Liberty advocate. [volume] (Liberty, Miss.) 1835-1866, 1840-06-25
From the London Morning Chronicle.
Alarming Foreign Demonstration against tn
SOuth-PapaI Bull against slavery.


On the Sd of December, 1889, in the ninth
year of the pontficate. Placed as we are on
the supreme seat ofthe apostles, and acting,
though by no merits OF our own, as the vicege-
rent of Jesus Christ, the Son Of God who thro'
his great mercy condescended to make himself
a man and to die Tor the redemption of the
world; we regard as duty devolVlng on oul
pastoral functions, that we endeavor to turn a
side our faithful Aocks entirely from the nhu
man traffic in negroes, or any other human be
ings whatsoever. Beyond doubt, when tn
light ofthe gospel first began to diffuse itself
those unhappy persons who were plunged int
the severest condition of slavery, in conse
quence Of the numerous wars at that time
found their condition alleviated among the
Christians. For the apostles, inspired by the
Divine Spirit, taught even their slaves to obey
their carnal masters as Christ, and TO do the
will Of God heartily. They also taught their
masters that they should act well to their slaves,
and do unto them what was just and equitable,
and abb taintromthreatS, knowing that the God,
both,of them and their slaves, dwells in heaven,
and that with Him there is no acceptance Of
persons. But while sincere and universal
spirit of charity is especially enjoined by the
law Of the gospel, and our Lord himself said
that he would consider any act of benevoIence
done to the least or poorest, or denied, as done
or denied to himself, it readily followed that
the Christians not only considered their slaves,
especially such as were Christians, in the light
of brothers, but were even prone toendoW with
liberty such as deserved. Indeed, Gregorus
Nissenus informs us that such liberation of
slaves was customary on the occasion OF the
paschal soemnities. Nor were there Chris
tians wanting who, stirred upa more burning
zeal, subjected themselves to slavery to redeem
others, many Of whom that apostolic parsonage,
our predecessor, Clement l., testiies that he
knew Hence, in progress of time, as the
clouds Of heather superstition became gradual
ly dispersed, circumstances reached that pont,
that, during several centuries, there were no
slaves allowed amongst the great majority oil
the Christian nations; but with grief we are
compelled to add, that there afterwards arose,
even among the faithful, race Of men who,
basely blinded by the appetite and desire OF
sordid lucre, did not hesitate to reduce, in re-
mote regions ofthe earth, Indians, negroes and
other wretched beings, to the miseres OF sla-
very, or finding the trade established and aug
mented, TO assist the shameful crime Of the
Others Nor did many ofthe most glorious of
the Roman pontiffs omit severely to reProve
their conduct as injurious to their souls health,
and .disgraceful to the ChristiaR name. Among
these may be especially quoted the bull of Paul
ILL.,, which bears the date Of the 29th of May,
1884, addressed to the Cardinal Archbishop Of
Toledo; and another still more comprehensive,
by Urban WILL, dated the 22d of April, 1899,
to the Collector Jurium Of the Apostolic Cham
Der in Portugal, most severely castigating by
name those who presumed to subject either
West or East Indians to slavery. Pope Ben
edict XIV. subsequently confirmed these de-
crees Of those distinguished pon,ifs by new
bull, addressed to the heads Of the governing
ofBrazil, and other regions, on the
nth ofDecember, l74l. Even before, another
predecessor Of ours, more ancient than these
Plus H., in whose age the dominion Of Portu-
gal was extended TO Guinea, wrote, on the 7th
October, 1869, 10 the Portuguese bishop, who
was about to repair thther, letter, in which
he not only gave to that high (unctionary pow
ers TO exercise with greater success his sacred
ministry in those parts, but gravely inimadver-
ted on the same occasion upon those Christians
who carried away youths into slavery, and in
our own time, Xius VII, moved by tho spirit
of religion and charity as those whU had gone
before him, sedulously interposed his good Off
COS with the men in power, that the trade in
blacks should at length DO put an end to entire