal ;" and that thou art now devoting a great portion of thy time to persuade others to do the same. We are further encouraged to make this appli- cation to thee, from having been informed^ that thou wast for sev- eral years engaged as Agent of the American Colonization Soci- ety, which rendered it necessary for thee to travel in several of the slaveholding States ; which, with thy own experience as a slaveholder, must have given thee an opportunity of becoming thoroughly acquainted with the whole subject of slavery. If thou wilt favor us with thy opinion, in reply to the follow- ing questions, and malce such other remarks, as the importance of the subject may suggest, thou wilt not only greatly oblige us, but also, as we believe, subserve the cause of truth and humanity. I. What effect would it have on the slaveholders to pro- mulgate at the North, the doctrine, that it is their duty, imme- diately to emancipate their slaves ? II. If a general interest should be felt, and openly manifest- ed in the United States for the immediate emancipation of the slaves, and should the slaves be made acquainted with the efforts in their behalf, what effect would this knowledge have upon their conduct ? III. Is any scheme of gradual emancipation calculated, in thy opinion, to meet the present evils, and avert the dangers which threaten from the continued existence of slavery ? IV. Would danger of personal violence to the master, or depredation on property be increased or diminished by the im- mediate emancipation of all the slaves ? V. If die slaves were emancipated, would they be able to provide for themselves, and would diey generally become good citizens, if proper opportunities were afforded them, and is it necessary to delay emancipation at all for the purpose of pre- pai'ing them for freedom ? VI. Dost thou think it would have been right for thee to have received from government or from individuals, if they had been disposed to offer it, any compensation for ceasing from the sin of slavery ? VII. Has the American Colonization Society, through its principles and measures, had any visible influence upon the sys- tem of slavery, and upon the hearts of slaveholders ; and if so, has that influence been productive of good or evil ? We wish to be understood, that our views are, that, if any duty is made plain by the Light of Truth, to any society or indi- viduals, it is incumbent upon that society and those individuals to carry their convictions immediately into practical effect, ir- respective of evils which others may apprehend, believing, that He, who makes the path of duty plain, will bless the labors of His servants for good. Thy Friends, JOHN WINSLOW, EFFINGHAM L. CAPRON, JOSEPH HEALY, JOHN G. WHITTIER, MOSES A. CARTLAND. To James G. Birnev, of Danville^ Ky. ANSWER. Boston, May 29, 1S35. Esteemed Friends, — To the several inquiries made of me in your letter of yesterday, I take great pleasure in replying — though from my worn down state of health, and want of sufficient time, I shall not be able to make as full answer as their importance demands. To the first, — which, as well as all the others, I shall refer to without copying — I would say, It would, in my judgment, produce great effect on the slave- holders, to promulgate at the North, the doctrine, that it is their duty immediately to emancipate their slaves. Many of them, doubtless, would be deaf to this admonition of Christian friend- ship, and repel it as officious and interm.eddhng ; but I believe, it would find access to the best consciences of the South, and that its tendency would be, still further to arouse consciences that are already a good deal agitated. II. The most effectual mode of preserving tranquillity among the slaves of the South will be, a knowledge of the fact, that efforts of a peaceful and christian character are making in their behalf. Just in proportian as sxich efforts are urged, and give hope to the slaves, that the time of their deliverance draws nigh, will be their patient continuance in their present state, — lest an act of indiscretion in them defeat what has been already gained, mortify and disappoint their friends, and discourage them from making renewed exertions. I doubt not that the tranquilli- ty of the British West-Indies, so far as it was preserved for the last ten years, was secured by the influence of the Philanthro- pists in the mother country. The slaves with whom I have conversed on the subject of the present efforts, have, without exception, looked upon their sober and peaceful demeanor as an essential contribution on their parts, to their success. III. I consider all schemes of gradual emancipation as ut- terly unfit to meet the present evils, and to avert the dangers which threaten from the continued existence of slavery. They are all, in the first place, inoperative on the master — they let go his conscience, by not insisting on immediate repentance for present sin. In the second place, they produce no good effect on the heart and mind of the slave. Founded on expediency, or policy, as all such plans must be, from their very nature, the slave will feel no respect for the motive which originates them. He will consider, that nothing has been done from a regard to his rights or his interests, but all for the advantage and benefit of the master. The master, uninfluenced by christian principle in the act of emancipation, would not, in all probability, follow his freedman with christian effort for his moral and intellectual im- provement, — the freedman feeling no respect for the motive? of the master In giving him his liberty, would naturally, as it ap- pears to me, reject his influence. Thus, they would be left, unbound by any tie that would lead to continued kindness on the one side, and respect and grateful recollections on the other. Any plan of emancipation, however gradual it might be, would be better than perpetual slavery ; but surely it is the great desid- eratum of any plan, that it leave the parties friends^ as freemen. None will effect this which is not founded on Christian principle — and there can be none, so far as I am enabled to see, which so fully recognises Christian principle as its basis, as that which urges immediate emancipation. IV. There would be no danger of personal violence to the master from emancipation, brought about by Christian benevo- lence. Such an apprehension is the refuge of conscious guilt. Emancipation, brought about on the principle above mentioned, I hesitate not to say, would, in most instances, where the supe- rior intelligence of the master was acknowledged, produce on the part of the beneficiaries, the most entire and cordial reliance on his counsel and friendship. I do not believe that I have any warmer friends than my manumitted slaves — none, I am sure, if sacrifices were called for, who would more freely make them, to promote my happiness. The injustice which the slave feels as done him in taking the avails of his labor, leads him to take clandestinely, what he per- suades himself he is entitled to. He has comparatively no char-^ acter to lose, no ultimate object, for tlie attainment of which, the building up of a good character would contribute. As a freeman, character would be essential to him — his earnings would be his ; his house, his furniture, his comforts would be his,— ^ his wife, his children would be his ; the apprehension of forcible separation would depart, and he would have every motive that ordinarily influences men to build up a good name for worth and honesty. The depredations on the masters' property hy slaves, I should suppose, are tenfold what they would be by the same slaves made freemen. V. The slaves, if emancipated on any terms, would be able to provide for them.selves and their families. If they should be kindly treated by their former masters, and christian benevolence should make the same efforts for their improvement, that are made in many places for the improvement of the distant heathen, — they would not only provide for themselves, but, with such opportunities, become good citizens. I have made frerpient in- quiry as to the number of paupers among the colored people of Kentucky, amounting to nearly 5000 ; — I have, as yet, heard of but one. I think, it is a rare thing, so far as I have had oppor- tunity of observing in slave Slates, to see free colored persons arraigned in courts, to answer to criminal accusations. My own manumitted slaves, at the end of the first year of their employ- ment on wages, will have used but half the amount which they are to receive. They have not fallen into disorderly or vagrant habits ; but have manifested — at least the younger ones — an in- creased desire for knowledge, and for attendance on the Sabbath Schools and the common ministrations of the Sanctuary. To delay emancipation, in order to attain the greatest good, it is believed, will result from it, is, in my judgment, but to accumu- late the difficulties now in the way, and to delay to a remoter period its full consummation. X VI. Having emancipated my slaves from a full conviction, that tlie bondage in which I was holding them was sinful, I con- ceive, I have no greater right to ask for compensation from any quarter, than I would have in any other case, where a similar conviction would lead me to return to my neighbor any property to which he had an unquestionable right, and which I by superi- or power had withheld from him. The claim of " compensation, " it seems to me, can be fairly sustained only on the ground, that slavehokling is not sinful. Would not the Ephesian converts, who at once abandoned their " curious arts," and burned the "books" which contained instructions in them, have been as equitably entitled to compensation, as the slaveholder, who aban- dons 3. property equally condemned by God's law, and commits to the flames, the charter by which he has hidierto supported his groundless claims .'' VII. It has been my opinion, from the best and most im- partial observation I could make, diat the principles, measures, and doctrines entertained, pursued and inculcated by the advo- cates of " Colonization," so far from having any "visible influ- ence upon the system of slavery" for its removal, have rather tended to confirm and strengthen it. These propositions, — that slavery may be innocently continued till the slaves can be re- moved and comfortabl) provided for in Africa — the danger to the Colony, of removing many to it very soon — its slow growth, the great comparative increase of the slave population — have re- moved each particular slaveholder's duty so far in advance of him, that in the distant haze, it becomes scarcely a discernible point. Beside this, it has tended in a great degree, as I believe, to raise up and strengthen prejudice against the free colored people of our country. The whites who are under the influence of this prejudice think, the free colored people ought to remove from the country of their birth — because they (the whites) wish it, and not because it is a desirable thing to tJiose who are called upon to act. I have thus answered, — much more briefly however, than I would under odier circumstances — your several inquiries. I 'irust, what I have done may contribute somewhat to the advance- 8 ment of ihe great cause of humanity in which so many Christian heads and hearts are now so deeply interested. But have not you, and the particular church of which you are members, long since purified yourselves from all participation in the sin of slave- holding ? To your honor be it said, you were the first to cleanse your skirts from this foul stain. But is there nothing more for you to do ? Will you, who can speak as having authority, in no wise rebuke thy neighbor, but suffer sin to be upon him ? Will you, who, having purified yourselves, and are, therefore, unre- bukeable, sit quietly by, clothed in the heavenly armor of inno- cence, and behold undisturbed a system shooting up into giant ' size, and acquiring giant power for destruction — for destruction not only of its victims, but of those who lead the victims to its bloody altars ? May I not persuade myself you will not.'' I know of no class of persons who would be more favorably heard by the slaveholder than the Friends. They are regarded as cool and dispassionate ; — and from the circumstance of their not having owned slaves, for so long a time^ they are esteemed the best and most impartial witnesses. That the above may subserve the cause of truth and humanity, is the sincere wish of your friend, JAMES G. BIRNEY. To John Winsloic, Effingham L. Capron^ Joseph Healy^ John G. WhiUkr, JMoscs A. Cartland. 54 w r ^ "o^ ''^^ ''-y ^ %/ 'Mi'. \>/ ^J-r-, il .'/J^*. 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