The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1850-06-29
For the Free Trader
Christian Nnti-Slayery Convention.

Prise m the columns OF "Our last, some structures 10y
the Rev John Highly, on the action OF the christian
anu slavery Convention recently held IN this place
The marvel Is, that Elder Highly should feel HIM
set called upon 10 attack the action Ola convention
with which he IN the main sympathzed SIMPLY be
cause there was not a perfect concurrence between
himself aud It upon one particular point II was
not surprising that he should not understand mat
neutrality on the SUBJECT OF slavery was impossible
IN missionary association. For others have eNpe-
rieured the same difficulty in like circumstances -
But is hoped that mature reflection and liueedbe,
change Ot circumstances may OhyRte the difficulty
and lead him TO apprrhend the NIL import and Qp-
pucatIou Of our SavIours words when he said He
that lsuot with me Is against me, and he that gath
eleth not with me sCai,ercth abroad But as the
structures aTe out a rcloudrr seems to he demand
ed which Wi, ,nlrayor to otierIn spirit OF most
unaffected COdlhty toward brother Highly
BY careful attention to the article before US, Wi,
he seen that the only point at issue between Elder
Highly and the convention Is, whether missionary or
other religious organizations can occupy neutral
ground IN reference to the sln OF slavery lie 0ttn-
ing that they can andkaye a right to--the conyen-
ton affirming that they cannot Tins was under
stood to be the only difference between his amend
meul and the resolution as passed, and with this UNI
derstandlng, The convention rejected the amend
ment
ln'he calculation otlhis question our first lnqu,
~ should be, for what purpose Is missionary board
organized Elder Highly says Home missions for
the spread OF Tie gospel at home Foreign missions,
m foreign nations But the question meets every
society oithc kind on the Threshold, W hat KIND Of
a gospel do YOU pruhigate At home or abroad n
Roman Catholic, n Unitarian, a Presbyterian or
Baptist gospci Now Is II inappropriate Tor thcse
boards TO define their position on these topics and
would elder llgJy support any OF them 1t they ana
not Would he support society Tor the spread OF
the gospel at home orabrOad unless he knew wleth-
er that society was 10 preach salvation 70 all men
through Christ without faith or rCpentanC" Us con-
~ NVn II tn II a. n II n
sable conditions IN every offer OF lite they should
make IN the name OF the Lord Most manitrsuy
he would not How pertinent then that the follow
ing questions should be pressed upon these societies
Gentlemen do you propagate gospel that sanctions
and sustains slavery, or that condemns II IN every
form and seeks ITS utter overthrow Does your
gopei teach IN theory practice that slaveholdng
Is good christian morality oTs tia sin against God
How important that these questions should be an
swered And shall these societies refuse to answer
when they are pressed upon them year after year
and in Inexperienced neutrality say we have moth.
ing to do with slavery our only business IS to spread
the gospel" when the rerg question Is trhHt gospel
do YOU spread Is It the shareholders gospel or Is
It gospel that breaks every yoke and let's the p.
pressed go free VIII Elder Highly be satisfied with
their silence on tins SUBJECT Does he really under.
stand the gospel OF Jesus Christ to he neutral on the
sub,ec, Of human bondage and II II be not neutral
can a society tor the propagation OF the gospel, be
honestly neutral on the same subject
But IS the position taken by these societies a ncu.
tral position 1t should be borne IN mind that all
slavery asks is, TO be let alone 1t has never asked
these societies TO undertake formal defence IN rs
behalf while the christian public have been urging
them for course ofyears 10 denounce slavery a
sin insuiirrabe IN the church OF God. IL has been
saying to them Gentlemen, maintain towards those
Abolltionlsts a dgnlticd silence and they have
most scmpulously Obeycd. Now we submit 10 the
unpeludiced common sense OF any man, have they
been neutral One party says speak out, the 9th.
cr says keep silent" Is there any chance for neu-
trality These societies have done and ara doing
all that Shareholders bid them, and yet they claim
to be neutral. Are they sol Let common sense
answer.
BUTT is said 10 be legitimate for Churches to con-
denim slavery, for they organized for opposition
to all sin ; but not for other religious bodes-they
are organized, II is said for one specific object
Home missions, ior,he spread ofhe gospel at home
Foreign missions, in foreign nations" Aud why
would they spread the gospel at home or abroad, II
not to make its principles universally prevalent =
But are not the principles ot the gospel opposed to
all sin And these societies are organized for the
purpose OF making these principles universally prev
aen,, are they not organized to oppose all sin and
It they fail to do So do they not tail 10 the end
OF their own existence But It their Legitimate bu-
sinessis propagate the gospel which IL opposed to
all sn how Is II possible for them TO take neutral
position IN reference 10 any sin : The proposition
is toobsurdto admit Of n serious argument
II has long been established as principle oicom-
mon law, thatii violence is committed IN our pres
enCe, and we refuse TO oppose II we thereby partc
pate IN the crime, and his is based on the common
sense oil all men. What then will be the verdict OF
universal humanity IN reference to those societies
which having IN their hands gospel which pro-
claims liberty TO the captive can, without word OF
remonsrance look calmly and see the slave crush
ed out OF his very humanity into n mere chattel, n
thing TO be bought and sold but that they ore wor-
thy OF the deepest excavations an indignant world
can heap upon them.
The truth OF the case is this The shareholders OF
this country constitute nm overshadowlng aristoc-
racy, which has thus far managed TO control NIL the
important interests and actions OF the nation, both
political and religious, and az IN politics so IN reI-
gon the great leading influences are afraid to offend
the slave power. They bow down and do its bid
ding, not because they IRE satisfied with the touor
and rccuude Of the courses; but because they have
not courage tores,st These societies and ecces-
nsnca bodies lind II very unpleasant duty to say to
the slave holders TINT slavery j. sin and cannot be
tolerated IN the church, They shrink from the du-
~ and endeavor to excuse themselves on the lien
that they are neutral and have 10 responsibility in
the case. Then the whole array OF church machine
ryis brought into requlson TO iortliy this false 20.
sinon against the assaults OF truth Every cord is
drawn, every ccclcslasuca tie made available And
IN most cases these prove sufficient TO keep minister.
and churches IN state OF at least quicScence MOI
dcqueScencc. But the missionary boards are bOunC
to their subscrvency by three fold cord which i,
not easily broken, II should he remembered TIM
the Foreign, and Home missionary operations il
the different denominations are but the working
OF the same casa oi influences IN different directions
although sometimes organized under different off
GERS they IRE sustained by the same orators, an,
supplied from the same purses so that in fact the
are but one system OF operations like the Siames,
, twins they live or die together Whoever insult
one, otiends the other and whoever bcirlends one
IS the hvorlte of the other
The Home Missionary boards cxpcnd their fund
for the supper, OF ministers in the u. $. A yer,
large proportion OF the ministers in some sections
nre supported IN part by these societies They are
OF course, all expected to be in favor Of the socet
which supports them, and her twin sister, the for
eign board, aud to speak well Of their position an
operations So that II ia not generally Difficult, 4
predict wrnt course n cass OF the ministry will pur
sue III, is known what position the society tina, sup
ports them occupies on the same subject. And Their
{ again, all the churches to which hose minister
preach, form nnoher large class OF paid dependant
who OF course, must add their mite TO mike I'm III
great overshadowinc influence that keeps those 90
cc,cs IN countenancc while they sacrifice the prin
cpes Of the gospel, and she hest interests ofhnnan
ity to the most desplcabe system OF time serving en-
, pedency
Now we would not Tor moment. intimate thr
those ministers and churches are not sincere in m
opinions they profess TO entertain other rcspccti,
societies but Is not fair to inter that the hnndrc
dollar argument, which s always poser when
man wants bread. has had some influence IN Il
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