The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1851-08-14


proceedings subsequent to that time, were SCI
aside
The question was now settled and the Choctaw
miss;onaries !, ia understood, had received let
ter from an influential member OF the boaru, s.a'-
ing that thew would be sustained in their position
and iutimatine In what style and spirit It would ne
well to write in relation to the question at issue
The position of the missionaries will be seen IN
the following extracts The Cherokee letter,
after speaking Of ablsss which may arise IN con-
nection with slavery, says:
Nor Can we ever make 1t feH OF PHy or
condition of admission to the privileges OF the
church, that a candidate should express deter
minstion not 10 lire and de a Shareholder"
Buying and selling men and women they do not
consider, in itself a disciplinable offence. In
relation to separating parents and children, they
say;
/" In relation 10 the separation OF parents ana
children. we must fret remark that 1t IS one Oh
those things which are not forbidden oy express
injaaetion Of Scripture. 1t is impossible In our
circumstances TO make il general rule tnat the
separation of parents and children, by sale or P-
chase, shall be regarded as 3 discipEnaole Of
fencen
And We are assured that their course and opin-
ions are not to be changed
1--WE earnestly they say, hope that what we
have written instead Of leading to any protracted
discussion, will be taken as final eTpoMl0n OF
our sentiments, a defining Of our position NOT that
We are immutable, or dare pledge ourselves 10
see exactly as We now see, but at present, GER
tsinly, we can perceive no reason to change our
coursen
There were some missionaries in those nations
who felt deeply grieved when the matter was set
tied that the Board would still continue to propa-
gate q slaveholding gospel among the Indians
They felt that II Christians were willing to sup
port the Board ia Strengthening an institution
which was moral curse TO the people, they would
no longer maintain their place in the Missions
Rev. Mr.. Potter left the Mission, and went TO
another Indian nation where slavery does not exist
Rev. Mr. Strong, in letter addressed to Chris
tan minister at the West on this subject speaks
as follows:
"All our churches lin the Choctaw Mission
are Old School Presbyterian, and pro-slsvery at
that Ia view Of this fact, and many others which
cannot now specify, am fully convinced this
Mission must bo supported by those mho are mi
ling and disposed 10 giue heir influence in support Of
AMI in The propagation Of slaryy IN The ChriaiaH
chUehn
In a letter addressed to Mr.. Treat, on the sub
Jet Of Withdrawing his services from the Board
AS a missionary, MIR. Strong writes:
" could labor here with cheerfulness and con-
tentedness, could but see the gospel exerting an
influence tendIng' uon,erzn q She gfaann e1r",-
iior 81 sidgsrt bat when see the system gaining
s,iSG, Va aaS. ooHsosnasing irsct ~ tA,1e>.sa ~
the Advancement of the people in civilized life, and
no influence whatever exerted by the Mission to
retard the accelerated increase of il, think the
time has fully come for Congregational Christians
this missionary is Copgregationalist to raise
the inquiry Whaf maa BE- done ? And if il is de-
cided, as doubtless it will be decided by the Mis-
sion, that nothing ought to be done, The Lord
chom serus calls me 10 ieaus tie Mission The call
appears to me rs clearly from Heaven as my call
TO the work of the gospel ministry
Another missionary, female, left the Missions,
md went to Africa in the service of the Ameri- |
,an Missionary Association Such has been one
result of the refusal of the Board to cease propa
eating slavery with the gospel among the Indians
nd those who sanction and Missionary Society |
which maintains such practice, are, as we believe
involved in the same guilt.
The missionaries that remain are now protect
ID against the anti-slavery sentiment in the free
States; and they are, it seems, taking measures
% protect themselves against any more anti |
lavery missionaries Mr.. Wright, who has, per-
laps, more temptation to propagate slsveholding
gospel than some others, writes to a gentleman in |
he slave States for help. He says they are about
o send two youths to college in slave State, to be
'ducated for future preachers to the Indians
Thus slaveholding, while the present missionaries
i've, and slaveholding in the future, has been in
MEASURE provided for.
The following is an extract Of Mr.. Wrighps
sitter, published in the Presbyterian Herald call [
ng for help from Kentucky;
:" would earnestly ask dre there no Young men |
ardent pisfy IN your State wio, ont OF lore TO Christ
nd TO souls, woaid eheertally deny themselves and
ONE and preach tie gospel Of God to The perisAing
Hoc,aws9 And Y ne young men, are there none
4 msturer years, who would come to labor for the
Saviour and for souls We almost despair of get
ing any more helpers from the East Such is the
state of feeling 10 that region Of country In regard
to the subject Of slavery forbds thu hope Of OBJ
aning ministerial aid from thence and we shall
probably be compelled hereafter to make our ap-
peal to the Southwest, with the confident hope
that the Lord will incline the hearts of some to
come to our aid As a Mission, | think we are
more and more convinced of the i'm
portance of raising up native ministry. There
are now several young men (Choctaws) in the
course Of collegiate education, who, we may
hope, will make able ministers Of the New Tesla
ment. Young Bond, whom you knew at s., land
another,) expects to 60 to Danville College this
falln
From the facts and statements foregoing, We
think that the following are legitimate conclu-
sions and suggestions:
!. The hope that slavery can be separated
from the American Board must abandoned Per-
haps it should never have been expected that a
Board having part of its members in the slave
States, and receiving money by agency and dona-
ton from shareholders, would separate slavery
from their Missions to do so would be to condemn
the practice Of their own members. From the
Of the Board the history of the Board,
and the decisions Of the Board, the conclusion is
obvious that those who support the Board must
do it with the understanding that the Board sup
ports and sanctions slavehoding in the Mission
Churches
2 That candor and conscience requires every
who asks funds for the American Board
to state its true position, and to let Christians
whose benefactions they solicit understand that
saveholdng funds are received, aud slaveholding
missions are sanctioned by that Board.
g. That those who solicit funds for missionary
purposes, and who act for societies that do not
receive slavery into the Mission Churches,
should likewise state these facts to the churches,
personal responsibility to Christ, whether they
will support Board that receives slavery or one
that excludes slavery from the missions.
And now, in conclusion, can we hesitate for
moment concerning the point Of duty? If there
were but single voluntary STAKEHOLDER in the
churches sustained by any Board, kept there, not
outstanding the circumstances Of Christians in
the free States, the principle thus assumed by
that Board would determine its character. But
It is confessed that slavery is advancing in the
Indian nations, with the civilization the gospel
as now administered produces The missionaries
In at least one Of the nations are connected with
shvcholding Presbytery in Arkansas. The
design and means to psrpetuate the present prac-
tice is avowed and published. A portion Of the
territory ppon which these nations are located,
must sooner or later come into the Union rs
new State, and, without doubt, as q slave State
Free Missionary Societies are already organized,
conducted by men skilled and faithful In the dis
bursement Of funds. Let US, therefore, for the
honor of the Gospel, for the glory of Christ, and