ADDRESS.

1I

them. W e n e e d not h e r e s p e c u l a t e o n the p r o b a b l e r e sults o f s u c h a s c h e m e i f c a r r i e d into effect, i n a c o m m u n i t y w h e r e t h e r e is n o i n t e n t i o n to e m a n c i p a t e ; for b efore t here is found a m o n g us b e n e v o l e n c e e n o u g h to a dopt a n d e x e c u t e i t , o n a s c a l e l a r g e e n o u g h to e ffect a n y h i g h l y v a l u a b l e p u r p o s e , the c o m m u n i t y w i l l b e a l r e a d y r i p e for m e a s u r e s o f e m a n c i p a t i o n . S u c h a spirit o f k i n d n e s s t o w a r d s t h i s u n f o r t u n a t e r a c e as this s c h e m e p resupposes, c a n n e v e r c o - e x i s t w i t h a d e t e r m i n a t i o n to k e e p t h e m i n hopeless b o n d a g e . F u r t h e r , t h e r e a r e no h ouses o f w o r s h i p e x c l u s i v e l y devoted to the c o l o r e d population. T h e galleries of our o w n churches, w h i c h a r e set a p a r t to t h e i r use, w o u l d not h o l d the tenth p a r t o f t h e i r n u m b e r s     a n d e v e n these few seats a r e , i n gener a l , thinly occupied. S o t h a t , as a b o d y , it is e v i d e n t t h a t o u r s l a v e s do not e n j o y the p u b l i e o r d i n a n c e s o f r e l i g i o n . Domestic means of grace a r e s t i l l m o r e r a r e a m o n g t h e m . H e r e a n d t h e r e a f a m i l y is found, w h o s e s urTants a r e t a u g h t t o b o w w i t h t h e i r masters a r o u n d the fireside a l t a r . B u t their p e c u l i a r l y adverse circumstances, combined w i t h t he n a t u r a l a l i e n a t i o n o f t h e i r h e a r t s f r o m G o d , r e n d e r a b o r t i v e the s l i g h t efForts o f most m a s t e r s to i n d u c e t h e i r a t t e n d a n c e o n the domestic s e r v i c e s o f r e l i g i o n . A n d i f w e v isit t he cottages o f those s l a v e s w h o l i v e a p a r t f r o m t h e i r m a s t e r s , w h e r e do w e find t h e m r e a d i n g t h e i r B i b l e s a nd k n e e l i n g t o g e t h e r b efore a t h r o n e o f m e r c y ? Family o r d i n a n c e s o f r e l i g i o n a r e almost u n k n o w n a m o n g t h e blacks. W e do not w i s h to e x a g g e r a t e the d e s c r i p t i o n o f this deplorable religious condition of our colored population. W e k n o w that i n s t a n c e s o f t r u e p i e t y a r e f r e q u e n t l y found a m o n g t h e m ; but these i n s t a n c e s w e a l l k n o w to be a w f u l l y d i s p r o p o r t i o n a t e to t h e i r n u m b e r s , a n d to the e xtent o f those m e a n s o f g r a c e w h i c h exist a r o u n d t h e m . W h e n t he m i s s i o n a r i e s o f the cross e n t e r a h e a t h e n l a n d , t h e i r h ope o f f u l l y c h r i s t i a n i z i n g i t rests u p o n the fact t hat t h e y c a n a r r a y and b r i n g to b e a r upon the m i n d s o f t hese c h i l d r e n o f i g n o r a n c e a nd s i n , a l l those v a r i e d m e a n s w h i c h G o d h a s a p p o i n t e d for t he r e f o r m a t i o n o f m a n . B u t w h i l e t h e s y s t e m o f s l a v e r y continues a m o n g u s , t hese m e a n s c a n n e v e r be e f f i c i e n t l y a n d f u l l y e m p l o y e d f or the c o n v e r s i o n o f the d e g r a d e d sons o f A f r i c a . Yet