0

ADDRESS.

b eings a m o n g us m a y l e g a l l y r e s t r a i n t h e m f r o m a s s e m b l i n g t o h e a r the i n s t r u c t i o n s o f d i v i n e t r u t h , o r e v e n from ever uniting their hearts and voices i n social p r a y e r and p r a i s e to H i m w h o c r e a t e d t h e m . G o d alone is L o r d o v e r the c o n s c i e n c e . Y e t our system, defrauding alike o u r C r e a t o r a n d o u r s l a v e s , confers upon m e n this prerogative of D e i t y . A r g u m e n t is u n n e c e s s a r y , to s h o w t he g u i l t a n d madness o f s u c h a s y s t e m . A n d do we not p a r t i c i p a t e i n its c r i m i n a l i t y , i f w e u p h o l d i t ? 3 d . The deprivation of personal security is the remaining constituent of our system of slavery. T h e time was, i n o u r o w n as w e l l as in other c o u n t r i e s , w h e n e v e n the l i f e o f the s l a v e w a s a b s o l u t e l y i n the hands o f the m a s t e r . I t i s not so n o w a m o n g us. T h e life o f a b o n d m a n c a n not be t a k e n w i t h i m p u n i t y . B u t the l a w extends its p r o tection n o f u r t h e r . C r u e l t y m a y be c a r r i e d to a n y extent, p r o v i d e d life be s p a r e d . M a n g l i n g , imprisonment, starvat i o n , e v e r y species o f t o r t u r e , m a y bo inflicted upon h i m , a n d h e has no redress. B u t , not content w i t h t hus l a y i n g t he b o d y o f the s l a v e d efenceless a t the f oot o f the m a s t e r , o u r s y s t e m p r o c e e d s s till f u r t h e r , a n d strips h i m i n a g r e a t m e a s u r e o f a l l p r o t e c t i o n a g a i n s t the i n h u m a n i t y o f a n y other w hite m a n w h o m a y c hoose t o m a l t r e a t h i m . T h e l a w s p r o h i b i t the evidence o f a s l a v e a g a i n s t a w h i t e m a n from being received i n a court of justice. S o that w antonness a n d c r u e l t y m a y be e x e r c i s e d b y a n y m a n w i t h i m p u n i t y , u p o n these unfortunate people, p r o v i d e d n one w itness it but those o f t h e i r o w n c o l o r . In describi n g s u c h a c o n d i t i o n , we m a y w e l l adopt the l a n g u a g e o f s a c r e d w r i t : " J u d g m e n t is turned a w a y b a c k w a r d , a n d j u s t i c e standeth afar off; for t r u t h i s f a l l e n i n the street, a n d e q u i t y cannot enter. A n d the L o r d s a w i t , a n d it d ispleased h i m that there w a s no j u d g m e n t . " S u c h i s the essential c h a r a c t e r o f o u r s l a v e r y . Without a n y c r i m e on the part o f its unfortunate subjects, t h e y a r e deprived for l ife, a n d t h e i r p o s t e r i t y after t h e m , o f the r i g h t t o p r o p e r t y , o f the r i g h t to l i b e r t y , a n d o f the r i g h t to p e r s o n a l s e c u r i t y . T h e s e odious features a r e not the e x c r e s c e n c e s u p o n the s y s t e m     t h e y a r e the system itself     t h e y a r e its essential constituent p a r t s . A n d c a n a n y m a n b elieve that s u c h a t h i n g as this is not s i n f u l     t h a t it