Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1846-12-18

county and | regard the discussion which
has arisen as proyidential, tending much to
inform the public mind upon the subject. as
well as to give me clearer views of what Is
Christian duty regarding Slavery. Il is true
that there is no law Of the United States
against the emancipation Of the slaves bur
there is that which amounts almost to a prac-
teal prohibition of immediate emancipation
in the law that freed slaves must leave the
States within a given time, or they would be
seized, imprisoned, and sold, perhaps forever.
This is a practical difficulty which amounts,
in very many instances, 10 positive probibi-
ton, especially as such slaves, ii they had
the means, could not be transmitted BY any
public conveyance.* They must steal away
and pursue their fight by sight. 1t is very
romantic to talk of their following the North
star. This might be done by one in five thou
sand but not by the mass-the aged, the
Inhrm, and the young but, especially in
the States which are more distant from the
free States. Ii was 10 such circumstances I
publicly referred, and which have not been
understood. Therefore, lest | should appear
before the public of this country as one, in
any degree palllating the crime Of slavehold-
ing, | feel it my duty to state, explicitly and
unhesitatingly, that, whie a man hohds his
(eHo1C-man an SldUery, he sins against the
uHS " OOh : anu lnG uDSVel eAIOTlS all SIM
ntrs 10 immediate repentance. In regard,
however, to the duty OF tie Christian Church
respecting the admission Of shareholders 10
its communion, l find, in this country, vori-
GUS opinions among the best informed. But,
viewing 1t myself in the clearer moral light
enjoyed in this free country, it does appear to
me, that slaveholding must, on the one hand,
inhlct an evil and Impose a blot on churches
receiving shareholders into communion or,
ON the other hand, cause a privaiion 10 be felt
by those whose difficulties in Kidding them
selves Immediately of slaveholding are insu-
perable. / see clearly that he after conse-
9uence is 10 be preferred. 1t is far better, in
any case, that the Shareholder should endure
the privation Of communion, than that the
Church of Christ should eren appear TO con-
niUe al sin. My own mind is, that the church,
es 10 America ought 10 use the whole weight
of their influence against the practice of slave
holding; and one way in which they might
powerfully exert their influence, would be to
determine by the Scriptures, which they eau
easily do, that slaveholdlng is a sin against
God and he that continues in habitual
known sin, can be, and ought TO be, subject
ed to the rules of the Church, as in the case
of other known sins. In this, The Church
would be doing nothing more than acting out
her Ieglftmdte Notwithstanding out from
sthe world, and placing herself upon q high
, hill, where her light could be seen, and where
she would teach the world this lesson, that
she could. not give her infiuence-could moi
sanction or connive, in Tho least degree, al
the sins of the world. The world would
soon begin to feel and acknowledge her NOR
al power, and gradually SUBMIT to her author
ity. But, while she connives at it, and cher
ishes it IN her bosom, she compromises with
the Shareholder, casts away her own power
and influence, and is found shaking hands
with the world.
am, Sir, yours respectfully, &C.,
NJ. M. CLARK.