The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1850-03-22


their slaves with humanity and give their free
dom, when their services merit such favor"
ask the attention OF the Senate brief passage from
the sixth chapter Of Ephesians II is in these words
Seryants be obeden, 10 them that your
cording the esh with fear and trembling, in singleness
a a. = s Of cs sns he viii
od from the hearts with good will doing service, as 70 the
man dosb io ss .hs he ysssye o as
whether he be bond or free"
The passage is thus paraphased by Dr. Mcknight in
his Commentaries
"As the Gospel does not cancel The civil rights of man
,he property OF your body with lear and uemblng as la
rom the integrity q your @ own WI disposition, as o6eyns
Christ.
your work. Is those do whose sole Is
g please men but as bondnen Of Christ doing the wiz
"With cheerfulness do your duty your earthly
tes servants 20 the Lord Christ for in serving them
yourselves servants men only And that ye may be
supported under the hardshps Of lot recoect what
does for that, though he should receive reward
from men, he shall receive At the Judgment reward from
Christ, whether he be slave or a freeman"
will trouble the Senate with one more quotation. II
is from the third chapter Of Collossians:
Seryans obey in all things your according 10
the flesh; not with eye-sefvce mcnpleasers but in
do il heartily, the Lord and men knowing
that Of the Lord shall receive the reward Of the Inherit
7nce, for the Lord Christ Bur he that dostn
wrong shall receive for the which he hath done and
there Is no respect OF persons"
Dr. Mcknight explains this passage in the following
note:
Though the word douos properly signiae. slave our
English anslators, In all places where duties Of
slaves incncated have justly translated Il be-
sfaves and because the duties OF hired
servant during the lime Of his service, the with
slave in effect said TO the hired servant Upon these
principles, in transa,ions Of the Scriptures designed o
countries where slavery Is abolished and servants
.ifeemen the word dontos may with truth, be trans
lated In this and the parallel passage, Ephe
lords because in all the countries where sla
vsIy was ssabhed many Of the slaves Were exceedingly
iyrannca and cruel their slaves Per-
because The Jews held perpetual slavery to Be unlawful
and because the Judazng teachers propaga,ed that doc
rne in the church But from the postes precepts may
be inferred that il slaves justly acquired. they be
retained as the Gospel does not make void any
Of the political rights of mankind"
Now, sir, the institution which existed at the time
when Christianity was proclaimed was thus recognised
as lawful II was proper slavery-perpetual slavery-a
servtude for life. with the obligation oi servltude trans
slavery far hard, far liable 10 reproach far
more deserving condemnation than anything that has
existed N this country IL was slavery in which the
master had the power of life and death his slave
II was slavery in which bodily hardship imposed
upon the slaves OF kind and in degree totally
known 10 any State OF this republic The rural slaves
often worked In CHAINS, and were usually turned at night
into one common receptacle in which each had bis CELL
and there detained until they prepared 10 the
aD0rs OF lne 1OloWlng IL slavery IN winch
the domestic servants subject to every species OF
exacton from hard and tyanncai masters whose hearts
bad not been Modified by the benignant influences OF
Christianity and of these domestcs they who probably
had the hardest lot were the Tyre women. who waited
upon the Roman ladies', and who often received the
verest treatment Tor any want OF skill and dexerity IN
arranging the hair and dresses OF their lovely but fasd
misesses, TO display their charms to- the great
est advantage
So Chrslaniy found this institution Ii took up as
an existing relation OF life II denounced all oppression
and cruelty, and inculcated JUSTICE orbearance, and hu
many. from the the slave II demanded fidelity
and obedience from the slave TO the master IL recognised
expressly that the and the slave might, without
reproach, be both members OF the chuchthat be-
leyng might have believing slaves; and il
s x dunes 70 20 each es % be gsf
wrong in iiselfl There was no difficulty at all about
emancipation The restraints upon emancipation were
w ns ssd Sny e
or, the restriction OF emancipation BY testament beyond
certain number or proportion, and the provision that
emancipation by persons under twenty years OF age
should be sanctioned BY certain respectable official per
Such the chief restrictions upon emancipation
al the epoch Of the Christian revelation.
Nothing could be easier than for ST. Paul to have said
/" Slaves be obedent TO your heahen masters; but say
TO you believing masters, emancipate your slaves the
law OF Christ is against that relation, and you bound
spoken. From that day down, the church acted upon
precisely the principeboh before and after the
empire became Christan--the smperors from time TO
time Especially the Christian emperors) by nteposing
laws for the purpose OF preventing oppression and njus
tce TO slaves and the church by her Accommodation,
afordng restraint against barbarous usage the part
OF Christian masters
Now, Mr.. President, having an institution among us
ancient sanctioned, surely II cannot be that il is, in
itself, utterly unlawful and irreconclabe with the spirit
and teachings OF our divine religion. cannot conceive
after considering the writings OF the apostles and the
continued practice Of the church. from its earliest and
purest times which recognise slavery as a lawful in
stnron, and enforce the duties growing out OF upon
both master and slave, how we, who hold slaves,
be put beyond the charities OF oppres.
sors and robbers. No, sir no, sir. We stand upon
higher and better ground We justify injustice. cru
city, or hardship We claim that we have just rights
recognised by the religion we profess, as well as by the
possession and Just OF them should incur
proach here and hope shall incur hereafter
though freely admit that the trust conded 10 Us is
high and important one that Tor the manner IN which
discharge IL, must give account hereafter, not
because possess exercise auhoritythat 10 right ;
thai is proper; that regiousbut for having
been aithless-if aithless shall be found-to the
great duties which the Gospel inculcates to the mode
in which that authority to be used, and the just re-
slraints TO be laid upon it.
have not made these remarks because suppose that
they will produce conviction upon the minds OF gentle
men who take opposite views; nor do suppose that
such conviction can be produced but wish those gen.
emen to understand that do not stand in the attitude
Hagran robbers and opressos, who have apparent
reason and justification Tor our conduct To my mind
the law ILLNESS OF This institutions the Christian point OF
view, is clear demonsrable, demonstrated. Gentlemen
may say "We do not agree have the idea that that
would that others should do unto you' forbids you to
hold slave" He who gave that law Of charity under
the Old Testament, and who explained and enforced II
under the New, did not declare such n Judgment and