Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1850-02-27

liver up fugitive slave? How different
would be the condition Of slaves, and how
soon would slavery itself cease, were this
the law of compulsory bondage among us -
From these remarks it appears that DIR.
Wayland understands lha, the law in ques-
ton inerdcls, in the most unlimited man
ner, the surrender Of fugitive slaves. This
construction is at variance with the tenth
commandment of the Decalogue, 'Thou
shalt not covet thy neighbour 's--man-
servant, nor his maidservant." If from the
mere circumstance of servants leaving his
master and going to his masters nelghbor.
that neiyhbor is commanded not to deliver
him to his master, what more could he have
if he did coyet him !? Under such a law
should man happen to covet his neighbor's
servant, this law would furnish strong
temptation to commit another sin, to bribe,
or offer inducements TO his neighbours SER
want to escape and come to him. Yet it is
written, lie. no man say when he is tempt
ed, am tempted of God for God canno
be tempted with evil, neither tempteh he
any man" But if God has enacted, "Thou
shalt not covet thy neighbor's servant" anc
then has enacted, Thou shalt not deliver
unto his nasler the servant which is escap-
ed from his master unto thee" meaning
both laws 10 apply to the same case. see
not how the conclusion can be avoided
that there is strong temptation offered &c
covet and enlice. ] cannot, therefore, be-
lieve that the God with whom we have tc
do, enacted two such meanings.
The first commandment in the Judicial
law, EXODUS XXI chapter, I'd verse.) is in
these words "lf thou buy Hebrew ser.
want, six years he shall serve: and in the
seventh he shall GO out free for nolhing.'
Subsequent laws provide dnly for the pro
lection Of servants. Exodus, XXI chapter
2Oth verse, ''If man smite his servant, or
his maid with a rod, and he die under hi:
hand; he shall be surely punished.n 26th
and 9th verses, ''If man smie the eye OF
his servant or the eye of his maid, tha, il
perish, he shall let him 60 free for his eyes
sake. And if he snlite out his man-ser.
wants tooth, or his maid-servanl's tooth
he shall let him 60 free for his tooth:
sake.n
|
The crime which subjected Hebrew to
sale under the above law, with the above
limitations, was theft.
II is laid down in Exodus. XXI, a, the
Sd verse, '.IIe should make full restitution
if he have nothing then he shall be sold
for his theft"
This constitutes very plain case. The
magistrate sells man as punishment fol
theft, and for the further puspose Of raising
upon the value of his future services, mo-
nev wherewith to make restitution to the
party who has suffered loss. He is bough
under the law, 'Sx years he shall serve.'
The cases in which, by the nnic.ion Of in
jures upon his person, the purchasers title
shuI be voided, are clearly specified. And
yet, according TO DR.. Way land, another en-
aclment comes in here, which operates as
an incentive to this thief to run away, ant
offers him the fullest liberty and protection
in case he does so; and that without pro-
viding any mode of indemnify to the IN.
jured purchaser. 1t is to be presumed thal
a thief will have no partiality for labor, anc
if he can avoid it by running away, he vii
naturally be inclined TO do so, if there is
any prospect Of obtaining release from wha
was intended for punishment, and what he
regards as punishment.
Suppose he runs away before three months
of his term of service has expired. His
master is so fortunate as to arrest him, and
brings him before the magistrate Of whom
he purchased. How is this case to be de-
cided? The purchaser claims between five
and SIX years more Of service. What plea
is the defendant TO set up? Have the con-
dIIons of the purchase been violated ? Has
he received personal injury sucI, as in the
eye of the law cancels his obligation ,c
serve? If so, it can easily be made to ap-
pear. But no injury appears. He has lost
nellher an eye nor a tooth. He must there
fore return and "fulfll as as an hireling his
days"
But suppose before another three months
have expired, he absconds again His mas
ter pursues, and finds him safely lodged
with one Of his near neishbors, who deter