Camden gazette and mercantile advertiser. (Camden, S.C.) 1818-1822, July 29, 1819, Image 4
I POETRY. "V:
.""7" TUB TOBMENTOR, ???
BY SBLECK OSBORNE.
A petrifying plague there is,
Which sours the sweetest cup of bliss,
And clouds life's brightest sun;
Of happiness the worst annoy,
The mortal foe of every joy,
1 ?? v, _ J. * .
Videlict?a dun !
Not old Medusa'* fabled head, i
Whose dreadful eyes could tun?? 'tis said,
The boldest form to stone;
E'er quench'd the blaze of mirth, or try'd*
With magpcspell, tbe form of pridtf
Like this aforesaid dun
Hard Cures, ana! the luckless wight,
Whose steps can, neither day nor night,
. This hide tormentor sbtin;
Who, at each corner, crook or turn,
Where e'er his weary feet sojourn/
Is hauntdd by a dun /
? 9 '? ?>' jr. v -v, . ;-v#j
~ ?; ? ; . ? ?*>' i ? h * ' ? ? i
Ambition drops her busy schemes, r
Avarice awakes from (golden dreamy
Blithe wit adjures his fun;
Pride sinks her bold aspiring crest,
E'en potent Genius stoops opprest^
Before the mighty dun S
Muae \ tell how oft thy. angel song,
?Has kedt my captive soul along,
With more than mortal tone;
How I, entranced whilst thou hast smil'df
?Have wtk'd-the sweet enchantmentepoil'd
JjJy an intruding dun J
'' s ?? ' 4 i' ? V.'y t f ? i N
Let toil my haggard limbs embrown,
Let w*nt and sickness weigh roe down)
V Gout, fever, cbolic, stone 5
;Civo me a tcold in marriage noose,
And e'en Old JWck himself let loose
But sav??ne from a dun /
' '? *? l
A PATHRJCS AD VICE TO HJS SOJV.
When e'er you marry, (to his son
A prudent father said,)
Take for thy loving helpmate on*
Rich widow, or rjch maid?
for any wife may turn oi\t ill,
4*ut gad!?.the money never will.
'?
' -'.A
'i ru
Miscellaneous.
COLONIZATION SOCIETY.
Communicated for the National Intelligent
cer.
Bepprt of the Rev. William Meai>e, to
the Managers of the American Coloniza
* tion Society, relating torn journey through
. ,'' th .Southern States. ' $ / > ^ ZLJk
Gentlemen?You have already
received and laid before (be public,
jmy letter, written from Milleugville,
statins the arrangement* made in be
half of the Africans, for whose re
lief 1 was specially sent to that place.
1 will only add, that they are now
placed in such a situation as to incur
no further expence, and are awaiting
v the issue of a trial pending between
the claimants and the state, the re
sult of which, it is confidently be*
lieveil, will throw them into the
arms of a benevolent society or a
government, to be restored to
'?ISillS???
The interporition of tbe society,
which seemed to some of unr friends
not justifiable by the state of its fun|i
but Whidi was nevertheless uQdn
taken in a spirit of faitb and clmi in
(proved itself to be a most o|*poriuiu
and favorable circumstance. It at
traced public attention by its novelty
I excited public feeling by its human!
ty, and gave assurance to thewerldf
that our society was about to do
something. 1 bis was tbe com
mencement of a new era; hope was
roused in the hearts of the humane
I and pious, that Africa w*s now about
I to receive good instead of evil from,
our ? countrymen. Home, indeed,
Who bail but little hope at tbe success^
?f our general enterprise, declared
I their willingness to contribute for the
ransom of these; andf a few, who
intended to have become purchasers
* at tbeir sale, expressed a pleasure at
the thought of tbeir restoration to
I Africa, and proved their sincerity
I bj> uniting with tbe society at Mil
ledgevillr. To this auspicious com*
ntfocement do I ascribe more than
I : the success which attended my
I subsequent efforts.
It becomes me) while on tliis sub
ject, to mention, that there arc some
hundreds of these unfortunate beings
in Georgia, held by individuals*
throughout the state, to be returned
to the Governor in case of their con
demnation; in which event they
wllT belong to the society, on the
same terms with those at Milledge
ville. The individuate who claim
them profess to be agents for Spanish
merchants in the Havanna or else
where, who maintain that the Ame
rican officers seized them contrary to
the laws of nations. Out of four or
five cargoes thus brought in surely
the claims of humanity will be able
to defeat some at least, of the cruel
attempts of^ftaud and oppressiob.
The formation of three auxiliary so
cieties, under the direction of the
Irst citizens of the state, will surely
tave a happy effect in urging the ex
ecution of all our laws against the
horrid trade in human beings, which
tas heretofore been carried on by
abandoned wretches, hovering along
he coast, aqd smuggling them into
m interior.
My appearing in behalf of the
Africans, on the day of sale, pro
duced a very desirable effect upon
the citizens of Milledgeville and the
surrouudiag country. Many of them
came and offered me their services
n any way that could be available to
lie object of my visit, and assured
me, there were many others, in all
parts of the state, who would cheer
fully co-operate with the society in all
its designs.
The method which I pursued in
Milledgeville, and in all other places
where societies were organized, was,
to spend a few days in visiting the
citizens,paying all that respect which,
in an affair of this general nature, is
due to age, office, wealth, and in
fluence, to converse freely with them,
and leave for their perusal such pub
lications as I had with me; then to
spend one or two days in carrying
about a subscription|>aper, and hav
ing obtained a sufficient number ,o
ubscribers, to call a meeting ant
organize a society. In each place
where I succeeded in establishing
societies, 1 continued my own per
sonal application for subscriptions,
until twelve or fifteen hundred dol
lars were on the paper, as donations
or auuual subscriptions; after which
1 left in the hands of the managers, to
conduct in such a manner as should
MftAn lu>it in tlwm.
The second auxiliary society was
formed at Augusta, where 1 pursued
he same plan, where the first citi
zens in otiice, talents, wealth, and
nflueuce, lent their aids, and were
chosen to precide over its manage
ment. It is also due to the citizens
>f that place to mention, thaToniy
m few weeks before my arrival, they
had contributed between two ami
three thousand dollars as a donation
|o a certain number of free negroes,
who bad been obliged to leave the
J lace by a late law of that state,
'rum Augusta 1 proceeded to 8a
v annah, where the same favorable
eeling excited, and where, without
difficulty, subscriptions were obtain
d, a constitution acioptcdgiind a day
> p| join ted for the choi^Puf officers
ud managers. W hile in this place,
? he.id a conversation, in the pre
sence of several of the citizens, with
tour of the people of color, who
^ere recommended for their intelli
yptff good character and influence.
Uaviug heard me explain our views,
having listened to some passages from
Mill's journal atid Paul luttee's lei
iers, and asked some very sensible
ques ions ; they said this ft us a very
different account from what they bad
heard of our society ; that they ex
pected to be forced away, and to a
place not calculated to better their
erudition, and liot provided with a
* itable protection. They had no
idea that it was the offspring of piety
and benevolence, and intended for
their real benefit. J SThey expressed
it as their decided opinion, that, if
such were our views, ami such was
the country, many of their brethern
would go. i gavto them one of our
reports, which they wished to read,
saying that they would take pains 10
give their bretliem correct views <0
the whole matter. One of tlietn ob
served,* that he really believed this
tiling was of God, nnd. though there
might seem many hardships about it,
yet, if God undertook*, it, it would
easily be done:
I passed from thence to Charles
ton, arriving there rather too Boon
for a favorable attempt in that place.
Some of the mast influential citizens
W not yet returned frtyn their coun
try residence, whose advice and pre
sence it was deemetTproper to have.
Very few appeared to have given
much attention to tbe subject, and
the friends of the measure, of whom
there were some very zealous,thought
it beat that I should not attempt a re
gular organization of i society at that
time, but only circulate subscription
[papers among its friends, and leave
it to them to form a society at a more
convenient |ieriod. I deemed it pro
rsr to folio wtbeir advice, especially as
had only a few days to spend in
the place* Although no regular so
ciety was formed, yet were my hopes
of success to our general scheme
much increased by several circum
stances which occurred during the
short time of my stay in that place, j
was informed, that two or three
pious uegroes were much disposed
to go as missionaries to Africa, and
wished to see me; accordingly, a
meeting was appointed at the house
of one of tlie citizens. Ongoing, I
found seven, explained to tbem our
designs and. prospects, and before 1
was naif done, three declared their
determination to go over as colonist**,
saying it was no sudden thing with
them, they had been thinking, pray
ing and conversing on this subject for
some time, and were willing to go
as servants of God, to tlie land of
their forefathers. I was ha$|>y to
learn their characters were without
reproach, and that they enjoyed the
esteem aud confidence of both classes
of tbe community. Another meet
inn was proposed by tbem, when at
least twenty of the most respectable
and intelligent of the town assem*
bled, Myself and the gentlemen
with roe were equally surprised and
'delighted at the good sense, piety,
sagacity and information, Manifested
in all jtheir remarks, questions, hopes
land feafWas expressed on that oc
casion. Vfliey regarded it as glori
ous work for their posterity, and said,
they bad no doubt, if things were
properly explained/ a suitable pre
paration made in AJgca, and right
measures pursued, ^>at numbers
would go. On the next morning, 1
was cAll^^n by an old free man <;f
color son-in-law, whose in
formation added no little confirmation
to my hopes. The sojt-in-law, whose
name is Holman, is tie son of an
Englishman who married an African
woman, and settled hi South-Garo
Una, on lite Santee. v He had two
sons and three daaghters; the sons
were sent to England to be educated,
Pmd from thence went to Africa, lived
at Hio Pangas, and were concerned
iu the slave trade. The one of w hom
i aiu now speaking, seems to have
a just abhorrence of that trade, hav
ing relinquished it many years sinoul
he has frequently been in this coiot I
ry, where be married, and is now
awaiting the issue of a suit on which
a considMble amount depends, and
means, ?M?n as it is over, to re
move to Sierra Leone, and thereto
settle himself as a merchant. He
has a correspondence between him
self and Governor McCarthy, as to
the terms on which he and any Ame
rican negroes might settle at Sierra
Leone; he is well acquainted at that
place, and also at Sherbro: Ms ac
counts agree perfectly with those of
our agents, relative to these two
places. tie was there when our
agbnta visited that country, and has
seen, within the last eight months,
those whom Paul Cuftee carried
there, and says they are well and
[satisfied.
What is still mote favorable to All
our views, iff, that, since he has betin
in Charleston, many have applied tat
him to join in an expedition to Afri
ca. 1 ihink he said at least forty ; and
heWleclares \m willingness to afford
then* all tlse aid in bis power. He
lias promised, from time to lime, to
inform me of his movements, and the.
probable lime of his departure*.
I must here ties; leave to mention,
for the gratification of the pious and
humane, and in justice to the charajr
ter of the place, 1 hat 1 rowryrt ha\e
seen any town to the south of this,
where so much attention was paid to
the moral ami religious culture of the
black |>eople; their attendance in the
church latere 1 was invited to offi
ciate, (ana it was the same, 1 am told,
in all tlie others) was truly grcatful
to the soid of the Christian. 'I lie
of|j6 and other places in the church;
s^apart for them, were filled with
young and old, decently dressed, and
many of them having their prayer
books, and joining in all the respon
ses of t|ie church. Such a stftte of
things as this roust surely favor the
success of the ohjects of our society.
1 must also beg leave to add a gener
al remark concerning the whole
southern country, in which 1 am
justified by the repeated assurances
of t)>e most pious and benevelent,
that the condition of the negroes is
greatly ameliorated in every respect.
As to food, raiment, houses, labor and
correction, there is yearly less and
less over which religion uud hu
manity must lameut.
1 shall now proceed in my state
ment by mentioning that, on my ar
rival at Georgetown, which Was the
next place 1 visited, I found the citi
zens just breaking u|rfor the summer,
and retiring to more healthy abode*.
I, however, saw eight or ten of the
qiost wealthy ami influential, and ob
tained assurances of their cordial co
operation. A few subscription pa
pers were headed, and several gen
tlemen promised to make good use oi
them during the summer, and on
their return in the fall to meet and or
ganize a society.
I proceeded thence to Fayetteville,
where all the citizens were preyed
for a co-operation 5 1 had only to go
to their houses and take down their
names. Here also, 1 conversed with
a number of the free people, who took
the same interest in the measure as
in other places, and expressed ti.eir
belief that if tlie colony was estab
lished, there would be no difficulty
in getting them to go. They pro
posed to me to let them publish the
second annual report 1 carried with
me, for the benefit of their brethren
who were scattered through the
state, and even offered to subscribe to
the society. 1 answered them that
we had better publish a small iiamph
let for their use; and that, if any of
their brethren, who were poor, want
ed to ?0, then they, wlio were better
off, might help them. *
At Kaleigli, 1 found the same una
nimity of sentimeut. The supreme
Court being in session, many of the
judges and lawyers were collected
from different parts of the state, who
conHally joined the society, and tes
tided to the general prevalence of
good will to it throughout the state.
At a meeting to form a constitution,
the highest talents, authorities and
wealth of the state were present and
unanimously sanctioned the measure.
1 also paid a visit while at Raleigh,
to Chapel Hill, the seat of their uni
versity, about twenty eight miles
distant, where the annual commence
ment of the students assembled trus
tees and ministers of religion from
different places, whose influence it
Mas desirable to obtain. I was hap
py to And the same feeling here, and
that a small society had already been
formed. 1 obtained assurances from
two or three gentlemen that tliey
would endeavor to forward all our
views in the neighborhoods where
they resided, by the establishment of
auxiliary societies, in which they
thought they could succeed.
It was my wish and, intention to
have visited the towns of Wilming
ton and Newliern, but the real w?ut
of a public conveyance preranted;
and the friends of our scheim who
dwell there, will, 1 hope, do all
that is needfnl to make up this una
voidable neglect.
In passing through the towns of
Camden and Coulumbia, on mj way
to the south, 1 spent a day in each.
place, and was assured liy seme of
,the lending jxirsous raid the ministers
iof the gosptl, that tlicy would not
neglect to aflbwt l1?eirctM>pj>eratioiK
; From this journal it will appear that
I there are six organized societies in
the (3arolinas and Georgia, and ten?
or twelves other places- where socie
ties will he formed, or some mea
! sures pursued for aiding the Amc
, rican l$ociet\. The amount of sub- ?
j scriptions which w ere made to the
agent himself/ were from seven to
eight thousand dollars; about one
third of which will l>e due the ensu
ing fall. It may be asked if the
measure be so important; if it has
|so much of the public favor; if large
sums be required to execute it, why
were not greater subscriptions obtain
ed? Hulhcient reason can be given -
for this. In the first place, the pecu
niary distress is, by universal con*
sent, greater than ever was known;
a deep gloom hangs over every citv;
each man seemed in a state of awiol
suspense, not knowing Low soon
himself might be affected. 1 wag
told a hundred times that no other
cause but this would ilicit any thing;
and that to this, at any oilier time,
there would have lieen a much mote
generous contribution.
(jyaother reason operating against
us, is, that for the last year or two
more has been spent in the erection
ot churches, the promotion of reli
gious and charitable objects, in all
Uie places i visited, than at any pre
vious period; so that the funds of
charity, were, in a measure exhaus
ted. Another cause is, that a very
reasonable opinion was entcrtambd
that the general government would
take up the measure, and that it was
only required of individuals aud so
cieties to make a commencement?
give an impulse to public feeling,
aud imprest a suitable character upon
the colony, afterward said in the
promotion of all its benevolent de
signs towards Africa; and lastly,
that there would be societies formed
throughout every state, and that in
dividuals of piety and benevolence
would, from ail parts of the Union,
contribute to its useful design; Huch
are the reasons for preventing those
who are auxious and desireu* of its
success, from contributing more large
ly, as though the success depended
upon the liberality of a few.
If 1 am asked by, the board to
wliat extent the subset iptions now
going on at the south will probably
oe carried. 1 am utterly unable to
answer. It will depend upon the
uumber and active zeal of those who
mauage it; upon the diligence with
which personal applications are made
to the citizens throughout the stater*
?But w e may be permitted to hope,
that as this is a cause of the iirst
magnitude, so it will excite an uu*
usual diligence in those who under
take it.
The report which 1 fyave deliver
ed to you, gentlemen, is an oncolot*
ed statement of facts which occqred,
and candid narrative of conversa
tions held with a number of our most
intelligent citizens to the south. 1
have endeavored to inform myself, as
correctly as possible, of the general
feeling and opinion in regard to our
society, and the result has been a
conviction that, unless a great altera
tion takes place, or I have keen mic*
informed, it will meet with a liberal
support Our efforts should, in my
opinion, l>e principally directed to (he
south, and our first colonists should
be chosen from thence; because their
mode of life, their constitution, and
othef circumstances in regard to them,
will better suit a first establishment
on the coast of Africa.
With such hopes and opinions do
I return from the mission you were
pleased, to entrust into my bands;
and 1 am now ready to serve you in
any other way which shall seem most
conducive to the welfare of the no
ciety.
fteaolved, That the Board thank
fully acknowledge the late service*
|of their Agent, the llev. Mr. Meaiie
-thereby declare their approbation
oi' his proceedings, and order his
report, made to the Board, to be pub
lished.