The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1839-07-13

Wlldl is essential 10 l6 existence Oh slavery
so it is not slavery that is made wrong by circum.
stances, but slavery is converted by circumstances
into something else, which something else is sup.
posed to be wrong. On the other hand, if the ad
dtion circumstances does not change the nature
Of slavery it is just as right after the addition oil
such circumstances as before; the circumstances
may be bad, but the slavery itselis not therefore
bad, and in such case our good father in the min
stry should, instead Of hating slavery as he hates
hell merely hate the circumstances with which
slavery has become unfortunately associated.
2. If slavery be wrong when contemplated aside
from all circumstances, as above supposed, circum-
stances can never make it right. The same rea-
soning will apply here which has been employed
above. 1.-THE addition of circumstances changes
the nature of the thing with which they are asso-
ciated in this case slavery becomes something else,
and therefore it cannot be said that slavery is right
and if the addition of circumstances does not
change the nature of things with which they are
associated, then slavery remains wrong still, how
ever good the circumstances may be, since the
slavery is one thing and the circumstances some
thing else. From this it must be seen, that slavery
cannot be rendered right or wrong, by circumstan-
cess only the ground that it is neither right nor
wrong in itself, independently of circumstances,
3. If the ground be taken that slavery is neither
right nor wrong, that it has no moral character,
independently of circumstances, there can be no
difference between right and wrong in the nature
Of things. Slavery can be viewed in no other
light than as actions performed by moral agents,
which actions have as clear reference to our fell
low beings, and must be as clearly recognized as
good or bad by the moral law, as any other class
of actions which regard the relations in which God
has placed the different members of his associated
moral universe, and hence if there is nothing right
or wrong in the nature of these actions there can
be nothing right or wrong in the nature ofany 9TH
er class of actions, and all distinctions between
right and wrong IN the nature Of things, is abolish
ed. This would leave the government of the moral
universe without reason to stand upon, lorifthere
be nothing right wrong in the nature of things,
any other moral code would have been Just as right
in itself, as the one which God gave amid the
thunders of the mount and wrote on tables of
stone under the lightning's glare that blazed upon
the darkness which surrounded the divine pres
ence as the Almighty descended & talked with man.
Indeed, if right and wrong exist not in the nature
of things but are merely the result ola disposition
of circumstances, all that is now vice may be chang
ed into virtue by circumstances, and all that is now
virtuous and lovely may be changed into hateful
vice by the same rule.
Another view will lead us to to the same con-
cluson If slavery be wrong in the abstract, it
must be violation of some precept of the moral
law, for L" sin is the transgresslon of the law"
Now circumstances can justify violation of
one precept in the moral code, every precept may
be violated on the same principle; if one man may
judge for himself what precept circumstances au-
thorzc him to violate, every other man must have
the same liberty TO select for himself what precep
he may violate; if one man has the right ofjudg-
ing what circumstances justify a violation of the
law of God, another man must have the same
right to Judge of circumstances for himself, and
hence, by admitting that circumstances can, IN any
one case justify any one person in violating any
one precept of the Bible, or any one rule of right
we shall open the door for state of things I'M
der which every man can justify himself in doing
what is right in the sight of his own eyes, regard
less of any common standard of right, human or
divine. Such is the vortex into which those
plunge who substitute circumstances for principles,
and human expediency for the law of God.
LUTHER LEE.
Ba1zSton Nav "a, 1899