New-York daily tribune., 1845-12-17
From the True American.
An Appeal 10 all the Followers of Christ In the
American Union.

An Appear 10 Hi tne Followers OIL Snrlst IN tne
American Union.
To all the adherents of the Christian religion Ca
tholic and Protestant, in the American MON. the
writer OF this article would respectfully represent,
that he is but single individual of humble preten-
sions struggling with honest zeal for the liberties OF
his country and the rights OF all mankind -
He sets up no claims 10 pety or purity OF lie. but
whilst he Is himself ubIect 10 all the lntlrmlnes OF
our common nature, ne believes N an omnipOtent
and benevolent God over-rung the universe by
fixed and eternal laws. He beiieves that man 5
greatest happiness consists in wise understanding
aad strict observance OF all the laws OF his being.
moral mental. and physical which are best SET form
in the Christian code OF ethics. he believes that
the Christian religion is the trues basis OF justice,
mercy truth and happiness known among men. As
politician especially does he regard Christian NOR
aitv as the sole basis Of national and constitutional
hbcrtV He believes that the liberty OF conscience
was the antecedea oi civil liberty and that TO Chris
tianitv did our fathers the emigration from the
Old World and our national independence IN the
New. He believes that there Is now crisis IN the
affairs of our nation which calls for the united efforts
of all good men to save from dishonor and ruin.
Slavery is our great national sin, and must be des-
troved or we are lost. From small cloud not larger
than mans hand it has overspread the whole
Heavens Three millions Of our fellow men, all ut
our religion be not table, children OF the same
Father are held in absolute servlude and the most
unqualified dcspotism BY strange oversight or
f.avenging crminality Of fathers an antl're-
publican unequal. sham representation mas given
the slavocracy a concentrated power, whch SUBJECTS
the additional fifteen millions OF whites oi TINS ma.
ton to the caprice and rule Of some three hNndred
and ffty Housqnd shareholders. They monoPolize
the principal offices of honor and profit control our
foreign relations and internal policy OF economical
progress They have forced Us into unjust wars
national bad falkland large and unnecessary e1;-
penditures of money. They have violated time
,,,rr.t.
Thev have tramplcd under foot all of the cardinal
principles of our inherited liberty-treedom oil the
nress-berty of speech-trel by jury-thc habeas
corpus and that clause of the Constitution which
gives 10 the citizens OF the several States the rights
and privileges Of citizens OF each State They have
murdered our citizens-imprsoned our seamen-
and denied Us all redress in the courts OF national
iudicaure by iorcibly and illegally expe!ng our
embassad dOrs-this failing IN the comfy observed
sacred by all nations, civilized. and savage, TIL now
All this have we borne in magnanimous iorbear-
ance or tame subserviency till remonstrance Is re-
garded as criminal, and il has become the common
law of the land, in all the Slave States, 10 murder
in cold blood, and in calm and " dignited man
rer' anv American freeman who has the spirit TO
exercise the constitutional and natural and nalicna
bic rights Of free thought and manly uiierance!
Now in The name OF that religion which teaches
us TO love our neighbor as ourset-to do unto 9th
ors as we would have others should do unto us-to
break every yoke and let the oppressed 20 iree,-
we pray every follower OF Christ TO bear testimony
against this crime against man and God which hills
our souls with cruelty and crme-sians our hands
with blood-and overlhrows every principle oi ia.
tional and constitutional liberty, for which the good
and great souled patriots Of all ages Iald down tnelr
lives, and for which fathers suffered, bed, and
died
We pray You to set your faces against ali those
protessed followers OF Christ who betray hlm IN the
house of their friends. and make God out the found
t,l, rsIlin nod
enlightened and respectable men in the State OF
Kentucky, where Slavery exists IN It's most modified
and iencnt supremacy, TO raise the backand bloody
flag of death to liberty OF Speech and the Press
We pray you in the name OF liberty-our coun-
try--our common humanlty-and the Hod oi All,
who is no respector of persons-to come TO our help
We know that in l776 the prayers OF the Church
went up from the closet, the altar and from ihe eld
of battle to the Great Arber OF the dcstlnies o war;
we believe that n time of equal danger and awful
responsibility is al hand aud we now ask that the
prayers of The universal Church be uttered In the
cause OF Liberty once more.
And as we believe that it is not only our duty TO-
pray but to act we respectfully submit for your Sc.
rous consideration the following suggestions:
lst. That all ministers of religion, all over the
Union, either in their sermons or III their prayers
once on every Sabbath soleslnly warn their hearers
against the special Si't ot SiGrcry.
I'd. That in all religious Journals column be de-
voted TO Slavery-its economical statistics-and TO
moral remonstrance
Sd That in all addresses of religious bodies, oral
or written when moral conduct Is touched upon, that
q solemn and special denunciation OF Slavery ne
made.
ilh. In the exercise ofthe elective franchise, that
each Christian will honestly endeavor so 10 use that
great and responsible privilege as by all honorable
Just and constitutional means, TO destroy Slavery in
this nation,
We suggest with grea, diitdence for the consid
e nj
founded as follows "A common treasury sustained
by all scc;s of Christians be located IN the city OF
New York. From this shall be sustained, at fair
wages, many missionaries. in the same states, as
the funds of the Society the interest thereof when
invested in stocks will sustain. /. Let an equal
number OF each sect represented be elected :. Let
the ministers living i'll Slave States be preferred
if they can be procured. 3. Let them be Instructed
never TO speak of Slavery in the presence ot Blacks
or slaves. 4 Let them for the present be confined
10 the States OF Maryland, Virginia and kentucky.
Let them be instructed 10 preach in the counties
where there are the fewest slaves. ). Let them be
men OF ability and, though not tanatica, sesacrit
cling and well verscd in the poliiica! and economical
bearings of slavery well as in its moral Influences,
so that ;hev may be able to show the slave.hold-
err how Slavery impoverishes his mly-exclades
them from schools churches the honors OF the State
and the general advantages of civilization.
We believe that scheme OF this KIND would do
infinite good There could be preieNt for vio-
lence on the part of Shareholders. because the
Blacks would never hear. 1t would arouse gen
crous shame in the bosoms OF our own Clergy and
force many to make sacrifices in the cause OF Reli
gion and Liberty.
Now once more in great yearning OF spirit for
the liberty of our country-the happiness OF man
kiud-and the glory OF God, we pray you to ques-
lion each one his own conscience. Never lei il be
said that our country called for he p, in great
wo, and none needed her voice!
We ask all the friends Of Constitutional Liberty,
and pure Christianity, 10 give the above an lnser-
ton in their Religious and Political Journals-a
quest never before made byus. c. NJ. CLAY.
Le,instoH by. Dec. OH lsi5,
FROM THE LAKEs-Intormation reached our city
os saturday of the very dangerous position Of the steam
boat Helen Strong We permitted 70 make the fol-
lowing extract from letter 10 C. Howard X Co. from q.
w Strong dated on Friday, board the boat then lying
in the Lake about II miles the mouth OF the De-
troit river:
GENrs-I send you my nephew to inform you OF our
perous condition and ask you 10 help US possible
lives and boat oy getting boat 10 come 20
our assistance. Daniel nay nephew, will tell you the
particulars, tor cannot