The examiner. [volume] (Louisville, Ky.) 1847-1849, 1847-10-30

The minutes of the Fifth Annual Session q
the Lebanon Church, Lancaster county, vir
ginia, have been presented to us by a friend
and we are rejoiced to find, not only that larg
portion Of this powerful and intelligent body
in earnest about educating our colOred people
but that such influential slsve-holders as Co
Alexander FLEET, SAMUEL p. RrLASD, &c, o
Henry and Queens, and such distinguishes
slergymen as Rev. r. II. BAoBr, and Rev. w
A. BArsHAN. &C., are taking the lead on thi
great question They urge this for the fol
lowing reasons:
First, because IL Is field Of labor pee uliarl,
promising Of success.
Second. because our colored people consti
tute part of the society In which We live, anc
exert an influence for good or evil. Our owl
good, apart from their welfare, for they exercise
great sway over our children-should urge US to
improve their Intellectual and moral condi-
ton.
Third, the relation sustain to these people,
lays under obligation to provide for their reli-
gious instruction. They labor for Do we not
owe them debtl And how can we better dis
charge il, than by endesyoring to make them
happy in time and happy in eternity
They say:
We would earnestly urge upon christian mas
tiers the duty of instructing their servants In
the way of the Lord. Goa said of Abraham,
al know him thai ne will command his children
and his household after him, ami they shall
keep the way Of the Lord, to DO justice ana
judgment; that the Lord may bring upon Abra-
ham that which he hath spoken of him" II
the duty Of Abraham TO give religious in
siruction 10 his servants, is il any less the duty
of masters of our day.
We have, in the spirit of this report, two
propositions TO neutrality-suspicious. most
strongly enforced in the report of the Pres6y-
tsrisn Church Of Kentucky in ls35-which we
hope to give ere long-and eloquently defended
by DR.. Young in his se-n'A- -'-'~'' w. P-"'''''1a
- .l----Is-- ---,ber- Of the Examiner They
are
LIST The duty Of educating our cOlOred popu-
lation, and
ID. The christian obligation we owe them,
and ourselves, to legalizs the rites of marriage,
and to obtain the passage Of law prohibiting
the separation of husband ana wlfs-parent
and child.
On the first point, believers in the Bible can
not doubt. God, in his holy book, leaves them
no sltcrnstive-his command Is, that they have
what is "eeusl aad just" "Mssters" says the
Holy Word, "give unto your servants that which
ID just and equal knowing that ye have a mas
ter In Heaven" And if this was done, If this,
the rule of the Bible, were followed, could we
help teaching our slaves to read and write
Could we sell them9 Could we dare traffic in
them for gainl Could we refuse TO pay them
wagesl May we ruthlessly annul the marriage
tie, or heartessly make it valuelessl If there
be a christian who doubts on these points-whO
nays, no, TO on. all of them, we bid him re
member his Ssviour's life and death, and learn
from the lowly one Of Judea the spirit of
truth, and Of self-sacrifce,-snd to bear vivid
by in mind 'that he, also, has a master in
Heaven who is equal and just.
Bat passing by these, and other arguments,
which have been pressed before in our columns,
let ms enquire, on what grounds, Legislators, in
90 many of the States, have prohibited slaves
from being taught to read and write.
mas - the main poeftion-t"os seeh u eoagf
sesuId snff the eoiored people for bondage.
IL there any good reason for this assumption
IL Il uue7 The history of the African race at
fords nothing to Justify it, for in no part Of the
world has this race been educated. Nor does
the history of slavery, As it existed in Greece
and Rome. or the middle ages, give 1t the slight
est support So far As either teach any fact,
they teach this truth, that the great danger lies
IN Withholding from them proper educstion-
in adopting policy At war with the obligations
Of Humanity and religion, and indefensibe even
on the ground of necessity
"If you educated the colored people" said a
friend when arguing this point, "you necessa-
rily make them acquainted with their rights"
or, added North Csrolinian "rather say with
their wrongs" And are they not acquainted
with both slready7 Think for moment. They
are rational, IL iliterate, and being RATIONAL re-
aect upon what concerns their happiness. III
they SOW, or reap, or 20 to market, IL, by their
exertions, deiicaciss and luxuriss are produced,
II, by the sweat OF their brow, wealth Is created,
and fne buildings are erected, and every comfort
Rsthered In them, they kno1 that their patience /
and toll are spent Cor Others, not for themselves.
and their coarse fare, ana rude gsrb, and lowly |
hsvei make these things livingly present to their
minds. Talk about education making them ac
qusiated with their rights aud wrongs. Friends,
they know them already. But suppose they did
net-~ hat monsirous wrong to the sisve their |
assumption involves. Ii is, thai coIored persons,
must forever be debarred the light Of Gods
wcrd-;he power to read II and study 1t for /
observation-disclosures they cannot otherwise be i
retained in bondage. What. Avow in any
and-ayow in this free land, specially
that .he existence Of system depends on exclu.
ding men from the right 10 "search the scrip
turss"' Proclaim in this sge-proclaim in
Christian America-shat human bondage can
alone live BY denying to slaves the mental light
necessary to know the means whereby "stsrnal
lie" msy be gained. Greater injustice mar
ssuld not do 10 man. But there ss nighsisr