The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1841-12-17 00:00:00

SLAVERY AND THE BIBLE

(From Wednesday's Morning Herald.)
Our columns this morning contain an apt illustration of
the "institution" of slavery in Louisiana. In that state of
the great free republic, not only are the bodies of negroes
held in servitude by their fellow-creatures, but their souls are
deprived of the consolation of the Bible. It appears that a
society had, early in this year, been formed in New Orleans
for the distribution of the Holy Scriptures amongst the more
destitute members of the community of that city. This
_society purchased Bibles in various languages, and appointed
agents to distribute them; but, protest these christia❑ asso-
ciators, " it never for a moment entered into our minds to
present a single Bible to a slave" ! An agent of one of the
distributors bad, however, the simplicity to imagine that if
the Bible were advantageous to the free man, it might also
be beneficial to his fellow-creatures who were in bondage.
He therefore, on a Sunday, sought the quarter of the town
inhabited by the slaves, and, pencil in hand, was noting down
the names of those who could read, or were desirous of pos-
sessing a Bible ; a slaveowuer observed the occurrence, and
overheard the conversation.

The distributor was forthwith arrested, and charged before
the Recorder of New Orleans with committing an act which
might lead to insubordination among the slaves, that being a
penal offence. The facts as above stated were admitted by
the prisoner, who pleaded in mitigation " that the most he
was guilty of indiscretion". The officers of this precious
Bible Society were examined on their agent's behalf ; they
gave him an excellent character, and declared it was contrary
to the intention of their society to furnish slaves with Bibles.
The Recorder allowed the accused to go free, on the under-
standing that he was to desist in distributing Bibles among
slaves ; he highly approved of the Bible distribution, but
warned the defendant, in executing his duty, " not to infringe
on other rights which are as dear to this community as reli-
gion itself" ! The offender was then discharged, with a
caution " against ever bringing himself in contact with our
institutions" 7

So, then, we have it practically admitted that the Bible
cannot safely be entrusted in the hands of Louisiana slaves ;
that its circulation amongst these unhappy victims of human
guilt would "lead to insubordination", and is an offence
against the statute law of the commonwealth of Louisiana.
' Slavery", said Mr. Recorder Baldwin, "is as dear to the
community of New Orleans as religion itself". The assertion
is a wicked lie—slavery is dearer to the community of New
Orleans than religion ; and what is more, slavery and religion
cannot co-exist in New Orleans. Such is the amount of the
decision.

AN INDIAN. ExEcuTioWhile we remained. here the
chief caused a wretched prisoner .or two, whom his people
had caught, to be blown from the mouths of cannon, a mode
of death
unfortunates,h quickest and least cruel of any. One
of the theonly one I saw txecuted, being blown
tthoshtri;,,, having enric, being
ainasecond ; his legs and head, both severed from
war,d
~the only portions we could recognize after-
belonged to the hnman form. The wretch
was tied, Itandingonthe ground, 'With his back to the mouth
of the cannon, and met his end with the same philosophy
that most native tvince on those occasions. Captain Fane's
Five Tears in India.