Conseil),"Nothingismoreclearlywritteninthebookofdestinythantheemancipationoftheblacks;anditisequallycertainthatthetworaceswillneverliveinastateofequalfreedomunderthesamegovernment,soinsurmountablearethebarrierswhichnature,habit,andopinionshaveestablishedbetweenthem。"]
[Footnotes:IftheBritishWestIndiaplantershadgovernedthemselves,theywouldassuredlynothavepassedtheSlaveEmancipationBillwhichthemother—countryhasrecentlyimposeduponthem。]
IhavepreviouslyobservedthatthemixedraceisthetruebondofunionbetweentheEuropeansandtheIndians;justsothemulattoesarethetruemeansoftransitionbetweenthewhiteandthenegro;sothatwherevermulattoesabound,theintermixtureofthetworacesisnotimpossible。InsomepartsofAmerica,theEuropeanandthenegroracesaresocrossedbyoneanother,thatitisraretomeetwithamanwhoisentirelyblack,orentirelywhite:whentheyarearrivedatthispoint,thetworacesmayreallybesaidtobecombined;orrathertohavebeenabsorbedinathirdrace,whichisconnectedwithbothwithoutbeingidenticalwitheither。
OfalltheEuropeanstheEnglisharethosewhohavemixedleastwiththenegroes。MoremulattoesaretobeseenintheSouthoftheUnionthanintheNorth,butstilltheyareinfinitelymorescarcethaninanyotherEuropeancolony:
mulattoesarebynomeansnumerousintheUnitedStates;theyhavenoforcepeculiartothemselves,andwhenquarrelsoriginatingindifferencesofcolortakeplace,theygenerallysidewiththewhites;justasthelackeysofthegreat,inEurope,assumethecontemptuousairsofnobilitytothelowerorders。
Theprideoforigin,whichisnaturaltotheEnglish,issingularlyaugmentedbythepersonalpridewhichdemocraticlibertyfostersamongsttheAmericans:thewhitecitizenoftheUnitedStatesisproudofhisrace,andproudofhimself。ButifthewhitesandthenegroesdonotintermingleintheNorthoftheUnion,howshouldtheymixintheSouth?Canitbesupposedforaninstant,thatanAmericanoftheSouthernStates,placed,ashemustforeverbe,betweenthewhitemanwithallhisphysicalandmoralsuperiorityandthenegro,willeverthinkofpreferringthelatter?TheAmericansoftheSouthernStateshavetwopowerfulpassionswhichwillalwayskeepthemaloof;thefirstisthefearofbeingassimilatedtothenegroes,theirformerslaves;andthesecondthedreadofsinkingbelowthewhites,theirneighbors。
IfIwerecalledupontopredictwhatwillprobablyoccuratsomefuturetime,Ishouldsay,thattheabolitionofslaveryintheSouthwill,inthecommoncourseofthings,increasetherepugnanceofthewhitepopulationforthemenofcolor。IfoundthisopinionupontheanalogousobservationwhichIalreadyhadoccasiontomakeintheNorth。IthereremarkedthatthewhiteinhabitantsoftheNorthavoidthenegroeswithincreasingcare,inproportionasthelegalbarriersofseparationareremovedbythelegislature;andwhyshouldnotthesameresulttakeplaceintheSouth?IntheNorth,thewhitesaredeterredfrominterminglingwiththeblacksbythefearofanimaginarydanger;
intheSouth,wherethedangerwouldbereal,Icannotimaginethatthefearwouldbelessgeneral。
If,ontheonehand,itbeadmitted(andthefactisunquestionable)thatthecoloredpopulationperpetuallyaccumulatesintheextremeSouth,andthatitincreasesmorerapidlythanthatofthewhites;andif,ontheotherhand,itbeallowedthatitisimpossibletoforeseeatimeatwhichthewhitesandtheblackswillbesointermingledastoderivethesamebenefitsfromsociety;mustitnotbeinferredthattheblacksandthewhiteswill,soonerorlater,cometoopenstrifeintheSouthernStatesoftheUnion?Butifitbeaskedwhattheissueofthestruggleislikelytobe,itwillreadilybeunderstoodthatweareherelefttoformaveryvaguesurmiseofthetruth。Thehumanmindmaysucceedintracingawidecircle,asitwere,whichincludesthecourseoffutureevents;butwithinthatcircleathousandvariouschancesandcircumstancesmaydirectitinasmanydifferentways;andineverypictureofthefuturethereisadimspot,whichtheeyeoftheunderstandingcannotpenetrate。Itappears,however,tobeextremelyprobablethatintheWestIndianIslandsthewhiteraceisdestinedtobesubdued,andtheblackpopulationtosharethesamefateuponthecontinent。
IntheWestIndiaIslandsthewhiteplantersaresurroundedbyanimmenseblackpopulation;onthecontinent,theblacksareplacedbetweentheoceanandaninnumerablepeople,whichalreadyextendsovertheminadensemass,fromtheicyconfinesofCanadatothefrontiersofVirginia,andfromthebanksoftheMissouritotheshoresoftheAtlantic。IfthewhitecitizensofNorthAmericaremainunited,itcannotbesupposedthatthenegroeswillescapethedestructionwithwhichtheyaremenaced;
theymustbesubduedbywantorbythesword。ButtheblackpopulationwhichisaccumulatedalongthecoastoftheGulfofMexico,hasachanceofsuccessiftheAmericanUnionisdissolvedwhenthestrugglebetweenthetworacesbegins。Ifthefederaltiewerebroken,thecitizensoftheSouthwouldbewrongtorelyuponanylastingsuccorfromtheirNortherncountrymen。
Thelatterarewellawarethatthedangercanneverreachthem;
andunlesstheyareconstrainedtomarchtotheassistanceoftheSouthbyapositiveobligation,itmaybeforeseenthatthesympathyofcolorwillbeinsufficienttostimulatetheirexertions。
Yet,atwhateverperiodthestrifemaybreakout,thewhitesoftheSouth,eveniftheyareabandonedtotheirownresources,willenterthelistswithanimmensesuperiorityofknowledgeandofthemeansofwarfare;buttheblackswillhavenumericalstrengthandtheenergyofdespairupontheirside,andthesearepowerfulresourcestomenwhohavetakenuparms。ThefateofthewhitepopulationoftheSouthernStateswill,perhaps,besimilartothatoftheMoorsinSpain。Afterhavingoccupiedthelandforcenturies,itwillperhapsbeforcedtoretiretothecountrywhenceitsancestorscame,andtoabandontothenegroesthepossessionofaterritory,whichProvidenceseemstohavemorepeculiarlydestinedforthem,sincetheycansubsistandlaborinitmoreeasilythatthewhites。
ThedangerofaconflictbetweenthewhiteandtheblackinhabitantsoftheSouthernStatesoftheUnion—adangerwhich,howeverremoteitmaybe,isinevitable—perpetuallyhauntstheimaginationoftheAmericans。TheinhabitantsoftheNorthmakeitacommontopicofconversation,althoughtheyhavenodirectinjurytofearfromthestruggle;buttheyvainlyendeavortodevisesomemeansofobviatingthemisfortuneswhichtheyforesee。IntheSouthernStatesthesubjectisnotdiscussed:
theplanterdoesnotalludetothefutureinconversingwithstrangers;thecitizendoesnotcommunicatehisapprehensionstohisfriends;heseekstoconcealthemfromhimself;butthereissomethingmorealarminginthetacitforebodingsoftheSouth,thanintheclamorousfearsoftheNorthernStates。
Thisall—pervadingdisquietudehasgivenbirthtoanundertakingwhichisbutlittleknown,butwhichmayhavetheeffectofchangingthefateofaportionofthehumanrace。FromapprehensionofthedangerswhichIhavejustbeendescribing,acertainnumberofAmericancitizenshaveformedasocietyforthepurposeofexportingtothecoastofGuinea,attheirownexpense,suchfreenegroesasmaybewillingtoescapefromtheoppressiontowhichtheyaresubject。*tIn1820,thesocietytowhichIalludeformedasettlementinAfrica,upontheseventhdegreeofnorthlatitude,whichbearsthenameofLiberia。Themostrecentintelligenceinformsusthat2,500negroesarecollectedthere;theyhaveintroducedthedemocraticinstitutionsofAmericaintothecountryoftheirforefathers;andLiberiahasarepresentativesystemofgovernment,negrojurymen,negromagistrates,andnegropriests;churcheshavebeenbuilt,newspapersestablished,and,byasingularchangeinthevicissitudesoftheworld,whitemenareprohibitedfromsojourningwithinthesettlement。*u[Footnotet:Thissocietyassumedthenameof"TheSocietyfortheColonizationoftheBlacks。"Seeitsannualreports;andmoreparticularlythefifteenth。Seealsothepamphlet,towhichallusionhasalreadybeenmade,entitled"LettersontheColonizationSociety,andonitsprobableResults,"byMr。Carey,Philadelphia,1833。]
[Footnoteu:Thislastregulationwaslaiddownbythefoundersofthesettlement;theyapprehendedthatastateofthingsmightariseinAfricasimilartothatwhichexistsonthefrontiersoftheUnitedStates,andthatifthenegroes,liketheIndians,werebroughtintocollisionwithapeoplemoreenlightenedthanthemselves,theywouldbedestroyedbeforetheycouldbecivilized。]
Thisisindeedastrangecapriceoffortune。TwohundredyearshavenowelapsedsincetheinhabitantsofEuropeundertooktotearthenegrofromhisfamilyandhishome,inordertotransporthimtotheshoresofNorthAmerica;atthepresentday,theEuropeansettlersareengagedinsendingbackthedescendantsofthoseverynegroestotheContinentfromwhichtheywereoriginallytaken;andthebarbarousAfricanshavebeenbroughtintocontactwithcivilizationinthemidstofbondage,andhavebecomeacquaintedwithfreepoliticalinstitutionsinslavery。
UptothepresenttimeAfricahasbeenclosedagainsttheartsandsciencesofthewhites;buttheinventionsofEuropewillperhapspenetrateintothoseregions,nowthattheyareintroducedbyAfricansthemselves。ThesettlementofLiberiaisfoundeduponaloftyandamostfruitfulidea;butwhatevermaybeitsresultswithregardtotheContinentofAfrica,itcanaffordnoremedytotheNewWorld。
IntwelveyearstheColonizationSocietyhastransported2,500negroestoAfrica;inthesamespaceoftimeabout700,000
blackswerebornintheUnitedStates。IfthecolonyofLiberiaweresosituatedastobeabletoreceivethousandsofnewinhabitantseveryyear,andifthenegroeswereinastatetobesentthitherwithadvantage;iftheUnionweretosupplythesocietywithannualsubsidies,*vandtotransportthenegroestoAfricainthevesselsoftheState,itwouldstillbeunabletocounterpoisethenaturalincreaseofpopulationamongsttheblacks;andasitcouldnotremoveasmanymeninayearasarebornuponitsterritorywithinthesamespaceoftime,itwouldfailinsuspendingthegrowthoftheevilwhichisdailyincreasingintheStates。*wThenegroracewillneverleavethoseshoresoftheAmericancontinent,towhichitwasbroughtbythepassionsandthevicesofEuropeans;anditwillnotdisappearfromtheNewWorldaslongasitcontinuestoexist。
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