Washington telegraph., 1850-07-03

the South, that there are among them
/ many warm hearts and hands in the cause
of true Christianity There is no State
where such people may not be found,
, aud many of then too. A bond-man
fleeing from them to us, is a case of just
the same kind as would have been pre-
sented among the Hebrews. if a Hebre W
bond-man had fled from the tribe of Judah
TO that of Benjamin. We DO not send
back the refugee from the South to
heathen nation tribe. There is MANY
a Christian master there, and many, too,
who deal with their servants as immor-
tai beings. 1t may be, that the fugitive
has left severe and cruel master, who
will wreak his vengeance upon him for
escaping. And it may be. also, that if
the fugitive takes up his abode here, he
will hnd those who will maltreat him.
! Crimes of this sort have not as yet van
quished from the North. But be the
master as he may, since we of the North
are only other tribes of the same great COM
monwealth, we cannot sit in Judgment
on cruel masters belonging TO different
tribes from our own, and having, Ivy
solemn compact, separate and independ
ent jurisdiction IN respect to all matters
OF justice between man and man, with
which no stranger can on any pretence
whatever intermeddle.
We pity the restored fugitive, and have
reason enough to pity him, when he is
sent back to be delivered into the hands
of enraged cruelty. But if he goes back
to a Ieuient and Christian master, the
matter is less grevious. The response
| h,,W tl,o ~,f
the slave, rests not in the least degree
upon us of the North The Mosaic law
does not authorize us to reject the claims
OF our fe!Iow-countrymen and citizens,
for strayed or stolen property-property
authorized and guaranteed as such 10y
Southern States to their respective ci:i-
Zens. These States are not heathen.-
We have acknowledged them as brethren
anil tell01c-c1tasenS Of the great com
muuity. "A fugitive from them is not
tug tive from the ldolatrous aud polytheis-
tic people. And even If the Bible had
neither said nor implied anything in rela-
ton TO the matter, the solemn compact
which we have made. before heaven aud
earth, 10 deliver up fugitives when they
are men held to SerUice in the State from
whicn they fled, is enough to settle the
question Of legal right on the part of the
master Whatever we may think Of his
claim when viewed in the light of Chris
tlan!ty. But of this, more in the sequel.
In the meantime, | cannot quit this
topic, without adding few remarks on
the assumption, that every STAKEHOLDER
must be denied the title of Christian,
and be denied the regard which is due to
Christian brother 1t is not too much
TO say, that no man, in his sober senses,
can believe or say, that there are no Chris
tians IN the South, who are owners Of
slaves. There are thousands of masters
and mistresses, of exemplary Christian
lives and conversation. There are thou
sands, moreover, who have never been
taught t. doubt, and never have doubted,
the lawfuIness of slavery. They have
felt that they have violated no sacred OBJ
! legation III holding slaves, provided they
should treat them in Christian manner
| Whether they have neglected their duty
III puttiug by all discussion on the subject,
aud all serious examination into it, is
another and different question. [ sup
pose there are Christians elsewhere, be-
sides in the South, who neglect some of
their duties, and who are not absolutely
perfect. If perfection is the only proper
test to Christian state, | fear that we of
the North might have our title to such a
name called in question. But [ will say
all that intend now to say on this sub
ject, by advertlng TO two noble cases,
which may at once serve 20 illustrate and
10 Justify my assertions.
The celebrated and eminent pious
john Newton, of London, was master of
slave ship that went TO Africa several
times under ais command. He tells us,
that until the question was raised in
England, 10y WiIbertorce and others, he
never once had a Coubt in his mind of
the lawfuiness aud propriety of the @ uu-
ca trade. 10 come nearer home; who
does not know that the immortal Ed.
wards-inmorta as much for his great
piety as for his intellectual powers-eft
behind him III manuscript an essay on the
slave trade (probably still extant,) in
which he defended the trade with all his
ability, on the same ground that Moses
required the fugitive heather slave to be
detained, viz, on the ground that it would
bring the perlshing hcathen within the
reach OF Christian influence? That his
logic IN this case would not we'll COM
pare with that IN some of his printed
treaties, l am fully satisfied. But the
simpleand proper question is: Did he in-
tend any wrong? Had he any motives
of self interest which led him to argue as
he did concerning the slave trade? Un-
! hesitatingIy we answer both questions in
the negative. May it not be, then, that
there are some Christians in the South,
who are i'll the same plight in which
! Newton aud he were! For one, | say