Central and South America are evidently the ultimate destination and future home of the colored race on this continent; the advantages of which in preference to all others will be apparent when once pointed out.
NOTE: The native language of these countries, as well as the greater part of South America is Spanish which is the easiest of all foreign languages to learn. It is very remarkable and worthy of note, that with a view of going to Mexico or South America, the writer several years ago paid some attention to the Spanish language, and now, a most singular coincidence, without preunderstanding, in almost every town, where there is any intelligence among them, there are some colored persons of both sexes, who are studying the Spanish language, even the Methodist and other clergymen, among them. And we earnestly entreat all colored persons who can, to study and have their children taught Spanish. No foreign language will be of such import to colored people, in a very short time, as Spanish. Mexico, Central and South America, importune us to speak their language; and if nothing else, the silent indications of Cuba urge us to learn the Spanish tongue. END NOTE.
Geographically from the Northern extremity of Yucatan, down through Central and South America, to Cape Horn, there is a variation of climate from the twenty second degree of North latitutde, passing through the equatorial region; nowhere as warm as it is in the same latitude in Africa; to the fifty fifth degree of South latitude, including a climate as cold as that of the Hudson Bay country in British America, colder than that of Maine, or any part known to the United Sttes of North America; so that there is every variety of climate in South, as well as North America.
In the productions of grains, fruits, and vegatables, Central and South America are also prolific; and the best of herds are here raised. Indeed, the finest Merino sheep, as well as the principal trade in rice, sugar, cotton, and wheat, which is now preferred in California to any produced in the United States (the Chilean flour) might be carried on by the people of this most favored portion of God's legacy to man. The mineral productions excel all other parts of this continent; the rivers present the greatest internal advantages, and the commercial prospects, are wthout parallel on the coast of the new world.
The advantages to the colored people of the United States to be derived from emigration to Central and South America and the West Indies, are incomparably greater than that of any other parts of the world at present.
In the first place, there never have existed in the policy of any of he nations of Central or South America, an inequality on account of race or color, and any prohibition of rights, has generally been to the white, and not to the colored races; to the whites, not because they were white, not on account of their color, but because of the policy pursued by them towards the people of other races than themselves.
NOTE: The Brazilians have formed a Colonization Society for the purpose of colonizing free blacks to Africa. The Brazilians are Portugueuse, the only nation that can be termed white, and the only one that is a real slave holding nation in South America. Even the black and colored men have equal privileges with whites; and the action of this society will probably extend only to the sending back of such captives as may be taken from piratical slavers.
Colonization in Brazil has doubtless been got up under the influence of United States slave holders and their abettors, such as the consuls and envoys who are sent out to South America, by the government. Chevalier Niteroi, charge de affaires, from Brazil near the government of Liberia, received by the President on the 28th of last January is also charged with the mission of establishing a colony of free blacks in Liberia. The Chevalier was once a Captain in the Brazilian navy on the coast of Africa, and no doubt is conversant with the sentiments of Roberts, who was charged with the slave trade at one time. The scheme of United States slavehodlers and President J. J. Roberts, their agent in Liberia, will not succeed, in establishing prejudice against the black race; not even in slaveholding Brazil.
We have no confidence in President Roberts of Liberia, believing him to be wholly without principle, seeking only self aggrandizement; even should it be done, over the ruined prospects of his staggering infant economy. The people of Liberia, should beware of this man. His privy councillors are to be found among slavehodlersin the United States. END NOTE.
The population of Central and South America consists of fifteen million two hundred and forty thousand, adding the ten millions of Mexico; twenty five millions two hundred and forty thousand, of which vast population, but one seventh are whites, or the pure European race.
Allowing a deduction of one seventh of this population for the European race that may chance to be in those countries and we have in South and Central America alone, the vast colored population of thirteen millions one hundred and seventy seven thousand; and including Mexico a colored population on this glorious continent of twenty one millions one, six hundred and forty thousand.
This vast number of people, our brethren, because they are precisely the same people as ourselves and share the same fate with us, as the case of numbers of them have proven, who have been adventitiously thrown among us, stand ready and willing to take us by the hand, nay, are anxiously waiting and earnestly importuning us to come, that they make common cause with us, and we all share the same fate. There is nothing under heaven in our way, the people stand with open arms ready to receive us. The climate, soil, and productions, the vast rivers, and beautiful seacoast, the scenery of the landscape, and beauty of the starry heavens above, the song of the birds, the voice of the people say come, and God our Father bids us go. Will we go? Go we must, and go we will, as there is no alternative. To remain here in North America, and be crushed to the earth in vassalage and degradation, we never will.
Talk about religious biases, we have not one reply to make. We had rather be a Heathen freeman, than a Christian slave.
There need be no fear of annexation in these countries the prejudices of the people are all against it, and with our influences infused among them the aversion would be tenfold greater. Neither need there be any fears of an attempt on the part of the United States, at a subjugation of these countries. Policy is against it, because the United States has too many colored slaves in their midst, to desire to bring under their government, twenty millions of disfranchised people, whom it would cost them more to keep under subjection, than tenfold the worth of the countries they gained. Besides, let us go to whatever parts of Central and South America we may, we shall make common cause with the people and shall hope, by one judicious and glorious day it will be, in a great representative convention, and form a glorious union of South American States, "inseparably connected one and forever."
This can be done, easily done, if the proper course be pursued, and necessity will hold them together as it holds together the United States of America: self preservation. As the British nation serves to keep in check the Americans; so would the United States serve to keep in Union the South American States.
We should also enter in solemn treaties with Great Britain and like other free and independent nations, take our chance, and risk consequences. Talk not of consequences; we are not in chains; shall we shake them off and go to a land of liberty? Shall our wives and children be protected, secure, and affectionately cherished, or shall they be debased and degraded as our mothers and fathers were? By the light of heaven, no! By the instincts of nature, no!
Talk not about consequences. White men seek responsibilities; shall we shun them? They brave dangers and risk consequences; shall we shrink from them? What are consequences, compared in the scale of value with liberty and freedom; the rights and privileges of our wives and children? In defence of our liberty, the rights of my wife and children; had we the power, we would commmand the vault of a volcano, charged with the wrath of heaven, and blast out of existence, everything that dared obstruct our way.
The time has now fully arrived when the colored race is called upon by all the ties of common humanity, and all the claims of consummate justice, to go forward and take their position, and do battle in the struggle now being made for the redemption of the world. Our cause is a just one; the greatest at present that elicits the attention of the world. For it there is a remedy; that remedy is now at hand. God himself has assuredly as he rules the destinies of nations and entereth measures into the "hearts of men," has presented these measures to us. Our race is to be redeemed; it is a great and glorious work, and we are the instrumentalities by which it is to be done.
But we must go from among our oppressors; it never can be done by staying among them. God has, as certain as he has ever designed any thing, has designed this great portion of the New World for us, the colored races; and as certain as we stubborn our hearts, and stiffen our necks against it, his protecting arm and fostering care will be withdrawn from us.
Shall we be told that we can live nowhere, but under the will of our North American oppressors; that this(the United States) is the country most favorable to our improvement and progress? Are we incapable of self government, and making such improvements for ourselves as we delight to enjoy after American white men have made them for themselves? No, it is not true. Neither is it true that the United States is the best country for our improvement. That country is the best, in which our manhood can be best developed; and that is Central and South America, and the West Indies, all belonging to this glorious Continent.
Whatever may be our pretended objections to any place, whenever and wherever our oppressors go, there will be found in proportionate numbers. Even now could they get possession of the equatorial region of South America, there would colored men be found living on their boats and in their houses to do their menial services; but talk to them about going there and becoming men, and a thousand excuses and objections are at once raised against the climate or whatever else.
The writer, within the past few years, and as early as seventeen years ago, then being quite young, and flushed with geographical and historical speculations, introduced in a Literary Institution of Young Men, the subject of Mexican, California, and South American Emigration. He was always hooted at, and various objections raised: one on account of distance, and another that of climate.
He has since seen some of the same persons engage themselves to their white American oppressors, officers in the war against Mexico, exposing themselves to the changes of the heat of day and the damp of night, risking the danger of the battlefield, in the capacity of servants. And had the Americans taken Mexico, no people would have flocked there faster than the colored people from the United States. The same is observed of California.
In conversation, in the city of New York, a few weeks ago, with a colored lady of intelligence, one of the "first families," the conversation being the elevation of the colored people, we introduced emigration as a remedy, and Central America as the place. We were somewhat surprised, and certainly unprepared to receive the rebuking reply: "Do you suppose that I would go in the woods to live for the sake of freedom? No, indeed! If you wish to do so, go and do it. I am free enough here!", remarking at the same time, that her husband was in San Francisco, and she was going to him, as she learned that the city was quite a large and handsome place.
We reminded her that the industry of white men and women, in four years' time had made San Francisco what it is. That in 1846, before the American emigration, the city contained about seven hundred people, surrounded by a dense wilderness; and that we regretted to contrast her conduct or disposition with that of the lady of Col. Fremont, a daughter of Senator Benton, who tenderly and indulgently raised, in the spring after his arduous adventure across the mountains, and almost miraculous escape, while the county was yet a wilderness, left her comfortable home in Missouri, and braved the dangers of the ocean, to join her husband and settle in the wilderness. That she was going now to San Francisco, because it was a populous and "fine city" that Mrs. Fremont went, when it was a wilderness, to help to make a populous and fine city.
About two hours previous to the writing of the following fact, two respectable colored ladies in coversation, pleasantly disputing about the superiority of the two places, Philadelphia and New York, when one spoke of the uniform cleanliness of the streets of Philadelphia and the dirtiness of those of New York; when the other triumphantly replied, "The reason that our streets are so dirty is that we do more business in one day, than you do in a month." The other acknowledged the fact with some degree of reluctance and explained with many "buts" as an excuse in extenuation. Here was a seeming appreciation of business and enterprise; but the query flashed through our mind in an instant, as to whether they thought for a moment of the fact that theyhad no interest in either city, nor its business. It brought forcibly to our mind, the scene of two of our oppressed brethren South, fighting each other, to prove his master the greatest gentleman of the two.
Let no objections be made to emigration on the ground of the difficulty of the fugitive slave in reaching us; it is only necessary for him to know that he has safety South, and he will find means of reaching the South, as easily as he now does the North. Have no fears about that: his redemption draws nigh, the nearer we draw to him. Central and South America, must be our future homes. Our oppressors will not want us to go there. They will move heaven and earth to prevent us: they will talk about us getting our rights, and offer us a territory here, and all that. It is of no use. They have pressed us to the last retreat, the die is cast, the Rubicon must be crossed, go we will, in defiance of all the slave power in the Union. And we shall not go there, to be idle, passive spectators to an invasion of South American rights. No, go when we will, and where we may, we shall hold overselves amenable to defend and protect the country that embraces us. We are fully able to defend ourselves, once concentrated against any odds, and by help of God, we will do it. We do not go, without counting the cost, cost what it may; all that it may cost, it is worth to be free.
In going, let us have but one object: to become elevated men and women, worthy of freedom, the worthy citizens of an adopted country. What to us will be adopted, to our children will be legitimate. Go not with an anxiety of political aspirations; but go with the fixed intention, as Europeans come to the United States of cultivating the soil, entering into mechanical operations, keeping of shops, carrying on merchandise, trading on land and water, improving property, in a word, to become the producers of the country, instead of the consumers.
Let young men who go have a high object in view; and not go with a view of becoming servants to wealthy gentlemen there; for be assured, that they place themselves beneath all respectful consideration.
