a libel upon the American people? What is it but to say,
there is in them a moral incapacity to do justice, love mercy,
and walk uprightly? Colonization orators, designing politicians,
ministers of Jesus, tell me, how can you thus libel your
countrymen? Surely, there is a regenerating, a redeeming spirit
in the land--a spirit transforming misanthropes into
philanthropists--bondmen into freemen--abettors of slavery into
champions of liberty--a spirit that will yet drive from America
the demon of slavery, and render it indeed "the land of the free
and the home of the brave."'[AI]

* * * * * * * *

'I have just found time to notice a few very exceptionable
features of a communication over the signature of "A
Marylander," published, a few days ago, in the American of our
city. The writer is unquestionably entitled to the credit of
being a thorough-going colonizationist. He writes in the _true
spirit_ of the cause. He seems to be under an excitement
produced by the publication of our anti-colonization
resolutions. This being the case, it is not to be expected that
he would, throughout his communication, avail himself of the
guarded, accommodating, and conciliating language usual with
colonization writers and declaimers. After being convinced that
the people of color are not to be persuaded to leave the land of
their birth, and every thing vernacular with them, for "regions"
which he tells us are "now dark as the valley of the shadow of
death," he says, "I would propose then that Maryland should
colonize her own free blacks." He does not add the usual
qualification, "_with their own consent_:" he knows this will
never be obtained. He therefore says: "I earnestly _hope_ that
the time _is now_ come when our state will wake up to all the
importance of this subject, and will instantly commence _a
system of measures_ imperatively demanded by the _sternest_
principles [colonization principles?] of _sound_ policy." We
would tell this precocious statesman that we are not to be
intimidated into colonization "_measures_" by the angry
effusions of his illiberal soul; that we had rather die in
Maryland under the pressure of unrighteous and cruel laws than
be driven, like cattle, to the pestilential clime of Liberia,
where grievous privation, inevitable disease, and premature
deat