m 



THE HILL OF FREEDOM. 



" Approach ! thou delight of the children of men, 

 Fair Freedom! approach!" 



See Part I. page 170. 



The questions as to the justice of buying or selling any 

 of our fellow men, of whatever colour or condition, or of 

 retaining them, as Slaves, have been, it is presumed, long 

 ago decided. The emancipation of such unfortunate beings 

 must, therefore, sooner or later take place. The only 

 questions which remain appear to be those relative to the 

 manner and the time. 



The ignorance and prejudices of the Slaves on the one 

 hand, and the immediate interests and prejudices of the 

 Planters on the other, are, it must be admitted, difficulties 

 of no ordinary kind. While some of our benevolent enthu- 

 siasts have advocated early, or even immediate, emancipa- 

 tion, the planters have, in too many instances, done all 

 they could to prevent the diffusion of knowledge amongst 

 the slaves, and, by such and other obstructions, have, 

 doubtless, retarded the desired consummation. Both pro- 

 ceed injudiciously and unwisely. To expect the Slaves 

 to be at once capable of rational freedom is not less absurd 

 than to expect ignorance to produce rational obedience. 

 The only safe course is by enlightening their understand- 

 ing, shewing them their true interests, and teaching them the 

 arts, conveniencies, and decencies of civilized society; and 

 also by shewing them that humanity to which they, as well as 

 the whites, are equally entitled. Vindictiveness, on either 



