A tribute for the Negro; being a vindication of the moral, intellectual, and religious capabilities of the coloured portion of mankind; with particular reference to the African race

Front matter

H mm

"I rVA'l

•^JwflnfiWFmTOMi^

Contents

^hxt fmi

AN INQUIRY INTO THE CLAIMS OF THE NEGRO RACE TO HUMANITY, AND A VINDICATION OF THEIR ORIGINAL EQUALITY WITH THE OTHER PORTIONS OF MANKIND : WITH A FEW OBSERVATIONS ON THE INALIENABLE RIGHTS OF MAN; THE SIN OF SLAVERY, &c, &c.

Chapter I.— Page 3

Sin of Slavery — Delusion respecting the moral and intellectual capacity of the Negro — An important question — To despise a fellow-being on account of any external peculiarity, a sin — Christianity the manifestation of universal love — Inquiry into the causes of the diversity characterising various nations and people — Analogous in animals — Connection between the physiological, moral, and intellectual characters in Man — The diversities trifling in comparison with those attributes in which they agree — Nothing to warrant us in referring to any particular race an insurmountable deficiency in faculties — Scripture testimony to unity of origin in the human race.

Chapter Ii.— Page 17

The idea that moral and intellectual inferiority are inseparable from a coloured skin, a fallacious one — Refuted by facts — Apparent inferiority of the Negro accounted for — Extent and pernicious consequences of Slavery and the Slave Trade — Prevent the civilization of the Negro — The same effects observable on any people under similar treatment — Instanced in European Slaves — Loose his shackles, and the Negro will soon refute the calumnies raised against him.

Chapter Iii.— Page 26

False Theory of Rousseau and Lord Kaimes — Injurious to the best interests of humanity, and contrary to Scripture — Injuries done to the Negro on the ground of inferiority — Shocking effects resulting from this idea — Civilized nations before the Christian era — Romans, and their ancestors — Our own — Anecdote related by Dr. Philip —

Remarks of Cicero respecting them — Christian guilt towards Aborigines— Dr. Johuson on European conquest — Slavery justified by representing the Negro a distinct species — And even a brute — Arguments of Long— Strange book published at Charleston— Chambers' reply — Inferiority ascribed to other races— The Esquimaux — The whole refuted by Dr. Lawrence.

CHAPTER IY.-PAGE 13.

Deduction of an affinity between the Negro and the brute creation, a mere subterfuge— European physioguomy often similar to the Negro's — Blumenbach's Negro crania? — Imperceptible gradations of one race into another — Further analogies in animals— Effects of the civilizing process in improving the form of the head and features — Exemplifications — Illustrated in the case of Kaspar Hauser — Testimony of Dr. Philip— Dr. Knox on Negro crania? — His important conclusion — Dr. Tiedeman's experiments — Conclusive observations of Blurnenbach — And others — The civilization of many African nations superior to that of European Aborigines — No deviations in the races of Man sufficient to constitute distinct species — Departures from the general rule accounted for — Equal variations observable in our own country — Remarkably exemplified in Ireland.

Chapter V.-page 56

Complexion the most obvious external distinction in Man — Analogous in animals — Chief cause of diversity of Colour — Peculiarities of Structure and Complexion become hereditary — Illustrations — In the House of Austria — The Gipsies — Jews — Persons of the same blood — Amongst the great and noble — The Colour of Man not always corresponding with Climate explained— Persistency of Colour not so great as supposed — Instances of Negroes becoming light-coloured — Of Whites who have become black — True Whites born among the Black races — If Colour is a mark of inferiority in Man, it attaches a stigma to a great portion of the inhabitants of the world — The Hindoos — Their learning two thousand years ago — Natives of Terra del Fuego much lighter than the Negro, but inferior in the scale of intelligence — Colour of the Negro a merciful provision — Dr. Copland's remarks on this subject — The inquiry into Unity of Species admirably summed up by Buffon.

Chapter Vi.-page 72

Not in external Characteristics alone that Man is pre-eminently distinguished— Uniform traits in human nature — Superior Psychical endowments—Reason and intellect — Universal belief in a Supreme

OT

€nntnU.

XIX.

Being — And ideas of his attributes, &c. — Prevalence of similar inherent ideas amongst the various Negro tribes — They possess the same internal principles as the rest of mankind — A portion of that Spirit which is implanted in the heart of " every man " — Further coincidence when converted to Christianity — Early attempt to convert the Slaves of the Caribbee Islands — Its singular success ; as also in other Islands — Subsequently in Africa and the West Indies — After restoring to the Negro his rightful liberties, it is our duty to promote the cultivation of his moral and religious faculties — Final blending of all the various tribes in harmony.

Chapter Vii.— Page 81

Deep-rooted prejudice to eradicate respecting Colour in Man — Less in Europe than in the New World — Evinced in the case of Douglass — National expression of sympathy for him from the British public — The " Douglass Testimonial " — British Christians respect the Divine image alike in ebony and ivory — Effects of prejudice in South Africa — Americans deeply implicated in this feeling — Have an interest in keeping it up — Strongest in the Eree States — Several instances of its nature and extent — Circumstance exhibiting a striking contrast in favour of the Sable race — Further effects of prejudice — Public opinion on this subject very strong in the United States.

Chapter Viii.— Page 92

Result of the idea of inferiority in the Negro race a prolongation of their oppression — Unequal rights and privileges — Their tendency — Human beings possess certain inalienable rights — All men created equal — Acknowledgment of this great doctrine in the American Declaration of Independence — Slavery a stain on the glory of America — A lie to the Declaration of the Federal Constitution — Columbia may yet redeem her character — No new laws required — Only that all should be placed on an equality — No exemption of the Negro from law, but should enjoy its protection — Observations on equitable laws — Justice always the truest policy — America called to a great and noble deed — Address to Columbia.

Chapter Ix.— Page 99

Pernicious influence of Slavery — Those brought up in the midst of it unconscious of its evils — Deceptiveness of the " Slayery Optic G-lass " — The products and gains of oppression tainted — Nothing can sanction violence and injustice — To prosper by crime, a great calamity — Melancholy situation of those implicated in Slavery — Plea of the necessity of coercion - Negroes represented as most cCnntBnts.

degenerate and ungovernable — This accounted for — Demoralizing effects of Slavery — When its asperities have been mitigated, various latent virtues and good qualities have been brought into exercise.

Chapter X.-page 105

To form a just estimate of the Negro character, we must observe him under more favourable circumstances than those of Slavery — Statements of Travellers who have visited Africa, describing the natives as virtuous, intelligent, &c. — Their ingenuity — Clarkson's interview with the Emperor of Russia — His surprise at their proficiency — Wadstrom's testimony before the House of Commons — Many other testimonies — Dr. Channing says, " we are holding in bondage one of the best races of the human family."

Chapter Xi.— Page 120

The African race examined in an Intellectual point of view — Their origin and noble ancestry — Ethiopians and Egyptians considered — Negroes have arrived at considerable intellectual attainments, and have distinguished themselves variously — Exemplified in Amo — State of learning at Timbuctoo in the sixteenth century — Many other instances of their intellectual attainments — Further testimony of Blumenbach to their capacity for scientific cultivation — Corroborative evidences — Demonstration of Negro capabilities in living witnesses— The highest offices of State in Brazil filled by Blacks — Coloured Roman Catholic Clergy — Lawyers — Physicians — Dr. Wright's testimony to the capabilities and intellect of the Negro.

Chapter Xii.— Page 144

The foregoing facts afford unquestionable evidence of the capabilities of the Negro — Their desire for improvement — Obstacles to this — Invidious distinctions — Effects of Slavery — The improvidence, indolence, &c, ascribed to the Negro, considered — Testimony of Dr. Lloyd — Similar charges brought against the ancient Britons — Russians a century ago — Admitting every thing in favour of distinct races, all are capable of great improvement — Events in St. Domingo — Improvement in Negroes brought to Europe — Comparisons — Effects of Education, &c. — Fact related by Dr. Horn — White races liable to relapse into barbarism — Instances of retrogression in Whites — The Greeks and Romans — Case of Charlotte Stanley — Civilization a vague and indefinite term — Remarkable instance of retrogression in America — Progression in the Negro defended on the same ground — Time required— Accelerated in proportion as impediments are removed.

(CnnhittB,

XXI.

i<3UM>

Chapter Xiii.— Page 162

Refutation of the plea of coercion being necessary for the Negro — Palliated bj representing him as deficient in the finer feelings —This also refuted — Testimony of Captain Rainsford— Remarks of Dr. Philip — The Negro represented to be under a Divine anathema — Observations of Richard Watson on this subject —Refuted on Christian grounds — All tribes stretching out their hands unto Grod - Results of mis - sionary labours — Facts evincing the progress of the Negro in virtue and religion — Instances illustrative of the highest religious susceptibilities— Testimony of a Wesleyan Missionary — Such evidences very conclusive — Beautiful remarks by Richard Watson.

Chapter Xiv.— Page 173

Slavery considered — A violation of the rights of Man — Remarks of Milton — Condemned by Pope Leo X. — Remarks of Bishop Warburton — How can Christians continue to be its upholders ? — Gruilt of Britons and Americans — Expiation of our sin by a noble sacrifice — We can never repay the debt we owe to Africa — White Man instilling into those he calls "savages" a despicable opinion of human nature — We practice what we should exclaim against — No tangible plea for Slavery — Criminal to remain silent spectators of its crimes — We cannot plead ignorance — Seven millions of human beings now in Slavery — Four hundred thousand annually torn from Africa — Slavery a monstrous crime— A robbery perpetrated on the very sanctuary of man's rational nature — A sin against Grod —America's foul blot — Slaves represented as happy — Remarks on this.