Strife
Strife begets a gentle child.
Sun
The sun is the king of torches.
Trade
Trade is not something imaginary or descriptive, but something real and profitable.
Truth
Lies, however numerous, will be caught by truth when it rises up.
The voice of truth is easily known.
Unselfishness
If you love yourself others will hate you, if you humble yourself others will love you.
Valor
Boasting at home is not valor; parade is not battle; when war comes the valiant will be known.
The fugitive never stops to pick the thorn from his foot.
Wisdom
A man may be born to wealth, but wisdom comes only with length of days.
A man with wisdom is better off than a stupid man with any amount of charms and superstition.
Know thyself better than he who speaks of thee.
Not to know is bad, not to wish to know is worse.
A counsellor who understands proverbs soon sets matters right.
Proverbs Based on the Observation of Animals
Butterfly
The butterfly that brushes against thorns will tear its wings.
Dog
If the dog is not at home, he barks not.
A heedless dog will not do for the chase.
A lurking dog does not lie in the hyena's lair.
Elephant
He who can not move an ant, and yet tries to move an elephant, shall find out his folly.
The elephant does not find his trunk heavy.
Were no elephant in the jungle, the buffalo would be a great animal.
Fly
If the fly flies, the frog goes not supperless to bed.
Fox
When the fox dies, fowls do not mourn.
Goat
When the goat goes abroad, the sheep must run.
Rat
When the rat laughs at the cat, there is a hole. The rat has not power to call the cat to account. The rat does not go to sleep in the cat's bed.
Wolf
He who goes with the wolf will learn to howl.
A. O. StaffordWhat the Negro Was Thinking During the Eighteenth Century
Essay on Negro Slavery 80
No. 1
Amidst the infinite variety of moral and political subjects, proper for public commendation, it is truly surprising, that one of the most important and affecting should be so generally neglected. An encroachment on the smallest civil or political privilege, shall fan the enthusiastic flames of liberty, till it shall extend over vast and distant regions, and violently agitate a whole continent. But the cause of humanity shall be basely violated, justice shall be wounded to the heart, and national honor deeply and lastingly polluted, and not a breath or murmur shall arise to disturb the prevailing quiescence or to rouse the feelings of indignation against such general, extensive, and complicated iniquity.To what cause are we to impute this frigid silencethis torpid indifferencethis cold inanimated conduct of the otherwise warm and generous Americans? Why do they remain inactive, amidst the groans of injured humanity, the shrill and distressing complaints of expiring justice and the keen remorse of polluted integrity?Why do they not rise up to assert the cause of God and the world, to drive the fiend injustice into remote and distant regions, and to exterminate oppression from the face of the fair fields of America?
When the united colonies revolted from Great Britain, they did it upon this principle, "that all men are by nature and of right ought to be free."After a long, successful, and glorious struggle for liberty, during which they manifested the firmest attachment to the rights of mankind, can they so soon forget the principles that then governed their determinations? Can Americans, after the noble contempt they expressed for tyrants, meanly descend to take up the scourge? Blush, ye revolted colonies, for having apostatized from your own principles.
Slavery, in whatever point of light it is considered, is repugnant to the feelings of nature, and inconsistent with the original rights of man. It ought therefore to be stigmatized for being unnatural; and detested for being unjust. Tis an outrage to providence and an affront offered to divine Majesty, who has given to man his own peculiar image.That the Americans after considering the subject in this lightafter making the most manly of all possible exertions in defence of libertyafter publishing to the world the principle upon which they contended, viz.: "that all men are by nature and of right ought to be free," should still retain in subjection a numerous tribe of the human race merely for their own private use and emolument, is, of all things the strongest inconsistency, the deepest reflexion on our conduct, and the most abandoned apostasy that ever took place, since the almighty fiat spoke into existence this habitable world. So flagitous a violation can never escape the notice of a just Creator whose vengeance may be now on the wing, to disseminate and hurl the arrows of destruction.
In what light can the people of Europe consider America after the strange inconsistency of her conduct? Will they not consider her as an abandoned and deceitful country? In the hour of calamity she petitioned heaven to be propitious to her cause. Her prayers were heard. Heaven pitied her distress, smiled on her virtuous exertions, and vanquished all her afflictions. The ungrateful creature forgets this timely assistanceno longer remembers her own sorrowsbut basely commences oppression in her turn.Beware America! pauseand consider the difference between the mild effulgence of approving providence and the angry countenance of incensed divinity!
The importation of slaves into America ought to be a subject of the deepest regret, to every benevolent and thinking mind.And one of the greatest defects in the federal system, is the liberty it allows on this head. Venerable in every thing else, it is injudicious here; and it is to be much deplored, that a system of so much political perfection, should be stained with any thing that does an outrage to human nature. As a door, however, is open to amendment, for the sake of distressed humanity, of injured national reputation, and the glory of doing so benevolent a thing, I hope some wise and virtuous patriot will advocate the measure, and introduce an alteration in that pernicious part of the government.So far from encouraging the importation of slaves, and countenancing that vile traffic in human flesh; the members of the late continental convention81 should have seized the happy opportunity of prohibiting for ever this cruel species of reprobated villainy.That they did not do so, will for ever diminish the luster of their other proceedings, so highly extolled, and so justly distinguished for their intrinsic value. Let us for a moment contrast the sentiments and actions of the Europeans on this subject, with those of our own countrymen. In France the warmest and most animated exertions are making, in order to introduce the entire abolition of the slave trade; and in England many of the first characters of the country advocate the same measure, with an enthusiastic philanthropy. The prime minister himself is at the head of that society; and nothing can equal the ardour of their endeavours, but the glorious goodness of the cause.82--Will the Americans allow the people of England to get the start of them in acts of humanity? Forbid it shame!