slaves, were fitted out at Prince's Island, and received their papers and clearances from the provisional government of that settlement. But mal-practices of this nature, on the part of her colonial governments, have so long been tacitly permitted, or wholly disregarded by Portugal, that we entertain little hope of any further representations on the subject being effectual." Extract from an American paper, 1st Nov. 1836: A recent traveller asserts that "the slavetrade is in full operation on the coast of Africa. But a few weeks ago, forty-five Spanish vessels to the southward, and twenty-five to the northward of the line, were engaged in this infernal traffic. We regret to learn, that these are chiefly American built, and such swift sailors as almost to defy capture. It seems also, that the Portuguese to the southward of the line are also extensively engaged in the business, and by the effect of a late treaty with MR. EDITOR: A TOUCHING INCIDENT. (Extracted from the Meadville Statesman.) THE following extract from a letter written by a young man of this village to his friend, is a graphic description of a slave scene very common in the South. "A few miles below Wheeling, on the side of the Ohio river, a signal was made to stop for passengers. We did so; and it proved to be a negro driver, with ten or a dozen slaves, each one with his hand chained to that of his fellow. The driver informed the captain, that a few miles below he had forty or fifty more men, women, and children, that he wished to take on board. We arrived at the place about eleven o'clock, P. M. The driver, captain, and two or three others, left the boat, and in an hour returned with the negroes; and the scene that followed, I am uttterly unable to describe. "Here in this small group, the dearest ties of earth, those ties which make this wretched life even tolerable, were severed for ever. Mothers and sisters, parents and children, wives and husbands, were here to part, to meet no more on earth. And, to add to the gloom of this parting scene, it was night, no house near, large weeping willows overhung the bank, underneath which the group were gathered, and seemed, in silence to weep over the miseries of man, Nothing could be heard save the howling of the wind, the splash of the waves as they broke upon the shore, mingled with the lamentation of despair! The moon, that an hour before had shone forth with all her wonted loveliness, now veiled her face behind a lowering cloud, and all nature seemed to sympathize with the scene. "Among the number that composed the group, I discovered two, whose grief appeared inconsolable: their tear-drops were indeed big with sorrow. The woman I should judge to be about twenty, the man (her husband) about twentyfive years of age: both were nearly white, could read well, looked intelligent, and I learned were professors of religion. She had an infant at her breast. He was to go; she to remain. I was so near them, that I could hear their parting words. "Oh,' said she, 'Tom, we cannot part! You must not leave me.' 66 6 'My girl,' replied he,' we must part; there is no hope for us.' "Well, if we must, we must,' said she. But here, Tom,'-taking a small Bible from her bosom,-'here is my Bible; take it, and give me yours; and we will keep them as remembrances: they will ever remind us of each other, and of that HEAVEN where we shall again be united.' "All were now on board, except this man; he stood with one foot on the plank, the other upon the shore, and she hung around his neck. His master ran out of the vessel in a rage, seized him by the throat, tore them asunder, and pushed him into the boat. She shrieked, fainted, and fell upon the beach: he tore his hair, and beat his breast, in the wildest paroxysm of despair. The boat was moved; and, amidst the howling of wind, the splash of the wheels, and torrents of rain, were heard the groans and lamentations of the party on board answered by those on shore. The scene closed; but never by me to be forgotten. Had I possessed, at that moment, the whole earth, I would have freely given all to have restored those unhappy slaves to each other's arms. UNITED STATES CONGRESS, Scene in the House of Representatives, on the Presentation of a Ladies' Petition for the abolition of Slavery and the Slave-trade, at the Seat of Govern ment. Mr. John Quincy Adams, ex-President of the United States, said he would have the honour of presenting to the house the petition of 228 women, the wives and daughters of his immediate constituents; and as a part of the speech which he intended to make, he would take the liberty of reading the petition. It was not long, and would not consume much time. Mr. Glascock objected to the reception of the petition. Mr. A. proceeded to read that the petitioners, inhabitants of South Weymouth, in the State of Massachusetts, impressed with "the sinfulness of slavery, and keenly aggrieved by its existence in a part of our country over which Congress. Mr. Pinckney rose to a question of order. Had the gentleman from Massachusetts a right, under the rule, to read the petition? The Speaker said the gentleman from Massachusetts had a right to make a statement of the contents of the petition. Mr. Pinckney desired the decision of the Speaker as to whether a gentleman had a right to read a petition. Mr. Adams said he was reading the petition as a part of his speech, and he took this to be one of the privileges of a member of the house. It was a privilege which he would exercise till he should be deprived of it by some positive act. The Speaker repeated that the gentleman from Massahusetts had a right to make a brief statement of the contents of the petition. It was not for the Speaker to decide whether that brief statement should be made in the gentleman's own language, or whether he should look over the petition, and take his statement from that. Mr. Adams, at the time my friend from South Carolina The Speaker said the gentleman must proceed to state the contents of the petition. Mr. Adams. I am doing so, sir. The Speaker.-Not in the opinion of the chair. Mr. Adams.-I was at this point of the petition.-" Keenly aggrieved by its existence in a part of our country over which Congress possesses exclusive jurisdiction in all cases whatever." Loud cries of "Order, order." Mr. A. proceeded. "Do most earnestly petition your honourable body" Mr. Chambers of Kentucky rose to a point of order. Mr. A. proceeded. "Immediately to abolish slavery in the district of Columbia,” Mr. Chambers reiterated his call to order, and the Speaker told Mr. Adams to take his seat. . Mr. A. proceeded, (with great rapidity of enunciation, and in a very loud tone of voice.) "And to declare any human being free, who sets foot upon its soil." Mr. Chambers insisted on his point of order, and the Speaker again, with great earnestness of manner, told the gentleman from Massachusetts to take his seat. Whereupon Mr. A. yielded the floor. [The confusion in the Hall at this time was so great that scarcely a word could be heard by the reporters.] The Speaker presented, in writing, the substance of his decision, that it was not in order for a member to read the whole petition if objected to, but that he had only the right to make a " brief statement of the contents thereof." Mr. Adams said he proposed to withdraw his appeal, in order to save the time of the House, if the gentleman from Kentucky would permit him to complete his "brief statements of the contents" of the petition. It was indeed so brief, that to read the petition in its own language was the briefest statement that could be made. Mr. A. then read from the petition, that the petitioners "respectfully announced their intention to present the same petition yearly before this honorable body, that it might at least be a memorial in the holy cause of human freedom, that they had done what they could." These words were read amidst tumultuous cries for order from every part of the House. And order having at length been restored, Mr. Adams withdrew his appeal. [The district of Columbia contains a population of between 7000, and 8000 slaves, and is, besides, a great depot for slaves. Packets, fitted up as slaveships, are advertised to sail regularly from the port of Alexandria, in the district of Columbia, to New Orleans, the great slave-market for Louisiana.] 239 TESTIMONY OF THE CHURCH IN AMERICA. The Connecticut Baptist Association, at its meeting at Norwich, June 8, passed the following Resolved, That all efforts to awaken the church of Christ upon the subject of slavery, should be made in the spirit of benevolence, with entire dependence on the great Disposer of events, and with fervent prayer to him that slavery may be brought to a speedy and peaceable termination. Resolved, That those laws and usages which forbid the teaching of the slave to read; which obstruct assemblies among them for the worship of God; which deny to them the sanction of marriage, and which allow of the forcible separation of parents and children, husbands and wives, are totally inconsistent with the principles of benevolence and the spirit of Christianity. The Stonington Union Baptist Association, at its meeting at Milltown (North Stonington) Connecticut, appointed a committee on the subject of slavery, who submitted the following report, which was adopted: Your committee on the subject of slavery would respectfully submit the following report : As it regards the sin of slavery, there can be no difference of opinion among the members of this body. In its theory it is directly opposed to every principle of the gospel, while in its practice, it presents to the philanthropist and the Christian the revolting picture of the destruction of soul and body in time and in eternity. No less than ten thousand of our own Baptist brethren are groaning under its iron hearted oppression, while many of our own countrymen are denied the word of God, and the most essential means of grace, and individually appealing to us, in the pathetic language of Scripture, "No man careth for my soul." God has heard the voice of our brother's blood, crying from the ground, and has inquired of us, "Where is thy brother?" We will not insult the Almighty with the reply of the guilty Cain, "Am I my brother's keeper?" We ought rather to acknowledge before God, "We are verily guilty concerning our brother !" We are loudly called upon for these reasons to express our sentiments on this subject. 1. The stand taken by Christians at the South, in attempting to justify their guilty course by the word of God, would make us partakers of their sins were we to remain silent. Duty calls upon us to record our names against this perversion of the Holy Scriptures. 2. We are compelled to this course by our duty to the slave. The Bible requires us to "consider those that are in bonds as being bound with them." While every principle of humanity, as well as religion, calls upon us to "break every yoke, and let the oppressed go free." We cannot be held guiltless till we have done all we can consistently do for the emancipation of the slave. 3. Our own personal liberty compels us to this course. The question has assumed an exceedingly important bearing. It no longer is whether southern slavery shall continue as it has done, but whether we will surrender the liberty of speech, and of the press, and of conscience, to perpetuate it? Whether the mob and southern slave-holders shall be our masters, our dictators, in matters of faith and practice? We cannot be safe till this question has received its final answer at our hands. Again, we cannot be safe while this national sin, this sin of the church, is calling to heaven for vengeance. If Jefferson said, I tremble for my country, when I remember that God is just," much more does it become us as professed Christians, to tremble before a God of justice till we have cleared our garments of the blood of the slave. Already, in the language of Scripture," the blood is up to the horses' bridles." Every breeze is wafting to heaven the story of wrong and oppression; while the angel of mercy is weeping over the melancholy picture, and divine justice, which has so long held back the deserved blow, is rising up to avenge the wrongs of the slave; and woe to them whose door-posts are not sprinkled with atoning blood. Silence will not insure our safety, while this volcano is gathering the elements of destruction, kindling up its internal fires, and fearfully augmenting our danger with every hour's delay. We speak the language of all the civilized world, and of the church, yea, more, of Almighty God, when we say, slavery must ceuse. Its doom is sealed. We are not particularly solicitous about the manner of its abolition. We are willing the South should choose how it shall be abolished, while they understand it must be done. We are willing to consult the safety and interest of the master, and the interest of the slave, in all the means we employ for the abolition of slavery. In view of the above facts, your committee would recommend the following resolutions : Resolved, That we consider the crisis in the affairs of our nation and of our church, caused by the slavery question, to be one of fearful moment to every patriot and every Christian. Resolved, That we recommend to the churches to oppose the sin of slavery with the unyielding determination it shall cease as soon as is practicable; and yet to do this with all the Christian forbearance and devout prayer which the importance of the question demands. BRADLEY MINER, Chairman. WHAT I HAVE SEEN. WATCHMAN of Zion! say, where hast thou been Say, what hast thou seen on thy perilous path? I have been 'neath the bland and bright Southern sky, For I saw the poor slave as he bow'd to his toil, I have been in his hut, at the hour of rest, His wife by his side, and their babe on her breast, And that father's deep murmurs grew 'vengefully loud, Oh! that sound smote my ear like the wail of the lost, I have left the drear land of the down-trodden slave, Oswego, New York, Jan. 6, 1837. N. |