Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1838-03-07

we're more favored than either the hired,
Or the bought servants from the Stran-
gers. No one from the Strangers, how
ever wealthy or highly endowed, was eli
glble 10 the highest Office, nor could he
own the soil. This last disability seems to
have Deen one reason for the different Pc
RODS Of service required of the two class
es OF bought servants-the Israelites and
the Strangers. The Israelite was 20 serve
SIX years-the Stranger until the jubilee.
AS the Strangers could not own the soil,
nor even houses, except within walled
towns, most of them would choose to at
tach themselves permanently 10 lsraelitish
families. Those Strangers who were
wealthy, or skilled in manufactures, in
stead Of becoming servants themselves,
would need servants for their cwn use. and
as inducements for the Strangers to be-
come servants to the Israelites, were great
er than persons Of their own nation could
hold out to them, these wealthy Strangers
would naturally procure the poorer Is, ael-
ties for servants. See Levitt. XIV. A. In
word, such was the political condition of
the Strangers, the Jewish polity furnished
strong motive to them, 10 become SER
wants. thus incorporating themselves with
the nation, and procuring those social and
religious privileges already enumerated;
and for their children in the second pene-
ration. a permanent inheritance. This
iast was regulation of later date. Eze-
kiei XVII. FL % Indeed, the structure
OF the whole Mosaic polity. was virtual
bounty Offered to those who would become
permanent servants. and merge in the Jew
lsh system their distinct nationality. None
but the monied aristocracy amo1g them,
would be likel y 10 decline such offers.
For various reasons, this class. Che
servants bough. from the Straneers) would
prefer long service. They would thus
more ettectuaIly become absorbed into the
national circulation, and identify their in
terests with those in whose gih were all
thlngsdesirable for themselves, and BRIGHT
er prospects for their children. On RI.
other hand, the Israelites, owning all the
SOIL, and an inheritance of land being a
sort OF sacred possession, to hold il free Of
lncumo'ance' was, with every IsraeIite, a
delicate point, both Of family honor and
personal character. / Kings, xxi. g.
Hence, TO forego the possession of ones
inheritance, after the division of the pa,er.
nal domain, or 10 be restrained from its
control, after having acceded to it, was a
burden grIevous to be borne TO mitigate,
as much as possible, such a calamity. the
law. instead OF requiring the Israelite To
commune servant until the jubilee. re-
leased him at the end of six years as.
during that time-if, of the first class-the
par''1'on OF the patrimoniaI land miobt
nave taken place; or, if of the second o.
nough money might have been earned 10
dlsencumber his estate, and thus he miobt
assume his station as lord of the soil
II these contingencies had not occurred.
then, at the end Of another six wears, the
opportunity was again offered, and in the
same manner until the jubilee. So while
strong motives urged the Israelite TO dis
continue his service as soon as the exigen-
cy had passed. which induced him to be-
come servant, every consideration inn
Peiied the Stranger to proLong his term of
service; and the same kindness which
dictated the law Of six years service for
the lsrael'te, assigned, as the general rule,
much longer period to the GENTLE SER
want. who, instead of being tempted to a
brief service. had every inducement to
protrac: the term.
1t is important TO a clear understanding
OF the whole subject to keep in mind that
adult Jews ordinarily became servants. on
as temporary expedient to relieve
themselves from embarrassment, and ceas.
ca 10 De such when that object was effect
ed. The poverty that forced them to il
was calamity, and their service was ei-
Their means OF relief, or a measure ofl
prevention. 1t was not pursued as q mr.
mGnent business, but resorted TO on emer-
gencles-a sort of episode in the main
scope OF their lives. Whereas with the
strangers. 1t was permanent emptovmeut. |
pursued not merely as a means of better.
ing their own condition, and prospective.
tnat OF their pesteritv, but also. as an
e"a ior ITS own sake. comforting on them
privileges, and a social .stim,,io, M.
otherwise attainable.
We see from the foreooino vhv
servants purchased from the heathen
are called by way of distinction, the ser.
wants. mot 6o~dmen, as our translators
nave n.y. (l) They followed it as DER,
mane"t business. (2.) Their term of ser.
wee was much longer than that Of th,.
o'her class. (3.) AS a class, they Doubt
less greatly outnumbrred the IsraeIirish
servants (4.) All the STRANGERS ,bat
dweit in the land, were tributaT;ex r. tbo
israelItes,-required to pay an annual ,r;-
butte to the government, either in moneu
or III public service. which was called
"Hi0nte Of 6ond-serries;" in other words
all the Strangers were national ,erront,
TO the ISfaelits. and n. RI