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

Itenance, and employment, both for him.
self and his family. Surely so sad re.
verse, might we'll claim sympathy, bu,
there remaineth 70 him one consolation, &
it cheers him in the house Of his pilgrim
age. He 10 an Isr1elite-Abrahan is hi.
father, and no in his calamity he. clings
closer than ever to the distinction confer
red by the immunities of his birthright:-
To rob him of this, were "the unkindest
cut Of ALL" To- have assigned him to a
grade of service filled only by those whose
permanent business was serving, would
have been to rule orer him aOiA peculiar
rigor.
Finally, the former part Of the regula.
tion, thou shalt not compel him to
serve as bond-servant," or more literal
ly, thou shat not ssrre thyself with him,
eoith the serriee Of a sercant, qua ranties
his political privileges, and secures to him
a kind and grade Of service. COMFORTING
with his character and relations as son
OF Israel. And the remainder of the
verse, But as hired servant, and as a
soJourner shall he be with thee" contin-
ues and secures to him his separate family
organization, the respect and authority
due to his head, and the general consld-
Grafton in society resulting from such a
station. Though this individual was
Jewish bought servant. the case is pecul-
lar, and forms an exception to the general
class OF Jewish bought servants. Being
already in possession of his inheritance,
and the head of household, the law so
arranged his relations, as servant, as to
Glleeiate as much as possible the calamity
which had reduced hin from independence
and authority,to penury and subjection.
Having gone SO much into detail on
this point, comment on the command
which concludes this topic in the forty
third verse, would be superAuous. Thou
shalt not rule orer him qcith 77gOr, but
, shalt fear thy God." AS if it had been
said, lin your administration you shall
not disregard those differences in previous
habits, station, authority, and national and
political privileges, upon which this reg
uatIon IS based for to exercise authority
over this class of servants, irrespective of
these distinctions, and annihiIa,ing them.
is to ''rHte acsth rigor." The same COM
tnand is repeated in the forty-sixth verse,
and applied 10 the distinction between the
servants of Jewish, and those of Gentle
extraction, and forbids the overlooking of
distinctive Jewish peculiarities, so vital to
an lsraeIi,e as 10 make the violation OF
them, rigorous in the extreme; while to
the servants from the Strangers, whose
previous habits and associations differed
so widel y from those of the Israelite,
these same things would be deemed slight
disabilities.
1t may be remarked here, that the DO
! lItical and other disabiliti of the Strang.
ers, which were the distinctions growing
out OF different national descent, and
important to the preservation of national
characteristics, and 10 the purity of ma
tIonal worship, do not seem to have eff
ftcted at all the social estimation, in which
this class of servants was held, Thew
were regarded according to their charac-
ter and worth as persons, irrespective of
their foreign origin, employments, and
political condition.
he common construction put upon the
expression, "rule UiA rigor," and an in
terence drawn from it, have an air so
oracu!ar' as quite to overcharge risibles
of ordinary calibre, if such an effect were
not forestaIled by its impiety. 1t is inter-
preted to mean, you shall not make him
an article of property, you shall not force
him to work, and rob him of his earn
lngs, you shall not make him a chatteI
and strip him Of legal protection" So
much for the interpretation The infer
ence is like unto it. viz: Since the com.
mand forbade such outrages upon the
Isra'lltss, 1t permitted and comm issionrd
the infic'ion of them upon the STRANGERS
Such impious and shallow smatterinp
captlvates two classes of minds. the one
by its fippancy, the other by its blssnhe-
my, and both, by the strong scent of its
unbrilled license. What boots it to rea-
son against such rampant ahinities
In Exodos, chap. i. Is. ID, it is said
that the Egyptians made the children Of |
Israel to serre with rigor," land all their
service wherein they made them ssrrs
was with rigor." The rigor here snoken
Of, is affirmed of the amount ofLnbor
ex'orted from them, and the mode of the
pxaction. This form of expression, "serUe
l0'th Tlgor," is never applied to the SER
wants either under the Patriarc hal, or the
Mosaic systems. Nor is any other form
Of expression ever used, either equivalent
o 1t. or at all similar. The phrase, chou
shalt not RULE over hita with rigor."
Used in Leviticus XIV, 43, as, does not
prohibit unreasonable exactions of labor.
Tor infections of personal cruelty. Such
cere provided against otherwise, But il
orblds, confounding the distinctions be.
ween Jew and Stranger, by assign.
ng the former to the same grade of SER