Admission to the society was to be strictly individual, except in case of children under fourteen years of age, who might be admitted with one or both parents, reared and educated until twenty years of age, and emancipated at twenty-one. The society planned to buy slaves from those people who wished to emancipate their slaves but who felt that they could not sustain such expense. The society did not buy old men, women, and children; but would take them and support them. In 1827, Miss Wright presented the society with eight slaves and the work of a family of females.[31]
The economics of the scheme were typical of the communistic philosophers of the period. The slaves were charged with the capital invested on which they were expected to pay six per cent interest; the farm equipment, consisting of farming implements and live stock, was loaned them on the condition that they constantly replace the same from their earnings. One-half of the produce of the plantation was placed to their credit, and purchased by the society at the market price. They shared equally with the society the proceeds derived from the sale of all live stock raised on the plantation. By a system of weekly accounts of income and expenses, they knew their financial status at the end of each week. As soon as any slave had a credit equal to what the society had paid for him, he was emancipated. If he wanted to leave the state for Hayti or Liberia, he was given the privilege of remaining in the society until he had sufficient means to pay his transportation to one of these colonies.[32]
The character of the management of this society is very interesting. The slaves were not put under an overseer and lashed to work, but were directed in their work as if they were free laborers. The idea was to make men and women who would voluntarily develop habitual industry under advice and encouragement, rather than to exact labor from them by a decree of force. They were to be fitted for a state of freedom by being developed into self-governing men and women, and responsibility was substituted for discipline just as rapidly as self-initiative could be developed.
The negroes were fed, clothed, and housed. Those who showed any interest in acquiring information were taught. A constant aim of the organization was to improve their habits and conduct. The organization’s chief purpose was to develop humanity, rather than to net the society any pecuniary gain.[33] The society was not a success because of Miss Wright’s absence in Europe and the impracticability of the plan. The trustees resigned in 1831. Miss Wright emancipated the slaves and sent them to Hayti. The trustees redeeded the plantation to Miss Wright in 1832. The estate became involved in court and some minor points remained in controversy as late as 1886.[34]
A fourth anti-slavery society was the Moral Religious, Manumission Society of West Tennessee, which was organized December 18, 1824, at Columbia, Maury County, Tennessee.[35] The spirit of this society is well known in the following extract from the preamble of its constitution:
We, the undersigned, having fully considered the subject of Tyranny and Slavery as practiced by individuals on their brethren in our neighborhood, and elsewhere in America; and being fully convinced that it exceeds any other crime in magnitude:
1st. In motive—being moved thereto by the “world, flesh and the devil,” or with pride and laziness.
2nd. In the execution, it is cruel and unjust.
3rd. In the consequences, ignorance, hardness of heart and inhumanity are produced. This ignorance of right and wrong is manifested in the words and actions of tyrant and slave and all of those who approve of the practice in others. They go forth in practical infidelity and irreligion, which tend to destroy the blessings of Christianity and republicanism as they exist in this otherwise happy land.[36]
This society limited its membership to fifteen, none of whom could be slaveholders.[37] Any additional membership constituted a branch society. The officers of the society consisted of a board of directors, one of whom was designated as chairman. Majority vote of the membership determined the policy of the society on any question. No levy for funds was made on the membership, but its revenues consisted of contributions and donations. The directors were trustees of such funds. The society met quarterly at the Republican Meeting House about six miles from Columbia, Maury County, Tennessee.[38] One of these quarterly meetings was held on the Fourth of July, and was regarded as the annual meeting of the society. The constitution was rather elaborate, consisting of twelve articles, and could be amended by the consent of two-thirds of its members.[39] The policy of the society was not so radical in method as might have been expected from the general tenor of its documents. The constitution in articles 6 and 7 states that the acceptance of Christianity would destroy in the tyrant “the will to enslave” and would therefore eliminate personal slavery. It was the will of “men of talents” to tyrannize that had to be controlled, and argument was the leading means to use to accomplish this purpose. The society, therefore, proposed to circulate copies of “The Genius of Universal Emancipation” through their several communities, the state, and the nation, to issue addresses, to petition churches and legislative bodies, and to preach the Gospel of humanity to slaveholders.