Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1840-05-06

And as / value justice. God forbid that
should dishonor humanity, by making ev-
en- an ignorant African my slave. l may
bot indeed, be prepared to say with Cow
per, Il had much rather be myself the
slave;' but this I do say, tina! if will to
own a slave, / deserve myself TO be a
slave.
And now as a christian, will answer
how I conclude that slavery is a wrong to
man, and sin against God. Il is be-
cause slavery is wrong to man. that it is
sin against God for God has said, Lore
thy neighbor as thysef Shall l teach
you from the Bible that American
slavery is wrong to man /? Is not the
Bible itself given for the good of man,
and does it not say TO all, search the scrip
lures? But do not the laws of slavery
forbid man to read the chart that God has
sent him to mark his way to Heaven 3
And is not this a wrong 10 man? Does
not the Bible say, What God hath Joined
together, let no man put asunder2 and do
not the laws of slavery empower the
wicked man to separate husbands and
wives, and tear the infant from its mothers
breast? And is this no wrong to man2
Do not American laws declare that col
EoreG mans word shall not be taken in
court of JUSTICES and is he not refused a
Jury trial !? and are these no wrongs to
man Is it no wrong, no oppression, to
keep manin such condition, that he
must stand, a cool spectator. to see his
master. abuse and chastise the partner of
his honor, and to allow his own children
to be scourged before his face2 Is it no
wrong to chain the immortal mind of man.
and however noble and gifted the intellect
which God has givenehim, to FORBID the
intellectual training of that immortal
mind! Is it no oppression, to starve the
soul, ard prevent the growth of its moral
powers? Is it no wrong, no oppression,
when protesting christians will not allow
their fellow christians in the same church
with them, to enjoy equal church privi-
leges with themselves, though God has
enIoined them to have no respect of pei
sons2 Are all these things and vastly
: more that might be named, no wrong to
man2 now know my Bible better than
; to believe it upholds a system like this
and you know, that if the Bible did sane
f ton such wrongs as these, you could moi
7 prevail upon men to believe the Bible tC
, be the book of God No--teach such a
doctrine as this, and you dare not call the
New Testament the glad tidiGgs of saliva
ton. The minister's voice would become
E powerless, and ip6dels would revel in tri
4 umph and victory. Does not the Bible
teach US, that God hath made of on,
blood all nations of men, that all mel
are our neighbors, and that we must Low,
our neighbors as ourselves Then d.
not belle the Bible by the assertion, that
: sanctions such a system of legalized op
: preston as American slavery.
l But will it be said, that these oppression
a are rather the abuse of slavery than slave
1t ry itself, and though the Bible condemn
l. these wrongs, it sanctions condition OF In
9 voluntary servitude2 answered that thes
o things are the very essence of slavery
= Teach the slave to read, and he will stud
at your Declaration of Indepen dence until
n kindles in his bosom the free spirit of Pa
is rick Henry. Teach him to read, and b
will learn that his master is a tyrant; an
n christian forbearance alone will endure h
,e bondage. Let the laws forbid the violel
ID separation of husbands, and wives, an
be kindred let the coIored man be above
ID to bear testimony in a court of justice
If give him right to jury trial; give hi
5: the right TO defend his wife and chlldrt
he from abuse and wrong; repeal all lav
ne that restrain his mental and his moral II
nv provement, enact laws and enforce theI
We requiring masters to give their servan
BE wages, and whatever is just and equal
all and let christians give their colored bret
: a rem equality of church rights. Let the
not things be done, and the abolition society
m dissolved instGnder. These oppressio
nd are not the mere abuse Of slavery
1n- are the bone and sinew of involunta
III. servtude-without these, slavery cot
,ir- not exist one day. And does the BI
i a uphold system, which requires oppressl
the TO support its existence2 Never no, n
me- er! 1t is a calumny upon the Bible
hts, say that II does look into the Old I
hat lament, and there, whee am not bli
lied folded by my interests and my preclude
,rty l learn that slavery was regarded as Gu
he to be made use of IS a punishment
he crime; that it guarded against involun.
one servilude by forbidding all coTetousne
elli- that it required that whose stealeIh Z
the and seleth him, or if he be found in
by hand, he shall surely be put TO death,
aim, it provided for the freedom of those "
Yea, by poverty and misfortune, might
free- brought into bondage, either at the exI
the ton of six years, or of forty-nine year
er of most that it secured the servant aga
: we cruel treatment, by demanding his free
rist- or the loss of even tooth; that it requ
ught the master to give up his bondman W
.,rnr &c Lind rod or IA i'm Ii conld red