Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1846-05-01
THE AMERICAN BOARD.

Here is another of the speeches made at
the late Syracuse Mission Convention. 1t
will give an insight into the condition of the
converted heather which it would be hope
less to seek for in the Missionary Journals.
The Developments the DR.. has made, show
that American Christianity is the same whe-
Their al home or in the Sandwich Islands.
DR.. LAFoN said he was born a STAKEHOLDER
as much as any man is born a Shareholder; his
father was a Virginia minister and slavehold-
err; he inherited slaves sold them, and out
of the avails obtained a medical education;
accumulated money; bought more slaves
At the South, those who can hold slaves, did
so; they seemed to take more delight in this
kind of property" than any other, and it
gave them more consequence. He went to
Missouri with ten slaves: sold enough Of
them to make his slave property properly bal
ance with his other descriptions of property.
When he took the gospel as his rule of life,
he had three choice young men. Three such
young men, il properly whipped, will, on the
excellent soil of Missouri, raise a great deal
of stuff. Somebody, he knew not who, about
this time, mailed him Garrison's Li6erator,
enclosing a receipt for a years subscrip tion.
Soon after, he liberated his slaves; he doubt
ed his right to hold them and read in his
Bible, that he who doubteth is damned if he
eat. That was before he had discovered that
slavery wis incompatible with Christianity.
People here know far more about the philo-
SONNY of slavery than is known at the South /;
they are blinded by habit and immediate con-
tact. In three years he went as a missionary
to the Sandwich Islands: slavery met him
upon their shores he did not know it before
he went there. In order to understand the
effect slavery will have upon a people, look
at the condition of the Sandwich Islands,
when the missionaries went there, and now.
Then, they were very degraded thlevish in
temperate; murderous and they had slavery.
Idolatry was abolished before the missiona-
ries went there, and in this way ungodly
men visited the Islands, and told the people
their gods were powerless these men kicked
them about, and heaped every indignity upon
them and the Islanders seeing their gods
could not .avenge their a~fironls, gave them up.
In fact, said DIR. L., IDoLATRY is every where
in its dotage, as an obstacle in the way of a
pure Christianity. Now what was the cause
Of the degradatiOs of the people of the Sand
witch Islands! Was it idolat:yl No.
There are scriptural and historical reasons in
abundance to the contrary. In the time OF
Paul, some of the ablest men living were
idolators-refinement, talent, learning and
idolatry, then existed together. The Chiefs
were respectable in mind. How could this
happen, if the mental and moral degradation
of the population was induced by idolatry
Moreover, there is no dispute among the mis-
sionaries, living or dead, as to the capabill-
ties of the children of the Sandwich Island.
ers. But as they grow up to manhood and
womanhood, they grow stupid, and are men
tally and morally grossly deficient. 1t was
a general opinion in this country that the
people there were greatly elevated, and mus
be companionable. This was a mistake
Christianity was represented as having pre-
vailed to some extent, and therefore the peo
ple must have been elevated. DIBBLE's boob
on the Sandwich Islands is a standard work
That states the points of their reformation.-
When the missionaries went there, the Is
landers would murder for a siXpence wOrtl
of property. That property was sometimes
a strip of cloth about the loins, which wa
the indispensable dress, and the only indis
pensable dress of a Sandwich Islander. The,
would then murder for that. They woull
then commit murder to get a bone out of tn
body, of which to make fisb-hooks. All tia
had ceased. This was one point Of reforma
ton. Then, they woLld get drunk at tn
first opportunity. Now, temperance prevail
to a great extent. This was another poin'
Then, they were deplorably thievish. Their
had been great improvement in this respec
They then had no written l~anguage-no'
they have. But their improvement in n
usages Of cipiHzed life loas very trJfing.
man may there have been a protesting Chrit
tian for ten years, and never had a pair