James Smith
Smith's Views on Slavery
They wish to enjoy the the improving, and refining influences of good moral Society, built on the Rational platform of equal privileges. And you express your fears, that this reasonable and happy Social system, if it ever existed at the South, has been much impaired by the ruinous influence of Slavery. It must be acknowledged that there is some truth in the suggestion, The lonesome and desolate tracts, tracts called "Old fields," which exist so extensively there, attest its bad influence, even on the physical features of the country. How, you ask, did Slavery produce the Old fields? The land there was first taken up in large tracts, and portions of it cultivated by means of the slaves, year after year, without manure, till they were so exhausted that they would not pay their tillage, and then abandoned, and the Slaves set at work on the new land, either in the vicinity, or in the Western country, and these abandoned portions now form the "Old fields," and their owners/proprietors confine their farming operations to some other portion of their extensive landed estates. This farmer's dwellings are, generally, a long distance apart, with tracts of dreary looking country intervening, which might have been studded with comfortable and elegant farm buildings, and covered with well cultivated fields, orchards, and Gardens; ---if it had been divided into small farms, and owned and occupied be free, industrious, and independent farmers. ---- But the moral evils, produced by Slavery are of a more deep and serious import than its physical influence. Each of these Proprietors Residences, with the adjacent cabins of their Coloured people, and their tenants, if any, forms a social organization that contains, in itself, the elements of a little Monarchy, ----the Owner is the Monarch, the most influential members of the establishment, the Aristocracy, and all the rest the Commonalty, and thus the occupants of each estate grows, in some degree, into an isolated community by itself, destitute of that general feeling of social dependence on each other, which provides a thickly settled community of independent farmers. This state of things nurses Aristocratic feeling, and encourages tyranny in these widely separated communities; and the children of the upper class, having servants to do all their needfull work for them, they grow up in habits of confirmed idleness, and as Satan is always ready to set idle folks at work, they are very apt to be allured into some vicious course. They are apt to be wanting in that energy which is necessary in properly prosecuting a course of active usefulness; are often drawn into habits of Intemperance, and of indulging in useless, and often demoralizing pastimes, and it is to be deeply lamented that the young men are often tempted into a course of licentious conduct with the female slaves, which the ignorant, dependent, and degraded condition of those slaves, render it so easy for them to pursue and to conceal.
These lamentable consequences you may see, would have been avoided, had these young men been trained, from early youth, according to the principles of Morality----among free compeers, ----in habits of usefull industry. Thus, the influence of Slavery attracts the leading class of the young into habits of idleness, and vice, and effectively prevents them from being the active agents in advancing the real improvement, and sound progress of Society, and starts them on the downhill course, which, if persisted in, ends in individual, and if universally, in national ruin. And the existence of the evil influence of Slavery, is tacitly acknowledged by the commercial world, in the fact, that the buying and selling value of real property, in free states, is always considerably higher than similar property in States where Slavery exists. But then there are a great many slave holders in these states, who are sensible of the evils which Slavery is entailing on their Country, and on the rising race, and if any plan could be devised, which, by abolishing it, would promote the true interests of both the whites and the blacks, they would cordially join in helping to carry it out. They are willing to allow, that this institution, like an old house, built by their British ancestors about two hundred years ago, does not answer the requirements of the present age, and needs overhauling. In some localities there, a majority would probably be found to be of this opinion, willing, at the proper time, and under proper circumstances to make the necessary alterations and improvements in the old Structure; so that their social domicile will best subserve the convenience and comfort of its present occupants. But they ask the privilege of making these alterations themselves, without any disturbing interference, ---and it is a reasonable request, ---a privilege we would all like to enjoy, while engaged in altering and improving our Buildings. -----And when such an alteration is to be made, ----when an acknowledged evil is to be removed-----it is certainly best to remove it in that way which would be best for all parties concerned ----according to this rule, then, that mode of removing the evil of Slavery should be adopted, that would best promote the interests, not only of the blacks, but of the whites among whom they have been in bondage. And those who have visited the scene, and taken an actual survey of facts as they are, have become convinced that immediate emancipation which the ultra abolitionists recommend, will not produce those salutary results. The blacks, as a race, have been kept down, both by the laws and usage's of the country, in a very low and degraded state, as it respects their intellectual light, and their moral principle, and were they set free at once in their present state, entirely unused to exercise that wise foresight and economy necessary to manage the procuring concerns of life, they would soon come to want, and as they now, generally, have no operative sense of moral obligation, they would not hesitate to supply their wants by stealing; or robbing, and their property and life itself, would be in constant jeopardy, and would unavoidably produce a very unhappy state of things.
To make their emancipation a blessing, even to themselves, they must be prepared for its duties, and responsibilities, by a sufficient course of intellectual and moral instruction, to give them suitable principles, and habits, for enjoying the blessings of freedom in social life. And on whom, I would ask, should devolve the duty of giving them this preparation? Would not the voice of justice answer; "On those who have received the benefit of their services." There are many of our fellow citizens who art now enjoying ample wealth, which has been acquired chiefly by means of their slaves. The bright light, which Truth and Reason have thrown around this subject, now, "in the middle of the nineteenth century," and here, under the freest government in the world, in the enlightened and refined United States of America, ----ought to show them decisively that these same slaves, or their "heirs and assigns" should be acknowledged as members of the human family, and allowed to have a right to that liberty which the founders of our Republic awarded them, in that capacity. And those citizens, who have had the benefit of their services, should cordially engage in a course of treatment that would prepare them to enjoy that liberty in a rational manner, so that it will be a blessing to them, and not a curse. This end might be easily attained, if all parties concerned would do what they could in attaining it. The younger portion of the Coloured race, while being trained in habits industry, should be carefully instructed in all usefull kinds of Knowledge, so as to be well acquainted with their duties, and responsibilities; and the elder portion should be dealt with as right reason and true wisdom would dictate with reference to their anticipated emancipation. The process would necessarily be gradual, and ought to be gradual enough to ensure good results at its final completion. To have this process succeed well, it would be very needfull to weaken as much as possible, if we cannot utterly extirpate that strong and unjust prejudice against coloreds and race, which so extensively exists, and regard the Negro--as our brother man. Such a process, wisely and perseveringly carried out, would, with the Divine blessing, raise the Negro Race to its proper place among the families of Mankind; to that position, where their social circles, and their domestic firesides might be cheered by national Liberty, ----exalted and refined by pure Religion, ----and enriched and enlightened by Science and the Arts. And if it should be found inconvenient for them to live in juxtaposition with the white race, what excellent agents they would make to carry the light of Science and Truth into the dark regions of Africa! There is plenty of room for them there, whole colonies of them might at once migrate, and join their brethren in Liberia, in spreading the light of civilization, religion, and science over that benighted land. Who knows but Providence intends that we shall, in some degree, compensate for the great wrong which we, as a race, inflicted on the, when we tore them from their country and friends, and loaded them with the shackles of servitude, by preparing them for this mission, and sending them back, to bless their whole race with learning and refinement?
At any rate, both reason and Duty seems to intimate that we should prepare them for a happy state of freedom, and wait the developments of Providence, in making them willing to become Missionaries. Perhaps the inconvenience of living among the whites on the one hand, and the great benefit they might be to Africa, and themselves, on the other, might operate in making them willing and perhaps eager, to emigrate, and lay a broad foundation for spreading enlightened and happy Society, over the now dark hills, and plains of Africa.
But it sometimes happens, when we see very plainly where the path of duty lies, we find it a hard, uphill business to pursue it. In this important and exiting subject, it is easy to point out the course which the broadest and wisest Philanthropy recommends, but when we attempt, in earnest to pursue that course, a thousand opposing prejudices and interests obstruct the way, and forbid our progress. "Knock off the fetter, instantly from the Slave," cries the ultra abolitionists, "if you don't we'll divide the Union." "Shut up your heads, you interfering puppies." cries the rabid pro-slavery man, "if you don't let that subject alone we'll divide the Union." And the zealous advocates and supporters of these two extremes, in their eagerness to throw hot water on each other; have managed to keep the whole country in hot water for some years past. But, as usual, the truth is found between the two extremes. Our enlightened citizens, in all parts of the Union, and of all parties, must surely see that the leaders of these extremes make a very wild estimates of the magnitude of evils, ----the one side when they say that the holding of a number of fellow beings in bondage, is a greater evil to our whole country, than the disolution of the Union would be; the other side when they say that the impertinent talking of one portion of our citizens, against another portion of them, is a greater evil than the disolution of the Union!!!
Washington, and all our wisest and best statesmen have zealously maintained, that the disolution of the Union, would be the greatest political evil that our whole country could suffer; and the truth of this proposition, can be easily demonstrated, to satisfy any unprejudiced mind; while the evils, of which the aforesaid leaders respectively complain, are mere pigmy inconvenience, compared with the disolution of the Union. These evils have always existed ever since our national existence began, and yet our nation not only continues to live, but has made unparalleled advance towards perfection, in spite of the holding of slaves among us, ---or the impertinent zeal of noisy Politicians. True, this state of irritation on the surface of the body politic, like the itch on the physical body, is very tantalizing, and produces considerable discomfort, still it is on the surface, --it does not affect the vitals. Our nation has always borne it with patience and when the irritation increases our enlightened body Politic only needs an increased degree of commendable Patience. to bear the evil as it had done, in the hope, that by some judicious specific it may be removed. It is possible that some healing Moral Ointment may be compounded, in which Light and Truth must form essential ingredients, and spread judiciously over the whole surface, that would remove this calumnious irritation that has so long disturbed our peace. But the disolution of the Union! It would rend the vitals of our noble Republic; and, no doubt, give a mortal wound to the political freedom and independence of American Citizens. It would at once double the pecuniary burdens of the people, by giving them two General Governments to support, instead of one. It would open many sources of burdensome taxation, and of bitter feelings of National enmity that does not now exist. It would land our now prosperous Republic, into a theatre for the display of unprincipled Ambition, and for endless contention and war; But the enlightened citizens of America, both North and South doubtless see the direfull consequences of such an event, and will prevent them, by preserving and guarding our National Union, in all its native strength and purity. The ruinous consequences of a disolution may be easily foreseen, and the whole people assured of the fact, that those political leaders who advocate and encourage it, must be ambitious Demagogues, whose main object is, to attain power and riches at the expense of the people. the people are the producers, who always have to bear the burdens which their Government takes away and so it is their interest, and their duty, to guard their rights, and decidedly to refuse their shoulders to any needless burden, now; while they still have the power, and they cannot do so in any more effectual way, then by preserving the Union, entire, and inviolate.
