Becoming America - An Exploration of American Literature from Precolonial to Post-Revolution, 2018a

BECOMING AMERICA
REVOLUTIONARY AND EARLY NATIONAL PERIOD LITERATURE
than any people have treated another, on this earth since it came from the hands of
its Creator (with the exceptions of the French and the Dutch, they treat us nearly
as bad as the Americans of the United States.) The will of God must however, in
spite of us, be done.
The English are the best friends the coloured people have upon earth. Though
they have oppressed us a little and have colonies now in the West Indies, which
oppress us sorely.—Yet notwithstanding they (the English) have done one
hundred times more for the melioration of our condition, than all the other nations
of the earth put together. The blacks cannot but respect the English as a nation,
notwithstanding they have treated us a little cruel.
There is no intelligent black man who knows any thing, but esteems a real
Englishman, let him see him in what part of the world he will—for they are the
greatest benefactors we have upon earth. We have here and there, in other nations,
good friends. But as a nation, the English are our friends.
How can the preachers and people of America believe the Bible? Does it teach
them any distinction on account of a man’s colour? Hearken, Americans! to the
injunctions of our Lord and Master, to his humble followers.
”And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, all power is given unto me in
Heaven and in earth.
“Go ye, therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the
Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.
“Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you; and
lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”
I declare, that the very face of these injunctions appear to be of God and not
of man. They do not show the slightest degree of distinction. “Go ye therefore,”
(says my divine Master) “and teach all nations,” (or in other words, all people)
“baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.”
Do you understand the above, Americans? We are a people, notwithstanding many
of you doubt it. You have the Bible in your hands, with this very injunction.—
Have you been to Africa, teaching the inhabitants thereof the words of the Lord
Jesus? “Baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy
Ghost.” Have you not, on the contrary, entered among us, and learnt us the art
of throatcutting, by setting us to ght, one against another, to take each other as
prisoners of war, and sell to you for small bits of calicoes, old swords, knives, &c.
to make slaves for you and your children? This being done, have you not brought
us among you, in chains and hand-cus, like brutes, and treated us with all the
cruelties and rigour your ingenuity could invent, consistent with the laws of your
country, which (for the blacks) are tyrannical enough? Can the American preachers
appeal unto God, the Maker and Searcher of hearts, and tell him, with the Bible in
their hands, that they make no distinction on account of men’s colour? Can they
say, O God! thou knowest all things—thou knowest that we make no distinction
between thy creatures, to whom we have to preach thy Word? Let them answer the
Lord; and if they cannot do it in the armative, have they not departed from the
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