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

BECOMING AMERICA
REVOLUTIONARY AND EARLY NATIONAL PERIOD LITERATURE
them, and protect our country—but cannot conscientiously do these things until
they treat us like men.
How cunning slave-holders think they are!!!—How much like the king of Egypt,
who, after he saw plainly that God was determined to bring out his people, in spite
of him and his, as powerful as they were. He was willing that Moses, Aaron and
the Elders of Israel, but not all the people should go and serve the Lord. But God
deceived him as he will Christian Americans, unless they are very cautious how they
move. What would have become of the United States of America, was it not for those
among the whites, who not in words barely, but in truth and in deed, love and fear
the Lord?—Our Lord and Master said:—”Whoso shall oend one of these little ones
which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his
neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.” But the Americans with this
very threatening of the Lord’s, not only beat his little ones among the Africans, but
many of them they put to death or murder. Now the avaricious Americans, think that
the Lord Jesus Christ will let them o, because his words are no more than the words
of a man!!! In fact, many of them are so avaricious and ignorant, that they do not
believe in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Tyrants may think they are so skillful
in State aairs is the reason that the government is preserved. But I tell you, that this
country would have been given up long ago, was it not for the lovers of the Lord. They
are indeed, the salt of the earth. Remove the people of God among the whites, from
this land of blood, and it will stand until they cleverly get out of the way.
I adopt the language of the Rev. Mr. S. E. Cornish, of New York, editor of the
Rights of All, and say: “Any coloured man of common intelligence, who gives his
countenance and inuence to that colony, further than its missionary object and ininterest
extend, should be considered as a traitor to his brethren, and discarded by
every respectable man of colour. And every member of that society, however pure
his motive, whatever may be his religious character and moral worth, should in his
eorts to remove the coloured population from their rightful soil, the land of their
birth and nativity, be considered as acting gratuitously unrighteous and cruel.”
Let me make an appeal brethren, to your hearts, for your cordial co-operation
in the circulation of “The Rights of All,” among us. The utility of such a vehicle if
rightly conducted, cannot be estimated. I hope that the well informed among us,
may see the absolute necessity of their co-operation in its universal spread among
us. If we should let it go down, never let us undertake any thing of the kind again,
but give up at once and say that we are really so ignorant and wretched that we
cannot do any thing at all!!—As far as I have seen the writings of its editor, I believe
he is not seeking to ll his pockets with money, but has the welfare of his brethren
truly at heart. Such men, brethren, ought to be supported by us.
But to return to the colonizing trick. It will be well for me to notice here at
once, that I do not mean indiscriminately to condemn all the members and
advocates of this scheme, for I believe that there are some friends to the sons of
Africa, who are laboring for our salvation, not in words only but in truth and in
deed, who have been drawn into this plan.—Some, more by persuasion than any
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