Female African Society.

The following letter and Address from the Secretary of this Society, (a Lady, with whose distinguished talents and virtues the public are well acquainted) will prove, we trust, the means of exciting more deep and active interest in behalf of African Colonization among the benevolent females of our country, and lead them to unite their efforts in a cause which appeals so strongly to all the sympathies and charities of their nature.

HARTFORD, JULY 7th, 1830.

I hasten to give you a brief statement of our "Hartford Female African Society," which held on Monday, July 5th, its first anniversary meeting.~ Beside the transaction of necessary business, extracts were read from the "African Repository" for June, calculated to impart information or awaken sympathy, and none excited deeper attention than the interesting statement of Mr. Devany, the High Sheriff of Liberia. It was voted that the avails of this year's subscription of the Society should be devoted to the payment of the passage of liberated females to the Colony in Africa. As the business of the Treasurer and Collectors is not perfectly completed, I cannot at this time mention the amount of our annual contribution, but having seen a wish expressed in the "Repository" that the names of the officers of Institutions connected with the "American Colonization Socie ty," should be sent, I add a list of ours.

One of the most interesting circumstances connected with this meeting, was the presence of an Auxiliary Society of Sabbath School Scholars from the African Church in this City. It is regularly organized, and the members engage to pay, one cent on the first Sunday in every month, to aid the Colony of Liberia. With the amount of their first yearly subscription, they presented the following

REPORT.

"The Charitable Society in the African Sunday School at Hartford, Auxiliary to the Hart. Ladies African Society," beg leave to report, that the blessing of God has attended their first attempts to do good to Africans, in contributing for Liberia. While we have heard of this Colony

and of the Asylum which it furnishes for Africans who are destitute of a home, our hearts have been moved willingly to pay our mites towards its support:-and although our Heavenly Father has given us but little money, we rejoice to give our mites, as well as our prayers for Africa, in company with the wise and the good.-Herewith we enclose to the 'Ladies Sociéty' the amount of our contributions for the past year."

The young woman who holds the offices of Treasurer, and third Manager in this Society, is to go on to Liberia, the approaching Autumn, at the same time with three young men from the African School in this City, two of whom will officiate as Missionaries, and one as a Teacher. Betsy Mars, will I think, be a valuable inhabitant and assistant in the New Colony, being a capable and intelligent woman, and having been for some time engaged in the instruction of children of her own colour.

I cannot express to you how much I am delighted with the indications of hightened sympathy for Africa which are visible here, at the "frigid north." May the Almighty, by whom every just and holy desire is prompted, increase our benevolence, and sustain the South in her majestic efforts, till Africa, so long the land of weeping and despair, shall become "the habitation of righteousness, and a praise in the whole earth."

I have been requested to send for your Repository, a short “Address,” read to the Ladies at their meeting, which perhaps you will think rather desultory, and less adapted to your meridian than ours. I fear that I have wearied you, and intruded upon important duties, by the length of this letter. The truth is, that I wish to say much more, and scarcely know how to cease now, so deeply are the sorrows and hopes of Africa, "set as a seal upon my heart."

Address to the "Hartford Female African Society.”

Assembled on this the First Anniversary of our Institution, many cheer, ing views of the object which we have adopted, are presented to our contemplation. The advances made by the American Colonization Society in public esteem and confidence, the increasing number of liberated Africans, and the unexampled prosperity of the Colony established on their native shores, are bright traces in the history of benevolence. Almost precluded, by the hitherto limited nature of our efforts, from congratu

lating ourselves as co-workers in these majestic designs, still we cannot but consider them as peculiarly adapted to awaken the sympathies of our sex. Leaving the broader illustrations of this magnificent charity, and those motives of political justice and wisdom, which have been so fully urged by the ablest pens, we would simply state a few of the claims which seem to press upon us, as females, and as Christians.

Since the domestic sphere is our allotted province, it is natural that we should be deeply susceptible to whatever disturbs its tranquillity, or destroys its honour. Has any form of evil been tolerated among mankind, which so effectually invaded its bounds, sundered its ties, wrecked its cherished joys, and obliterated its dearest hopes, as the Slave Trade?— Parents flying from their desolated abodes, children torn from arms unable to protect them, villages devoted to the flames, peaceful tribes suddenly involved in strife and bloodshed, furnish combinations of misery, which, in this country of freedom and happiness, it is difficult to bring home to our hearts. "Who," says the philanthropic Clarkson, "who is that wretched woman, whom we discover under yonder lofty tree, wringing her hands, as if in the agonies of despair? Three days has she been there to look and to watch. This is the fourth morning, and no tidings of her children yet. Beneath those spreading boughs they were accustomed to play. But alas! the savage man-stealer interrupted their inno cent mirth, and has taken them for ever from her sight."

But who can adequately describe the horrors of the slave-ship? The suffering of confinement, impure atmosphere, hunger and cruelty, the yearning of the tender heart after its native land and parted friends, the madness of despair preying on prouder spirits, the frequent corpse plunged beneath the dull unaccusing wave, attest how bitter is the tyranny which man may exercise over his fellow-man. Yet to these victims, home, kindred, and "palm-tree shade," are so dear, that even the slavedealers, who are wont to excuse a part of their brutality, by the false plea that Africans are deficient both in sensibility and understanding, take their departure, when their cargo is completed, under covert of the night, in order to avoid the bursts of agony, which the sight of the receding shores calls forth from those hopeless bosoms.

Slavery, thus fearful in its commencement, retains many of its revolting features, after it becomes an established system. The effects of ignorance, a studied seclusion from all that can waken intellect, or inspire hope, produce an incapacity of correctly discharging toward their offspring, either the duties of physical care, moral example, or religious education, thus depriving the maternal heart of its dearest privilege and highest solace. Yet we would not be understood to say, that the intercourse between master and slave is always chargeable with inhumanity. On the contrary, there are many cases in our own country, where forbearance interposes its mitigating offices, where attention to comfort, willingness to

impart instruction, and to soften adversity, create an interchange of generous and grateful sentiment, and lay the foundation of warm and lasting attachment. Honourable instances might be adduced of disinterested benevolence on the part of the owners of slaves, and of their sacrificing property to a large amount, in their enfranchisement and restoration to the land of their ancestors. Still there are evils enough connected with slavery in its milder forms, to authorize us in deprecating its influence, and in making every effort which our station will permit to open the "prisonhouse, and let the oppressed go free." "If we do not, (writes an excellent man, who long laboured for the abolition of the slave-trade in England,) if we do not, how inconsistent is our conduct! We come into the temple of God, and pray to him that he will have mercy upon us. But how shall he have mercy upon us, who have had no mercy upon others. Again, we pray to him, that he will deliver us from evil. But how shall he deliver us from evil, who see daily the rights of the injured African invaded, and miseries heaping upon his head."

There is yet another point of view in which this subject presses upon our attention. Wherever moral or intellectual degradation exists, it seems to be the fate of our sex to sink the deepest in wretchedness, and lowest in the scale of community. Physical force and energy of character give to Man, even in‍a savage state, a prominence when any exigence arises which demands the use of those qualities. But Woman, without principles of virtue, is prone to be distinguished either by infirmity or sin; and Man, divested of religious restraint, loses for her that respect and regard which are necessary to render her lot tolerable. The privileges which, as equals and companions, are accorded to our sex, we owe to the religion of Christ. It has bowed the mountains, and raised the vallies from the dust. Africa yet remains the victim of an absurd and degrading superstition. Where the dread of slavery has not penetrated, the worship of idol gods holds the soul in bondage. We would desire to shed upon our African sisters, that holy light which cheers the journey of life and the slumber of the grave. We would lead them to his throne, who hath "made of one blood all who dwell upon the face of the whole earth." As a spot whence the knowledge of salvation may be disseminated over benighted Africa, we turn toward the Colony of Liberia, with the most animated hope. Of its preservation in danger, its rapid increase, its accumulating resources, you have already heard through so many channels, that it is unnecessary here to absorb your time in their recapitulation. While we look with gratitude to him who has established this "city of refuge," to which the oppressed may fly,-while we joyfully anticipate the blessings, both temporal and spiritual, which may in future emanate from it,-we still feel that Africa, by her present wretchedness, both at home and abroad, pleads with an irresistible voice to female sympathy. Therefore do the daughters, the sis. ters, and the wives of this protected and happy community unite in the

charity which this day impels to new efforts, while the mother teaches the little being whom she lulls upon her bosom, to breathe, ere he sinks in his cradle-slumbers, a prayer for long-benighted, much-enduring Africa. Shall we conclude these few remarks by borrowing the words of an eloquent statesman? "When we shall, as soon we must, be translated from this into another form of existence, is the hope presumptuous, that we shall then behold the common Father of whites and blacks, the great ruler of the universe, cast his all-seeing eye upon civilized and regenerated Africa,-its cultivated fields,—its far-famed Niger, and other great rivers lined with flourishing villages,-its coast studded with numerous cities, and adorned with towering temples dedicated to the pure religion of his redeeming Son,—and that from this glorious spectacle he will deign to look with approbation upon us, the humble instruments who have contributed to produce it?"

LADIES COLONIZATION SOCIETY OF GEORGETOWN, D. C.-We are happy to say that this Society has nobly resolved to subscribe on the plan of Mr. Gerrit Smith, and that the efforts which it has already made,and the wellknown zeal and energy of its members, give assurance that their pledge will be promptly fulfilled. Georgetown, and we may add Alexandria also, have entered with an active and generous spirit into the truly phí lanthropic work of our Society.

FOURTH OF JULY COLLECTIONS.—These appear to have been much more general than in any former year, although information in regard to them, has as yet, been received from a comparatively small number. We hope that such Congregations as may have omitted to make contributions on the Fourth, will recollect that it is not too late to take part in this charity. We mentioned in our last, that several Ecclesiastical Bodies, as well as State Societies, had earnestly recommended to the Churches the claims of our Society. We now publish Resolutions adopted by the General Association of Massachusetts, the General Conference of Maine, and the Maryland Annual Conference of the Associated Methodist Churches. .

GENERAL ASSOCIATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.-The interests of the Colonization Society were introduced by the Rev Mr. Hawley, and supported by the Rev. Mr. Hewitt. Whereupon Resolved, That this Association, feeling a deep interest in the objects of the Colonization Society, mend that ministers address their congregations on the subject, and solicit a collection in favour of the Society, on or near the 4th of July; and that this resolution be published in the religious papers. Also Resolved, That

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