But I can see that Satan must be in great
wrath to find himself spoiled of so many subjects. One stronger than he
has brought here hundreds of thousands, who, in Africa, would have
perished forever, but who are now civilized and Christianized. Satan
would be glad, I think, to see American slavery come to an end. We have
no right to go and steal people in order to convert them; the salvation
of these slaves will not, in one iota, extenuate the guilt and
punishment of those who were engaged in the slave-trade. But "the wrath
of men shall praise Thee." In the writings of anti-slavery men I do not
remember to have met with cordial acknowledgments of what religion has
done for the slaves at the South. They coldly admit the fact, but often
they speak disparagingly of the negro's religion, which is full as good
as that of converts in our foreign missionary fields, as good, judging
from some things in Paul's Epistle to the Ephesians, as that of some
converts to whom he wrote. Our Northern anti-slavery people cannot bear
to have anything good discovered or praised in connection with slavery.
My own hopeful persuasion is, that great and marvellous works of Divine
Providence and grace are in reserve for the African people in their own
land, and that we are to prove to have been their educators.
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