eBook David Walker's Appeal - Journal of Pan African Studies

No says one, that never can be done--you are too abject and ignorant to do it--you are not men--
you were made to be slaves to us, to dig up gold and silver for us and our children. Know this,
my dear sirs, that although you treat us and our children now, as you do your domestic beast--yet
the final result of all future events are known but to God Almighty alone, who rules in the armies
of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth, and who dethrones one earthly king and sits up
another, as it seemeth good in his holy sight. We may attribute these vicissitudes to what we
please, but the God of armies and of justice rules in heaven and in earth and the whole American
people shall see and know it yet, to their satisfaction. I have known pretended preachers of the
gospel of my Master, who not only held us as their natural inheritance, but treated us with as
much rigor as any Infidel or Deist in the world--just as though they were intent only on taking
our blood and groans to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ. The wicked and ungodly, seeing their
preachers treat us with so much cruelty, they say: our preachers, who must be right, if anybody
are, treat them like brutes, and why cannot we?--They think it is no harm to keep them in slavery
and put the whip to them, and why cannot we do the same!--They being preachers of the gospel
of Jesus Christ, if it were any harm, they would surely preach against their oppression and do
their utmost to erase it from the country; not only in one or two cities, but one continual cry
would be raised in all parts of this confederacy, and would cease only with the complete
overthrow of the system of slavery, in every part of the country. But how far the American
preachers are from preaching against slavery and oppression, which have carried their country to
the brink of a precipice; to save them from plunging down the side of which, will hardly be
affected, will appear in the sequel of this paragraph, which I shall narrate just as it transpired. I
remember a Camp Meeting in South Carolina, for which I embarked in a Steam Boat at
Charleston, and having been five or six hours on the water, we at last arrived at the place of
hearing, where was a very great concourse of people, who were no doubt, collected together to
hear the word of God, (that some had collected barely as spectators to the scene, I will not here
pretend to doubt, however, that is left to themselves and their God.) Myself and boat
companions, having been there a little while, we were all called up to hear; I among the rest went
up and took my seat--being seated, I fixed myself in a complete position to hear the word of my
Savior and to receive such as I thought was authenticated by the Holy Scriptures; but to my no
ordinary astonishment, our Reverend gentleman got up and told us (coloured people) that slaves
must be obedient to their masters--must do their duty to their masters or be whipped--the whip
was made for the backs of fools. &c. Here I pause for a moment, to give the world time to
consider what was my surprise, to hear such preaching from a minister of my Master, whose very
gospel is that of peace and not of blood and whips, as this pretended preacher tried to make us
believe. What the American preachers can think of us, I aver this day before my God, I have
never been able to define. They have newspapers and monthly periodicals, which they receive in
continual succession, but on the pages of which, you will scarcely ever find a paragraph
respecting slavery, which is ten thousand times more injurious to this country than all the other
evils put together; and which will be the final overthrow of its government, unless something is
very speedily done; for their cup is nearly full.
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David Walker’s Appeal by David Walker
The Journal of Pan African Studies 2009 eBook