rights
claimed by Mr. Thompson for the blacks, in his sweeping claim to have
them put on a footing of perfect equality with the whites, seemed to
be utterly unknown to him, both as to their origin and character.
Whilst he advocated a scheme in America which demanded the most
extensive political changes, and claimed political rights as the
birthright of certain parties, he still persisted in assuring the
British nation that he had never touched the subject in a political
aspect! Now what political rights does he claim for the free
blacks--and denounce all America for refusing, on account of this
prejudice against color? Is it right of suffrage? is it right of
office? is it perfect, personal, and political equality? If not, what
does he mean? But if he means that it already exists in all the free
States and in several of the slave States, in behalf of the free
blacks, to a far greater extent than the same exists in England, as
between the privileged classes and the bulk of the nation, though all
are white,--I boldly assert, that a greater part of the free men of
color in America did enjoy perfect political privileges at the rise of
abolitionism, than of the white men of Britain at this day. There were
more free black voters in North America, in proportion to the free
black race, than there are white voters in all Britain, in proportion
to the white inhabitants of the British empire. And this, even leaving
out the red millions of the East, and the black thousands of the
West-Indies; and making the Reform Bill the basis of calculation! If
some have been deprived of these privileges, let abolitionists blame
themselves. If in most places these privileges have been dormant, it
only proves that their exercise was a very secondary advantage--that
the present outcry is but the more wicked and absurd. As to the social
rights which were demanded for the slaves and free blacks both, there
seemed to be a complete confusion of ideas in the minds of the
abolitionists. Did they mean to say that all distinctions and
gradations of rank were iniquitous, or did they mean that men ought to
enjoy rights because they were black, which were justly denied to the
whites? Who had ever heard of a nobleman marrying a gipsy? or, of a
king of England marrying a laborer's daughter? But the fact was,
everything tended to prove that in preaching against the alleged
prejudice against color, the abolitionists were really advocating
general amalgamation. Th