The examiner. [volume] (Louisville, Ky.) 1847-1849, 1849-11-03

laws vi Huluic, thus CuioSiHg all utCeus
n and justice. and degrading and oppressir
e thousands upon thousands OF beings create
like themselves in the image Of the Mo
i High God. THIS is SLAVERY, as il is dali
b exhibited in every slave State" -Africa
g Repository, 1884.
!, Again he says:
"Out upon such folly! The man VIII
cannot see that involuntary domestic slave
ny, as it exists among us, is founded upo
the principle of taking by force that whicI
is another's, has simply no moral sense.
again, in meeting of the citizens o
rayette county, in the Courthouse, at Lex
lngtOn, in the month Of - 1849
called to consider the question of The per
peluation Of slavery in this Commonwealth
and addressed by Henry Clay and r. J
Breckenridge, on motion Of the latter, tn.
following resolution was adopted:
Resolved, That hereditary, domestic
slavery as il exists among us
l. SIS hostile to the prosperity of the
Commonwealth.
2. at is inconsistent with a state Of
sound morality.
3. at is opposed to the fundamental
principles of free government.
4. ''lT is CONTRARY TO THE RIGHTS OF
MANKIND"
short time previous, On the floor Of the
Convention which met in Frank fort 10 de.
wise plans for the abolition Of slavery,
speaking Of human rights he said 1.-THE
dearest Of all rights to man is a right to
himself; and it slavery is the most afro.
C Gus Of all evils"
This, the writer heard and noted at the
time. And those who read his able address
as reported, saw similar sentiments.
The Synod Of Kentucky, 10 that able
address to the Presbyterisns of Kentucky,
delivered in 1885. said:
III slavery be sinful, Cur duty is to rid
ourselves of all participation in the sin
which it involves, whether the ooloniziDg
scheme snail prosper or fail. And that il
is sinful is as certain as that the light of
Gods truth has shone upon our world"
Can human testimony make the case
stronger? And it should be remembered
that these are Southern men testifying-
men who cannot be charged with not know
ing what slaveryis.
We might add list Of statesmen and di.
vines from other lands. still more numer-
oUs, but few will suffice
Adam Clark, in bis comments, says: ain
heather countries slavery was in some sort
excusable; but among Christians il is an
enornity and crime, for which perdltion
mas scarcely an adequate state Of punish
mentt"
John Wesley, speaking OF the natural
rights Of the slave says; Liberty is the
right Of every human creature. as soon as
be brealhes the air; and no human creature
can deprive him Of that light which he de-
tives from the law OF nature"
And in view OF the fact that slavery de
prives man OF all his natural rights, he
styles il 'the sum of all villainies"
3. As the Bible is the highest authority,
the standard Of right and wong, and the
final appeal, we prove that slavery is sin
full by its teaching.
AS Milton has suggested in the primitive
grant gwen to man, God gave him domin-
ion over the fish of the sea, the birds OF
the air, and the beasts Of the field; but over
man he gave not dominioD-'msn over
man he made not Lord"
Gods delverance Of the children OF Is
rael out Of the hands Of the oppressor, in
q manner so miraculous and terrific, is
declaration OF his adherence OF the princi-
pie Of oppression, too clear ever TO be mis-
understood. Hence. Immediately we find
the inspired lawgiver warning the people
mot to oppress the stranger"-those dwell
ing in the land they were about TO take
possession Of, as well as all other people |
not Jews. Thou shalt neither vex a
stranger. MOI Cypress him; for ye were
strangers in the land OF Egypt. If thou
afflict them in anywise, and they cry at all
unto me, will surely hear their cry; and
my wrath shall wax hot, and | will kill
JoG w:,h the sword; and your wives shall
be widows, and your children f Ga;;sscc:!le..
All men know that to enslave is to Cypress. |
Alterward when He gave more specific |
Iaws--a code for the whole human family, |
he ten sndments, in the last one He
guarded all Of mans rights, by forbidding
nan to covet anything which is his neigh |
Dors. Upon this we remark
/. The word neighbor as here usec,
means any one and every one Of the human
iamiIy. This is the primary import Of the
original Hebrew word translated neighbor.
urther, we know the moral law was no,
yiven to protect the rights, or to regulate the
conduct OF any one class of men towards
another, but to protect tho rights and regu.
late the conduct Of ALL men. This will
not be disputed. Therefore, the word neigh
Dor, as here used, means any one and every
one Of the human family.
2. The moral law, like every other law,
comes not to invest rights but to protect
rights already existing. 1t presupposes that
man as man has certain rights to be guard
ed, not given by the decalogue. /
3. Among these rights is that Of personal
ownership. or liberty. For it must be re-
membered that the children Of Israel were
then at the foot Of Mt. Sinai, having no
statute law; yet when God gave that code,
which, as Blackstone says, is the base OF
all codes, he recognized there, that man had
rights already vested-a right to himself
before the law was given; and for the pro-
lection OF which rights, tho law was insti-
tuted. The moral law then presuPposes
that man as man, has right 10 personal
security-to the proceeds Of his labor-his
property. and to personal ownership; for in