North Carolina Newspapers

jrioZe JVb. 388. I he "iSarth-Carolinz Free Press,'9 ur.uuuu HOWARD, Is published weekly, at Two Dollar v.mce-or, Thre Dollars t .T, "ra.. .r period" less . ....... Iucrs are at hberty t d , - on giving notice iiici-eo and paying arrears-those resi- in.ij, at a u,st:mce must invariably pay in advance, or trwn . 'rl J iii this vicimtv. Advertlsemcnts.hot exceeding 16 lines, ffU,.uc nciuta at 50 cents the first in- ?ertl011, and 2J cents ear.h r.nntinuanrp Longer ones at that rate for every 16 -riuvei riscnients must be marked the number of insertions r-ntiirf-ri tliey will ibe continued until otherwise ordered. ily-Lcttcrs addressed to the r,cmor must be post paid, or they may not be attended to. J From the Raleigh Constitutionalist. ADDRESS Of the Nash humane and Slave protecting Society. The committee to whom was referred the duty of drafting an address to the citizens explana tory of the views of this Society in its organization, beg leave to submit the following, as embra cing the most promineut objects of the Society. Friends and felloxo citizens: As preliminary to any remarks which we may make upon the causes which gave rise to this Association, we would beg leave to state that we arc well apprised of the abuse of that high privilege of the Constitu tion to "peaceably assemble," and that the institution of any new society or association at the present time excites at once jealousy and distrust among the most intelligent of the cum. munity. And it is this con scious knowledge of the jea lousy with which every Ameri can citizen views the associa tions of the present day, in the least mysterious in character, that induces us to address you at this time. And we have no hesitation in avowing freelvand frankly, that our only object is, to assist the government in ihe. more perfect security of our persons and the 2ircscrvation of our property. VYc do not design in this ad dress, to justify or condemn slavery by arguments; but to as sert and maintain that the Con stitution of the U. States, and that of North-Carolina (in spi rit) have not only locegnised it in this State, but guaranteed to ns the possession of slaves as property. And that no autho rity, inerior to a Convention of the State, can abolish it, without the consent of its possessors. Such is our right. But false and foul have been th tongues ot many to deny it, and nume rous and untired the efforts, to extirpate it from the U. States. From various documents to which we have had access, we arc constrained to believe that there is now and has been for the last halt century, a system atic union of foreign and do mestic intermedlers, to abolish in the Southern States the poli tical relation of master and si-He, and that they are totally gardles3 of the consequences of such mutation, is fully evin ced by the recent excitement and alurm in our own State and the bloody tragedy in a sister State. J History informs us that from Ifto earliest period after Chris tianity assumed the reins of era- pirc, the possession of christian slaves by infidel masters had oi ended the dominant party. I be Lmperor Constantino f in. norious, Pope Gregory the first, rv ! ' ."uujr uuiicus, made lau dable efforts, to alleviate 'the baneful effects on the s well as the temporal state of iu siaycs; liut fully recognized tl'e right of the master to pos sess the bond man as property. A r!h? first Council of Macon (A. L. 582) enacts? "Tl.,.. cording to the laws, both eccle siastical and civil, tl tions by yhich a christian either as a captive in war. or In i.nr. chase, has become a slav e, even to a Jew, must be rnanprfnrl " And in most cases of the liharn. ted slaves the full prices were paid to their masters. (1.) In 1731 a new era commen ces. (2.) Benjamin Lay, (of syivania,j a -mere dwarf in stature, but a giant in fanati cism; conceived the scheme of universal emancipation of the ons ot Alriea, without regard to the Christian or Infidel nrin- ciple that predominated in the icart of the slave, or any remu neration to the master. And auungi? as it may nonenr. it s not less true (3.) 'that this scheme of universal emancipa tion, which at first was consid ered the vagary of a half crazed mind, has enlisted in the United States thousands of votaries. ...i . . i . . . . uno wniioui the ties ot amnity or consanguinity, personal safe- v y ..." ii tu uAuiif, nave;or a aouot that no means will overleaped the bounds of pru-lbe left untried to accomplish dence and moderation, violated ! this chief object, to wit: the social confidence, left to misery ana starvation their own off spring, buffeted the inclemency ot seasons and climes, merelv I for the savage graiification of ablate had become the advocates midnight illumination, or a riot-; of this mischievous system, had mg in the indiscriminate massa-j united their efforts with those ere of women and children, would-be Philanthropists, to Were our fellow citizens thus ' bring misery and ruin on their enrarred enemies, it would be manly; but to profess friendship, and act enmity, is base in the extreme. um ganger sun is u, tnatmen all their energies and prudently professing to be the pious fol- dictating to them a hasty flight lowers of the meek and lowly from the contest and Wv Jesus, men professing to be the country, to some clime more ministers of the prince of peace 'congenial to iheir effeminate (who never attempted to change j hearts ami cowardly fears. But political relations) should claim notwithstanding this degenera thc right to authoritatively con-icy of spirit in some of the sons trol us by spiritual influence, and; of the patriots of 1776, (who attempt to exercise over us a j were so alive to the efforts of jurisdiction anauthorised and systematic operation as to be impious, making their ipse dixitttic first in repelling encronch the infallible rule of legislation, jments on their rights.) We and requiring their communi-1 believe there is yet intelligence cants to be the advocates of and patriotism enough in the emancipation. (4.) The citi- citizens of North-Carolina (if zensofthis Slate have too con- united) to give efficient aid to fluently relied on constitutional i guarantee and legal protection for rights and property, without adverting to the inability of even the best government to protect, when the patriotic zeal and vigi- lance of its citizens are paraly- j zed by the anathemas ol a high er accountability. To prove i he organization of a system that embraces all the energies of many individuals, societies, churches and States, we might adduce in testimony nearly all school books, pamphlets and newspapers from the northern States. But particularly the Walker pamphlet, the Libera tor, the Genius of Universal Emancipation. The Minutes of the proceedings of the fourth Convention of Delegates from l.he Abolition Society in the J. States assembled in Philadel phia in 1797, and published for circulation, in which may be seen its connexion with the one i" Paris that deluged St. Do mingo in blood and ruin its connexion with various others m the world and the nhh.ri "peniy avowed. An, i r . j .1 - . - tile Various; rnU mill renuia- eve the ninth section of ibe second part of the discipline off ......u.ouIsiiM,u:cop!.lU1urcli d T.T .',S "I .'" 1024 firm r .! i r- , o"- - vo w, uiscuiueiii anu con- lions ot the. different churehes jspiracy in the slaves, bv estab m the United States. W,. uilij,;,,., ' " inoacivoi.cct by written correspon- coiispicuuus and is the r,mt denee, or by expresses seni di oc ions for in that seciiou theircct for the purpose, all authen hurch undertakes the exiirpa-i tic information, relative to the lion of the evil of slavery, hv sending out colored men to preach, and by the Presiding Elder's holding private inter" views with them if he thinks proper, and by prudently enfor cing on each member the ne cessity of learning his slaves to read the word of God, &c) Vast has been the capital expended to pour upon us hordes of vagabonds and emis saries from the North, under the dignified appellation of itinerant merchants and minis ters, missionaries, agents for Bible Societies and the like, who by their mischievous and impertinent interviews and con versations with our- slavew. evince to us beyond the shadow emancipation of the slaves. With revolting feelings did we acquire the knowledge that mnnv of ilm ririynm, ?,f !.;. late excitement, we have be- held with indignation others unsexed, their fears paralyzing government in ferretting out and bringing to punishment all those foreign or domestic disturbers of the peace and safety of the State. Our Legislature has done much to stem this torrent of ini- quity and intrigue. But much yet remains to be done by the people. A form of government like ours, is better calculated to foster and nourish the finer feelings of the virtuous and good, than to correct and pun ish the licentious conduct of the vicious and bad. But if this be a defect, we believe that the vigilance and activity of its ci tizens may in a measure remedy it. And we believe that it is not only onr privilege to be free in our communications relative to the vita! interest of our conn try, and zealous and active in contributing the necessary aid to carry into effects its wise and salutary provisions for ihe pro tection of persons and property. In accordance with these principles, we have united our exertions to detect and sun- ; press (as far as practicable) the lanm :,n,i whoso rimy it is, to waidi over and scrutinize the conduct of Population, and ,o conduct of the slaves iuvolviu the peace and safety of the ci tizens of the State, and com municate the same to the patrol committees, or other civil su thority having jurisdiction of the same. This we believe to be requisite for our personal safety but there is another du ty incumbent on the committee, viz: That of opening a corres pondence with similar societies, in other counties or States, to prevent the indiscriminate and unceremonious sacrifice of the slaves by the white population, acting under the influence of excitements: regardless of the truth or falsity of any reported insurrection which a designing cut throat, blundering idiot, or mercenary trader, may choose to fabricate or circulate, to les sen the price of slaves, or for any other purposes, and more over it is the duty of every tuom ber of this Society, to watch over his own slave?, and trans mit to the committee of vigi lance and correspondence, any authentic information touching the premises. (5.) We call upon you, fellow citizens, as patriots, as men equally concerned with us in the preservation of life and the security of that property without which, the cultivated fields of the South, would soon be converted into a howling wilderness, to unite your intel lectual and physical energies with us, in devising some means by which we may avert the im pending evil. - Do not calculate on the Northern States follow ing the patriotic example set them by ancient Greece, in ex pelling the illegitimates, that were stirring up to insurrection the slaves in one of the confede rate Stales. No! that was hea then Greece, this is christian America, and of course through modern refinement, looks less to the welfare of the opulent and useful citizens, than to the poor and illegitimate denizens. Rely on your own resources of wealth and activity, to detect any scheme, that would lull your vigilance into calm securi ty, lis but the syren song that chants your funeral dirge ma ny of the pulpits and presses are in array against you. Sympathy and condolence are on their tongues, but the deleterious poison of their hearts is effervescing in your very houses. Be firm, quit yourselves like men! Remem ber that the spirit that presided at the massacre on St. Barthol omew's, waved the bloody ban vol. rmNo.fM. ner over the fertile farms of St. Domingo, feasied its harpy ap petite with Virginia's blood! and clapped its glad wings at the prospect of carnage in Caroli na. Tis your right to possess tis your interest to protect your property, and palsied be the tongue that denies the one and withered be the arm that opposes the other. Notes. (1.) Milman's History of iho Jews, pages 1705. (2.) Robert Vaux's Memoirs of 13. Lay and Ralph Sandiford, where the enthusiast U. L. und . S IttO as long as J. C. and believed he sin ned if he parlook of anv food hut vn. getables, and that not ihn nrnn'nr nf slave cultivation. (30 Benedict's History of the Baptist sect called Emancipators. Also, Lee's Historv of thn Mthn. ft wv dists; (article on slavery, &c.) Note 5th. In Constitution nf ihl Society, Art. 7lh. iNote 2d. We are aware lhat the Legislature of Rhode Island, or Pro vidence Plantations enacted some laws for emancipation, in May 18, 1G52. but confined their pffnHc tn iK; own provinceSee R. 1. Reports. At a meeting of the Nash county Humane and Slave pro tecting Society, held at Nash ville on the 22d Dec. 1831, tho foregoing Report and Address were read and on motion unanu rnously adopted, and ordered to be published. Jno. H. Drake, Pres. pro. tern. . Blount, Sec. pro. tern. Mr. Berrien has published an address in the Savannah Georgian, vindicating himself nom the charge ot supporting the administration of Gen. Jack son, for selfish purposes. Ho says he supports the adminis tration upon principle, and that personally he entertains the ame sentiments towards tho President now, as he expressed in his address to the public last spring. This sneaks loudly for the administration; it speaks loudly for the independence and magnanimity of Mr. Berri en. He shows lhat he is will ing to sacrifice his private feel ings upon the altar of the public good. Salisbury. Car. ft?" A little incident occurred at the Baltimore Convention which is worth naming. When the Secretary called "the namo of a gentleman from North Carolina he arose promptly, but instead of answering "Henry Clay," like all who had prece ded him, he said "I am still, Mr. President, of the same opi nion that 1 expressed last even ing. 1 do not think it possible to elect Henry Clay President and although I entertain as exalted opinion of him as does the gentleman from New-York, 1 will not, under the circum stances, give him my vote to place him before the people os a candidate. I am opposed to his nomination, and to deceiv-. ing the people with impressions lhat we can elect him. Ncic-Hatnjnhirc Fat . (t?No less than twenty-thrco couples were divorced by act of the Legislature of Georgia at the late session. (t?-IJappincss the anticipa tion of good. Misery the dread of future evil.