The examiner. [volume] (Louisville, Ky.) 1847-1849, 1849-03-31

kY.: SATURDAY
= the Kingdom except her own, who, to
1 her justice, seem to have been very tende,l
; treated"
We respectfully ask the editors of Il
s Louisville Journal whether this most poy
e'inl Of all the agents in our sodal system
Is not either nuetral, or srrayed On the sid
oil slavery in Kentucky? But We need nc
ask them: their answer is on record. i
note appended to the long editorial fror
which we have quoted: "a. a
sit is worthy Of remark that The tire
religious papers published in thiscity hav
not been able to see, or, if they have seel
u. have omitted to proclaim tbs law o
God, which. according to some, Command
the abolition Of slavery. And yetit is thei
especial function to persuade and to teacl
men to do tho will and obey the laws o
Tod. Ii is also part of their mission Il
persuade men to respect the right Of others
and they have not interpreted he maxim
OF freedom and equality into an imperative
Injunction 10 set The negso free. We take
Il Tor granted that their conductors all re-
ject this species Of logic; and, if they DO
we hold that they have a perfect right to
preserve tho neutrality on the emancIpa.
tion question they seem to have adopted.
They have wide circulation, and would
be felt il they were to take sides ON the
question" .
The neutrality observed by those reli.
gious journals charactirises therelgious or.
ganisatiohs in that State. Theconstruction
given 10 il. we may learn from this note.
The neutrality Of the Church isinterpreted
to mean, consent-its silence il construed
into an affirmation of the doctrine that
slavery is not repugnant to tie law OF
Christianity. The inference IS legitimate.
The Church is the professed expounder and
advocate Of this Law. To its Keeping are
intrusted the doctrines, institutions, and
usages Of the Christian religion. By its
very constitution it is pledged to action
against every doctrine. institution, usage,
incompatible with them. Ina.ton is treach.
cry. IL is incapable Of maiaeining ner-
trality in the strict sense Of th,tterm upon
any question, involving moral principle
Where il is silent upon any question, the
unavoidable inference is, ether that no
principles involved in the controversy con-
corning such question are repugrnnt to its
principles, or that il is false TO itself and TO
the religion il Processes to regard as Of su-
preme obligation. The Journal will not
charge it with betrayal of trust In regard
to the evil Of Slavery, but infers from its
policy that there is nothing in slavery re.
pugnant to the religion Of which ne Church
is the expounder. Its neutrality, then, in
the Judgment Of the world, is Identical with
hostility TO the cause Of EMANCIPATION.
Contrast this position Of the Protestant
Faith in Kentucky. with the benign policy
OF the Catholic Church in England No
strong agitation, no legislative eHctments,
were required to abolish villsssge: the
Church, with its all.peryading influences,
was laboring. in the fear Of God and love
of man. to accomplish that end, and its
labors were crowned with triumph. Is the
Church so laboring in Kentucky We
speak it in all sincerity, but ia no pirit of
bitterness, it is because the Church has
failed to represent in its fulness and eff.
cheney the reformatory spirit Of Christianity,
that what is called agitation, by other
has become necessary. Evils
are permitted to grow up. unressted by
spiritual influences, till they obtain the
control, not only Of the Church, but all
existing institutions, so that il becomes
necessary, sometimes, to embody The re-
formatory spirit in new organisations. which, |
though efficient for the particular purpose
for which they are established, must be
partial in their action, and more liable to
abuse than if founded with a view to super
wise and promote all the essential interests
Of man. and to guard sgainst all the evils |
10 which heis exposed. The delinquency
Of the Churches lies at the root Of all the
partial, one-sided reforms of the age.
We think we have shown why villenage
was abolished in England without express
legislative enactment, and why here is no
hope Of an early extinction OF slavery in
without agitation ard a system
Of measures independent Of eiisting sects
and parties.