第31章

Conseil），"Nothingismoreclearlywritteninthebookofdestinythantheemancipationoftheblacks;anditisequallycertainthatthetworaceswillneverliveinastateofequalfreedomunderthesamegovernment，soinsurmountablearethebarrierswhichnature，habit，andopinionshaveestablishedbetweenthem。"]

[Footnotes:IftheBritishWestIndiaplantershadgovernedthemselves，theywouldassuredlynothavepassedtheSlaveEmancipationBillwhichthemother—countryhasrecentlyimposeduponthem。]

IhavepreviouslyobservedthatthemixedraceisthetruebondofunionbetweentheEuropeansandtheIndians;justsothemulattoesarethetruemeansoftransitionbetweenthewhiteandthenegro;sothatwherevermulattoesabound，theintermixtureofthetworacesisnotimpossible。InsomepartsofAmerica，theEuropeanandthenegroracesaresocrossedbyoneanother，thatitisraretomeetwithamanwhoisentirelyblack，orentirelywhite:whentheyarearrivedatthispoint，thetworacesmayreallybesaidtobecombined;orrathertohavebeenabsorbedinathirdrace，whichisconnectedwithbothwithoutbeingidenticalwitheither。

OfalltheEuropeanstheEnglisharethosewhohavemixedleastwiththenegroes。MoremulattoesaretobeseenintheSouthoftheUnionthanintheNorth，butstilltheyareinfinitelymorescarcethaninanyotherEuropeancolony:

mulattoesarebynomeansnumerousintheUnitedStates;theyhavenoforcepeculiartothemselves，andwhenquarrelsoriginatingindifferencesofcolortakeplace，theygenerallysidewiththewhites;justasthelackeysofthegreat，inEurope，assumethecontemptuousairsofnobilitytothelowerorders。

Theprideoforigin，whichisnaturaltotheEnglish，issingularlyaugmentedbythepersonalpridewhichdemocraticlibertyfostersamongsttheAmericans:thewhitecitizenoftheUnitedStatesisproudofhisrace，andproudofhimself。ButifthewhitesandthenegroesdonotintermingleintheNorthoftheUnion，howshouldtheymixintheSouth？Canitbesupposedforaninstant，thatanAmericanoftheSouthernStates，placed，ashemustforeverbe，betweenthewhitemanwithallhisphysicalandmoralsuperiorityandthenegro，willeverthinkofpreferringthelatter？TheAmericansoftheSouthernStateshavetwopowerfulpassionswhichwillalwayskeepthemaloof;thefirstisthefearofbeingassimilatedtothenegroes，theirformerslaves;andthesecondthedreadofsinkingbelowthewhites，theirneighbors。

IfIwerecalledupontopredictwhatwillprobablyoccuratsomefuturetime，Ishouldsay，thattheabolitionofslaveryintheSouthwill，inthecommoncourseofthings，increasetherepugnanceofthewhitepopulationforthemenofcolor。IfoundthisopinionupontheanalogousobservationwhichIalreadyhadoccasiontomakeintheNorth。IthereremarkedthatthewhiteinhabitantsoftheNorthavoidthenegroeswithincreasingcare，inproportionasthelegalbarriersofseparationareremovedbythelegislature;andwhyshouldnotthesameresulttakeplaceintheSouth？IntheNorth，thewhitesaredeterredfrominterminglingwiththeblacksbythefearofanimaginarydanger;

intheSouth，wherethedangerwouldbereal，Icannotimaginethatthefearwouldbelessgeneral。

If，ontheonehand，itbeadmitted（andthefactisunquestionable）thatthecoloredpopulationperpetuallyaccumulatesintheextremeSouth，andthatitincreasesmorerapidlythanthatofthewhites;andif，ontheotherhand，itbeallowedthatitisimpossibletoforeseeatimeatwhichthewhitesandtheblackswillbesointermingledastoderivethesamebenefitsfromsociety;mustitnotbeinferredthattheblacksandthewhiteswill，soonerorlater，cometoopenstrifeintheSouthernStatesoftheUnion？Butifitbeaskedwhattheissueofthestruggleislikelytobe，itwillreadilybeunderstoodthatweareherelefttoformaveryvaguesurmiseofthetruth。Thehumanmindmaysucceedintracingawidecircle，asitwere，whichincludesthecourseoffutureevents;butwithinthatcircleathousandvariouschancesandcircumstancesmaydirectitinasmanydifferentways;andineverypictureofthefuturethereisadimspot，whichtheeyeoftheunderstandingcannotpenetrate。Itappears，however，tobeextremelyprobablethatintheWestIndianIslandsthewhiteraceisdestinedtobesubdued，andtheblackpopulationtosharethesamefateuponthecontinent。

IntheWestIndiaIslandsthewhiteplantersaresurroundedbyanimmenseblackpopulation;onthecontinent，theblacksareplacedbetweentheoceanandaninnumerablepeople，whichalreadyextendsovertheminadensemass，fromtheicyconfinesofCanadatothefrontiersofVirginia，andfromthebanksoftheMissouritotheshoresoftheAtlantic。IfthewhitecitizensofNorthAmericaremainunited，itcannotbesupposedthatthenegroeswillescapethedestructionwithwhichtheyaremenaced;

theymustbesubduedbywantorbythesword。ButtheblackpopulationwhichisaccumulatedalongthecoastoftheGulfofMexico，hasachanceofsuccessiftheAmericanUnionisdissolvedwhenthestrugglebetweenthetworacesbegins。Ifthefederaltiewerebroken，thecitizensoftheSouthwouldbewrongtorelyuponanylastingsuccorfromtheirNortherncountrymen。

Thelatterarewellawarethatthedangercanneverreachthem;

andunlesstheyareconstrainedtomarchtotheassistanceoftheSouthbyapositiveobligation，itmaybeforeseenthatthesympathyofcolorwillbeinsufficienttostimulatetheirexertions。

Yet，atwhateverperiodthestrifemaybreakout，thewhitesoftheSouth，eveniftheyareabandonedtotheirownresources，willenterthelistswithanimmensesuperiorityofknowledgeandofthemeansofwarfare;buttheblackswillhavenumericalstrengthandtheenergyofdespairupontheirside，andthesearepowerfulresourcestomenwhohavetakenuparms。ThefateofthewhitepopulationoftheSouthernStateswill，perhaps，besimilartothatoftheMoorsinSpain。Afterhavingoccupiedthelandforcenturies，itwillperhapsbeforcedtoretiretothecountrywhenceitsancestorscame，andtoabandontothenegroesthepossessionofaterritory，whichProvidenceseemstohavemorepeculiarlydestinedforthem，sincetheycansubsistandlaborinitmoreeasilythatthewhites。

ThedangerofaconflictbetweenthewhiteandtheblackinhabitantsoftheSouthernStatesoftheUnion—adangerwhich，howeverremoteitmaybe，isinevitable—perpetuallyhauntstheimaginationoftheAmericans。TheinhabitantsoftheNorthmakeitacommontopicofconversation，althoughtheyhavenodirectinjurytofearfromthestruggle;buttheyvainlyendeavortodevisesomemeansofobviatingthemisfortuneswhichtheyforesee。IntheSouthernStatesthesubjectisnotdiscussed:

theplanterdoesnotalludetothefutureinconversingwithstrangers;thecitizendoesnotcommunicatehisapprehensionstohisfriends;heseekstoconcealthemfromhimself;butthereissomethingmorealarminginthetacitforebodingsoftheSouth，thanintheclamorousfearsoftheNorthernStates。

Thisall—pervadingdisquietudehasgivenbirthtoanundertakingwhichisbutlittleknown，butwhichmayhavetheeffectofchangingthefateofaportionofthehumanrace。FromapprehensionofthedangerswhichIhavejustbeendescribing，acertainnumberofAmericancitizenshaveformedasocietyforthepurposeofexportingtothecoastofGuinea，attheirownexpense，suchfreenegroesasmaybewillingtoescapefromtheoppressiontowhichtheyaresubject。*tIn1820，thesocietytowhichIalludeformedasettlementinAfrica，upontheseventhdegreeofnorthlatitude，whichbearsthenameofLiberia。Themostrecentintelligenceinformsusthat2，500negroesarecollectedthere;theyhaveintroducedthedemocraticinstitutionsofAmericaintothecountryoftheirforefathers;andLiberiahasarepresentativesystemofgovernment，negrojurymen，negromagistrates，andnegropriests;churcheshavebeenbuilt，newspapersestablished，and，byasingularchangeinthevicissitudesoftheworld，whitemenareprohibitedfromsojourningwithinthesettlement。*u[Footnotet:Thissocietyassumedthenameof"TheSocietyfortheColonizationoftheBlacks。"Seeitsannualreports;andmoreparticularlythefifteenth。Seealsothepamphlet，towhichallusionhasalreadybeenmade，entitled"LettersontheColonizationSociety，andonitsprobableResults，"byMr。Carey，Philadelphia，1833。]

[Footnoteu:Thislastregulationwaslaiddownbythefoundersofthesettlement;theyapprehendedthatastateofthingsmightariseinAfricasimilartothatwhichexistsonthefrontiersoftheUnitedStates，andthatifthenegroes，liketheIndians，werebroughtintocollisionwithapeoplemoreenlightenedthanthemselves，theywouldbedestroyedbeforetheycouldbecivilized。]

Thisisindeedastrangecapriceoffortune。TwohundredyearshavenowelapsedsincetheinhabitantsofEuropeundertooktotearthenegrofromhisfamilyandhishome，inordertotransporthimtotheshoresofNorthAmerica;atthepresentday，theEuropeansettlersareengagedinsendingbackthedescendantsofthoseverynegroestotheContinentfromwhichtheywereoriginallytaken;andthebarbarousAfricanshavebeenbroughtintocontactwithcivilizationinthemidstofbondage，andhavebecomeacquaintedwithfreepoliticalinstitutionsinslavery。

UptothepresenttimeAfricahasbeenclosedagainsttheartsandsciencesofthewhites;buttheinventionsofEuropewillperhapspenetrateintothoseregions，nowthattheyareintroducedbyAfricansthemselves。ThesettlementofLiberiaisfoundeduponaloftyandamostfruitfulidea;butwhatevermaybeitsresultswithregardtotheContinentofAfrica，itcanaffordnoremedytotheNewWorld。

IntwelveyearstheColonizationSocietyhastransported2，500negroestoAfrica;inthesamespaceoftimeabout700，000

blackswerebornintheUnitedStates。IfthecolonyofLiberiaweresosituatedastobeabletoreceivethousandsofnewinhabitantseveryyear，andifthenegroeswereinastatetobesentthitherwithadvantage;iftheUnionweretosupplythesocietywithannualsubsidies，*vandtotransportthenegroestoAfricainthevesselsoftheState，itwouldstillbeunabletocounterpoisethenaturalincreaseofpopulationamongsttheblacks;andasitcouldnotremoveasmanymeninayearasarebornuponitsterritorywithinthesamespaceoftime，itwouldfailinsuspendingthegrowthoftheevilwhichisdailyincreasingintheStates。*wThenegroracewillneverleavethoseshoresoftheAmericancontinent，towhichitwasbroughtbythepassionsandthevicesofEuropeans;anditwillnotdisappearfromtheNewWorldaslongasitcontinuestoexist。

Theinhabitantsofth