When, however, the end for which the African slave-trade had been for a time permitted, was sufficiently attained, then, in the Divine Providence, influences were brought to bear upon the evil instrument itself, to check its action. The world became enlightened to see the wrong of that trade, as it had not before seen; the voice of benevolent individuals and of societies was raised against it, and the power of nations was invoked to put a stop to it. The face of the world has now been set against it, and it must ere long cease. But, what is remarkable, the most effective, and probably the only completely
is oral, of course, but it is gratifying to see how great an amount of knowledge the children had acquired in a few months. A Presbyterian minister of Philadelphia was with me, and he said, in unqualified terms, that he had visited no Infant schools at the north, better conducted — A large portion of the wealthy planters either have already built, or contain plate building, churches on their premises, and employing chaplains to preach to their slaves. Ministers of all denominations begin to awake to their duty and responsibility on this subject. Many of them are now devoting themselves wholly to this portion of our community.' — 'Our clergy,' says another letter (from South Carolina), 'generally pay a particular attention to the black congregations. Many of them give the entire afternoon of the Sabbath to them. Sunday-schools amongst them are almost universally organized. It is also well known that, in religious families, the instruction of the slaves is an object of general solicitude. It is by no means unusual for individual planters, m for two or more in connection, to support a chaplain for the exclusive benefit of their colored people.'" — Plea, Conversation XVI. "I know of no slave — holding state in the Union," remarks Dr. Baird, "where we cannot preach the Gospel to slaves. In several states (not all), laws were made, twenty-five years ago, forbidding to teach the slaves to read: this was done solely through fear lest incendiary publications might be, as was madly attempted, circulated among them, to excite them to rise and destroy their masters. But no law has been made to prevent the preaching of the Gospel." — Prospects of Christianity in the United States, p. 34.
