Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1823-10-18
FOR THE SPECTATOR,

9th, a communication under the sigma
ture Of w. K. in which an attempt is
made to Justify the principle of slavery
from certain passages in the Old Tesla
ment. The writer appears 10 think that
he has proved from these passages, the
present system of African slavery to be
IJnslltiable. And he calls upon The op-
posers OF convention to explain away
! (fthey can) The PLAIN and obvious mean
ing o! these passages. Bot much mis-
take, If he has not himself most grossly
explained away their meaning; and lest
some might be deceived by his pretend
ed pious zeal, | am induced to take up
the pen in answer to him.
Divines tell Us much about the depra-
witty OF the human heart; but nothing
exhibits it more obviously to view, than
the attempts OF those who pretend to be
men of sense, and even ministers of the
gospel, to Justify by the holy scriptures,
the most abominable practice that ever
dlsgraced human nature. w. K. in the
communication alluded to, has attempt
ed to prove from The 44ib, Ash, md 46lh
verses of the goth chapter oil Ltvitcus,
that 1t is agreeable to The spirit and pre-
cepts of our holy religion, to reduce the
black curlrd-headed Africans TO a state
OF bondage to white men, and bring them
into the western hemisphere, and com.
pei some of them to serve tho good chris
tians Of Illinois.
The Jews were allowed by the pas
sages above cited, to purchase bond
men and bond-maids from the heather
round about them, and from the stran-
gers who sojourned among them. These
were to be their bondmen forever. But
they were never allowed to retain their
children in bondage. Their calidren
were free, and were incorporatedlnlo tho
Jewish nation. | defy the most learned
| convenlionlsl, or even the pioW w K.
himself, to poiut out passage CT scrip
| ture, which goes TO prove thai the chill
dfen OF purchased servants wee retained
in bondage. The passage ~ Exodus,
Dist chapter, 4th verse, does not prove
that the children were in amy Csc to be
retained in bondage afterth the parents were
made free. Had bondage been entaied
upon The children Of servanls,i it would
have established in that natiou slave
class of people, which Is no whore men
toned, either in sacred or pro!ane histo-
ry. Every one knows how much slave
class affects the history oil any na,iou.-
! We find particular accounts ct II inti-
mately interviewer into the history OF the
| Romans, Carthapepians, Lacedemonlans
and various other ancient nations. But
Josepbus, that minute and accurate J-w.
ish historian, no where makes the icas
mtnion of il, in his history of thai ia
tion. Neither 90 We find any mention
made Of ii in the sacred scriptures VIZ
may therefore safely infer, that no Suci
class of people existed among them
and consequently, that bondage was no
entailed upon the children of seryants.
Frequent mention is made of Servants
in sacred history, but we are frequently
told that they were hired se,van.s, ant
sometimes thai they were bought will
| money. But the word slave nn where
occurs in the historical par, oil TIE BIhle
Ii is found in the 18Th chapter oil Reve'
| lation, and any one will see by comparing
that passage with the 25d chapier o.
Deuteronomy, 18th and 10th verses, thai
there was much difference between the
state OF slave ard that Of Jewish scr
want.
The servants of the Jews were treated
like native citizens, and were allowed
to Intermarry with them, and 10 enjoy
all civil and religious privileges WITH
them. We find several passages in the
Jewish law, where the masters were com
manded to observe the stated teasls, and
to eat and drink, and to rejoice with theil
sons and daughters, their mfn servants
and their maid servants. And in the
passage in Deuteronomy above referred
10; The Jews were commanded al follows:
Thou shalt not deliver unto his master
the servant which is escaped from his
master unto thee; he shall dwell with
thee, even among you, in that place
which he shall choose, in one OF thy gaies
where 1t liketh him best; thou shalt not
Cypress him"
How different was this state of servi-
tude from that horrid system of slavery,
which the humane aud pious w. K. al
tempts TO Justify from the sacred volume.
Are any oil The slave party willing to eat
and drink with the" black uried.headed
Africans" and to rejoice with them in
company with their white sns and
daughters Are they willing % allow
tnem the privileges which were guaran-
teed 10 the Jewish servants, by the Mo-