re no people more religious in this Country, than the
colored people, and none so poor and miserable as they. That prosperity
and wealth, smiles upon the efforts of wicked white men, whom we know to
utter the name of God with curses, instead of praises. That among the
slaves, there are thousands of them religious, continually raising
their voices, sending up their prayers to God, invoking His aid in their
behalf, asking for a speedy deliverance; but they are still in chains,
although they have thrice suffered out their three score years and ten.
That "God sendeth rain upon the just and unjust," should be sufficient
to convince us that our success in life, does not depend upon our
religious character, but that the physical laws governing all earthly
and temporary affairs, benefit equally the just and the unjust. Any
other doctrine than this, is downright delusion, unworthy of a free
people, and only intended for slaves. That all men and women, should be
moral, upright, good and religious--we mean _Christians_--we would not
utter a word against, and could only wish that it were so; but, what we
here desire to do is, to correct the long standing error among a large
body of the colored people in this country, that the cause of our
oppression and degradation, is the displeasure of God towards us,
because of our unfaithfulness to Him. This is not true; because if God
is just--and he is--there could be no justice in prospering white men
with his fostering care, for more than two thousand years, in all their
wickedness, while dealing out to the colored people, the measure of his
displeasure, for not half the wickedness as that of the whites. Here
then is our mistake, and let it forever henceforth be corrected. We are
no longer slaves, believing any interpretation that our oppressors may
give the word of God, for the purpose of deluding us to the more easy
subjugation; but freemen, comprising some of the first minds of
intelligence and rudimental qualifications, in the country. What then is
the remedy, for our degradation and oppression? This appears now to be
the only remaining question--the means of successful elevation in this
our own native land? This depends entirely upon the application of the
means of Elevation.

V

MEANS OF ELEVATION

Moral theories have long been resorted to by us, as a means of effecting
the redemption of our brethren in bonds, and the elevation of the free
colored people in this country. Ex