Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1848-02-25
Giving Bibles to the Slaves.

OiliiS OiUICO ~ llt NIdltS.
At The last Triennial Convention Of the
Free Will Baptisis, held in Vermont, a res
%olution was presented 10 ~evangelize The slave
population of this country. A correspon-
dent Of the .4merican freeman gives the fol-
lowing sketch of the debate that ensued upon
it.
''Resoieed, That, in cur opinion, the time
has fully come, when a society should be Or-
g~anized whose object shall be 10 evangelize
the slave population of this country.
''Rey. h. Noyes. | would propose an
amendment, adding the words and sIavehol-
ding after slave
-. CLANCY. The slave-holding popula-
ton no doubt, needs eyangelisation, but is it
best TO pass such a vote. a minister once
remarked in his prayer on the Sabbath, 'as
thou hast taught US TO pray for our enemies,
we begin with the President Of the United
States The effect was not i good one. So
it might be with such a vote as this.
''H. Estiu. II the amendment be adop-
ted, it will cover more ground than we ina
gin0, for there are northern shareholders as
well as southern shareholders. The opera
tons of the society will embrace both.
1.-The amendment was lost.
"Rev. l.. b. Fairfield. This resolution
may be contemplated from two points ofview:
first, as TO the design of the movement-sec-
ond, as to its practicability. With respect to
the object had in view by the leaders in this
movement-those who have proposed to evan
gclize the slaves-to give them the Bible,
and so on-there is too much reason to be-
lieve that il is a kind Of 'make-believe,' de-
signed 10 enlist in the anli-Slavery enterprise
those who have hitherto stood aloof from the
abolition movement. 1t has been my lot to
attend a number of religious anti-slavery con-
v%entions, the object of which was protested
ly to consider the question, How can the
gospel be applied to the emancipation of the
slaveI To these conventions all Christians
have been publicly invited. But when they
have. assembled, to the astonishment of ina
ny cSNbe warm friends of the anti-slayery
cause, nothing else has been brought forward
In reply to the question than this, We lUiU
give the SiapeS the B,bie.' Not a word has
been said about dlvorcing the church from
this dlabolical system-eXcludlng from the
communion table the slave-holding Chris
tian, and from the pulpit the slave-holding
minister. Not a word has been uttered in
favor of disteiIowshipping the sin or the sim
ner in any form, but simply this, Give the
slaves the Bible. Now, Bro. Moderator, the
point hitherto Of the anti-slavery enterprise
has been this-First emancipaie the slave,
giving back to him his humanity, and then
1t will be time to talk about giving him any
thing else. Give TO the slave the Bible!-
Let US rather give to him in the first place
the hands with which to handle 1.-THE mind
with which to understand it, and the heart
with which TO believe it. His limbs are not
his own, nor his head, nor his soul. How
preposterous then to change the issue, and
divert attention from the great object which
hitherto we have kept in view, and talk sim
ply of giving the Bible to him who owns not
himself! And now a word upon the practi-
cability Of the thing. 1t can not be DONE
There is no law against it, it is true; but prac-
tically there would be as much peril in at
tempting to give the slave the Bible, and re-
ligious instruction, as l%ecturing publicly on
the duties of immediate emancipation. A
man would travel as safely in the southern
states with his saddle-bags full of abolition
documents for circulation among the slave
holders, as to have them filled with Bibles
and Testaments for the slaves. They would
be as likely to execute Lynch law upon the
one as upon the other. Shareholders who
are virulently opposed to the doctrines OF
emancipation, will readily understand the OBJ
!, iect Of giving them the Bible. Indeed, the
resolutions passed in the convention referred
to. distinctly stated that the Bible was 10
= be given them for The purpose IF ultimately
wOrking out their emancipation. This being
; the end, they will oppose this means as
= promptly and vigorously as they would any
other. Nay, sir, | venture to say that suct
is the temperament Of the south, and of the
= shareholders generally, that they would fee
: less indignant should you talk Of using the
sword, or Of freeing their slaves at the poin
!, of the bayonet, than TO adopt such an indi
= rect and apparently underhanded eXPedien
. as this project ~contemplales. The plan pro
y posed seems like abandoning the old ground
of warfare with SIarery itself, and virtually
saying, give the slave the Bible, and We vii
waive the question of self-ownership.
y ''Rev. DR.. CLANCY. My own mind is ir
J difficulty with respect 10 the praclicability o
; the measure proposed. But | must dlfe
somewhat with the brother last up, in regar
: to the motives Of those who have favored hi
! movement. | have attended some meeting
held with reference to this object, and what
ever may be the design of some, others (ant
" among them some of the most tried friend
Of the siave) are sincere in this matter.
\ have conyersed with the Tappans and other
y, in New York. They are tried and ster
- friends Of the anti-slavery cause. Their de
" sign has been 10 bring out some of the lei
-, ding societies on this subject. The Amer
" can Bible Society when pressed hard, col
u scented ii funds were provided for this pu
. pose, 10 circulate the Bible among the slave
/ The abolitionlsts took them at their woT