he begins by remarking, "as raising the human mind without nationality. You must have the whole machinery of society, or you will never do it. —As to the poor African, he never can rise without space to move in, and motives to action. If you refuse to remove him, you will have an equal number of paupers thrown upon your shores, and then you must support both. The ways of God are high and dreadful. He takes the wickedest of men, and causes them to accomplish his own purpose. "Their hearts think not so, neither do they mean so;" but in their wickedness they do that which God blesses and overrules for good. The coast of Africa has been environed with dangers: it is almost inaccessible to the approach of the white man; and that whole Continent has yet to be civilized and Christianized. And how is it to be done? God has permitted what has come to pass. He has suffered its inhabitants to be brought here as slaves — and the transposition has scarcely increased their miseries. God is not in a hurry to accomplish His designs. By bringing them into a Christian land, He has prepared the way for their being thrown back, in a Christianized condition, on their native shore. I believe that colonization, too, is destined to stop the slave-trade. Your colonies will stand like a chain of light from point to point, along the whole dark coast of benighted Africa; and from the colonies will your missionaries go into the interior, until they shall have spread a belt of salvation over that benighted portion of the globe."[1]
- ↑ Freeman's Plea, Appendix, p. 337. Similar sentiments have also been expressed by Dr. Beecher's distinguished daughter, Mrs. Stowe, putting her thoughts into the mouth of her admirably drawn character, George
