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戴維’’爾’
(DAVID WALKER)
’爾’’’’’
Walker's Appeal
The Liberty Almanac (’奴’’’’’) ’’面
我們(’國’有’種族)’有’’’生’’’個’’最’’’最’憐’最’’’’們’
’’’’’’國歷’’最爲’’赫赫’文章之’’’’’戴維’’爾’(1785－1830)’’’’親’個奴隸’母親’’由’’’生’’’羅萊’’’’爾’’市’’’’’’’’’’’成’爲’奴’動’’極分’’’’’’由日報’投’’該報’’國第’’黑’報’’’’’還’濱’區’營’’舊’裝’’1829’’’’’’爲’分’’’’’’’’’’言’對’’有’公民’’尤’’對’’堅’衆國’有’公民’’’’’’爾’’’’’’’文章’
’’’’’譴’’奴隸’’’’言它’給’國’’毀滅’’爾’反對’’比里’’立黑’殖民’’’劃’譴’白’’’’不關心’’’’’’’’’手’友’關’’’’’’’’’’傳’’’方’’而引’奴隸’們’盛’’’’’方’’’’’止’奴’’文學’傳播’’簽’’’’’止對奴隸’文化教’’’爾’’’’賞’輯’’’’絕’’’據’’說’’“我’立場不’改變’’有’’爲’個’’而犧’’’”1830’6月’’們’’’’’’’’’’’’’體’據’’’’’’’
’接’’’’’’裏’’爾’’’’’’’由’奴’’’’’’’’’’’’’文章’’選’
我’’國’歷’’’’’’’中對’’’’最爲細’’’察’’察’結’’我’’’疑’我們(’國’有’種族)’有’’’生’’’個’’最’’’最’憐’最’’’’們’我’’’’禱’讓’們永遠永遠不’’’樣生’’’’’’們’’’我們關’’’及’’’’’’’斯巴’’’奴’’羅馬’奴隸’情’’’’’’’’’天’’’’個民族’’們’那’遠’’野’’國’裏’’’’難’’我們’’’’’基督教國’’’’’’比’’’’’’’’’’’換’話說’那’遠’’野’國’不’’有奴隸’’’稱’’式而’’而’’基督’’國’’’’不’’’邊’’難’’’’而’’’’’’灌’’我們’’輩’我們’’’我們’’’身’’......
’對我’’’’’’’’們’’’’之際’我心中’分’白’我’’’那’’生最’’’望’’’我們’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’們’圍攻’’’那’堅’’’本’’’’我們’我們’’’’’成爲’們’’們’’’當’做馬’’們’圍攻’不僅’’’我’說’我不僅’’’樣’’’厭’傢夥們’街示衆’說我’’個’’’’莽’’’’’’’給’衆’生’’’騷’不’’’’還’’投’監獄’’’極’’’’爲我’我們’’難’暴’們’’’公諸’衆’’有’’我說’我’’’’’’’’’那’’’’’奴隸’’’’們’’’條褲’’’’那’’比’們’’’’’’們’’’辛勞而’’飯’’’’’’中’實有不少’’’’’’眼’’’’’’們’’’而’’’我’’’’’我們中’謹’’’’有’’’機關算盡’’言我’’’’’勞’’’們’說我們’境’’不’’’有必’’’改善’’爲我們做不’’’裏’我’問’個問’’’我們’境’不’不’’’’’嗎?’’難’還’比’’’’’嗎?’’我們’境’’生’變化’雖’’’有’’顯’’’’難’不’朝’’方’’’嗎?’’變化’’我們’’’落嗎?它們’給我們’’什麽?壓迫’們不敢’我們境’’’’’爲’們’’’楚’’’’們’樣做’’’們’’’’完’’’而’我’頂著’有’’’’我’’’’’’爲我撰’’文’動機’’天’’’’’天’’我’目’’什麽’’’’盡我’’’’我’備’’難’’’’賤’執’不醒’’’們’心中喚’’種精’’’’塊’由’’國’’’’’對我們’’難’不’’原’’問個’竟’’’’’’
’’’’我’’’’’羅萊’’’報’’讀’’’文章’談’’耳’’’野’’文章’’’“’耳’’’’’’最野’’民族’’’們對’’臘’’像對’野’’樣而不’’爲’’對’’”’’’’報’’有’’’’’“’個體’健壯’維’尼’’馬里蘭’黑’’夥’’’個黑’少’’爲今日賣給’價最高’’”’我’’’驚’’’我’’’’’’’報’’’’’個’’’圖’’’’們’’’’有梅’’’’’’有’’’’’高價’賞’’們’’’’’我’說’’’聽’個國’’’部’’部’談什麽野’’’’’滑’’聽’’’’’’’’’’’’
有’種族’’有’有覺’’’我’’’’’’對’們而’’’’我們較’’’’’們不’’’它’價值’’’我號’’們’眼’投’’們’’’不’’’’盡’們之’’給’們’啓’’’’動’’’啓’’們’’’們’’’讓我們’’’’’們’做’什麽把’們’’們’’’落’中’救’’’’們’做’’’’’儘管’們’’’爲’’’做’’’不足’’’’們應該’’國’’整個’’證’’我們’’’不’野’’而我們’’’’’’野’’成百’’’’我們’’’當’野’對’’’’’’’們’’’們’’’’’’輕’中’’’’’’’’’’’教’’’教’’’傳播’’
我’我’’’面’’’’’國’’’’們’麽’我們’我’’’’’’們有’種報’’月’源源不’’’’們’用’’’’’報’雜’’’們’難’’有關奴隸’’’落’而奴隸’比’’’’種邪’’’’’對’個國’’’傷’’’’’’’’’除’我們儘快採’措’’’’奴隸’最終’’’個國’’’’’覆滅’’’爲’們’’’’快’’滿溢’邊’’’’’’’’們’對’’’’之’’’’視之’’’我’’’’們’’國’’除’’們改變’們’’’’’’’們’’們’國’’’完’’!!!!!’爲’’’’’’把’個’’撕扯’面目’’!!!難’那’’’’’’說’不’降’’’國基督教’身’嗎?聽聽’’’’國’’’“’’’不’正’’’’讓’不正’’’’’’’’齪’’’讓’’齪’’’’’’正’’’’讓’正’’’’’’’’’’’’讓’’’’’”我’望’國’聽’’’’’’’’’們由’’’’’’重’傷’’我們’由’’們’’’’我們’’’’把我們’’’’永遠給’們’爲遺産’’’’’’’’們’變’’石心’’’樣’’們’’’面’毀滅’’我’樣說’’’’’’’’國’纖’’耳朵不堪接’’’而’’國’啊’’國’’’我借’’’’’’’’們(不管’們’’’聽’’’’’忍’)’’’’’改’’’不’’們’完’’’難’’們’爲’們’’’’臘’’’爾蘭’等等’遣傳教’’樂’’善’由’而對’’’’’’’隱藏手’’’污’’我們’’’不’我們’’’嗎?難’’不’’’頂’’’們犯’’’’’’’’嗎?’’’’’’’’’傲’’偏見’’’’’’’’’’’爲’而’’’教堂’’裏’’們爲有’’種’’’’’’’身之’’’們必須坐’那裏’’’’’趕’’’’’’’’’’們對’裝聾’啞’’不用說爲’們走’’’’走’’’’找’’’之’’失’’羊’把它們’’它們’’’’身邊’’’暴’’’鬼’’’’’’個國’’部’’部’黑’生’’’比’不’’’’’’’’’’之中’’國’’’’們’不見’們’’’都’夠’遣傳教’’’’野’’’啊’’國’’’國’’’我’’’’’’’’類’’’’’’’們’’’’旦’’’除’’們’’’’’不’’快’’滅’’’
Walker's Appeal
Having
travelled over a considerable portion of these United States, and having, in the
course of my travels, taken the most accurate observations of things as they
exist, the result of my observations has warranted the full and unshaken
conviction, that we (coloured people of these United States) are the most
degraded, wretched, and abject set of beings that ever lived since the world
began; and I pray God that none like us ever may live again until time shall be
no more. They tell us of the Israelites in Egypt, the Helots in Sparta, and of
the Roman Slaves, which last were made up from almost every nation under heaven,
whose sufferings under those ancient and heathen nations, were, in comparison
with ours, under this enlightened and Christian nation, no more than a cypher--or,
in other words, those heathen nations of antiquity, had but little more among
them than the name and form of slavery; while wretchedness and endless miseries
were reserved, apparently in a phial, to be poured out upon our fathers,
ourselves and our children, by Christian Americans. ...
I am
fully aware, in making this appeal to my much afflicted and suffering brethren,
that I shall not only be assailed by those whose greatest earthly desires are to
keep us in abject ignorance and wretchedness, and who are of the firm conviction
that Heaven has designed us and our children to be slaves and beasts of burden
to them and their children. I say, I do not only expect to be held up to the
public as an ignorant, impudent and restless disturber of the public peace, by
such avaricious creatures, as well as a mover of insubordination--and perhaps
put in prison or to death, for giving a superficial exposition of our miseries,
and exposing tyrants. But I am persuaded, that many of my brethren, particularly
those who are ignorantly in league with slave-holders or tyrants, who acquire
their daily bread by the blood and sweat of their more ignorant brethren--and
not a few of those too, who are too ignorant to see an inch beyond their noses,
will rise up and call me cursed--Yea, the jealous ones among us will perhaps use
more abject subtlety, by affirming that this work is not worth perusing, that we
are well situated, and there is no use in trying to better our condition, for we
cannot. I will ask one question here.--Can our condition be any worse?--Can it
be more mean and abject? If there are any changes, will they not be for the
better, though they may appear for the worse at first? Can they get us any
lower? Where can they get us? They are afraid to treat us worse, for they know
well, the day they do it they are gone. But against all accusations which may or
can be preferred against me, I appeal to Heaven for my motive in writing--who
knows what my object is, if possible, to awaken in the breasts of my afflicted,
degraded and slumbering brethren, a spirit of inquiry and investigation
respecting our miseries and wretchedness in this Republican Land of
Liberty!!!!!. . .
I saw a
paragraph, a few years since, in a South Carolina paper, which, speaking of the
barbarity of the Turks, said: "The Turks are the most barbarous people in the
world--they treat the Greeks more like brutes than human beings." And in the
same paper was an advertisement, which said: "Eight well built Virginia and
Maryland Negro fellows and four wenches will positively be sold this day, to the
highest bidder!" And what astonished me still more was, to see in this same
humane paper!! the cuts of three men, with clubs and budgets on their backs, and
an advertisement offering a considerable sum of money for their apprehension and
delivery. I declare, it is really amusing to hear the Southerners and Westerners
of this country talk about barbarity, that it is positively enough to make a man
smile. . . .
Men of
colour, who are also of sense, for you particularly is my Appeal designed. Our
more ignorant brethren are not able to penetrate its value. I call upon you
therefore to cast your eyes upon the wretchedness of your brethren, and to do
your utmost to enlighten them--go to work and enlighten your brethren!--Let the
Lord see you doing what you can to rescue them and yourselves from degradation.
There is a great work for you to do, as trifling as some of you may think of it.
You have to prove to the Americans and the world, that we are Men, and not
brutes, as we have been represented, and by millions treated. Remember, to let
the aim of your labours among your brethren, and particularly the youths, be the
dissemination of education and religion. . . .
What the American preachers can think of us, I aver this day before my God,
I have never been able to define. They have newspapers and monthly periodicals,
which they receive in continual succession, but on the pages of which, you will
scarcely ever find a paragraph respecting slavery, which is ten thousand times
more injurious to this country than all the other evils put together; and which
will be the final overthrow of its government, unless something is very speedily
done; for their cup is nearly full. --Perhaps they will laugh at or make light
of this; but I tell you Americans! that unless you speedily alter your course,
you and your Country are gone!!!!! For God Almighty will tear up the very face
of the earth!!! Will not that very remarkable passage of Scripture be fulfilled
on Christian Americans? Hear it Americans!! "He that is unjust, let him be
unjust still:--and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is
righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy
still." I hope that the Americans may hear, but I am afraid that they have done
us so much injury, and are so firm in the belief that our Creator made us to be
an inheritance to them forever, that their hearts will be hardened, so that
their destruction may be sure. This language, perhaps, is too harsh for the
American's delicate ears. But O Americans! Americans!! I warn you in the name of
the Lord (whether you will hear, or forbear,) to repent and reform, or you are
ruined!!! Do you think that our blood is hiding from the Lord, because you can
hide it from the rest of the world, by sending out missionaries, and by your
charitable deeds to the Greeks, Irish, etc.? Will he not publish your secret
crimes on the house top? Even here in Boston, pride and prejudice have got to
such a pitch, that in the very houses erected to the Lord, they have built
little places for the reception of coloured people, where they must sit during
meeting, or keep away from the house of God, and the preachers say nothing about
it--much less go into the hedges and highways seeking the lost sheep of the
house of Israel, and try to bring them in to their Lord and Master. There are
not a more wretched, ignorant, miserable and abject set of beings in all the
world than the blacks in the southern and western sections of this country,
under tyrants and devils. The preachers of America can not see them, but they
can send out missionaries to convert the heathens, notwithstanding. . . . O
Americans! Americans!! I call God--I call angels--I call men, to witness, that
your destruction is at hand, and will be speedily consummated unless you
repent.
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