The examiner. [volume] (Louisville, Ky.) 1847-1849, 1847-09-18
..-...s.s~ns Win Jssstes Md
SLAVERY iced Policy,

slavery tses..ssses:n Ss;c.
proped bv q Speech Delirersd IN the Con-
sa,;on held at Ddmrilte, Kentucky ;
D. u, Rr. DAVID RIcr-l792.
(coScLupEDD
From the passage in Genesis it is ar
-. hv the advocates of perpetual slavery,
{ g., s;nce Abraham had servants born IN
t a"' touS. and bought with money. they
''s haya been servants for life, like our
%aaroe, and hence they conclude, that II
!. lawful for Us to purchase heather ser
So and # they have children born in
oar houses 10 make them servants also.
En- the law of Moses it is argued, that
- I,r,aEtes were authorized 10 leave the
children of their servants, as an lnherl-
,.rc. 70 their own children forever: and
b.rcs !, IS inferred, that We may leave
,bs children of our slaves, as an lnheri-
,.nce 10 our children forever. If this was
;onoral in itself. a ust Con would never
have given il the sanction OF his authority
and 4 lawful in itself. We may safely fol-
lou the example of Abraham, or act ac-
cording TO the law OF Moses.
None hope, will make this objection,
bnt those who believe these writings to be
Of divine authority: for if they are not so,
# IS li,tle 10 the purpose 10 introduce them
here. Ii YOU grant them TO be divine au-
thoritv. you will also grant, that they are
consistent with themselves, and that one
passage may help 10 explain another.
tirant me this, and then | reply to the OBJ
lection.
In the l2th verse of the eth of Genesis,
Nc find that Abraham was commanded to
circumcise all that were born in his house,
ar bought with money. We find in the
SEQUEL OF the chapter, that he obeyed this
command without delay; and actually cir
cumcised every male in his society, who
came under this description. This law OF
circumcision continued in force; il was not
repealed, but confirmed by the law of Mo.
>es.
Now, 10 the circmncised were commit
ted the oracles of God and CIRCUMCISION
vas token Of that covenant by which
among other things, the land OF Canaan,
and their various privileges in it, were
promised to Abraham, and his seed; 10 all
that were included in that covenant. All
were included to whom circumcision, which
was the token Of the covenant, was admin
isleIed agreeably 10 Gods command. By
divine appointment, not only Abraham and
his natural seed, bur he that was bought
with money Of any stranger that was not OF
his seed, was circumcised. Since the seed
Of the stranger received the token Of this
covenant, We must believe, that he was in
cluded, and interested in il; that the bene-
fits promised were to be conferred on him.
These persons bought with money were mo
longer looked upon as mcircmcised and
unclean, as aliens and strangers; but were
Incorporated into the church and nation OF
the Israelites; and became one people with
them; became Gods covenant people
Whence it appears, that suitable provision
was made by the di-ine law that they
should be properly ed ted, made free, and
enioy all the common privileges of cit
zens. 1t was by the divine law enjOined
upon the lsraelites, thus TO circumclse all
the males born in their houses then If the
purchased servants in question had any
children, their masters were bound by Law
10 incorporate them into their church and
nation. These children then were the ser
wants Of the Lord, in the same sense as the
natura descendants of Abraham were anC
therefore, according to the law, Lev. xxv
IL, So, they could not be made slaves
The passages Of scripture under consldera
ton were so far from authorizing the lsra
elites to make slaves Of their servants chill
dren, that they evidently forbid il; am
therefore are so far from proving the lawful
ness Of our enslaving the children Of tn
Africans, that they clearly condemn tn
practice as criminal.
These passages Of sacred writ have beef
wichediy pressed into the service of Nam
mon. perhaps more frequently than an
others; but does il not lvw appear, tia
these weighty pieces Of artillery may h
fairly wrested from the enemy, and turne
upon the hosts of the Mammonities, Wit
very good effect
The advocates of slavery should hav
observed, that in the law Of Moses refeue
TO, there is not the least mention made (
the children Of these servants, or any thin
about them. No doubt. some OF them ha
children, but il was unnecessary to mel
ton them; because they were already Pr
yided for, by the law Of circumcision.
To eItend the law of Moses to the Chi
dren Of these servants, is arbitrary and pr
samptuous; il is making them include mut
more than is expressed or necessarily II
piled in the text. Ii cannot be necessari
implied in the expression, They shall
your bond men torerer because the VIC
tor,rer is evidently limited by the nature
The subject; and nothing appears, by viii,
it can be more properly limited, than q
life Of the servants purchased. The sen
then is simply this, they shall serve y
and your children as long as they live.
We cannot certainly determine he
these persons were made servants at frs
nor is necessary We should. Whether tn
were persons who had forfeited their libel
by capital crimes or whether they had
volved themselves in debt by folly and {
tfavagance, and submitted to serve dun
their lives, in order to avoid a greater calar
~; Or whether they were driven to that l
cesslty in their younger DAYS, for want
iriends to take care OF them, we cannot te
This, however, we NAV be sure OF, that
lsraelites were not sent by law TO matte
three thousand miles distant, who were n
ther doino NOR ,,,sI,,a,,,,, oo,-,h an o~o;