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Published inward September 1829, David Walker's Appeal is cited with Pan African scholars every bit the most exacting anti-slavery document of its time. |
Excerpts from David Walker's Appeal
My dearly love Brethren too Fellow Citizens.
Having travelled over a considerable part of these United States, too having, inward the course of report of my travels, taken the most accurate observations of things every bit they be -- the final result of my observations has warranted the total too unshaken conviction, that we, (coloured people of these United States,) are the most degraded, wretched, too abject laid of beings that ever lived since the world began; too I pray God that none similar us ever may alive in i trial again until fourth dimension shall go no more. They tell us of the Israelites inward Egypt, the Helots inward Sparta, too of the Roman Slaves, which finally were made upwardly from virtually every state nether heaven, whose sufferings nether those ancient too infidel nations, were, inward comparing with ours, nether this enlightened too Christian nation, no to a greater extent than than a cypher -- or, inward other words, those infidel nations of antiquity, had but petty to a greater extent than with them than the hollo too shape of slavery; spell wretchedness too endless miseries were reserved, manifestly inward a phial, to go poured out upon, our fathers ourselves too our children, by Christian Americans!
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... I telephone telephone upon the professing Christians, I telephone telephone upon the philanthropist, I telephone telephone upon the real tyrant himself, to demo me a page of history, either sacred or profane, on which a poesy tin flame go found, which maintains, that the Egyptians heaped the insupportable insult upon the children of Israel, past times telling them that they were non of the human family. Can the whites deny this charge? Have they not, afterward having reduced us to the distressing status of slaves nether their feet, held us upwardly every bit descending originally from the tribes of Monkeys or Orang-Outangs? O! my God! I appeal to every human being of feeling-is non this insupportable? Is it non heaping the most gross insult upon our miseries, because they have got got us nether their feet too nosotros cannot assist ourselves? Oh! compassion us nosotros pray thee, Lord Jesus, Master. -- Has Mr. Jefferson declared to the world, that nosotros are inferior to the whites, both inward the endowments of our bodies too our minds? It is indeed surprising, that a human being of such slap-up learning, combined with such first-class natural parts, should verbalize so of a laid of men inward chains. I make non know what to compare it to, unless, similar putting i wild deer inward an Fe cage, where it volition go secured, too concord some other past times the side of the same, too so allow it go, too hold back the i inward the cage to run every bit fast every bit the i at liberty. So far, my brethren, were the Egyptians from heaping these insults upon their slaves, that Pharaoh's miss took Moses, a boy of State of Israel for her own, every bit volition look past times the following.
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The world knows, that slavery every bit it existed was, mans, (which was the primary displace of their destruction) was, comparatively speaking, no to a greater extent than than a cypher, when compared with ours nether the Americans. Indeed I should non have got noticed the Roman slaves, had non the real learned too penetrating Mr. Jefferson said, "when a master copy was murdered, all his slaves inward the same house, or inside hearing, were condemned to death." -- Here allow me enquire Mr. Jefferson, (but he is gone to respond at the bar of God, for the deeds done inward his torso spell living,) I hence enquire the whole American people, had I non rather die, or go lay to death, than to go a slave to whatsoever tyrant, who takes non only my own, but my married adult woman too children's lives past times the inches? Yea, would I encounter expiry with avidity far! far!! inward preference to such servile submission to the murderous hands of tyrants. Mr. Jefferson's real severe remarks on us have got been so extensively argued upon past times men whose attainments inward literature, I shall never go able to reach, that I would non have got meddled with it, were it non to solicit each of my brethren, who has the spirit of a man, to purchase a re-create of Mr. Jefferson's "Notes on Virginia," too lay it inward the mitt of his son.
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But allow us review Mr. Jefferson's remarks respecting us some further. Comparing our piteous fathers, with the learned philosophers of Greece, he says: "Yet notwithstanding these too other discouraging circumstances with the Romans, their slaves were oftentimes their rarest artists. They excelled too, inward science, insomuch every bit to go unremarkably employed every bit tutors to their master's children; Epictetus, Terence too Phaedrus, were slaves, -- but they were of the race of whites. It is non their condition then, but nature, which has produced the distinction." See this, my brethren! ! Do yous believe that this assertion is swallowed past times millions of the whites? Do yous know that Mr. Jefferson was i of every bit slap-up characters every bit ever lived with the whites? See his writings for the world, too populace labours for the the States of America. Do yous believe that the assertions of such a man, volition go past times away into oblivion unobserved past times this people too the world? If yous make yous are much mistaken-See how the American people process us -- have got nosotros souls inward our bodies? Are nosotros men who have got whatsoever spirits at all? I know that at that spot are many swell-bellied fellows with us, whose greatest object is to fill upwardly their stomachs. Such I make non hateful -- I am afterward those who know too feel, that nosotros are MEN, every bit good every bit other people; to them, I say, that unless nosotros endeavour to refute Mr. Jefferson's arguments respecting us, nosotros volition only flora them.
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...I must notice to my brethren that at the unopen of the commencement Revolution inward this country, with Great Britain, at that spot were but xiii States inward the Union, right away at that spot are twenty-four, most of which are slave-holding States, too the whites are dragging us but about inward chains too inward handcuffs, to their novel States too Territories to piece of employment their mines too farms, to enrich them too their children-and millions of them believing firmly that nosotros beingness a petty darker than they, were made past times our Creator to go an inheritance to them too their children for ever-the same every bit a parcel of brutes.
Are nosotros MEN! ! -- I enquire you, O my brethren I are nosotros MEN? Did our Creator construct us to go slaves to dust too ashes similar ourselves? Are they non dying worms every bit good every bit we? Have they non to construct their appearance earlier the court of Heaven, to respond for the deeds done inward the body, every bit good every bit we? Have nosotros whatsoever other Master but Jesus Christ alone? Is he non their Master every bit good every bit ours? -- What correct then, have got nosotros to obey too telephone telephone whatsoever other Master, but Himself? How nosotros could go so submissive to a gang of men, whom nosotros cannot tell whether they are every bit skilful every bit ourselves or not, I never could conceive. However, this is unopen upwardly with the Lord, too nosotros cannot exactly tell -- but I declare, nosotros approximate men past times their works.
The whites have got e'er been an unjust, jealous, unmerciful, avaricious too blood-thirsty laid of beings, e'er seeking afterward ability too authority.
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...to my no ordinary astonishment, [a] Reverend gentleman got upwardly too told us (coloured people) that slaves must go obedient to their masters -- must make their duty to their masters or go whipped -- the whip was made for the backs of fools, &c. Here I time out for a moment, to give the world fourth dimension to consider what was my surprise, to listen such preaching from a government minister of my Master, whose real gospel is that of peace too non of blood too whips, every bit this pretended preacher tried to construct us believe. What the American preachers tin flame intend of us, I aver this 24-hour interval earlier my God, I have got never been able to define. They have got newspapers too monthly periodicals, which they have inward continual succession, but on the pages of which, yous volition scarcely ever disclose a paragraph respecting slavery, which is 10 1000 times to a greater extent than injurious to this province than all the other evils lay together; too which volition go the finally overthrow of its government, unless something is real rapidly done; for their loving cup is nearly full.-Perhaps they volition express joy at or construct lite of this; but I tell yous Americans! that unless yous rapidly modify your course, you and your Country are gone! ! ! !
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If whatsoever of us see gibe to go away, go to those who have got been for many years, too are right away our greatest earthly friends too benefactors -- the English. If non so, go to our brethren, the Haytians, who, according to their word, are jump to protect too comfort us. The Americans say, that nosotros are ungrateful-but I enquire them for heaven's sake, what should nosotros go grateful to them for -- for murdering our fathers too mothers ? -- Or make they wishing us to supply thank yous to them for chaining too handcuffing us, branding us, cramming burn downwards down our throats, or for keeping us inward slavery, too beating us nearly or quite to expiry to construct us piece of employment inward ignorance too miseries, to back upwardly them too their families. They sure enough intend that nosotros are a gang of fools. Those with them, who have got volunteered their services for our redemption, though nosotros are unable to compensate them for their labours, nosotros yet give thank yous them from the bottom of our hearts, too have got our eyes steadfastly fixed upon them, too their labours of love for God too man. -- But make slave-holders intend that nosotros give thank yous them for keeping us inward miseries, too taking our lives past times the inches?
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Let no human being of us budge i step, too allow slave-holders come upwardly to trounce us from our country. America is to a greater extent than our country, than it is the whites-we have got enriched it with our blood too tears. The greatest riches inward all America have got arisen from our blood too tears: -- too volition they drive us from our belongings too homes, which nosotros have got earned with our blood? They must expression abrupt or this real matter volition convey swift devastation upon them. The Americans have got got so fatty on our blood too groans, that they have got virtually forgotten the God of armies. But allow the go on.
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Do the colonizationists intend to post us off without commencement beingness reconciled to us? Do they intend to packet us upwardly similar brutes too post us off, every bit they did our brethren of the State of Ohio? Have they non to go reconciled to us, or reconcile us to them, for the cruelties with which they have got afflicted our fathers too us? Methinks colonizationists intend they have got a laid of brutes to bargain with, sure enough. Do they intend to drive us from our province too homes, afterward having enriched it with our blood too tears, too maintain dorsum millions of our dear brethren, sunk inward the most fell wretchedness, to dig upwardly gilt too argent for them too their children? Surely, the Americans must intend that nosotros are brutes, every bit some of them have got represented us to be. They intend that nosotros make non experience for our brethren, whom they are murdering past times the inches, but they are dreadfully deceived.
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What state nether heaven, volition go able to make whatsoever matter with us, unless God gives us upwardly into its hand? But Americans. I declare to you, spell yous maintain us too our children inward bondage, too process us similar brutes, to construct us back upwardly yous too your families, nosotros cannot go your friends. You make non expression for it make you? Treat us too so similar men, too nosotros volition go your friends. And at that spot is non a incertitude inward my mind, but that the whole of the past times volition go sunk into oblivion, too nosotros yet, nether God, volition acquire a united too happy people. The whites may tell it is impossible, but hollo back that nix is impossible with God.
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I count my life non dear unto me, but I am ready to go offered at whatsoever moment, For what is the operate of living, when inward fact I am dead. But remember, Americans, that every bit miserable, wretched, degraded too abject every bit yous have got made us inward preceding, too inward this generation, to back upwardly yous too your families, that some of you, (whites) on the continent of America, volition yet curse the 24-hour interval that yous ever were born. You desire slaves, too desire us for your slaves ! ! ! My color volition yet, root some of yous out of the real human face upwardly of the world ! ! ! ! ! ! You may incertitude it if yous please. I know that thousands volition doubt-they intend they have got us so good secured inward wretchedness, to them too their children, that it is impossible for such things to occur.
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See your Declaration Americans! ! ! Do yous sympathise your ain language? Hear your languages, proclaimed to the world, July 4th, 1776 -- "We concord these truths to go self evident -- that ALL MEN ARE CREATED EQUAL! ! that they are endowed past times their Creator with sure unalienable rights; that with these are life, liberty, too the pursuit of happiness! !" Compare your ain linguistic communication above, extracted from your Declaration of Independence, with your cruelties too murders inflicted past times your cruel too unmerciful fathers too yourselves on our fathers too on us -- men who have got never given your fathers or yous the to the lowest degree provocation! ! ! ! ! !
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