The Yazoo Democrat. (Yazoo City, Miss.) 1844-18??, 1845-07-09
VoI. /. No. 80.

are few universal truths. / DO not now rec
memteF any single moral truths univor-
sally acknowledged We have no assurN
ance that il il given 70 our infinite undsr-
standing to comprehend abstract moral
truth. Apart from Revelation and the in
sPired writings; what IDEAS should we have
even Of God Salvation and Immortality
Let the Heather answer, JuAlice itself ID
imPslPable 90 an abstraction, and abstract
liberty the merest Phanlasy that ever
amused the Imagination. This world was
made for man, and man for The world a. il
TO- Ourselves ole relation, with one ans
other and with all matter is real not idoaI.
might say that ! am no more in favor Of
slavery ia the abstract, than am Of pow
erty, disease, deformily, idiocy, or any olhs
eT inequality in the condition Of the human
family; that / love perfection, and think [
should enjoy Millennium such as God has
promised. But what would il amount TOT
A pledge that would join you to set about
eradicatiOg those apparently inevitable evils
Of our natures in eqnalising the condition
Of mankind, communicating the perfection
-four race, and introducing the Millennium
By 40 means. To effect these things be-
longs exclusively 10 higher Power. And
It would be we'll for US to leave the Almigh~
" TO perfect His own works and fulfill His
own Covenants. Especially, as the hiatos
~ OF all the past shows how entirely futile
all human effo:Is have proved, when made
for the purpose Of aiding Him in carrying
out even his revealed designs, and how 10.
variably be has accomplished them by uD-
conscious instruments, and in the face Of
human expectation. Nay more, that eve
ry attempt which has been made by falli4
Bile man to extoTt from the world obedience
to his ABSTRACT notions Of right and wrong,
has been invariably attended with caIam-
tiles, dire and extended just in proportion
to the breadth and vigor Of the movement
On slavery IN the abstract, then, It would
cot be amiss 10 have as little as possible to
say, Let as contemplate il as il ie. Aud
thus contemplating it, the FIRST question we
have 10 ask ourselves is, whether is il con,
! traEy 10 the Will Of God, as revealed to uS
: IN His Holy Scripture--Ihe only certain
means given De to ascertain His VIII. IL
Z It IL, then slavery is a siA. And admit a.
8 once thai every man b bound to sen his
face against iiJ and to emancipats his slaves
} should be held on.
Let Us open these Holy Scriptures. Ia
the twentieth chapter Of Exodus, aevens
leeDIh verse, | find the following words !:
Thou shaltno1 coVetthy neikhbor'S houses
thou shalt not coyeG thy neighborS wife,
nor his man servant, nor bis maid servant
nor his OK, nor his ass, nor anything that ID
thy neighbor's'- il The Tenth Of
those commandments that declare the a.
senlinl principles Of The Great Moral Law
delivered to Moses BY God Himself. Nov
discarding ell technical and verbal quibO
bling as wholly unworthy to be used 10 ius
teEpretiDg the Word Of God, what is fthe
plain meaning, undOubted intent, aad true
spirit Of this commandment Does il not
emPhaIically and expllcItely forbid you 10
disturb your neighbOf 10 the enjoyment Of
his PFOpeItyj and more especially Of that
which is here specifically mentioned 90 be-,
ing lawfully and by this commandment
made sacredly bis Prominent in the cat.
alogue stands bis man servant and his
maid servant who ere ihus distinctly con-
SeeTated aS bis properly and guaranteed %
him for his exclusive benefit 10 the most
solemn manner. You attempt 10 avert the
conclusion that slavery was thus ordained
by God, declaring thaI the word slave
is not used here, and is not 10 be lound ia
the Bible. And have seen many learn.
ed dissertations on this point from AbOlii
ton pens. Il is we'll known that both the
Hebrew and Greek words translated ser,
want in the Scriptures, mean also 'slaVe.3
The use Of fhe one word instead Of the 9th
or was q mere matter Of taste with the
TranSlatOFs Of the Bible, ss e has been
with ell the commentators and religion
writers, The later Of whom have bsheEad
lor the most psTf adopted The term dave
or used both terms indiscFiminately. &c
Then, these Hebrew aud Greek words iua
clude The idea Of both systems Of sergi-
tude, the conditional aud unconditionak
they should, &c the ms5oF includes ihsmis
nor proposition, be always fFansiata1
SslaVess unless The sense Of the whole feEG
iforbids il. The real question, thea -il, Eh1g
idea 10 intended % 30 conveyed by fh8
words used 10 tie commandment quoIsd
And 4 IL clear g. my mrnd thai - 90 hui-
laiion is affixed 90 them, aDd ne eEproo1
intention Was 20 secure % mankind ihD
Ipeaeeful employment 81 every uPceis1 q
property, thsi lhe tern Boa8-me1 ~
Bead msids" ioelnds Ell cltsae. ~ noFEan,a.
and establish q lawful. EXCESSIVE ard in1l-
feasible interest equally % Ne e Hchrgg