The Charlotte journal. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1835-1851, 1850-05-01

bath done, and there is no respect of per
sons"
Dr. Mcknight explains this passag ge in lb,
following nnte:
Though the word do.Ios properly sirni
hes slave, our English iranslators, in a \ tb,
places where The duties of slaves are iocuI
caIrd, have justly translated il servant: be-
cause ancienl'y the Greeks and Romans had
scarce any servants but slaves, aud because
'he du'ies ot The hired servant, during III,
'ime oi his service, are the same with those
oi the slaves. So that what the apostle sale
10 the slave was, 10 effect, said TO the hire,
servant. Upon these principles, in transa
iIons Of The Scriptures designed for countries
where slavery is abolished and servants are
iieemen, The word douios may, with .;..,,
be frans'ateda servant. iutrrs, uud ,.,s i Jar
ailel passage, (Ephesians, 6, ) the apostle
is very particular in his precepls TO slaves
and lords; because, in all The countries where
slavery was established, many Of the slaves
we're exceedingly addicted 10 fraud, lying,
and stealing, aud many Of their masters were
fyrannical and cruel TO their slaves. Perhaps,
also, he was thus particular in his precer,s to
slaves, because The Jews held perpetual slave.
fy to be unlawful, an ! because the Judaizing
teachers propagated that doctrine in the
Church. But from the apostles prccep,s II
may be inferred that if slaves are Justly ac
qnlred, they may be lawfully retained, as the
Gospel does not make void any of The poi,,.
cal rights Of mankind"
Now, sir, the institution which existed at
the Time when Christianity was proclaimed
was thus recognised as lawful. Ii was pro.
per slavery-pcrpetual slavery-a servilude
ior life, with the obligation of servtude trans.
mIted to The descendants; and permit me to
say, 1t was slavery far more hard, far more
liable 10 reProach, far more deserving con.
demna'ion, than any thing that has ever
existed in this country. Ii was q slave
ry in which bodily hardship was imposed up
on The slaves Of kind and in a degree totally
unknown in any State Of this republic. The
rural slaves often worked in chains, and were
usually turned at night into one common re.
cep'ac'e, in which each had his CELL and
there detained until they were prepared to
resume the labors of the following day. 1t
was slavery in which the domestic servants
we're subject to every species of exac,inn from
hard and lyrannical masters, " hose hearts had
mol been Modified by the benisn nant influences
OF Christianity; and of the three domeslics
they who probably had The hardest lot were
the tyre women, who waited upon the Ro.
man ladies', and who often received the Sc
verrst treatment for any want of skill and
dexter'y in arranging the hair and dresses
of their lovely bu, fas,dious mistresscs, so as
to display their charms 10 the greatest advan
,ago.
took f Up tdpiasaHiiy az HHii found this institution. Ii
denounced oil oppression and cruelty, ana
Incu'cnted justice. forbearance and human
~ iron the master 10 the slave. Ii deman
ded hdeil'y ann v1~I--.,-a from The slave 10
the master. 1t recognised expressly w.. ,ha
master and the slave might, without re proach,
be both members Of the same church-that
believing masters mig have believing slaves:
and i, enforced their relative duties upon the
Gospel principles. Why was it left 10 exis,
in The church, if wrong in ilseI: ! There
was no difficulty at all about emanc PATTON
There restraints upon emancipation were few,
and applied only to special cases. The prin
cipal wero the prohibition 10 emancipa,e TO the
injury Of creditor, the restriction Of emancl-
patton by testament, beyond certain mum.
Der or proportion, and the provision that
emancipation BY persons under twenty years
Of age should be sanctioned by certain re,
spectacle official persons. Such were the
chief restrictions upon emancipation at the
epoch of the Christian revelation.
Nuihing could be easier than for ST. Paul
to have said, " "Slaycs, be obedion, to your
heather masters; but | say to you, believing
masters, emancipa,e your slaves; the law ol
Christ is against that relation, and you are
bound therefore to set them at liberty" Nc
such word is spoken. From that day down
ih e church acted upon precisely the same
principle both before and after the empire
became Chris,ian-,he emperors from time
to time Especially the Christian empr rors
by in,erposng laws for the purpose Of pre-
venting oppression and injustice TO slaves
and he church by her accommodations, at
foIding restraint agains. balbarous usag
/ on the part Of Christian masters.
! Now, Mr.. President, having an institution
among us so ancient, so sanctioned, surely
cannot be tina, it is, in itself, utterly unlawfu
and irrreconciable with the spri, and teach
ings of our divine religion. | cannot cor
ceive, after considering the writings of tn
Apostles and the continued practice Of tn
church, from its earliest and purest times
which recognise slavery as lawful institu
lion, and enforce The duties growing ou. c
II upon both master and slave, how we, VIII
now hold slaves, are TO be put beyond IN
charities Of our race us opprsssors and rot
bers. No, sir; no sir. We stand upo
higher and better ground. We justify no il
Justice, cruelty, OF hardship. We claim lh'
we have just rights recognised by the religo
we profess, as well as by the laws of ih
country in which we live, and that for tn