The examiner. [volume] (Louisville, Ky.) 1847-1849, 1848-04-15

we do feel, and, therefore. speak in goo
will TO your own interests, and those whic
should hold us in the strongest bonds {
, Christian affection.
With this one saying of Christ in our B
BILE aye are all brethren and have one Ma.
ter. even Christ" it would seem that ind
vidual responsibility and freedom, were 10
clearly established to leave a Christian in
moments doubt as TO his duty. But tn
subject has been investigated, its lendenc,
noticed, and the result is, that il has beer
cast out OF the brighter portions OF Chris
tendon, while even Mahometans have SO
verely rebuked the remnant who still persis
in this traffic. in bodies and souls. The
increase Of scientific and gospel light mus
soon leave this relic Of paganism without
the shadow OF plea OF excuse. You see
already how your attempt to shield the in
stiiution from reProach by the examples
quoted from the darker dispensalion, only
exposes the argument or the book from which
II is produced. to an unbounded contempt,
and gives infdellty currency among thai
better class in the community, where it
would never have found place, but for this
unhallowed union of the pure compassion OF
the gospel, with the horrors Of State Of ex.
istence uniting for him who beap the image
OF God. What if wars in their bloOdiest
forms, Polygamy in its disgusting bearing
against domestic peace, and servitude under
many limitations were winked at for the
time being. you will not as Christians, you
cannot suffer these illusions, to eclipse the
glory Of His doctrine whose first text was,
"The spirit Of the Lord is upon NE because
he hath anointed me to preach the gospel
to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the
broken hearted, to preach deliverance to the
caPtives, and recovering of sight to the
blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised.
Luke 4. Is.
We have no disposition to upbraid you
Tor cruelty TO your slaves more than such
relationship makes necessary. On the
contrary We are ready to grant, that in
many Of your families these domestics are
not only treated as human beings but as
Christians. All this is acknowledged, in
word at least. when the hand Of fellowship
is extended TO them, on their union with the
church. But will you for moment look
at this solemn scene and endeavor TO enter
into the feelings OF him whom you now rec
ognise as brother in Christ The pastor
takes by the hand the newly baptized An
glo-African and says in the presence and
behalf Of the witnessing church, dear
Brother. | give you this right hand of lel-
lowship in behalf Of this church, not as an
article Of commerce as you have always
viewed yourself, but as human being and
as Christiam, and as baptised Chris
tian to equal fellowship in the church,
The feeling Of confidence inspired by
such an address and token il viewed as sin
cere must raise this degraded being to new
and overwhelming conceptions Of his nigh
destiny. Blu, the hour Is passed., and he
resumes. contrary to all that was expressed
in this fellowship. his lomer place among
other articles, the value Of which is to be
estimated in dollars and cents. II that
soul has been really enlightened by the Cos
pei, what must he now think OF his condi-
lion, Of you. and the power over him
which you still claim, Ii seems cruel
to lei the light Of truth she'd the momentous
reality upon him, that be has soul held
in responsibility to its Maker, and that no
other being has right to interfere with the
obligation he owes to his Maker. Or would
you deem it more prudent to shut out the
light and keep him still insensible of the
fact that he is not beast Can a Baptist
do this. What, but this very evil Of inc
quality ground down the spirit Of your and
our forelathers when compelled to support a
religion they did not believe! The fines in
fiicted and the prosecutions endured, were not
the evils they most abhoned: but the interpo-
sition of fellow man stepping in between
their souls and consciences, and their God
and the attempt to break Oft the privilege
Of their allegiance to Heaven. | shall
hardly think the native independence Of q
kentuckian, especially OF kentuckian
Baptist, could endure such a presumption
Then remember that this deep feeling in
your breast may have some little place in
the breast Of your slave. This is a matter
Of conscience with which the curl Of the
locks and the color OF the skin have moth
ing to do. He who breathed into man The
breath of life. on which he became a liv
ing soul, gave peculiar impress Of his owl
image which no argument can falsiiy o.
money Obliteraie, and even the attempt Il
l erase this broad line Of demarcation betweei
the beast and the man, is an assumption o
a divine prerogative, and indeed presume
to do that which the Eternal has made i'm
practicable. Ii appears TO US impossible Il
look with appreciation on this institutior
without desiring to erase from the humal
soul the image Of God, and to render nuga
tory to large portion Of man. that bloc
which was shed on Calvary. A "Bayti,
slaue-holder,' What a combination Q
words. o. let it be expunged from the Ian
guage in which We made our baptismal cor
confession and in which we pray
Dear brother, perhaps you indulge III
thought and thence find plea that we do NJ
feel toward you as Christians should. b,
we assure you that we are not your enemis
|. because We tell you the truth. We feel ft
you, and presume there are those VIII
think they have done what they could.
clear themselves from the awful resp0ns
: bility which they know rests somewher
: But have you as Christians felt and invest
! gated as deeply as you should have done
Have you thought that your slave is II
person whom the scriptures say you shoul
love as yourself? Has your influence
. every relation, to correct all the wrongs