Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1838-02-07
ANTI-SLAEERY.
Ths Blbis sg~inst sievsry.--centinpst-
v.-WERE nksfERs THE PRoPRIEroRs
or sERvANTs As THEIR LEGAL PROF

or Servants As TAEIK LEGAL PROF
RRTF2
The discussion of this topic has been
already somewhat anticipated under the
preceding heads but variety of consid-
erutions. not within the range Of our pre-
vious inquiries, remain 10 be noticed.
!. SerUaats iDers not subjected to tbe
asses, nor iahle % sAs contingencies Of
property.
IL TRey sOere neUeY taken ~ payment
for tkeir masters debts, though children
were sometimes taken without legal au-
.hority) for the debts Of a Iaiher. 3 Kings
~. Job xiv. O; Isaiah |. 1; Matt.
xviii Is.
Re Cases are recorded in which creditors
took from debtors property Of all kinds,
70 satisfy their demands. In Job xiv. 8,
cattle are taken in Prov. xii. "a, house
hold furniture; in Lev. XIV. 25--28, the
productions the soil; in Lev. XIV. 27-3O,
horses In Exodus xii 26-29, and
Deut. xiv. l0--l3. and Matt. v. 40, cloth.
ingi but seruaHts were taken in no an
stance. aa.#.se. I" .
- ~ Seruants tDeTs nsver givsn az
pledges Property of all sorts was given
and held IN pledge. We find in the BIZ
bic. household furniture, clothing, cattle
money, signets. and personal ornaments.
: wfh divers other articles Of property, used
as pledges for value received. But no
serUanfs. r-. .-. s.. =
(3) Al lost PROPERTY Uas 10 Be res
-torsd Oxen, asses, sheep, raiment and
whatsoever lost things,n are Specified
servants not Dcut xii. Is. Besides,
the Israelites were expressly forbidden to
take back the runaway servant to his mas
ter. Dsut xiii. l5. !
a. The Lsrasiites nerer gGUe asoav
thsiy serUanfs as presents. They made
princcly presents of great variety. Lands,
houses, all kinds Of animals, merchandise,
fsmily utensils, precious metals, and grain,
armor, &c. are among their recorded
sgyfs. Giving presents to superiors and
parsons OF rank when visiting them, and
At other times, was standing usage.
SAM =. ~; Sam. xvi. 90; 2 Chron.
xvii. S. Abraham to Abimelech, Gen.
xxi. ~ Jacob to the viceroy of Egypt,
Gen.. Kiln. IL; Joseph to his brethren
and fatheT, Gen. XIV. 90, 23; Benhadad
10 Elisha, 2 Kings viii. 3, g.; Ahaz to
Tiglaih Pilezer. Kings vi. s.; Solomon
70 the Queen Of Sheba, Kings <. l3;-
Jerobcam 10 Ahijah, | Kings xiv. 8; Asa
TO Benhadad, I Kings Nv. lS, 10. But
= no servants were given as presents-tho'
that was prevailing fashion in the sur
rounding nations. Gen. xii. l6; Gen.
xx. Ia.
- ODyEcTIoN l. Labaa GAVE hand
maids 10 his daughters, Jacobs srives.
Without enlarging on the nature Of the
polygamy then prevalent, il is enough to
say that the landmarks Of wives, at that
time. were themselves regarded as wives,
though Of inferior dignity and authority.
That Jacob 80 regarded his landmarks, il
proved BY his curse upon Reuben, lGen.
xix. 4 and Chron. v. ~ also by the equal
ity Of their children with those of Rachel
and Leah. But had il been Otherwise
had Laban given them as articles Of prop
eTty. then, indeed. the example Of this
good old patriarch and Shareholder"
Saint Laban, would have been q fore-clos-
CT 10 all argument. ~
Ahi.we remember his jealousy for re-
ligion-his holy indignation when he
found that his GOODS" were stolen -
How he mustered his elan, and plunged
over the desert in hot persuit,s seven dsys.
by forced marches; how he ransacksd a
whole caravan, sitting the contents Of ev-
cry tent, little needing such small matters
a. domestic privacy, or female seclusiOn,
for loi the zeal Of his armAaRsp had eat.
en-. him upI -
i No wonder that slavery, ia its Bible
navigation, irilfine dismantled before the
y rc. gusts. should scud under the lee of