Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1840-07-29
Brandon, July 8, 1910.
For the Telegraph.
Further Developments OF the sPatriarchs
Institutions

For the Telegraph.
Further Developments Of the sPatriarchal
Institution
Brother Murray 81 have thought that by
giving place in the Telegraph to the fol-
lowing communication, which originally APP
peared in the Zion's Waterman, you might
thereby do something TO awaken the church
to enquire what can be done to remove the
bloody institution of slavery from her midst.
| will say but few words on the subject now,
because the statement itself carries along
with it its own commentary, as to this por.:
ton of the church which processes to be the
light of the world This reminds me of
few somewhat similar occurrences: where
there was disposition on the part Of single
| individuals to bring the murderers 10 JUS
tice before the civil courts, and also before
I the church. One case related by minis
ter, where one of the members of his church
whipped slave to death, and ordered the
other slaves to dig hole and bury the dead
I body in it, but the murderer could not be
convicted before the church or civil tribu-
nal, because no one but coLored persons saw
the deed committed. For this reason the
minister left the place. 1t seems that in
many cases individuals are somewhat dis
posed to have the guilty brought to punish
ment, but are either awed into silence by
the threats Of others, or cannot prove by any
legal testimony that such persons have
murdered their fellow beings, or as some
would term it, destroyed their property, OF
that of their neighbors. 1t seems in this
case that $500 paid to the owner of the
| murdered victim was sufficient atonemen,
for deliberately taking the life Of a fellow
being. In this State, if set fire to nv own
building and it is consumed, have com.
mltted a crime worthy Of being sent tc
States Prison. will ask our Methodist
brethren, how long can you sleep over such
} enormities which are tolerated by a portion
OF the church, to which you belong, without
sending your remonstrance to them? How
long will you sanction such deeds by hold.
ing fellowship with murderers How lono
will you submit to the insult offered YOU. bv
the votes of twenty-five members from the
free States, at the conference held in Balti.
more this year, declaring it 'inerpedieni
and ~aJustJfable to admit the testimony o,
cotored persons against white persons in the
church, (nark Mat,) good enough for
church members, but not TO be believed
when speaking against a achife person.
Some say, go 10 the South and preach to
the shareholders. Rev. Mr.. Simmons has
been there, and preached at Mobile, two SER
mons against slave-holding. But for this
ne was admonished that his only safe course
was to leave the place. / will repeat what
| have before said in the Telegraph. A
minister, formerly one of the Professors in
Middlebury College, was contending with
me that slavery was not as bad as the abo-
litionlsts represented, said he had Tired
at the South-preGched there,-lived where
slaves were kept in the family, and thought
they Jared as well for general rule as
working or poor people at the North and
mat ne saw among SHAREHOLDERS some emf
ment christians. l asked him whether bo
would dare preach to these Shareholders
from the following text, and opDl,, II -
stdrehotding? Whatsoever We would thar
men should do unto you, do We even so
unto them' He admitted that he should
not told him | thought his 6ne chris
lans Were not as good as be represented
ne said they considered the slaves their
p.oPer'y, and thought it ought not 10 be med
u,eu WIN. Ibelieve if each church from the
Nof'n would send remonstrance to The
oon'n, 4 would be heard and felt. And