The Liberator from Boston, Massachusetts • Page 1

sea a a 53 as Sin VOL. 1. WILLIAM LLOYD GARRISON AND ISAAC AgQI fl S. No. 1.

Boston, Massachusetts. OUR COUNTRY IS THR WORLD OUR COUNTRYMEN ARE MANK Saturday, January 1831. 9 onr TXXEX-XBEXlilTOXl IS PUBLISHED WEEKLY AT NO. 6, MERCHANTS' HALL. W.H.

L. GARRISON, EDITOR. Stephen Foster, Printer TERMS. 07 Two Dollars per annum, payable in Advance. (7- Agents allowed every sixth copy, gra-tis: I fcj" No subscription will be received for a shorter period than six months.

1 All letters 'and communications must be POST PAID. I THE LIBERATOR. THE SANITATION. To date my being from the opening year, 'I come, a stranger iu this busy sphere, iWhere some I meet perchance may pause and ask, iWhat is my name, my purpose, or my task 1 hi ly name is 'LIBERATOR'! I propose hurl my shafts at freedom deadliest foes IMy task is hard for I am charged to save Man from his brother to redeem the slave We who may hear, and yet condemn my cause, Say, shall the best of Nature's holy laws Be trodden down? and shall her open veins 'Flow but for cement to her offspring's chains thou a parent shall tby children be Horn thy breast, like branches from the tree. And doom'd to servitude, in helplessness, lOn other shores, aud thou ask no redress Thon.

in whose bosom glows the sacred flame Of filial love, say, if the tyrant came. To force thy parent shrieking from thy sight. Would thy heart bleed because thy face is vohUel Art thou a brother! shall thy sister twine Her feeble arm in aeonv on thine. And thou not lift the heel, nor aim the blow At him who bean her on" to life-long wo Art thou a sister 1 will no desp'rate cry AwiH thy alMping hrnt b. 06 i Beholds the fetters locking on the limb Stretched out in rest, which hence, must end, for him Art thou a lover 1 no nought e'er was found In lover's breast, save cords of love, that bound Man to his kind then, thy profession save Forswear affection or release thy slave Thou who art kneeling at thy Maker's shrine.

Ask if Heaven takes such offerings as thine If in thy bonds the son of Afric siehs. Far higher than thy prayer his groans will rise God is a God of mercy, and would see The prison doors unbarr'd the bondmen free He is a God of truth, with purer eyes Than to behold the oppressor's sacrifice Avarice, thy cry and thine insatiable thirst Make man consent to -see his brother cursed Tears, sweat and blood thou drink's but, in their turn. They shall cry 4 more while vengeance bids thee burn. The Lord hath said it who shall him gainsay He says, 4 the wicked they shall go away, Who are the wicked 1 Contradict who can, They are the oppressors of their fellow man Aid me, New England 'tis my bone in you i Which gives me strength my purpose to pursue I Do you not hear your sister Mates resound With Afric's crhs to have her sons unbound 1 TO THE rUBLIC, In the month of August, I issued proposals for publishing 'The Liberator' in Washing ton City but the enterprise, though hailed in different sections of the country, was palsied by public indifference. Since tb.it jimetthe re moval of the Genius of Universal Emancipa tion to the Seat of Government has rendered lees imperious the establishment of a similar periodical in that quarter.

During my recent tour for the purpose of exciting the minds of the people by a series of discourses on the subject of slavery, every place that I visited gave fresh evidence of the fact, that greater revolution in public senti ment was to be effected in the free states and particularly in Ne Englandthin at the South. 1 round contempt mre bitter, op. position mora active, detraction more relent' less, prejudice more stubborn, and apathy more frozen than among slave owners themselves. Of course there were individual exceptions to the contrary. This state of things afflicted, but did not dishearten me.

i determined, at every hazard, to lift up the standard of emancipation in the eyes of the nation, within sight of Bunker" IIUl and in the birthplace of liberty. That standard is now unfurled and long may it float, unhurt by the spoliations of time or the missiles of a desperate loe yea, till every chain be broken, and every bondman set free. Let southern oppressors tremble let their secret abettors tremble let their northern apologists tremble let all the enemies of the persecuted blacks tremble. I deem the publication of my original Pros pectus unnecessary, as it has obtained a wide circulation. The principles therein inculcated will be steadily pursued in this paper, except ing that I shall not array myself as the politi cal partisan of any man.

In defending the great cause of human rights, I wish to derive the assistance of all religions and of all parties. Assenting to the self-evident truth' main tained in the American Declaration of Inde pendence, 'that all men are created equal, and endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights among which are life, liberty, and the pursuit of I shall strenuously contend the immediate enfranchisement of our slave population. In Park-street Church, on the Fourth of July, 1829, in an address on slavery, I unreflectingly assented to the po pular but pernicious doctrine of gradual abo lition. I seize this opportunity to make a full and unequivocal recantation, and thus publicly to ask pardon of. my God, of my country, and of my brethren the poor slaves, for having uttered a sentiment so fill of timidity, injustice, and absurdity.

A similar recanta- tion (m my peiv was in the Genius of UnivcrsalEraancipation atBultimore.in My conscience is now satisfied. I am aware, that many object to the severity of my language but is there not cause for severity I will be as harsh as truth, and as un compromising as justice. On this subject I do not wish to think, or speak, or write, with moderation. No no Tell a man whose house is on fire, to give a moderate alarm tell him to moderately rescue his wife from the hands of the ravisher tell the mother to gradually ex tricate her babe from the fire into which it has fallen me not to use moderation in a cause like the present. I am in earnest I will not equivocate I will not excuse I will not retreat a single inch and I will be heard, The apathy of the people is enough to make every statue leap from its pedestal, and to hasten the resurrection of the dead.

It is pretended that I am retarding the cause of emancipation by the coarseness of my in vective, and the precipitancy of my measures. The charge is not true. On this question my influence, humble as it is is felt at this moment to a considerable extent, and shall be felt in coming years not perniciously, but bene ficially not as a curse, but as a blessing and. posterity will bear testimony that I was right. 1 desire to thank God, that he enables me to disregard the fear of man which bringeth a and to speak bis truth in its simplicity and power.

And here I close with this fresh dedication Oppression! 1 hsve seen thee, face to face. And iet tby cruel eya and cloudy brow But thy glance tear not now For dread to prouder teeitngs doth give place, Of deep abhorrence Scorning the disgrace Oi" slavish knees that at thy footstool bow, I also kneel but with far other vow Do bail thee aud thy herd of hire ings base 1 swear, while life-blood warms my throbbing veins, Still to oppx-e and thwart, with he and hand, Thy hrutaliiing sway tUl Afuc's ns Are burst, and Freedom rules the re land, Trampling Oppression and his iron r.i Suck tkt vw 1 take sojiclp mu WILLIAM LLOYD GARRISON. Boston, January 1, 1831. I would here offer my grateful acknowledgments fo those editor who so promptly and gnneroualy inserted my Proposals. They must give me an available opportunity to repay their liberality.

DI37RICT Of 1R 1 7 What do nany of the ptefeed ewemic slavery mean, by heaping all their reproaches upon the South, and asserting that the crime of oppression is not national What power but Cngress and Congress by the authority of the American people has jurisdiction over the District of Columbia That District is rotten with the plague, and stinks in the nostrils of the world. Though it is the Seat of our National Government, open to the daily inspection of foreign ambassadors, and ostensibly opulent with the congregated wisdom, virtue and intelligence of the land, yet a fouler spot ecarcely exists on earth. In the worst features of slavery art exhibited and as a mart for slave-traders, it is unequalled. These facts are well known to our two or three hundred but no remedy is proposed they are known, if not minutely at least -generally, to our whole population, but who calls for redress Hitherto, a few straggling relative to this subject, bave goae into Congress but they have been too few to denote ranch public anxiety, or to command a deferential notice. It is certainly time that a vigorous and systematic effort should be made, from one eud of the country to the othrr, to pull down that national monument of oppression which towers up in the District.

We do hope that the earthquake voice of the people will this session shake the black fabric to its foundation. The following petition is now circulating in this city, and has obtained several valuable signatures. A copy may be found at the book store of Lincoln Ldminds, No. 59 ash. for a few days longer, where all the friends of the cause are earnestly invited to go and subscriber.

Petition Congress for the Abolition of Slavery in Ike District of Columbia. To ihe Honorable" Senate "and House of Representatives of the United states bf America in Congress assembled, the petition of the undersigned citiz.ns of Boston in Mas. sachusetts and its vicinity respectfully represents That your petit ioners are deeply impressed with the evils arising from the existence of slavery in the D.strict of Columbia. While our Declaration of Independence boldly proclaims as self-evident truths, that all men are create, equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of at the very seat of government human btings are born, almost daily, whom the laws pronounce to be from their birth, not equal to other men, and who are, for life, deprived o(lilerly and the free pursuit tf happiness. Th inconsistency of the conduct of our nation with its political creed, has brought down upoi it the just and severe reprehension of foreign nations.

In addition to the other evils flowing from slavery, bth moral and political, which it is needless to specify, circumstances have rendered thit a common resort for traders in humnilt eh, wlio bring into it their captives in ehains.and lodge them in places of confinement, previously to their being carried into the mark of th-j south and west. From tie small number of slaves in the District of CJumbia, and the moderafr proportion which they bear to the free population there, the dimcuties.which in most of the slaveholding States opose the restoration of this degraded class of nen to their natural rights, do no? exist. Your petitioners therefore pray that Congress wi4 without delay, take such measures for the inmediate or gradual abolition of slavery in theDistrict ot Columbia and for the preventing of bringing slaves into that District for pirposps of traffic, in such mode, as may be thought advisable and that suitable provision be nade for the education of all free blacks and colq-ed children in the District, thus to preservi them from continuing, even as free men, ai unenlightened and degraded caste. If ary individual should be unmoved, either by the petition or introductory the following article will startle his apathy, unless he be mtrally dead dead Read it read it The language of the editor is remarkable for. its energy considering the quarter whence it emanates.

After all, we are not the only faaatics in the land From the Washington Spectator of Dec. 4. HE SLAVE TRADE IN THE tender ties husband, father, friend, All bones of nature that moment end, And each enduret, while yet he draws his fcreith, A stroke as fatal a the c)th of death; Tbey lose in tear, the receding shore, But uot the thought that they must meet no It is well, perhaps, the American people should know, that while we reiterate our boasts of liberty in the ears of nations; and send bitck; across the Atlantic our shouts of joy at the: triumph of liberty in France, we ourselves are busily engaged in the work of oppression. Yes, It it be known to the citizens of America, that at the very time when the procession which contained the President of tie United States and his Cabinet was marching in tri- umph to the Capitol, to celebrate the victory of the French over their oppressors, another kind of procession was marching another way, and that consisted of colored human beings, handcuffed in pairs, and driven along by what had the appearance of a man on a horse A similar scene was repeated on Saturday last -a drove consisting of males and females chain- i ed in couples, starting from Roby's tavern on foot, for Alexandria, where with they are to embark on board a 6lave-ship in wait-in to convey them to the South. While we are writing, a colored man enters our room, -and begs us to inform him if we can point out any person who will redeem his friend now Immured in Alexandria jail, in a state of dis tress amounting almost to distraction.

lie has been a failhfut servant of a revolutionary officer who recently died has been sold at auction parted from affectionate parents and from decent and mourning friends. Our own servant, with others, of wbora we can speak in commendatory terms, went down to Alexandria to bid. him farewell, but -they were refused admittance to his cell, as was said, the sight of his friends made him teei so. He bears "the reputation of a pious man. It is but a few weeks since we saw a ship with her cargo of slaves in the port of KTn.rnll nn nancinir nn rivpr.

HIV another ship off Alexandria, swarming with the victims of human cupidity. Such are the scenes enacting in the heart ot tne American nation. Oh, patriotism where is thy indignation Oh, philanthropy where lSf-Uiy- griotV.T-On,-aAaV-WUlllB IS THY blush 1 Well may the genereua and nopie minded O'Connell say "the American citi-zen, tell him he is a hypocrite. Look at the slain in your star-spanglnd standard that teas never struck doum in batlU. I turn from the Declaration of American Independence, and I' tell him that he has declared to God and man a lie, and before God and man I arraign him as a hypocrite Yes, thou soul of fire, glorious O'Connell, if thou couid but witness the spectacles in Washington that make the genius of liberty droop her head in shame, and weep her tears away in deep silence and undissem-bled sorrow, you would lift your voice to tones of thunder, but you would make yourself heard.

Where is the O'Connell of this republic that will plead for the Emancipatiow of the District or Columbia! These shocking scenes must cease from amongst us, or we must cease to call ourselves free ay, and we must cease to expect the mercy of God we must prepare for the coming judg-; ment of Him who, as our charter acknowledges, made all men 'free and equal At the time time this man was sold, another a husband was knocked off The tears and agonies of bis wile made aurh an impreasinn on the mind of a generous spectator, that he fought bimback. When a premium of fifty dollars is offered for the best theatrical poem, our newspapers advertise the fact with great unanimity. Tho following is incomparably more important. PREMIUM. A Premium of Fifty Dollars, the Donation of a benevolentindividual in the State of Maine, and now deposited with the Treasurer of the Pennsylvania Society for Promoting the Abolition of Slavery, i9 offered to the author hi beat Treatise on the following subject: The Duties of Ministers and Churches of all denominations to avoid the slain ol Slavery, and to make theholding of Slaves a barrier to communion and church composition to be directed.

(post-paid) to either of the subscribers the name of the author in a separate seaied paper, which will be destroyed if" his work shall be rejected. Six months from this date are allowed for the purpose of receiving the Essays. The publication and circulation of the preferred Tract will be regulated by the Pennsylvania Society above mentioned. W. Rawle, V' J.

Pbzstok, Committee Thomas Shiplkt, is-. t. 1.