The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1850-07-13


For the Free Trader
Mcsws E3itors-It will probablv lac eynocted
that | should take some notice Of the Rev g
Stcelc's communication in your last No ue
"marves that Elder Uigby .hould feel called mn
on to attack the action Of n convention in vbirl
he III the main syrnpathizes. simply bccousc tLcre
was not perfect concurrence between Lirne,It
and it, upon one particular point O,e nGy,;c,
| Tar pojniil Let it be borne in mind tbot thc
convention declared in their resolution. "rhot tho
religious gnnizations--churchcs- -ccclrsiasticol
bodies, and missionary associatiop. cLo do NOT mr.
rug Meir iaf,cc1ce against American slavery arc
responsible for it, existence and continuation viii,
all It's horrors and denominations. and all those vbo
are in connexion ard fellowship with those Lodies
are individually partakers IN the pliilt"
| What is meant by arraging their influence n.
gaiHa American slavery We arc not told But if
very evident what bodies are meant, both from
the resolution and Rev. Mr. Stcclc's comnunica-
ton to the Free Trader
There can be no doubt but all those churches
Whlch have general organization, such as the
Methodist, PRESBYTERIAN, and Episcopal tooctbor
with such societies as the Missionary Irn0n A..
mcrican Bnp Home Missionary Society Amori
can Board Of Com. for Foreign Miss American
Home Missionary Society, tho PRESBYTERIAN and
Episcopal boards Of Nj. sions, Tract Society A.
merican 5. :. Union. Bible Societies. de. IA. aro
meant; and all connected with them are declared
to be personally partakers in the Guilt of An,ori
ican Slavery Now the "oRe uort,c,,Lor 1oj0t'
that causes my l}r. Steele 50 To- marvel il tbis-
whether the societies named above are cursed
with the guilt of the existence and continuance
OF American Slavery, with all its horror,'-whcth.
er they bow down and do the bidding Of the
slave power because they hove not coardqc 10 ye.
'tH-whcthcr the missionary bodies are LoygJ
to their @Jsryicacy by three fod cord which i.
not easily brokcn-whcthcr they sa,y;fc, He
gtt"cPos of tie gospel and the best interests Of
humanity 10 III, most d,SDcaJle SgSi,j,, of tu,c SER
c,Hg cyyehUcy-and whether UIey are ,cor,Ly
Nc dCp,d Tyecra!iop Jn Indignant world can lean
upon them Tie Reverend Mr. Steele. one Of
the trainers Of the resolution. in his commuuica
ton defending it, from which the extract. are
made, has employed very strong language pcr-
maps he believes with the French democrat "rcv.
olutlons are not made with rose.water" But if
he expects in his impcachments or those hcnoyn.
lent societies, to make the impression that tL,,,
arc uoHhy ot' tie dtJea ercrrdfio,. al, in,Eaart
rorid can hcap uyog hea | beg leave to motcri.
ally differ from him in 'oae pqyticular poj,f nj
least We're it not for the fact that | knrw tLc
language above was employed bv a minister of
the gospel and good man. | certainly sboplI
have ascrIbcd 1t TO the source from whence oppo.
si'lnn to all good comes
Br. Steele says the SHAREHOLDERS Of this CONN
try constitute an oycr,hadowinr aristocrocv which
has thus far managed to control all the ir6nortan,
interests and actions of the nation bon no,iticoI
and religious, and Us in politics 50 in religion the
great leading influences are afraid to offend ,ho
slave power What, then, are the facts In
reference to the societies with which | am oc
quainted and intimately conncctcd-thev orc sim.
ply these The Bap Home Miss. Society. in 1919
a committee TO inquire whether in thc
transactions Of the Society. the past wear or in
any oi ITS present relations, any sanction or fel.
lowship of slavery may be lastly implied
The chairman of the committee was one of the
most decided antislavery men. and lecturers in
New England. They made the following report:
First, That no funds known or suspected to be
the ayails of slavery have been received into the
treasury OF the society since the adoption of the
new constitution III 1916.
Second, Since that time no slavehollcr has
oeen employed by the board aS 4 missionary.
Third Nom,siuuary employed bv the Society
since the adoption Of the new constitution has
been known to administer the orlinanccs of thr
gospel in n slavcholiing Church At the present
time there Is no missionary in any slave state nm.
ier the appointment of the American Bap Home
Missionary Society, except one in Delaware. and
hc Is manly supported 10y the Church in vii. |
nnston' under the pastoral care Of the Rev. |
Morgan D. RheeSc, which fact is a sufficient guar |
lntec as To the character of the aforc mentioned |
missionary
Your committee in conclusion would say that |
IL 80 lar rs they are able to ascertain there is no
citation or action of the society, which involves !
iIrec'ly or indirectly the countcnancc and fellow.
mp "i slavery
Inc Missionary Union docs not fellowship
MNtfy' It's acton at the late meeting in Buffalo
vas decisive ON tins point 1t was asccrtained
,at 'hcre were four persons in the Mission
nufGneS :, ol The Cherokee nation, who held slaves
nc mon resolved to withhold all aid from those
, nufcieS' unless they should rid themselves of
he sun oi slavery They have no agents nt the
ou,h ,u TO collect funds for missionary purposes.
Inc American and Foreign Bible Society is
ohS'oh'iy engaged IN publishing and circulating
ihonS slaves, as well rs their masters, that most
'"wihs oi "ll anu slavery documents, the BIBLE,
'ct we are '"Id, as IN politics 50 IN religion,
r' r' g''" 'sd"'.g .MF"cnccS are strajd TO oGoad
's %a" P'"p; ihey bow down and do its bid.
Jug because ,hey nave not co"r'ge to resist that
"'S uc worthy oi the deepest cNccrntiun an III