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REPORT.

THE tone which the Managers of the Massachusetts AntiSlavery Society would assume, in presenting their Fifth Report, is one of joyful hope to the manacled slaves-of sincere congratulation to the friends of human liberty, universally—of ardent gratitude to God. If a blood-stained, conscience-stricken nation is writhing under the rebukes and warnings of the Spirit of Truth; if the march of Justice and Humanity is onward with accelerated speed, though obstructed by obstacles insurmountable to every thing else; if the knees of the American Belshazzar are smiting together, in view of the condemnatory handwriting upon the wall of his palace; and if, in every encounter of the friends of freedom with the hosts of tyranny, a glorious victory follows; why should we not bid our enslaved countrymen rejoice in hope-and congratulate all who sympathize with them, whether at home or abroad-and offer thanksgiving to Him who is King of kings, and Lord of lords? The acorn that was planted in the soil of the pilgrims only six years ago, has grown up into a stately oak, deepening its roots and extending its branches with every storm. The single voice which then broke upon the drowsy ear of the nation, is now lost in the thunder-tones of a congregated multitude. The

cloud, no bigger than a man's hand, which then rose in the east, now covers the land.

THE CONFLICT NOT ENDED.

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But, while we assume a tone of confidence and triumph, in taking a retrospect of the past, we should deprecate giving the impression, that the warfare is almost terminated; that watchfulness may now give place to indifference, toil to repose, zeal to passivity; or that a final conquest is an easy matter. No. The great battle, which is to decide the destiny of this nation, is yet to be fought. Instead of the least abatement, there must be a vast augmentation of zeal and interest. Instead of beginning to fold the hands and close the eyes in slumber, we must gird up our loins afresh, watch as for our lives, and prepare for the last encounter. Instead of crying, ALL'S WELL!' the rallying-cry must be, To THE RESCUE! FOR GOD AND LIBERTY!' Instead of ordering our forces to halt, let the animating watch-word pass from mouth to mouth, ONWARD!' ' ONWARD!' All history testifies, that a long-established despotism is not easily overthrown, and that tyrants are fiercer than wolves. And never, in all time, has there been an attempt before to deliver millions of our race from a brutal servitude, discarding all physical force, all carnal weapons, and relying for success solely on 'the opposition of moral purity to moral corruption, the destruction of error by the potency of truth, the overthrow of prejudice by the power of love, and the abolition of slavery by the spirit of repentance.'* With what tenacity the corrupt heart of man clings to ill-gotten power, the example of Pharaoh fearfully shows-who could not be induced to let his captives go, though visited by the most direful plagues, until all the firstborn of Egypt were slain, and in the sequel it was necessary to drown the tyrant and his hosts in the depths of the sea. And by an immutable law of our being, in proportion to the degree of light resisted by oppressors, is the desperation with which they grasp the throats of their victims, and the fury which they

* National Anti-Slavery Declaration.

exhibit toward those who arraign their unnatural barbarity.— Who, then, among all the tyrants of the earth, since the world was made, have equalled in guilt or in cruelty the republican (!) slaveholders of North America? Who have ever exhibited a more ferocious spirit toward those who plead for justice, in the name of Humanity? Or who have ever more impiously contemned the voice and defied the omnipotence of Jehovah ?— They break in pieces thy people, O Lord, and afflict thy heritage. They slay the widow and the stranger, and murder the fatherless. Yet they say, The Lord shall not see, neither shall the God of Jacob regard it.' But shall the throne of iniquity have fellowship with thee, which frameth mischief by a law?' Understand, ye brutish oppressors; and ye fools, when will ye be wise? He that planted the ear, shall he not hear? he that formed the eye, shall he not see? he that chastiseth the heathen, shall not he correct? he that teacheth man knowledge, shall not he know?' For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy, now will I arise, saith the Lord; I will set him in safety from him that puffeth at him.'

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LIBERTY OF SPEECH.

No-this is not a time for repose : we may not take it for granted, that the field is won, and our term of service expired. It is true, we have not suffered our mouths to be gagged by the hand of violence, and we have faithfully delivered the message of God; but the unmolested freedom of speech, and the untrammelled freedom of the press, on the subject of American* slavery, are yet every where denied to us, so that we continue to speak and print at the peril, not merely of our reputation, but our lives. If it were possible, by exaltation of character, or suavity of deportment, or nobleness of conduct, or propriety of speech, or mildness of temper, to conciliate a cavilling generation, and obtain at least a candid hearing before being condemned as a disturber of the peace; surely JAMES G. BIRNEY

*We may denounce British oppression, Turkish oppression, Russian oppression, without running any hazard, and to popular acceptation.

POTISM.

would be treated with respect, and allowed to testify as a wit ness in the great trial now pending between LIBERTY and DESYet Mr. BIRNEY declares, that, though there are no less than thirty places of public worship in Cincinnati, he cannot obtain admittance into any one of them, that he may exhibit the sinfulness of slavery !—even though he solicits to be confronted on the spot, before a prejudiced and violent population, by any of the strongest champions on the other side of the question! So greatly do the enemies of freedom fear that the promise would be verified against themselves- One shall chase a thousand, and two put ten thousand to flight.' Certain it is, if Mr. Birney wished to give his opinions upon any other subject, he would find no difficulty in procuring a place in which to speak, and would be heard with becoming deference ;-but, though a southern man, from childhood conversant with the slave system, and for many years a slaveholder, yet he is deemed unworthy of credit, branded with infamy, and debarred from giving testimony, because he has repented of the sin of oppression, emancipated his slaves, made all the restitution in his power, and is proclaiming to all slaveholders the duty of immediately breaking every yoke, undoing the heavy burden, and letting the oppressed go free! This is the head and front of his offending. And yet the people of Ohio are all opposed to slavery!

A similar state of things disgraces the capital of this Commonwealth. Why is it that the fifth annual meeting of this Society is held in the loft of a stable ? Let the winds carry the tale to the four quarters of the earth-in Boston, in the year of our Lord 1837, in the sixty-first year of American independence, not a single meeting-house, not a hall of any magnitude, can be obtained on any terms, not even for money at an exorbitant price! in which abolititionists may plead the cause of the trampled slave! But, it is believed, there is not a single pulpit

And yet as we are forbidden to speak in the name of Jesus, who came to preach deliverance to the captive, and the opening of prisons to those who are bound, we may not marvel that our accommodations are no better than were those of him, who was cradledin a manger.

in this city, to which a slaveholding preacher cannot find ready access, even for the avowed purpose of vindicating the soul-destroying system of slavery as a divine institution, from the Holy Scriptures! Nor is there, we presume, a public hall, which cannot be occupied by jugglers, mountebanks, ballad-singers, rope-dancers, religious impostors, &c. &c. as they shall wish to hire! Thus, in Boston and in Cincinnati, (and these cities are cited merely as specimens of the prevailing spirit of the nation,) abolitionists are deprived of the privileges which are enjoyed by strolling profligates, and are treated as the offscouring of all the earth-yet, aside from their zeal in behalf of the suffering and the dumb, who will say that in virtue, intelligence, public spirit, love of order, patriotism, peaceable behavior, general reputation, or genuine piety, they need shrink from comparison with any other class or order of men in this or any other country? It is not, as is falsely pretended, because their language is harsh, or their spirit violent, or their measures extravagant, that they receive such treatment: but because they sympathize with a despised race-will hold no truce with oppression-abhor caste-denounce prejudice against a colored skin as irrational and unholy -' remember those in bonds,' at least in some measure, 'as bound with them '-maintain the duty and safety of immediate emancipation-object to the banishment of a sixth-part of the American people to the coast of Africa, on account of their complexion. Only let them become respecters of personspreach up the necessity of a separation, wide as the vast Atlantic, between the white and free colored † population-advo

* With one exception-Pine Street. The following resolution has been adopted by this church:

Resolved, That the members of this church regard slaveholding as entirely contrary to the spirit of the gospel-as threatening the peace, purity, and permanency of the religious institutions of our land-as greatly embarrassing the operations of christian benevolence and as calculated to grieve the Holy Spirit of God from the churches, and thus prevent those revivals of religion which have been the glory of our land; and do therefore bear their testimony as a Church of Christ, against the crying sin of Slavery.

It may be asked, why could not the Pine-street meeting-house be obtained for the use of the Anti-Slavery Society? The reason is, that a majority of the congregation were opposed to granting such a privilege.

+ Observe-not between the white and SLAVE population: they may remain in close affinity!

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