Press enter after choosing selection

Anti-slavery Progress

Anti-slavery Progress image
Parent Issue
Day
5
Month
December
Year
1846
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

Before we procecd in ourcontömplated remarks on the manner in which an Anti-Slavery Union may be found, it may be well to considor the nature and degree of the progress in antislavery ruih that has airead y been eflected. In our variable climate, every person ïas noticod the infiuencó of a _warm, stend}' breeze from tho South, succeeding the severe cold weather of February. - The snow vaniihes : tlio glittering frost disappcars the faded grase is once more feit under the feet : the cattïe come out from their sheds to enjoy the warm breeze : tho children uncoasciously loiter on their way to school to inhale the gladdening iniluence : the housewife opens her doors ond windows to admit the balmv air : while the farmer sits long on tho fenco or in the dooryard, discussing with bis neighbor, under ils comfortable influence, the traneactions of .he past, or tho projects of the future. Look through all animated nature, from. man down to tho lowest insect, and you will findihat a general change has come over the daily habits Ofid feelings of cach. "What has produced this '? No visible cause can be assigned. Tho eye may wander over the whole country, and take in nll its transaclions, and yent perceives noihing which should produce it. The nature o man and of animáis remains the same. - Tho laws of the Creator, in reference to matter and mind, are still unchanged. - But a potent, although invisible influenchas reached every animato being, and as cach FEEL8 differently from what it did before, a diíference of acï ion is the unfailing result. The eñect of the Southern breeze will be felt by each, it will affect the action of each, and vet the amountand nature of its influence will vary with the 3tuat!on and character of each individual. Some will perceive it only by the undefined uncomfortable feelings which prompts them to Ihrow otheir overcoats : while lo the ardent and sensitive nature of the delicate inval'd, every breath thnt fass the face will bring gladness, and joy, and delight. The tenani of the prison may drink in a litile of its freshness through bis narrow grated window : while the travcler through the open country will lay ofT h3 hat and cloak, and be filled to satiety with reviving infiuences. All particípate in the influence, bul cach according to his respective circumstanes and character. So it is in the antislavery cause. An invisible, but powerful antislavery influence is spreading through the nation. For fifieen years past, a conlinual talking, writing, and printir.g agiinsi Slavery has been in progress. Very ütt'e else, comparatively, hos been done. The number of slaves has increased all the time, being some hundred thousand more than when the agiiation was commenced. Not a single Slavc Staie has y et come out for Emancipaiion. Slaveholding and Slave Trading exist in al their enormily underthe sanction of th naiion. Yet the antislavery agitation ha reachcd many millions of mind-, and lias had an effect on every mind which it has reachcd. There is not one of these millions but has a more distinct irnprcsion of the evils of Slavery than he would have liad had this ngitation not been commenced. The phihnthror'.st secs more clearly its debasing efiects on humanity : the minister understands beiter how it affects the churches : the politician sees that it governs the entire nation : the s:utesman perceives its dcadly and cursing effect on the sections where texists : and the merchants anti manufacturers begin to discover that those who are too proud or too lazy lo vork will not beprompt customcrs. The aniislavery dis cussion has níTccted the mind of even, northem non-slaveholder against Slavery The manifest af ion of his dislike Í3 o course a very different thing. Each per sorr, although convinced in some degree by antislavery truth, will act in refer encetoit accordingto his peculiar situation and charac'.er. The servile politician xrtÚ perhaps still bovr down to that influence wbencc his %YeaHh and honors flow : the minister, although enlightened n reference to the wickedness of Slavery, may not preach against it lest helóse lis support : and the editor, whose oiily iope ia in the success of a proslavery party, may lic awake nights to frame speciotas apologies ior sustaining thatsysem, ofvrhose damning deeds, through heantislavery investigations, he bas becotïie we informedy Birtthe antislavery influence reaches also the great mass of the people. How vill THEY-be afiected by thise treths? - fheir operation on Jhe njasses will be ;rad'Jtrt. , Thè understanding of thworkingman will be first erilightened. - Next, he wiWfeel on this subject, raorc ar Iets, tn this or that channol, according to his character and condition. When a man understands a ihing and feels upon it, ho will say Speech is an zvidencc offccling : and ihe vast amount of discussion now going on through the country, is ampie proof to the pi'ofound obscrvcr that the antislavery fc-cling has taken hold of the massesi Next, wo observe that those who think strongly, feel deeply and tnlk inüch Upon a subject, vill ultimatcly find some Way to act upon t. Action of some kind is the natural esult of ihought, fecling and discussion. Jut the precise kind of aetion will bo deermined by otherthiugs. In one class fmihd?, wosèê oppositiort to Slavery nnnifested by awithdrawal from all prolavcry churches : in a second by withrawing from proslavory partios, and ïoiding on to proslavery churches : in a hird, by scvering all connection with )oth : in a fourth class, by voting for ani-slavery men of all parties : in a fifth, by voting only for the Liberty party : n til sixsh, by only refusing to vote for any Slavoholder .- in a sever.th class, by etaining a standing in proálavery parties, and vet trying to bring over the party to anti-slavcry action : in an eighth, by acts of compassion and kindness to fugitivo slaves : while multitudes feel and talk antislavery, more or les?, and vet are not far enough advanced to act out their convictions : nnd in other cases still, tha overthrow of proslavery prejudices has but just commenced. Now we sec, from this brief analysis, that every intelligent mind that knows any thing of the subject is making antislavery progresa : but wc should also see how vain and foolish it is to expect that all will come with the sama speed, arrive at the same moment, or immediately unitc on the same meosures. Some will come in steam cars, some in ox-teams, and some on foot : some will come thro'ecclesiastical motives, some from pont cal ones,some from moral considerations,$ome from personal interests. All classes, of all possible variatiorn of belief and practice on every other subject, are advancing more and more in their united and cordial dislike and hatred of the great curse of Slavöry, and in earnest dcsircs ibr its exiinction. Disagreeingon every other subject, they are agreed in fceling and sentiment upon this The task now devolving upon the pioneers of the Liberty cause Í3 to bring this great and accumulaling mass of feeling to efficiënt action ín the right channel : in a manner ihat shall cali out and stlmulate the zealous exertinn ofeach man uport one or Mo cardinal pointsof aggi'ession uponslavery, until the united and ponderous power of the entire multitudes shall be sufficient to sweep all opposition from before them.