Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1828-1831, 1829-01-27

Ic,C
religion, which is the cxpedient ut tho present
moment, MS understand, the subject under oonside-
ration has lately excited deep and universal interest
throughout this city, among tho thinking and intclli-
In the first place, then, you do us no more than
justice to believe, that be good citizens Gnd
Kind neshbors, no less 20 than the followers Of the
gospels for this has been proved by the experience o.
oges, and assert it, without the least fear of
contradiction, that, wherever the lew was kindly
i treated, whenever lie received a benefit from anv
gentle he was always ready to acknowledge tn,
kindness ut his bcBeiactors ingratituda towards
man IS not trait in character thou gl we have
frequently acted ungratctuly towards tho Deity, for
which We even suffer punishment, in the,
ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF our nation and the loss Of our land
All nations have ever admired the close bond OF
! UNION existing amongst US, and tho unanimty with
winch we have always, under every yicssitude re-
sisted any interference with moral and religions
duties, Tor OH no account we suffer any stranger
us IN any matter OF conscience if VIC deem
s advice contraryto the standard of the Mosaic law,
For thus our Consistency, have been ubuptantI,,
vi'ifcd, have been called obdurate Jews who wf,ll
resist the light of the gospel. and have even h.c;
considered inin,icdt 20 tte christians because ,r,
toouH not, could not embrace Christianity. confess
vc arc determined never 10 change our faith ocourst
we must be considered by christians enemies of their
bciie but, though admit this utterly DENY. tia.
we do think ourselves allowed by religion to hate
the christians themselves the contrary We be-
i:eve ourselves bound to live in good fellowship will,
tlic whole world, no matter what their belief NAV he
YOU seem think, my dear friend TINT the gospei
has the superiority Tie Mosaic law in so far nv
the former commands universal love- While the latter
preScnbcS love To the cSldrcn of Israel rone I'm,
Is your position correct. ar is il true vba, vo, s,
that the Jers tRiersteod the commandment .,nni
thou shalt love thy neighbor like myself" You saw
the Jews must have interpreted TIE lao ST. az tho,
had frequently wars with the rounding nations ana
they thought themselves obliged to say the inbahi
tHns ana to pinnder their property But pardon me-
my friend, You have mis,nter,tood III. J.r,;l -
or you have forgotten the prcccpts of the Old Tesla
mcnt. The law relative 10 war is found in Dent
XIX CHI verses 20 to 10 incl, aud is in :he folownc
words:
"!f thou contest nigh to city to mako war nrains,
H. thon shan proclaim peace unto il. And it shat!
happen, If answer thee pence and omen nnt, ths,
then all the people found therein shall be tributaries
unto thee und serve thee. But If it will not mall
peace with thee, but will wnge war against tber,.
then thou shalt besiege it; and when the Eternal thy
uea has delivered it into thy hands, thou psayes,
srtc every male thereof with the edge of the sworn
but the women and children and the cattle and ali
that is in the city, namely all the spoil thereof ibo
shalt take unto tysclf and the spoil of thine en,
&c. &c" e''' ''e''
am well aware ofthe difierenceof NV translate,
with that otthe English version, the English Bib,
says thou shalt snitc &c. what hayo reujere-, 80,
est; but have preferred TO adopt tbs, internrc,a,;
OF some ofthc Rabbirs, md the passage thus render
cd gives only permission slay the garison tbos,
capable OF bearing arms but iorbds any account
10 inJure the women aud children, who cannot pay,;
clpate IN the war; from the nature of their weakprss
md dependence. l do not believe that any man 49,
make any objection to the Interpretation have iust
Int ter
lar from our law allowing the massacre of the inh.L
itans OF the countries at with the Jews; il tonda
r grec:y to scsen the rgours ofwar, a. carried on i'm
ancient times as 1t prohibited the moi1sfotion of the
women and children, when even in christian co,nt,.,
the former arc not always exempt from violence and
need not bring examples from history prove this
as alas! examples too often met with and man,
too horrible to DC related.
second inquiry presents itself "Did the Jewa
think themselves bound to go 10 war with their rob
uors or was 1t only in cases of necessity that they
~ NJ horn ~.
tation answer, that considered ne the cro,t
est ev amongst us and only rcsorted to- TO rene in
Vasio and secure the peace Of our boundaries Blu.
was not David conqueror? True he was but was no
Tue aggrcssor. WINS he rather forced TO war nv m,
ihllStans Eduncans, Syrians and othernations; Did
thcy not invade bis country 81 insult his ambassadors
vhom he had sent with letter of condolences tn Tho
King othc children of Amn,on? Was Inc TO stand bv b
see Israel slaughtered, whom he was appointed Ia mn
vern like Ge shepherd governs ms RoEi Was he rer
united, | ask you, to sec the wolves come nmorg,,
inc mock and bear ScInc of the uncffendipp sheep A.
Il WY Was he, again. permitted TO see ambassadors
OF the people Off God i'll treated by barbarian Kino
ana MS barbarian people And TO conclude my que.
res ana not the Almighty Protector of Isreal sanc-
non these enterprises by giving David success in oil
| ms undertakings? Can any human being believe
thns God would be partial, so unjust, to give tho
Jews success, when they went beyond the borders
OF their land TO plagc and slaughter their neicbbors,
I-No! No! the Divine Judge would not encourage
Sch deeds even amongst His people, all the world IN
Us snd inc lille OF one man is dear TO Him as the
nc OF inc other and He is rcspcctor ofperson 90
avourer Of the oppressor, and is always ready to savo
INC weaker from the hands of him who is stronger
. IMAM nc Slut you will ask were the Jews not
warhkc people, lovers of strife and fgbts .9gn1aI
dnS'erHo For we read in the XVI ci of Lcviticus
verse G:
"And will give peace in the land and We shalllio
down, and none shall make you afraid: and will re-
move the evil beasts out of the land, and the sword
shall not pass through your land"
! AND IN the sixth chapter Of Judges scv Deborah
i abiding to the great want of warike instruments
among the Jews.But what intend TO prove is this:
That peace was by the Jews considered as the great
est pressing. This doctrine was taught them BY tho
Mosaic law since God promised peace as reward
Tor their obedience to tho divine will ond in tho book
OF judges we find that whenever the Jews were doing
inc VIII OF Heaven they had security nnd peace; but
ana dcsoation and we find IL recorded that Gods sem