THE HUMANITY OF THE AFRICO-AMERICANS. Variety, governed by order, characterizes the works of God. No two individuals of his innumerable creatures are precisely alike, yet the diversity has its fixed and impassable limits. God's creatures are arranged into classes, easily to be distinguished. The human race, though exhibiting in its multiplied tribes a wonderful variety of external appearance, stands distinguished from all the other tenants of our globe by a peculiar, inalienable and ineffaceable glory. This noble peculiarity, in whatever places, or circumstances, or degree it may be found, is obviously one and the same. It is the EXPANSIBLE SOUL. It is that spark of celestial fire-feeble and glimmering at first-which kindles under the breath of education-nay, which, if not forcibly smothered, bursts forth spontaneously in the glorious forms of imagi nation, reason, conscience. It is that IMAGE OF JEHOVAH which lays claim to an eternity of existence by its capacity for an eternal growth.

Observe, it is the capacity for improvement, and not the improvement itself which constitutes the badge and birth-right of our race. It is not for one tribe of men to degrade another from the ranks of humanity, for falling below its own standard of acquirement; nor can any one justly plume itself upon a superiority of natural endowments, inasmuch as the endowment itself is from its very nature im→ measureable, being a capacity for indefinite enlargement. As well. might the hoary sage speak of the little child as the connecting link between himself and the brute, as the enlightened nation hold such language in regard to the most savage horde. He that has a SOUL, whatever may be said of its present powers, is the possessor of an immortal, illimitable, inestimable thing he is no more to be compared with the brute than eternity with a day.

It is not the design of this article to prove that the Africans are really men. If there are any who doubt their manhood, it cannot be for the want of evidence. Nor is it designed to cite examples to show the intellectual equality of that race with the white. This matter is of little consequence in relation to the great question of Slavery. But the moral traits of the African character* deserve a thorough investigation.

We well know what can be said of the selfishness and ferocity of savages. This is a world in ruins and we never fail to find sin developing itself in proportion to temptation. But considering the cir cumstances in which our colored brethren have been placed, there are traits in their character which must commend themselves to us as good and noble. Their mildness, fidelity and generosity take away all excuse from their ruthless oppressors. It is the glory of Christianity that it teaches its disciples to return good for evil. But what Christian nation can show more or nobler instances of this virtue than the poor, despised, enslaved Africo-Americans? How few are the insurrections and revolts recorded in the history of African slavery! The insurrections that have occured, too, have often been rendered abortive by the affection of some favorite slave for the family of his master. We often hear the slaveholders themselves boast, that in case of insurrection, their slaves would be the first to rally in their defence. This in many instances may be true: but it must not be taken as a proof that the masters have dealt justly with their slaves, much less that slavery itself is a good thing. The truth is, that the

This whole subject is admirably handled in the seventh chapter of Mra Child's "Appeal in behalf of that class of Americans called Africans."

colored man never forgets a favor. He is chained by kindness, and will cheerfully give up some of his rights, provided the rest are respected. A traveller in South Africa, relates that a party of Dutch boors had captured five of the natives, and finding it troublesome to convey them to the colony, resolved to shoot them. Four of them were despatched, but the fifth, a woman, clung to her captor so closely that it was impossible to sloot her without endangering his life. He at length interceded for her, and she was carried to the colony, where she served in his family during a long life with the utmost fidelity, never ceasing to regard him as her greatest benefactor.

Whatever may be said of the affection of the slave for his master, he cherishes no good will towards the system under which he is held. This is strikingly illustrated by the fact that the best treated slaves have joined ardently in revolt, while at the same time they have been willing to peril their lives to save their own masters. A remarkable instance is related by Bryan Edwards in his History of St. Domingo. It occurred during the dreadful rebellion of 1791. As he wrote in favor of slavery, was on the spot directly after the occurrence, and received all his facts from the whites who would not have given to the blacks any credit which was not due to them, his statement may be confidently relied on.

"Amidst these scenes of horror, one instance, however, occurs of such fidelity and attachment in a negro, as is equally unexpected and affecting. Monsieur and Madame Baillon, their daughter and sonin-law, and two white servants, residing on a mountain plantation about thirty miles from Cape François, were apprised of the revolt by one of their own slaves, who was himself in the conspiracy, but promised if possible to save the lives of his master and his family. Having no immediate means of providing for their escape, he conducted them into an adjacent wood; after which he went and joined the revolters. The following night he found an opportunity of bringing them provisions from the rebel camp. The second night he returned again, with a further supply of provisions; but declared it would be out of his power to give them any further assistance. After this, they saw nothing of the negro for three days; but at the end of that time he came again, and directed the family how to make thei: way to a river which led to Port Margot, assuring them they would find a canoe on a part of the river which he described. They followed his directions; found the canoe and got safely into it, but were overset by the rapidity of the current, and after a narrow escape thought it best to return to their retreat in the mountains. The negro, anxious for their safety, again found them out, and directed them to a broader part of the river, where he assured them he had provided a boat; but said it was the last effort he could make to save them. They went accordingly, but not finding the boat, gave themselves up for lost,

when the faithful negro again appeared like their guardian angel. He brought with him pigeons, poultry, and bread; and conducted the family by slow marches in the night along the banks of the river, until they were within sight of the wharf at Port Margot; when telling them they were entirely out of danger, he took his leave forever, and went to join the rebels. The family were in the woods nineteen nights."―History of St. Domingo, page 75.

Far be it from us to justify the bloody vengeance of the oppressed in St. Domingo. The liberty of that island would have been, in our opinion, more speedily obtained and its permanence better secured had the colored people never struck a blow. At any rate, whether it would have been so or not, they ought not to have drawn the sword. But if we wish to study the moral character of the African race as developed in the scenes of St. Domingo, we must remember that the horrible atrocities they perpetrated were taught them by their civilized white masters, while their forbearance, magnanimity, good faith, and moral heroism were all their own. The history of St. Domingo from the first revolutionary commotions in 1789, up to the present hour, is full of facts highly honorable to a people just emerging from the savage state, and to humanity itself. Some of these, inscribed as they are on the durable page of history, will be interesting to the reader.

When the French, in 1892, invaded St. Domingo, for the purpose of reducing the blacks to their ancient bondage, one of their first acts, was the capture of Fort Dauphin, on the bay of Mancenille. A large number of blacks were taken prisoners. Contrary to what are called the laws of civilized warfare, they were all murdered, and the bay was reddened with their blood. In retaliation, Dessalines, one of the black chieftians, ordered the indiscriminate massacre of the white planters in the valley of the Artibonite. Most dreadfully was he obeyed.

"But," says the historian, "not all the blacks were so barbarous. Many among them, moved by sentiments of gratitude, or of pity, saved the lives of the unfortunate colonists. Some hid them in the country, and nourished them by the chase, others conducted them by by-roads into the districts occupied by the French. There were some, who, in order not to awaken the suspicion of the pursuers, dressed the victims in thick leaves, and passed them off as the actors of a drunken frolic."*

There is not perhaps on record an invasion more cruel, than that which was made against St. Domingo, under Le Clerc, certainly none

* Antoine Métral, Histoire de l'Expédition des Français, a Saint Domingue, page 76.

more treacherous. When that general found that the wealth of the colony was turned to cinders, and the blacks were still free in the mountains, he sheathed his sword, and betook himself to negociation. He proposed a peace, in which liberty and amnesty were solemnly guarantied to the blacks. It was accepted. But, the event proved that the whole was only a stratagem to remove Toussaint Louverture, and other chieftians, who had so successfully baffled the French arms. No sooner, however, had the French army relaxed itself in this perfidious peace, than a pestilence broke out, which swept away twenty thousand men. The blacks might easily have completed the destruction. What was their conduct? The same historian says,

"The blacks still remained faithful to the peace to which they had sworn; born under the torrid zone the contagion did not mingle its poison in their boiling blood; had they pleased, there would have been an end of the expedition, but they believed it would be unworthy of them to violate the peace, and owe their victory to the pestilence. Hence the blacks faithfully guarded sea and land, and with that hospitality which characterizes unsophisticated men, they received the sick into their houses, and gave them unexpected succor; they even wept over them, no longer seeing in the French their enemies, but illustrious warriors trampled under the feet of an inexorable destiny. Thus they banished revenge, a sentiment terrible in the hearts of savages."

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"In the silent streets of the Cape, marked by ruins, and in those of Port au Prince, might be seen, going and returning, these benevolent women [blacks]; their compassion ran from one sick-bed to another, to soften despair, to assuage suffering, and to struggle with the pestilence. They spent day and night with the sick and dying, inhaling their fetid and cadaverous breath. Seeing the impotence of the ordinary remedies, they administered others, of which they had brought the secrets from the deserts of Africa; they had recourse also to their fétiches, the worship of which they customarily mingle with the practices of Christianity; thus they implored both their ancient and their new gods, to avert the malady which was mowing down so many warriors.

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"How many soldiers, captains and generals died or recovered, in the care of these compassionate females, of whom the most had been savages, either bond or free! They had known the disease and they relieved it. The army and fleet owed to them inestimable consolations; France owes them eternal gratitude for having taken this tender and generous care of her children the very men whom the consul [Napoleon Bonaparte] had sent to reduce St. Domingo, so far as possible, to her ancient bondage. One shudders to think that in return for their compassion, these unfortunate women were perhaps to receive CHAINS.” pp. 121, 125.

A later period of this war afforded a remarkable instance of forbearThe extreme South, in the neighborhood of Les Cayes, was inhabited by many mulattoes who were rich, and notwithstanding pre

ance.