New-York daily tribune., 1844-12-06
For The Tribune
tOl L ne 1l!oCne
Discussion On slavery-No. 3.
Or. JE1nLcyG ks DR.. Fuller.


Or. IVasLc1G to DR.. Fuller.
DR.. Fuller Of s. c. il his letter to the Christian
Reflector, a synopsis of which we have given in
The Tribune, offered various reasons 10. stating
tha, Slavery is not moral evil In mis- letter re
referred TO the sentiments Of Wsyland, stated
in his Moral Science and dissenied from them.
Ia the Reflector Of Nov. II, DR.. Waylaud ad-
dresses q letter 10 DR.. Fuller in reply, which may
be considered as Introductory 10 the discussion.
He commences by coinciaiDg with DR.. Fui!srs
sentiments, and those of DR.. Claiming, that '' the
tone Of The Abotionists at the North has been fire.
quenty fierce bitter and abusive; that the Aboli
ton pressh too commonly indulgedin exaggerated
statement, in violent denuncintoa and coarse invec
tiye" He al the time bears testimony 10 ''the
general courtesy, Christian urbanisy and calmnezs
under proyccation" Of the Southern members in the
Baptist Convention at Philadelphia.
While acknowledging this, he at the same time
"perceyes great errors in the manner in which the
subject has been treated at the South' Ii a, the
NORTH the right OF free discussion has been ebused,
ne thinks thai frequently at the South this right has
been denied 10 American citizens Legislative
messages have IN substance asserted that the peo
pie OF this country have right to discuss the sub
Ject OF slavery at all"
This he cannot agree to: he claims i" the right as
citizen OF the United States, or. rather by a far
higher title as an intelligent creature OF God,n to
discuss, IN the iTeest and fullest manner any subject
Whatever. He relo!ces that ihe questionis assum-
ing new aspect and that "a brother from the
South has invited this discussion.''
Df. Wayiand then proceeds 10 show that " the
ground taken 6y The South in regard 10 the uhoie
question Of SIa0sry is Of recent origin" "At the
adoption OF The Constitution, it was generally ac-
knowledged throughout this country that slavery
was an evil, and wrong" Some States had al
ready commenced the work OF sbolishng it, and
Inc Inc subject was every where freely discussed"
!" Inc same freedom OF discussion was enioyed in
kentucky until quite lately" und "some 10 or 10
years since moiion was entertained in that Stale
to call convention for the express purpose Of abo
ishng slavery, and it failed Of SUCCESS only by the
caeting vote OF the speaker" THE presentation
Of memorials 10 Congress, the subject Of slaoe-
ry has not until lately been considered grievance.
"on the 9th day OF Dec. 79l, memorials from
Societies fer The Abolition Of Slavery, from the
States of Rhode Island Connecticut New York,
Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia, were pre-
seated and read in the House Of Representatives,
and 1rere referred 10 a Select Committee"
DR.. Wayland states the sentiments Of some OF
these memorials, and thea proceeds as follows -
The strongest expressions OF opinion, however, on
,his subject, occur in the memorial from Virginia"
| IL commences thus: Your memorialiss, fully be-
ieving that righteousness exalteth nalcr,' and
that slavery is not only odious degradation but
outra geous violation of one Of the most essential
| rghts OF human nature, and utterly repugnanr 10
the precepts of the gospel, which breahes peace on
earth and goodwill 10 men, they lament that
practice so inconsistent with true policy and the
alienable rights Of men should subsis in an enlight-
| ened age, and among people protesting that ell
mankind are by nature equally entitled TO freedom.
These noble sentiments, repeat, originated from
Virginia, and were read and referred TO Select
Committee Of the House OF Representatives"
With regard TO The interference of associations
and other ecclesiastical bodies this subject, Or.
Wayland does not discuss ihe question whether
they should take action on the matter Of slavery,
but merely states TINT such actan claim very
ancien, precetenls.'' CAT the meeting OF The Phi
| lsdephia Baptist Association, Aug. eth, 1893, the
following .dcciaratiun was mgde: 'Agreeebiy 10
a lstfee fiom the Church at Baltimore this ssoca-
lion declare their high appreciation of the several
societies formed in the United States and Europe,
FOR the gradual abolition of the slavery of Africans,
and for the guarding against their being detained
sent off as slaves etier having obtained their liberty,
and do hereby recommend 10 the churches repre-
scnt to form similar societies. 10 become members
thereof and 10 exert themselves 10 obtain this I'M
portsn, object 10 this action, know not tha,
! nuy excepfion was taken" These facts, DR.. WAY
| land considers, "conclusivsly 10 show that during
| the period of r~history Immediately succeeding
the Revolution, The night or wrong Of slavery was,
throughout the Onioc perieciiy open question iOr
discussion; on which any Citizens nigh memorial
ze Congress, and IN their memorials express their
| opinions, assured that their memorials would meet
with respectful attention"
| lie % deeply dep0res the change in this respect
that has come over the South" and considers IL
"unwise and unreasonable"
| He considers The subject as important enough
TO demand full discussion :: If it can be defended,
its defence should be attempted if it canno, be
defended "the sooner we are convinced OF TINS the
better"
He considers the violence and fanatcism of Ab-
oton' as NOT sufficient cause for the "irratabil-
ity of our Southern fellow. citizens"
{" If a man addresses me unkindly and abusively
on question OF duty; this mag be reason why
should not hear hs but is surely no sufficient Fea-
son why should not hear another man who ad-
dresses me on the same subject kindly and respect
fully"
For tho very reason that Z" the subject of Slavery
;s matter peculiarly and exclusively belonging 10
he States in which it exists, the discussion OF II IN
those States should be specially iree thorough and
In the second letter of Dr.. Way land, he takes up
the discussion OF the question: is Slavety moral
evil 2" :.