The examiner. [volume] (Louisville, Ky.) 1847-1849, 1849-11-17


sanction this traffic, they are guilty Of Ii
same sim.
| The Louisville Journal, speaking Of sli
very, says: Slavery in Kentucky is 81
ciel, moral, and political evil Now,
moral evil is sin. The Examiner, in il
faithful vigilance for admissions Of truth
speaking Of the Journal says: 1T acknowl
edges the sinfulness Of the system--it coul'
nor help doing So .as
Now, when politicians and journalist
themselves, freely admit that slavery is sin
fnl---a truth proclaimed by our foreiathers
and written in the political faith Of on
nation, almost bundled years since, WI
think Christians, and Christian ministers
ought to admit il with much more readiness.
and frankness. This bair-splitting about q
thing being wrong, and yet not sinful, look:
very much like man either wanted can
dor, or else that he was afraid an admission
VI truth would disclose an inconsistency in
practice.
Shall the Christian ministry-the men
who, like Christ their divine eXemplar, are
anointed by the spirit Of God to preach de,
liverance to the captives, 10 set at liberty
them that are bruised, to preach the accept.
able year Qhe Jubilee) of the Lord; -
Luke 4: 1Sl-shall these, the commission.
ed messengers OF love and mercy, with BIZ
BILE IN hand, be the loudest and longest de.
lenders OF the worst tyranny the sun looks
uponi
But to return. When we say that sla-
very is sinful, we do not mean that every
master or mistress, who may sustain the
nominal relation OF master or mistress, is
in heart, OF in the sight Of God. a sinner.
A master may have under his guardianship
minors whom he has willed or recorded
free, when such miners shall have arrived
at adult age. Ora master may have bought
a slave for the purpose Of freeing that slave.
and has not had time to obtain from the
county court deed OF record Of the slaves
manumission; or time TO convey the slave
TO a land or State where the slave can be
free; or some such relation as the cases re.
ierred TO, in which the master or mistress
holds not the fellow-being as property, but
only guardianship for time. Such per-
sons are not guilty Of the sin Of slavehold-
ing. They are only guardians, or redeem
ers, ms Nehemiah, who bought some of his
brethren, in order to secure to them their
freedom. But the law, the common wealth,
The community Of citizens, hold the pur.
chased man as a slave--rob him of his lib.
srty. his personal ownership, and thus ere.
ltes, and peTpetuates relation which, as
we have seen, is sinful. So that slavery,
by whomsoever caused, is always sinful
The community in making and perpetuating
avs which deprive the innocent adult man
,r woman of freedom, are the shareholders
md sinners in such cases. But the man
who will hunt up shadows, where the reali-
y does not exist, for the purpose of evad-
ng the true and practical issue, "whether
wilful and deliberate slavehold. |
ng is sinful or not" shows want OF can
Tor, as We believe. want OF common hon.
.sty in his Investigations fortruth. But the |
question is, lis it wrong, sinful to deprive
peaceful and law abiding man Of his lib
.rty, his right to HIMSELF" We said man.
or, il it is sinful to deprive a white man of
lis liberty, it is equally sinful to deprive
black man Of his liberty, for Christianity
Knows no difference. And We ask that the
Christians--act accordingly; |
eiusing fellowship with those who wilfully
md deliberately practice it. In our next,
We shall attempt to give you reasons show
ng il to be duty. J. G.. FEE.