Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1843-01-20
For the Watchman and Journal.


Mr.. EDITOR, Within thu las, year, fell in
company with distinguished teacher of religion,
who ASSERTED among other lhiugs that Saver, was
not sinful In justification Of tins opinion, he said
that The selecl people of God, the Hebrews were
expressly permitted to hold slaves. A political evil
ne deeR'od it in thus ceunry--hkeued il to the re-
eligibility N the President and expressed a great
anxiety to have II abolished. Few ministers of
the gospel will openly take this ground; but from
the taciiurnny OF soue, well rs the assertions OF
others fear there are good uany who enter
tain the same opiRions These opinions, coming
EoR a class ofmen no should b. best informed
in all things, have, undoubtedly, an influence upon
a multitude OF minds, and either furnish an excuse
Tor neglectng TO "search the Scriptures" upon
the subject, or disqualily lhem through prejudice,
Gom Proftng by il.
My attention was recently attracted 20 this sub.
ject while looking into the life and character OF
Moses, preparatory TO the exercises of Bible as
ISOLATION, and concluded 10 colnpile lecture up
OIL " the servitude allowed by the moral and mu-
nicipa regulations OF the aucient Hebrews" The
following are the main polLrs embraced in my
lecture; and whether may be right or wrong, il
seems to me il would he profitable ms well l., in
tereslng subject OF inquiry, not only by laymen,
but by the much respected aud deservedly esteem
ed body OF religious teachers in this State some of
whom have not YET thoroughly examiaed it, and
others, we fear have ranked themselves with that
class Of wa1c'men described by Isaiah. Disclain-
Ing all right or inclination to dictate, only pre-
sumo TO hope my Suggestions may awaken fur
rher investigation, aud result in good.
should have selected as the medium Of this
communication, some religious or anti-savery pa
per, had not strong desire to address others
as well as the ordinary readers of such papers
SUGGESTIONS.
l. Slavery existed in the world prior TO NUM-
clpal regulations; it is not therefore the creature
OF law, though now mainly sustained by a great
many written compacis which have been enacted
by Shareholders in the expectation of making them
selves and others believe that it IS not only profita-
BILE, but right.
2 These compacts, though they have the form
oflegslaive attachments, have none OF the substan-
uai ingredients OF law therefore, they do not fur
nlsh a rule OF civil conduct binding upon The con-
sciences of men. See Blackstone aud other ele-
mentary writer's on law
3. These colnpacs may be found commng ed
win the laws OF all nations where slavery exs:s /;
but modern shareholders and their alulogis's rare
ly quote from any hut the Mosaic code.
a. This Is preferred from the fact that the most
enlightened part of the world admit that code has
paramount authority, having been dictated by
Hod hiaself, and that On all Questions OF morality
1t is, Of course, infullible.
3. No believer IN revelation will for moment
admit that slavery is right, after he is convince ed
OF what many assert to be fncl that the Bible con-
dennis II US sinful
q. Men, possessing the "more sure word of
prophecy" act very unwisey while they venture
TO guess that slavery is sustained by that word"
and yet spend their whole lives without making
thorough investigation.
I" Could laymen appeal TO the teachers of reli-
g'on, whose lips should keep knowledge" and
from theW obtain uniform response iIpon this
subject, they might be excused from making per.
soha' examination But as this is not the case, all
men ought carefully to "search the Scriptures"
on this poinr, and be sable to give reasonn for
their opinion
Q. Our Savior's brief compendium Of the law
anu the prophets regulating intercourse among
men, certainly condemns in principle all fraud,
oppression, and cruelty and there can he no slave
ry where these ara not found. Matt z: ~; 10:
~; %: 81; Mark ~: 81 Luke, 6: 81; 10:
Rom. 10: y; Gul. D; IA james, 2: 3; |
Jehn d: 81
g. But if there he an exception, for the specal
oeneht oil one class of professors broad enough 10
cover modern slavery, which, according TO the
Souu carolina definition, dcprives men OF their
humanity, and makes them "chattsis person1L" i,
can he found and ought to he produced.
IN. Involuntary and hereditary serviude, il il
believed, was not permitted by the laws of Moses
unless il be the lew cases where thieves. hny ms
nothing, were so The case of the Gibboues
and others of the devoted nations, ordered to be
exbrpated from the land of Canaan but spared
under peculiar circumstances Josh. 9; Lev
rs: "A 46; Elk. %: q
H. In these cases, servitude was imposed as
punishment for iniqulty, or crime, and the He
brews were the appointed executioners.
~ In oil other cases. servitnde was created by
contract and could not extend beyond six years
with the exception of instances in which the tie,
OF the marriage relation had been interposed Elk
q; and I'll Lev. IS: 80 AZ and 47-55
Deut. Is: 1915.
10. kidnapping was expressly prohibited. I'M
der the penalty of death but the purchase. with
out knowing that the seller had a valid title anc
good right 10 sell, would clearly come within IN,
law Other wise the law would lie dead letter
because OF tho facility with which il might b,
--ssamed Ex. 81: l6; Deut. "a: z.
ID. But in al! cases, Hebrew servants must bav,
been purchased There was no other way i,
which freeman could become either bond ser
vant or hired servant. OF whom then could the
be purchased, or in other words, who had the r,ei