The examiner. [volume] (Louisville, Ky.) 1847-1849, 1848-03-25
COMMUNICATIONS.


Inc Dloie Is oiten appeared 10 I'D )uShh-
cation OF American slavery. Ii has been
examined from Genesis to Revelations, and
many Of the facts which it records are con-
sidered couoboratlve OF the views OF pro-
slavery men. The writer does not deny
that there are in the scriptures lIequen' al
lusiOns to servants, servitude, &c. These
illusions are TO be found in the Old Tesla
meni and in the New. A sacred regard 10
truth demands this concession, and ii Is un-
hesitatngIy made But, it must be admit
ted, and il will be admitted, by every un-
preludiced mind, that before any legitiraate
or even plausible appeal can be made TO
the bible in vindication OF American slave
ry, it must be shown that there is an analO-
gy between the system OF servitude referred
to in the scriptures, and the system OF slave
ny as it exists in many OF the States Of this
Union. Can this analogy be shown This
IS the question. Let it be imparially con-
s;dered. The advocates of slavery triumph
antly refer to PatriaIrhal custom. They
say that Abraham 1.-The friend Of God, and the
Father Of the faithful. was STAKEHOLDER.
They quote from Genesis, xvii, II, Is; land
he that is eight DAYS old, shall be circumcised
among you. every man-child in your gener-
atoms; he that Is born in the house, OF
bought with money Of any stranger, which
is not of thy seed. he thai is born in thy
house, and he that is bought with thy mon
ey, must needs be circumclSed." The plu
chase Of servants lrith money IS regarded as
the strong point in the quotation. But IL
surely does not follow of necessity that per-
sons bought with money were reduced to a
condition like that OF American slaves.
They might have been bought and sold, and
bought again, without being placed in such
a condition. Ii is not contended that dll-
ference Of color laid the basis Of the system
of servitude in Patriarchal times. That
there uas difference Of color is not IN proof.
Servitude in the family OF Abraham must
have differed materially from modern slave
ny. The most prominent occurrence rela
ted, in which his servants took part. iully
iustifes this opinion. From the fourteenth
chapter OF Genesis, We learn that several
kings. going forth on plundering excur
SION, desolated the vale OF SiddIm, captur
ed Lot, and took possession Of his goods
What did Abraham do! He earned HI:
trained servants, born in his own house
three hundred and eighteen, and he pursued
them unto Dan. And he divided himsel
against them, he and his servants by night
and smote them" Would any American
STAKEHOLDER, placed in similar circumstau
stances, act as Abraham did, Would il b
safe to adopt his policy Do not legisla
tive acts in slave States, recognize the dan
ger Of the lives Of masters, if their slave
are permitted to carry weapons What say
the Virginia code? a slave is not allowe'
to keep or carry weapon. Smlla pro
hibitons are Ia be found in the statutes d
other States. There certainly was no sue
regulation in Abraham's family. lie ha
: many servants, and we are authorized to II
, fer that they were his only attendants in h
pursuit of the robber kings. The darkne:
Of night came upon them in their exPed
ton. and the servants might have mad
2 their escape with the utmost ease. had the
been so disposed. They might have relea:
: ed themselves from their servile obligation
5 to Abraham, but they did not. Why NOT
/ Evidently because the most repulsive lei
{ lures in the system OF American slavery Ia
no place in the sevitude OF the Patriarch'
a age. The two systems are so dissimil;
0 that it de6es the ingenuity Of man to idenI
= ~ them. And il this be true. Patriarchi
n practice does not justify the slavery Of mo-
y ern times. Reasoning from analogy IN
a plies previous establishment OF the anal
i gy. lf this is not done, deductions, howe
y er numerous and plausible, are as worthle
e as dross. They can all be swept ava
IF 'like the baseless fabric Of vision
Il A SourHERS KENrUcXiAS.