HISTOIITCAL SKETCH. 249 



Hitherto, it is well known that feelings, 

 or habits, or prejudices, whatever term may 

 be adopted, have prevented that amalga- 

 mation of different-coloured races into one 

 compact society. It is true, that persons 

 of colour are members of political societies 

 in the United States, and in the West India 

 Islands ; but it is needless to add, what is 

 notorious to the world, that they are very 

 far from being an integral part of any state 

 hitherto existing, in which Europeans, or 

 the descendants of Europeans, have the 

 ascendancy. 



It remains to be ascertained, whether 

 the separation of races is a law, the ope- 

 ration of which cannot be set aside by any 

 human means; or whether it is merely the 

 effect of certain habits, the force of which 

 may be overcome by institutions adapted 

 to the purpose. Upon the solution of this 

 problem, however, mainly depends the fu- 



