Burlington hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1845-185?, 1850-11-28
~ For the Burlington Hawk.Eye.
second Apology for, Opposition to the Fugitive


ciples advanced in former article may not be out
Of place. Our position is that the right of proper
ty in man is neither recognized nor supported by
the Constitution Of the u. S., or by the Christian
Religion.
l. The preamble to the Constitution sets forth
among its objects the following, viz: to sssecure
the blessings Of liberty to ourselves and our pos
terity.'' Now is it for one moment to be suppos-
ed, after such statement, that our Fathers should
have been stultited, as to have recognized or
supported the doctrine of property in man. Creddt
JudGus Apela mon ego. The people Of the u States,
Of 1879, who established this Con stituton, sim
cerey and firmly believed that Slavery would grad
ualy cease in every part of the land. In evidence
of this, may refer to the fact, that the ordinance
of 's7, prohibiting slavery in all territory then be-
longing to the U. S., received the unanimous vote
Of every State, with the exception of single ind
vidual vote, and that given by Northern man. sit
has," says Mr. Webster, sthe hand and seal Of eve
ry Southern member in Congress-" s.I have re-
peatedly heard it,'' says late writer, s.frOm the
lips Of some of the trainers and sgners of the Con-
stituton, that it then universally understood
among all the States who formed it, that Slavery
to be got rid of, just it could be done
peaceably and with safety. All the public docu-
ments Of that period do in fact testify to ths''-
100 Says Hon. r. c. Winthrop, cit is favorite
policy, know, of some of the ultrsists in my own
part of the country, to stgmatize the Constitution
pro-slarery contract. deny it, Sir. / hold,
the other hand, that it is pro-lberty compact
the most effective pro-iberty compact which the
world has ever seen, Magma Charta not excepted
and one which every friend to liberty-human
liberty, or political libeity-ought steadfastly to
maintain and suppor.'' Speech in last session Of
Congress, in H. of R.) 1t is to be acknowledged
with shame that the practice of the U. S. govern
ment has not always been in ccordance with these
principles. Degeneracy has marked our course.
Once the whole country was anti-s!avery: now pro-
slavery advocates are numerous, not only in the
South, but also in some portions of the North. BY
the course Of her representatives, at Washington,
the whole influence OF Iowa in the National Coun-
ellis, from the beginning Of her existence as State
has been for slavery. Is not this just ground Of
complaint to freemen? And is it not proper for us
to advocate return to the sentiments and expec-
tations Of our ancestors? And are we not called
upon to oppose in all honorable ways new pro-
slavery law? And ought not the command, .sto as
er words, to be slavccatchers-tod do that upon the
soil Of the free States, which if we should be found
doing upon the high seas would subject us to cap
ital punishment-ought not this command to re-
ceive the decisive indignation of every good citi-
cent Where in the Constitution have the people
Of the u States Authorized their public servants to
issue such command?
>. The relation OF Christianity TO slaveholding
is indicated, we suppose, in the following state
ment Of Neander, who is deservedly called the
most distinguished church father OF age. eThe
Fundamental principle OF the Christian community
is, that there shall be no other subordnaton than
that Of its members to God and Christ and that this
shall be absolute while, in regard to each other,
they are to he upon the footing of complete equal
ity, (Lfe Of Christ, b. 4. P. . c. ~ Hence says
the same writer in his his history Of the Christian
Religion in the first three centuries, Is. 3) @The
masters looked upon their servants no longer as
slaves, but as their beloved brethren.o The early
Christian Emperors took religion under their pat
ronage. Among other laws, they forbade the trans
action of business, and especially proceedings at
law, on the Iords's day, with the exception, says
Bingham, (An,iquites of the Church D. 90 {. 2. S.
- Of the manumisson of slaves. Slavery, says
the article in the Penny Cyclopndia upon the sub
ject has been gradually abo shed by all Christian
states, at least in Europe. The only slaves in Eu-
rope Christians, who have been nslaved by the
Turks. The Koran forbids Mus unan to ensiave
one OF his own faith. AS carly as 1858, some Of
the German emigrants in Pennsylvania :.came TO
the resolution, says Bancroft ". . p 4oI) that it
not lawful for Christians to buy or to keep ne
gro saves.' And from N. England to Carolina,
OF the early part of the last century, s.the notion
prevailed, that being baptized is inconsistent with
state of sIavery.' Intelligent Christians in the
South generally are far from differing with here.
Said Rev. J. c. Stiles, one of the brightest orna-
ments and most beloved ministers of the Prcsbyte-
Iian Church, at the last General Assembly at De-
trot. 1--WE do not hold that slaveholding is either
Bible institution, or that it receives Gods high
sanction. On the contrary, unlike every such in
stitution, it was not planned by God, does not nat
urally tend to the good Of society, and will assn
redly fall before the gospel.' l cannot forbear
quoting another extract from Mr. Stiles speech,be-
cause of the light it throws upon the duty of Chris
tians to disregard unjustlaws. "In most of the
southern States there exists an old law, which for
bids that . slave should be taught to read. When
a boy, well remember my conviction of the ter
riblc authority of this edict. To violate this law
was considered dangerous. But the feeling is
changed. 1t has long been common to see the chill
dren of a southern family employed in teaching the
servants to read. When a southern legislature re-
vived this obsolete law, Christian public sentiment
at the South felt if Cesar moved to put away the BIZ
BILE from the servant, Gods people must move, as
best they can, to bring it back. consequent i'm
pulse given 10 oral instruction. Hundreds of
servants learn to read now where none taught
before. And hundreds of copies of the Scriptures
distributed among the slaves at this day. which
would never have been received if the old law had
been permitted to sleeps And similar ,,,outtess,
will he the result of reviving the almost obsolete
law Of l793. 1t overleaps the mark. Says Prof.
Stuart, after enumera,ing some Of the evils Of sa-
very: s.When a true hearted Christian runs his
eye over such an assembage of evils, is it posi-
BILE that he can have a doubt as to what Christiani
ty demands? Can he doubt whether all this is low
ing our neighbor as ourselves, or doing as we
would be done by? No-no-it is not possible"
Even Rev. DR. Thornwell of Charleston, s. c.. says
in sermon, preached last May at the dedication of
church for the benefit of the Colored population,
<Slavery is part of the curse which sin has intro
duced into the worlds Those who would see the
judgment of the Christian world generally, upon
the sin of slavery, are referred to Wayland's Nor
al Science, up. eos-2ls. and to the second volume