Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1841-04-08

privalions and miscres OF slaves here, are
greater than in the Roman Empire, in
whose domiuions Christ was born. The
following quotations, which embody hls'o-
rical facts, will aid in deciding this point.
"Among the Romans more particularly
slaves were held-pro nullis-pro mortu's
pro qundrupedibus-for no men for dead
men-for Jeasts-they were in much
worse slate than any cattle whatever.
They had no head in the State, no name
no tribe, no register. They were not ca
nable Of being injured, nor could they
take by purchase or descent; they hao
no heirs, and could make no will. Exclu-
s,ye of what was called their pecul'u'n'
whatever was acquired was their masters !;
they could neither plead nor be pleaded,
hut were entirely excluded from all civil
concerns; were not entitled to the rights Of
matrimony. and therefore had no relief in
case of adultery, nor were they proper OBJ
jects of cosnalion or affinity. They might
be sold, transferred or pawned, like other
goods or personal estate, for goods they
were, aud such they were esleemed."-
Taylor's Elements of Civil Law, Adams
Summary of Roman Antiquities.
Horne, in his introduction 10 the study of
the Scriptures, treating of the comparative
condition of slaves among the Hebrews
| Greeks, and Romans, gives us the follow
ing view of the degraded state of those
among the two latter nations: 1.-THE slaves
of these" he says, had no rest. no legal
protection, and were subject 10 the cruel
caprice Of their masters, whose absolute
property they were,' and al whose mercy
their lives every moment lay. For the
slightest and most TRIVIAL offences, they
were cruelty scoursed and condemned to
hard labor, and the petty lyrant of his fam
lily, when exasperaled by any real OF ap-
pretended injury, could nail them 10 a
cross. and make them die in lingering
and most miserable manner"
And now, what is the condition Of A.
merican Slavery! The master is bound
by the lawslo provide comfortable and suf-
icieul food and clothing for his slaves, to
require of them only reasonable work, and
10 protect lhem from injury. lie is pun
ishable for cruelty to them, and death is
the penalty annexed TO tie murder Of them.
Look too at the slate Of things, which ex-
lists between master and slave, as presented
by nv Brother Fuller in the statement of
some particulars which he appcnds TO his
letter, and which, if he kept diary, he
says, would furnish part of it for March
2nd. And these particulars are not ol
rare occurrence. Which state Of slavery
is the most abjcct, that under Rome, or
that in the slave holding states of Ameri-
ca. Assuredly the former. 1t is evident,
therefore, that the Abolitionsis make a
great mistake, in saying, that such slavery,
as American slavery, existed not in The
days of the savior, meaning by this, that
American slavery is more abject and de-
graded, than that, which did exist, wh en-
! Christ was OH the earth. Its form, in the
Southern portion Of this Confederacy, is
far milder and more desirable, than under
the Roman Government.
Lc, us now attend to the Language of the
New Testament, in reference TO the slate
of things in regard TO slavery under the
above government. Aud here let it be
distinctly remembered, that, when the
Savior arose from the dead, and authori-
zcd the disciples to evangelize the world,
Jewish law was ahrogalcd. The Jews
themselves, as subjects Of the Roman
Empire, were, IN common with all other
subjects of that Empire, under the Roman
law. Slavery, as we have seen, existed
under this law. The term "douIos'' de-
notes the character and relation o(lhe slave,
as douleia," does the state or condition Of
The bondage. What this character or re-
la,ion of the slave is, what his stale Or con.
di,on, we have just seen. The "doulos ~
was under The absolute control Of his mas
Ter for life, and his condition was the most
abicct 10 be conceived Of. We are now
prepared to listen 10 the language of the
Scriptures in relation 10 this state of things.
The Apostle Paul had sent Timothy to
Ephesus, in which place, Church ofcon'
verls from the Gentiles had been gathered
That Timothy might know how TO behave
himself in this Church, and what to teach
its members, the Apostle addressed to him
a letter Of instruction. In.this leller is the
following direction: LET as many SER
wants .sdouloi'' as arc under the yoke. count