The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-05-12

Consti' ution, the spirit of our history; against
the breath Of religion and the providence Of God
How could such an evil have advanced upon US
like the sea advancing upon the shore, over
whelming every thing III it's destructive course
| The Rev speaker observed that slavery owed
its origin to the love OF irresponsible power
that is latent in the human heart. Slavery, IL
our land, he said, was not Of native growth II
was forced upon us, aud the love OF power las
tened it upon u.s.
But there were other causes than this at work
for such was the strife between religion and
slavery, that slavery began TO relax its hold, and
the prospect was, at the time OF the adoption Of
our Constitution, that it would be abolished, like
late SHOWS, melting under the heat OF an April
sun. In the North it soon went, and in the South
it was expected that it would also 90, after d
| brief space.
| But there came change in the affairs Of that
part Of the country, when commercial profits be-
came closely connected with slavery. The cul
tivaiion Of rice, cotton, and sugar, increased in
Importance the value OF slaves accordingly
rose in the market Then it was that slavery
which had begun to disappear, was rejuyenated
because it became profitable to strengthen it,
and although Christianity is governing COM
IL 10 ibdIcu Iicfc ttiCiC 40 POopcCt
of large gains, nothing can restrain it. 1t is
feared that the love Of money, not for the pur-
pose of using it rs lever, but to worship it US
IA god, will SO corrupt the mind, that the atlec-
tons for family and friends, the love of country
and God, will become absorbed in the one ruling
passion of gain. Such is its power, that al
though Christianity fights against it, it has not
yet succeeded in putting it down completely.
Aflera warm eulogium ON the Christian min
listers of the United States, whom he loved and
honored, he spoke Of their apathy on this mo-
mentous question: their not having borne tes-
timony against it, and not having arrayed the
spirit Of the Gospel against this evil for the pur
pose of abolishing it, and then continued:
What is the duty Of Christianity towards the
slaves Of this country! We perfectly agree,
that if there is anything characteristic of the
gospel of Christ, it is that it did not regard
ranks and degrees, and--a paradox that it did,
will explain. 1t was nothing to Christ that
one man stood higher than another in position,
in rank or riches, and yet there was one respect
in which he did regard the gradations of society
he began with rulers who were ut the bottom
Of the scale.
He came to seek and save the lost--those
that were bewildered and confused in the world.
This il the spirit of Christianity, and it is the
duty of the ministry, in accordance with it, to
regard those that are ignorant-those that are
low, and poor, and weak. The spirit of Christi
lity teaches us to go down to those that are
oppressed, and ! hope there is no man OH this
broad continent, who is not glad that this is
Christianity. Now, ] ask, has this Christianity
been exercised for the good of the African race
Let us look at the South and see. in the
South, we find that the rights of three millions
nfp ma he Inf n tab hon,
system there prevails in the midst of Christian
churches--a system which destroys the man.
hood Of three millions of men. | wish it to be
understood that the slave is regarded by the law
as a chatte; it leaves the mind, therefore,
blank; it leaves the religious education of the
slave to mere chance; it is system which rem
ders chastity in either sex almost an IMPOSSIBLE
ty; it brings families to the block, where they
are sold and scattered like chattes This is the
system.
About four thousand years ago, there was
another system of slavery, familiar kind of
slavery, and have so often heard of it as just-
fled by the Bible that | wish to call your atten-
ton to this particular subject. | wish to make
a fair challenge TO any brother from the South
would say, if you will agree to put American
slavery on the ground upon which the Bible puts
it, ] will give up the agitation | will say that
the Bible did make slavery, and will mako
fair promise TO give up the argument in favor
Of its abolition.
But it is well to say here, that there were
three kinds of slavery acknowledged among the
Hebrews. First, the Jews themselves were
sold into servtude for the payment of debt for
a term of seven years. This was, properly
speaking, nothing more than term of appren-
ticeship. Then there was public slavery, by
kept as the hewers of wood and drawers Of wa
ter Besides these, there was the Hebrew bond
slaves This was slavery, and admit that Mo-
SEES found it; he regulated it he forbid any He
brew to buy slave from any but heathens, and,
even then, not until he was circumcised. Next,
it was made obligatory upon every Hebrew that
owned slave, to see that he was religiously
educated
Now we have got the family government
the child goes TO the common school, from that
to the college, and so on until he comes into the
community, where he has many advantages
opened TO him. But there was time when the |
of the world was so small that il !
was comprised in the Pentateuch which was all |
The learning the Jew had and when he was
educated in this, he had obtained the sum of hu-
man knowledge in that day. When, therefore,
a man was made a slave among the Jews, that
man stood in the same position rs one of our
slaves who should be educated in a college be-
fore being subjected TO slavery.
Under certain circumstances, slaves among |
the Hebrews, cou'd rise TO honorable stations. |
This was the Jewish system. 1t was based on
the ground that man was a responsible being, |
and all the laws of Moses were in favor of the
slave, and not the master If the slave was
he could appeal to the courts, ard if |
he should be abused and should run away, there
was standing canon that no man should return
the slave to his master This was particularly
in respect to the bond slaves of the Hebre VS.
(Applause.)
Now four thousand years have passed, and
behold the contrast presented. Here was rude
nation, Just freed from bondage, and which had
scarcely shaken the sands of the desert from
their feet--hero were men who became masters
in their turn, and this is the system which they
instituted. We have since that day had the
canon completed, the laws of Jesus Christ re-
vealed, and the ideas ofcivil liberty brought to
light. Since the days Of Christ, we have had
battles fr freedom and revolutions, in which
riyil liberty has been hewn out of the rocky