Collection: African American Newspapers

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Collection: African American Newspapers

Publication: THE COLORED AMERICAN

Date: October 31, 1840

Title: THOMAS HODGKIN AND COLONIZATION

Location: New York, New York

THOMAS HODGKIN AND COLONIZATION.

Mr. Hodgkin is an English gentleman, a resident of London, and reputed to be a great philanthropist. The New York Observer of the 24th ult., contains a letter from this gentleman, directed to the American delegation to the World's Convention, upon the American Colonization Society. The letter throughout is in vindication of the Society, an endorsement of its principles, measures, objects, and ends, as developed to his mind. Whether he had then seen the fact, that it had its foundation in prejudice against the colored man, and that it is the strong prop and only hope of slavery, and therefore sustained by slaveholders, we cannot say, though we should say he had not, or a philanthropist as he is reputed to be, he could not have vindicated it, unless he were willing his philanthropy should be directed towards a very wrong channel.

We should like to have both room and time, to give place to the letter entire, and to comment upon, as it is so full of points which need to be noticed, and which are so easily to be met and set right, but its length forbids. Mr. Hodgkin appears to be laboring under that same peculiar state of mind, or entertaining that same class of views with a multitude of other men, as to the capability of colored men to judge in their own case. Now we would say here, for Mr. Hodgkin's special benefit, and that very respectfully, that the "colored Americans," at least, are abundantly capable and competent to judge as to what is right and best in their own case, if not all, at least as many in proportion as stood forth in the American Revolution and judged and acted for the whole; and we suppose by this time, the noble Britons are willing to acknowledge that band, to have been fully competent, both in judgment and in deeds as to what was right and best, in the case of those both for whom they judged and acted.

Should Mr. Hodgkin come to the conviction of this truth, he would have, necessarily, to pronounce the colonization society bad, because the "colored Americans" pronounce it both wrong in principle and bad in practice as regards their highest good.

Mr. Hodgkin, justifies the Society in emigrating the colored people, upon the principle of European emigration, to this and other countries. Is there any parallel? have you societies for emigrating you peasantry to this country, "peaceably if they will, forcibly if we must," (vide colonization report,) that is, whether they will or not. Besides, is there any parallel between the state and circumstances of Africa, and the state and circumstances of the United States, or of South America, or between the hopes and prospects of emigrants upon arriving here, and the hopes and prospects of emigrants arriving there. What an argument for Dr. Hodgkin of London.

Mr. Hodgkin admits, that the colored people of this country are opposed to the society, and this opposition he attributes to the influence of abolitionists. Another pan, Garrison, Birney, &c., &c., were found contributing to its support or writing and making speeches in its behalf. It is then as foreign as can be, that our opposition to the American Colonization Society, owes itself to the anti slavery influence of others, but rather to the anti slavery have been informed of the fact, that the colored people, took a noble and decided stand in opposition to the American Colonization Society, one year after its formation, at a time when the whole American people, who thought or acted at all in the matter, did all in its favor, sanctioned the measure, at a time when such men as Tap-evidence of ignorance as to the capability of colored men.

We wish to inform the gentleman, for he seems not to influence among ourselves, and to our own good sense and just notions as to right and wrong in our own case, as well as the case of others.

The gentleman says he cannot disown the society, notwithstanding all our opposition to it. Is that real philanthropy which sanctions and supports a society, the principles and measures of which are regarded by those upon whom it designs to operate as wrong in principle, destructive in all its bearings, to their highest hopes and best interests, and to all identified with them.

Mr. Hodgkin, in vindication of the Society, says: "I see slaves emancipated and more ready to be, if the Society could take them away," &c. I wonder if he saw those who left Norfolk last, in the Saluda, and the manner in which the Society transported them to Canada with their own choice. And this is only one of the many instances that would occur, if the same opportunity was offered. I wonder if he has heard of the numerous cases recently, of gentlemen at the South having emancipated their slaves, and the manner in which they colonized them, all to a free state, and more than the Society has carried to Liberia for years. If so, he will see that there is no necessity for the American Colonization Society to prosper, to enable slaveholders to emancipate their slaves. But we have said as much again as we intended to. We will only add, if Dr. Hodgkin were not a very respectable and pure minded philanthropist, as we are a Yankee, we should guess that Ralph Randolph Gurley wrote that letter, and got Thomas Hodgkin to place his name to it.