Mary Ann Hedge

“ Nothing could more strongly prove the tendency of this traffic to prostrate every noble faculty of the soul, every tender impulse of the heart, to destroy every sympathy of our nature, than the fact, that Irving, the once generous, kind-hearted youth, beheld, with the cold regard of a mere trader intent upon making an advantageous bargain, above a hundred and twenty wretched beings in one house, all chained two and two, by their hands and feet, and sitting in three rows on the floor! ”

“ In fact, there was every reasonable ground for hope, that the joyful period was advancing, when, by the blessing of Heaven upon the endeavours used, the continent of Africa would be rescued from the darkness that obscured her, and would exhibit the soul-cheering scene of light and knowledge, of civilization and order, of peaceful industry and domestic comfort. But these anticipations were destroyed by the treachery and faithlessness of a government, which professed to hold the rights of man as sacred. ”

“ The soul of the dying Imihie imbibed the soothing balm, felt the powerful energy, and gladly received the consolation the religion of Jesus [108] alone has power to give. Her tears, it is true, still flowed for Africa, and for Tumiáh; but they were no longer bitter tears. The heavenly ray which had been communicated to her soul, had not only enlightened it, but stilled its perturbations; and captivity was deprived of its horrors, in the enjoyment of those lively instructions in the way of holiness and peace, so impressively imparted by her truly Christian mistress. ”

“ Let those who question the feasibility of the plan of civilization and emancipation, visit, as I have done, the colonies, (more especially the Spanish colonies and the Portuguese dominions in South America,) where the inhuman traffic of slaves is carried to the greatest possible extent, forming the immediate and private revenue of the crown; let them be but faintly impressed with the horrors that constantly there occur, and I scruple not to say, if they fail to enter their protest against a system so barbarous, they deserve not the name of men, and make their religion but an impious mockery. ”

“ Under its cold and ungenial influence, every generous, every warm emotion must languish and die. Through the gloom which envelopes the soul subjected to its dark power, no ray of intellect, no beam of joy, no sun of cheerfulness can pierce. And yet man, inconsistent man, while condemning his fellow-being to this soul-paralyzing state, expects from the poor victims qualities and virtues only to be planted in the soil, only to be nourished by the sun, of liberty—of Christian liberty, of Christian charity:
“For slaves by truth enlarg’d are doubly freed.” ”

“ A woman’s eye should melt with tenderness, sparkle with innocent animation, weep with those that weep, and beam with the rays of joy at the happiness of another.
Such was the expression which shed its consolation on the desolated Imihie, upon the visit of her new mistress to her lowly hut. This amiable woman was young, but her mind had been early matured in the school of adversity: a hapless fate had fixed her residence in a remote part of Jamaica, but she had also learnt, from precepts which will never lead astray, “in whatsoever situation she was, therewith to be content.” ”

“ May every nation, feeling the blessing of that light, [175] which is upheld by that mercy, follow the example of our favoured isle! May the rich stream of mercy flow, and diffuse throughout far-distant lands its fertilizing influences! May the spirit of a Wilberforce and a Clarkson, inspire the breasts of the powerful; and may the gratitude and the intelligence of Samboe, glow in the heart, and animate the conduct of every African! ”

“ Previously to the calamity, the feelings of the wretched Imihie had been wrought up nearly to their utmost height; the sight of the quick-advancing flames, therefore, was sufficient to augment them to frenzy, and with a strength which frenzy only could impart, to a frame exhausted by want of nourishment and continual grief, she snatched the infant Samboe from the deck, upon which he had fallen, and where, unheeded by one pitying eye, he remained, without uttering any cry or attempting to move ”

“ It may be urged, we are not the original agents in this trade: it is pursued with eagerness by the Africans themselves. But are those who live in that transcendent light which was granted to dispel the mists of error—to meliorate propensity to evil—to harmonize the rational soul—still to delight in works so dark, still to trample under foot every principle of humanity; still to spurn from them the obligations of justice, still to set at naught the precepts of religion ”

“ Let us rejoice that we have not only been the advocates of the oppressed—have triumphed by perseverance and constancy over the oppressor; but that England has become the favoured and glorious instrument of a God of mercy, to make his light to shine upon those who sat in darkness and the shadow of death. ”

“ I am not, however,” continued the colonel, “an advocate for giving personal liberty to numbers of men, unless, at the same time, I impart the principles of religion and the arts of civil life. It is only by giving freedom to the soul, and by encouraging the virtuous energies of man, that we can make him capable of properly appreciating the blessing of liberty, and preserve him from becoming a pest to society, instead of a useful member of it. ”

“ Public worship and the reverent observation of the sabbath, the general instruction of the adults and the judicious education of the children, are the means to be used to draw this now wretched race of men from the night of ignorance to the glorious light of divine and temporal knowledge. In fact, the grand object of the Sierra Leone Company is to substitute, for that disgraceful traffic which has too long subsisted, a fair and legitimate commerce with Africa, and all the blessings which may be expected from it. ”

“ The children of oppression and calamity quickly sympathize; a kindred feeling draws them together: thus it was with Samboe the African, and Frank the English stable boy. An orphan from his cradle, and a parish apprentice, Frank had been early subjected to every oppression—exposed to every temptation; but a certain buoyancy of spirit, and a persevering ardour of mind, enabled him to rise above the one; and the latter was rendered less dangerous, by his constant, unremitted love of employment. ”

“ While Irving displayed the tempting assortment of spirits, trinkets, dresses, and fire-arms, to the eager African, he artfully affected indifference as to the purchase of slaves; being well acquainted with the mode of making a good bargain, even when his fellow men were the articles for which to negociate: so entirely does this infamous trade debase and corrupt every generous emotion of the heart, and blunt every honourable feeling. ”

“ The monarch enquired if this merchant traded also in slaves. “Doubtless he does,” replied the wily courtier: “he comes from the land of the manstealers, and will not, therefore, refuse the commodity in the way of trade. Would my royal master wish to see this Englishman?” “It is my desire,” answered the king; “let him have notice of our pleasure.” The grandee prostrated himself, and retired to caution Irving to conceal the transaction of the female slave from the king, or he would doubtless force her from him. ”

“ These women are attended by a party of fusileers, and the king’s flutes and drums, the people prostrating themselves as they pass, and expressing their joy by the loudest acclamations. When these ceremonies are over, the grandees repair to the palace, dressed in their richest apparel, and attended by their numerous slaves, of whom they are very proud, adorning them with a profusion of trinkets, and ornaments of silver and gold. The king is not visible on this occasion; but they enter, and prostrate themselves before the throne, and again retire. ”

“ Of this there has long been most abundant melancholy proof; yet, under its present contraband character, it has been attended by, if possible, unprecedented enormities and misery, as well as involving the base and cruel agents of it in the further crime of deliberate perjury, in order to conceal their nefarious employment.
Surely, then, no age can scarcely be too immature, in which to sow the seeds of abhorrence in the young breast, against this blood-stained, demoralizing [vii] commerce! Surely, no means, however trivial, should be neglected, to arouse the spirit of youth against it! ”

“ But let not England be discouraged: she has stood alone in many a fearful struggle, when apparently sinking under the pressure of a hostile world. She has led the way in the work of mercy; let her pursue her path with unfaltering firmness, and fearlessly oppose those who dare to violate the solemn engagements they have formed with her. ”

“ By those who have seen the various caprices of a temper altogether uncontrouled, the whims of a mind destitute of cultivation and obstinate in ignorance, the cruelty of a disposition formed by the possession [113] of a precarious power over helpless individuals; by those, and those only, will the various species of suffering to which the innocent child was subjected be understood; and the terrors which were produced by the horrid imprecations, the unmanly abuse, and vulgar epithets of this brutal master, upon the gentle and timid character of the poor little Samboe. ”

“ An ever kind Providence has, however, made the griefs of children to be transient; and Samboe, the favourite of Mrs. Delaney, from his sweetness of disposition, great activity, and early intelligence, would probably have presented a pleasing exception to the unhappy lot of his enslaved countrymen—might justly have enjoyed the title of the happy negro—had his benefactress been spared to bless the sable dependants on her kindness. ”

“ Those who were capable of appreciating their worth, who had felt their benevolence, had enjoyed the privileges they allowed, and knew how rarely they were found in the plantations, mourned them with unfeigned sorrow, their loss closing up the avenues of consolation and of hope; and those too young to feel how much they were deprived of, were quickly made sensible of a change from a system of Christian love and benevolence, to that built upon the mere hope of worldly gain. ”

“ Is the Christian trader content to put himself upon a level with the unenlightened despot, and coolly to put his blood-stained profits in the balance, against the laws of religion and his country; laughing at the remonstrances of philanthropists, as the dreams of enthusiasm, or as puerile objections unworthy of attention? ”

“ The revenues of the king of Whidáh are very considerable; for he not only has large landed possessions, but he receives a duty on all commodities sold in the markets, or imported into the country. His lands furnish him with provisions for his numerous household, as well as for exportation; great quantities being annually sold to the neighbouring nations, less bountifully supplied by nature. The revenues arising from the slave-trade are very considerable, and induce him to favour it, by the strongest principle in the soul of man, selfishness ”

“ Thus closed the mortal career of the youthful Imihie, one of the many thousands of victims to a commerce, which, it is feared, the mercenary will always cling to; in which desperate men will ever be found to hazard; and, even in Africa, tyrants ever be ready to supply the horrid market; (Note Q.) while few, it is to be feared, will, like the poor Imihie, after a series of misery, find a Mrs. Delaney to soothe their sorrows, and point to realms where all tears shall be wiped away, and sorrow and sighing shall flee for ever. ”

“ Let then each English heart rejoice, that the moral stain, so long apparent on our statutes, so long exhibited in our national character, is now erased from the one, and expunged from the other; that the impious doctrine so long contended for, that the law of force was justifiable under certain circumstances, is now banished from the deliberations of our senate; and man, whatever his country, whatever his colour, is restored to his moral rights. ”

“ Yet it may with candour be presumed, that he, and many a youth entering upon the same path, with the same laudable impulses, had they anticipated the peril to which they exposed their humane principles, by engaging themselves in a trade so repugnant to nature, religion, and justice, would rather have undergone personal hazard and difficulty in their native land, so that they might have fostered that divine principle, which is the noble and distinguishing characteristic of man—of free-born man. ”

“ One day, while attending his master at breakfast, just as he handed the coffee his foot slipped, and it was thrown over a beautiful cimar, which the luxurious planter highly valued, as the gift of a lady to whom he was partial. He rose in haste and in anger, and aiming a blow at the now kneeling boy, missed the blow, and fell himself to the ground, striking his head by the fall against the edge of a sofa. Seeing him suddenly [114] fall, some attendants in waiting rushed to his assistance, but in vain: the blow had been fatal, he had fallen to rise no more on earth! ”

“ The situation of these wretched captives was but little ameliorated, by becoming the property of this man, who was of that class of managers, who think that the safety of the family to which they are subservient, and the interest of the proprietor, renders severity indispensable, and oppression the only mode of subduing the refractory spirit of the African, whom they regard with the most sovereign contempt. With souls lost to all sense of compassion, they believe there can be but one mode of enforcing obedience, that of fear ”

“ Have you not heard that he has obtained a very responsible and active appointment in the new settlement of Sierra Leone, and that, in a short time, he will sail for Africa? I doubt not his conscientious attention to the duties devolving upon him, nor do I think the directors could have made a more judicious choice; for, young as he is, his firmness of principle, his rectitude in action, his genuine feeling, and his cultivated mind, render him peculiarly eligible to attend to the duties, and to surmount the difficulties of an infant colony. ”

“ The natives are, indeed, generally good-natured and obliging, particularly to Europeans; and if the latter are liberal in presents, they seldom find the obligation forgotten. If a favour is asked of them, they will use their utmost efforts to comply, even to their own prejudice. Gentle measures are, indeed, the only means to succeed with them: they then seem to have pleasure in compliance; but if treated with violence, they are obstinate and refractory, and they will take as much pains to injure, as, in the other case, to serve. ”