Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1851-05-02

~ mart of Inc said inhabitants ard delegate for
every part the said taxes and the number OF Sen
tors shall be apporoned in like manner.
For The Enquirer.
THE MORAL CHARACTER OF SLAVERY.
LETyERS From 4 CLERG YMlN.-NO HL
NJ DEAN Bw"riIER: Let proceed now 10 examine inc
institution u slavery in the laws of Moses God gave pF
the Intervention Of Moses, summary oil inc eicra anu
chanecabe moral Iaw bind all ages called the Deca"sue,
and contained in the twentieth chapter OF fxoduS re ALSO
various religious and civil laws which were pecla 10
the Jews and intended 10 be observed alter me
resurrection Jesus Christ The great object OF al ms
legislation was set apart the Jewish nation as holy peo-
pie peculiarly dedicated purity OF life and to the mamie
Of religion amidst idoatrou and proane generations
Several peculiar laws intended 10 raise this wholesome
bar intercourse between the Jews and their corrlin9 hc-
then neghbors 0rJadc things which, II God had NOT seen
fiji 10 prohibit them, would have been lniicrcnt mat Is
neither right nor wrong the eating Of pork some VI
those Laws required acts their original nature indifferent
ciicumcisi1n eating the Passover &c. But incon-
ssen with the holiness Of God and with the purpose OF
setting Israel apart holy life that any of these peculiar
laws SHOULD require acts in themselves wicked or iofold
hn in themselves morally binding To say that the nn'
sprably holy God would require sanction tie conns
sion of SIN in those peculiar laws whose purpose was TO
make the lsaclitc peculiarly holy people, charges nm WIN
b0 folly and wickcdncsS. 1t is blasphcmy His reredtcd
r Tar it is revealed for rule OF te either perla'
temporary must contain nothing but what Is rish
ana pure, and Just. Ii il had been moral duty To eat pork
this oy God could have made prohibition to eat II,
part the temporary and ceremonial institutions oil
his If had been morally To Kill and roast
the puscal lamb hc could have enjoned them the
temporary institution 81 the Passover these conclusions
| are plain The alphabet.
Now then ii we find any particular thing sanctioned or
cnjuned those peculiar civil ceremonial institutions OF
Noses does prove that thing to be binding on u.s. or
necessarily polite and proper for but does prone TO De-
in is essential moral character innocent II is rot naum
per This is the important and Just distinction The tact
that sacrifice required in The ceremonial laws Of Moses
does Prove that it is duty or that IS appropriate for
Us offer sacrifice. But it does prove that The act OF killing
and hcn burning lamb not, in its nature mmora and
therefore unless subsequent pccept Of the Bible has for
54aeo he who should kill and burn lamb, would do
Innocent though useless thing II not, holy God
would never havc cnloned or sanctioned il at all.
Therefore the fact that God expressly authorised domestic
Siareyy nong the peculiar and temporary civil laws OF the
Jews, while ii does not prove that Is our positive duty 10
hold i vcs does prOre 4t is innocent 10 hoG SarcS unless
has been since forbidden ny God. Now then, lei us see
wIa, I'd authorized 10 Moses Exodus XXI, > g. J.,
s. u: III thou buy Hebrew six years he shall
serve AMI in the seventh he snail out free tor nothing.
If he in by himself Chat is into the state OF bondage
la shall 20 bv himself if he married. then his
vile shall 20 with him. Ii his master have given him
wife, and have horne him sons or daughters the wife
and r children shall BIZ her master and he shall go o"t by
himself Ard ii the shall plainly say love my
master nv wife, and mv children will not 20 out tree:
then his shall bring him unto the judges; he shall
also bring him door, unto the door post; and his
MASTER shall bore his ear through with aw and he shall
serve him forever THAT Is Till the OF Jubilee, Which
came once in fifty years See Lev:'cns ky, Al
This answers the an-saveGy man, only temporary
scrv!,ude Yes but nroiu'ary slavery, though tenn
norary. II gave The master right TO compel The labor Of
the without his consent. What will they saw then,
following? l.rvcus XIV, IL TO 10: Both thy bond
men and thy bond minds which thou shalt have, shall be OF
the halen that round about you Of them shall yc buy
uhs future is expressly pcrnssive mpcrave) 'oond-
men and hor!-muis Moreover, OF the children of the
strangers that do suln among ypu, OF them shall yc buy,
and al their families that with which they bcgat in
your land an! they snail be y9Hr pos$s"So tropty IN
hunan beings And shall take them az an inheritance
Tor your chiren after yuu inherit them Ir possession;
My soN b. yOur Jo1men torertr The antitcsis in the
pusGi N -, laws shows that these heather slaves;
were nor ~ 20 free ike Hebrew slaves, the year of Jubi-
lee They be bond linen forercr. They are 10 de-
Sccn iron, ;.sc There was TO BE- no sevcn,ycat
t,,t,l a,I ~
celebrated divine, Moses Siuart-hnsct ntslavcry
mnnc2i il would b.. hard construct language defining,
more strongly and fully all those TEXTURES Of domestic slave
~ mast as,urrci,i ahoionss. They Ia be
b,u.It and sold. They hcriiable propcrty"cattes
.r involuntary slavery for life, expressly authorized IL
G Js own ccunr ANA holy people, in the strongest and
m 81 careful crina The relation then must be innocent.
II would hard Ia devise stronger case showing the
Innocence he relation and yet bccv" there is aauther
pt.-:s stronger In Numbers xX% ., IS -, 80 We
have this passage. The people OF INDIAN had been
Gucrcd BY Gods COMMAND, and the capiires and spells
brought honche caa'iSes to be slaves for life according
10 the a,Y al Fcvitcus xxv "And the Lord spakc unto
Moses sayif Take the OF the prey taken, and levy
trigis into ttc }0rd OF the of war which went out 10
ono sp o five numbered both Of the persons and OF
the htvcs aud Of the asses amt OF the sheep Take ol
their iaIt and give it Elcazar the priest for Eeare
oriun ot the Lord. And Of the children OF Isracls haF,
thou Shalt take portion of fifty Of The persons OF the
bccyts ir asses, and Of the locks OF all manner OF
beasts. and give them the lrvcs, which kee? III"
carge the tabernacle Of the ord Here God commands
portion OF these slaves I" be set apart 10 sacred use, and
dedicated HIMSELF That they might hecon: the properly OF
the ministers Of religion, and yet slavery wicked ra
ton Did the God Of all holiness then, direct part Of the
wages OF niuy be apart for hs sacred uses! Pcha.
be said that lie regarded the holy use as sincyng
the u,hoy source The supposiiion is blls7hemous. Bal
let us compare Deuteronomy XIII, IS: Thou shalt not
bring the hire OF whore unto the house OF the Lord thy God
for any vowii il abomuaton unto the Lord thy God
ru apart a sacred USE property wlckedg acquired
insult 10 Gods holiness. lhe conservation OF por
ton Of hp:c slaves sacred purposes is, therefore, The
strongest possible proof tina; slaves are lawful property
Hitnefto looked only into the temporary and pecu
1, vI,p IgtyS fhipuh nnsr
ccssa!g binding on U.s. are ye hsctssy innocent %ncI
carried out BIZ US unless there some subsequent prohbi
lion Let Us ascend that eternal law OF righteous
moss made for all lime imIovcabe The power Of tina
Creator ho gave it, and mmuia5le as lis perections
which il is copy, the Deca!osue In that short summary
the relation of slavery is twice mentioned; and mentioned
manner which is recognition OF its lwulnes II spo
ken ut as the basis Of duties which are founded upon IL
,hosn u,ics ar. enianGJ Bat If unlawful rea
non what d,; could De enjoned with regard it, excep
the duty OF immediate reformation and repentance Exodu
* 10 i Is made duty o. the master TO his slaves
To observe tie Sabbath Ana IN verse ~ the tenth com
manacnt numbers among our neighoor Lawful! possession
Viii, we NAV c0vet, s scrrdnl his maid serran
his &c Ii you would feel the strength Of mpca
,i,n ,n;alnei these duties, ask yourself what would
ni il YOU had heard This elevated and perfect raj
nj righteousness c:jo:n"g on h!n"aymcn the duty o. COM
na,i Z, Sa5 .i observance the victims o! their Outrage
who IRE sa .:tsiacd ~ them in captivity or telling
that We must stolen goods in our neigh5os
sion without hint OF the unawluness OF theft and OF IN
ylo,cnces o! the bandit
h divine permission and sanction OF slavery the yer
neopie whom God setting apart for holy life, the Us
OF slaves property be consecra,cd TO sacred purposes
lie reference duties flowing from the relation, al prov
that was tcn lawful and innocent Otherwise, y
should have here Holy ID teaching sin Ii it was law
lu once is lawful now, unless subsequent prohibo
can be shown in sacred writ. NO such prohibition can
found Let reserve the next letter. the various answer
which anti slavery lnrn have attempted this unanswered
argument Your aiiectonatc brother,
CHOREPiSCOPUs
DR.. wEgsTER,s LETTER TO THE ALDERMEN
CONGRESSIONAL, dc.
Bosro: Ap7lL 81 learn i:om Mayor Biselow that Il
Webster letter the Board vi Aldermen, which will be
a, their meeting this evening, is simply acknowledged
Of limitation hoard address