Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1845-05-07

slavery was wrong.t. 80
! The permission to the Gentle converts, VINO
! had grown up in the midst OF slavery, TO retain
II cir slaves without the mosi distant hint OF us
snfuluess, would be regarded by them as sane
riouipr lie continuance Of their slaves IN ser'i-
Jude. And more especially would both these
converts be confirmed in this view o. he mat
ter, when they heard from the Apostles the IN
strucrious given to hoth masters and slaves
teaching the duties Of botll parties to the rela-
lion. This effect would be the more deeply
impressed upon their minds upon hearing Inc
following language from the Apostle: Lei
every man abide in the same calling, wherein
he was called. Art thou called being servant
Cure not for it. Buff thou mayest be mace
Free use ,ralher." And whentuo they should
know Paus conduct, exemplying these teach
ings in the case Of Onesimus, the runaway
slave of Philemon, whom he sent back 10 ms
master even after his conversion 10 chrIstanl-
ly. The Author of the Moral Science" evident
~ makes mistake, then, in supposng, that tne
| absence Of preceptprohibitory of slavery, IS
all that the New Testament affords III favor OF
! its support.
There is another mistake, into which some
of our bletIren at the North have fallen, 10
which our attention may be proflably drawn.
II is the determination of the time, at which
forbearance towards shareholders by non-slave
holders should cease. Our abolition brethren
have required that emancipation should be ln-
stanter, and that if not SO done, they should ior-
bear no longer, but separate from us in eccle-
siastical matters. They have nevertheless wait
ed with us severaEyears, in the hope, 1 suppose,
that we would be converted from the error of
our ways. THE Acting Board" seems now 10
he making large stride towards the same point.
And the Author olthe Moral Scienccseems TO be
going yari paSsu with the Board. For he says,
"God has taught us that Slavery is wrong, a
violation Of his most holy law. And ifso, il is
our duty at once to abandon it," But at what
time has God any where taught shareholders TO
emanci2ate their slaves7 No where, and al no
time. Withthe Abolitionist then, the lime of
ceasing to forbear in this case. is mere matter
Of opinion and not of iaith. And for this
opinion he will agitate the earth, discover
churches, break up holy combinations Of breth-
rem, which have for near the third ofa century
been owned nnd blessed of God intexte ndlng
the trlunphs of the Cross al hume and abroad,
aud ,diff'using the light of holy truth TO millions
of our race. have gone into this blef review
for the purpose Of setting before you the entire
i,nprobabli.y of any relief from our present
dilemma, in any thing that may be expected
from the General Missionary Convention two
years hence.
The tenure, by which we hold our slaves, is
misunderstood by our Northumberland. From
the influence Of this msapprehension arises
their course OF action. We have endeayored to
inform them on this point But we have at
tempted it in vain. The acute and logical
Meredith of North Carolina, the clear. r.headed
and argumentatve Nell Of Georgia, the learned,
eloquent and lofty Fuller of S. Carolina, have
all attempted 10 remove this misnpprehension,
but IN vain.
We had hoped, that the number Of those,
who had laborcd under this misapprehension,
was small, and relied with confidence upon u
lurger lumber of our brethren, whom we re
guried as moderate men. The Acting Board
Of Foreign Missions especially had received our
entire confidence. But alas! overwhelmed by
irresistible Influences that Body hasyielded to
the pressure around them. Whilst all this il
being done, letter is published injhe Rcfec
tor, in Boston, one of the organs.it is believed
of the Board, from Mr.. Mason, QUE of our Mis-.
sionarics, 10 Mr.. Tappan, Treasurer of the A.
and Foreign Anti.Slavery Society, containing
the following sentence: Il have, therefore. the
pleasure 10 enclose all order for ten dollars OH
our Treasurer, which will thank you to pay
over 10 the Committee in New York, 10 assist
in the escape of rdna,cay slarcs." More than
six weeks have elapsed since this letter reached
the knowledge Of the Board, yet we have not
seen expressed by that Body, the slightest dis
appreciation Of this immortality ofthe Missionary
We learn, from the late Address Of the Pro-
=. Il -, h,,, IL,
" Convention, that, The Missionaries in
Burnah once had il under consideration TO re.
quest the Board TO deduct from their scanty
salaries the probable amount secured from
slave labor"
When all these things are considered repeat
it. there is no just hope Of relief from the
main difficulty, in referring the decision Of the
Acting Board, ol which we complain. 10 the
General Missionary Convention. 1t is NOT 10
be expected that that body will disapprove Of
the decision of lis Board. But should il
disapprove Of the decision Of that agent, such
disarproval will not chauge the opinions Of
the great body Of lts constituency in the North
And when we consider that so Intelligent and
respectable an Agent as is the Acting Board of
Foreign Missions situated US it is in the midst
of so large a portion Of its constituency, who
are oppnsedt to Slavery, and who approve lis
late decision, IN substance. if not in form, has
deliberately taken its stand it is not reasonable
to suppose that the Convention. always embod
wing in its trienial sltllngs, larger number OF
Non shareholders than Shareholders, will either
change the location, or displace the members
of that Agent. And is tito be expected that
that Agent will be required 10 change its course!
Is it not rather to be expected, that the Con-
venlion, by the force of large majority of
uon.sIaveholdcrs. which may be easily com.
manded at Cincinnati, in a non.slayeholding
State. where the Convention will hold its next
meeting, will, at that meeting, exclude from
appointments to the Foreign Missionary SER
vice. such as hold slaves however itly qualified
in all other respects The stand, which the
Board has taken, is to my mind. ample justif.
cation for ex pressing the intimation that this
alteration will be made. The mere disapproval.
on constitutional principles, then, of what the
Board haI done, will not remove the main
difficulty, since it arises from the deep and wide
spreading influence oil Abolition principles.
A few OF us might lie willing, for the
promotion of the divine cause, to submit
10 privaliou of right, aud "lake wrong"
and so continue in the Convention but