From the South Shields (Eng.) Gazette.
We rejoice to hear that a movement is making in North Shields on behalf of the Slave. The opprobrium of this civilized age, and of our Anglo-Saxon race, is, that slavery still exists in any land owning that race as masters. The foulest disgrace that ever hung over the sacred names of Christianity and Freedom has been indicted by the fact, that in lands where men pretend most to value their names, the degradation and pollution of a legalized bondage continues to be cherished and defended. British freemen have already done something to deliver themselves from the sin and shame of this system. They have subscribed large sums, and have entered into solemn treaties with slave countries having in view the mitigation and ultimate abolition of slavery; but, in spite of all, the horrors of the slave-trade never were more dreadful than at the present moment, and the cruelties perpetrated among slave-owners never more disgraceful. Free trade, which, as a general good, we have always advocated, has proved a source of grievous oppression to the slave. The demand which has sprung up in consequence, for the productions of many countries tilled by slaves, has caused their proportional oppression. The lash of the taskmaster has been plied more severely, and additional ships have been chartered for the slave-trade to a surprising extent, to supply the waste of human life thus occasioned. We are unwilling to do anything to infringe on the principles of free-trade; but can we do nothing to show our abhorrence of this system of wrong - of wholesale robbery and murder. It may be thought of a whole country into one channel by the force of a movement originating in mere benevolence; and yet we think nothing were more noble as a spectacle than the sight which Britain might present, were her households generally to refuse to partake of any commodities that had been the fruit of slave-labour. Self-denial is a Christian virtue; and if it should cause some slight curtailment of the luxuries of the table, or even a trifle of additional expense, true lovers of liberty would be more than compensated by the satisfaction that they had thus contributed to prepare for the final emancipation of the negro race. We are glad to learn, however, that the virtue of the British public need not encounter even such a test as this. Measures are talking to secure an ample supply of free-labour produce, which may be obtained by our tradesmen from London and Liverpool. Let our townsmen invariably apply for free-labor cottons of their drapers, and for free-labor sugars of their grocers - let them urge the necessity of procuring them as a matter of principle, and make known their determination to have them, and there is no doubt that means will be found to satisfy their reasonable demands. The plan we have now hinted at "is enough," says Elihu Burritt, "to abolish all the human slavery in existence. The way is easy and effective. It is the straight high-road of consistency, from which the sincere and honest abolitionist may not turn to the right, left, or backward. If every man, woman and child; who denounces slavery, should walk in that way, the fetters of the slave would burst from his limbs like singed strings of tow. The fires of the forge, whereat his manacles were fashioned, would go out. The many-thonged scourge would be hung up to the abhorrence of the world, with the old relics of man's inhumanity to man. Dragons and beasts of the wilderness would lair by day in the baracoons of the slave-trappers on the African coast; and all the prowling kidnappers in the world would confess their occupation gone." "Several merchants and manufacturers, and a large number of shopkeepers, are now co-operating in the plan for dealing a blow at slavery, by substituting Free for Slave-grown articles." It is not long since we were called to record the transmission of largely signed petitions to parliament on the subject of the Slave-trade from the Northern Borough, and now, we understand, the ladies of North and South Shields are getting up a spirited memorial to the Queen, which, we doubt not, will meet with universal support.
