The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1851-07-24
THE NATIONAL ERA.
DIR. ClRTWRIGHTS VIEWS, OF NOAHS PROPH.
PCY BBOTT HIS CHILDREN, Examined.
W.snLnaroy. Jnlu ID. ls5l.

'NTfWTlEul. OF view OIlNhuo' W " fANNANN'N-
Of negro slavery in this country from Noah,s
prophecy about his children, deserves an e1ami-
nation.
The scene described in the conclusion Of the
ninth chapter Of Genesis, which led the man OF
two worlds to made this prophecy, in my judg-
ment had nothing whatever to do with the black
race. Il is illustrative solely Of the character Of
Noah's three sons and their posterity.
The department Of lam, on the occasion. proves
him to have been a gross sensualst, and, TO my
mind. there is but little doubt that his offence
consisted i'm the evil thoughts that animated him
while gazing upon bis fathers exposed person.
What those evil thoughts were, the history OF
his posterity Of Sodom and Gomorrah will readi-
ly suggest 10 the reader, and that Ham enter
tanned them, in an inordiuste degree, his very
name itself would seem to imply
4kqym. or Akom. in Hebrew, Arabic, and all
the cognate dialects signifies heat last, and is APP
piled TO beasts, when under the influence Of YER
nal excitement and as the custom Of the people
Of the East is and always has been, to give names
TO their children signifcative Of some peculiar
trait Of character or circumstance belonging 20 or
affecting them, the history Of his posterity shows
that Ham came justly by his name.
But whether such an unnatural and wicked
lust, a lust in the midst Of which he Was educated
in the recently submerged world, occupied his
mind or net, or whether we are TO consider the
act Of immodesty to say the least Of it, Of which
he was guilty, as sufficiently indicative Of his
character, the prophecy of Noah, respecting the
fate Of one branch Of this second sons descend
ants, however truly it has been fulfilled, will be
found, | think, on q critical consideration OF It's
language, to I've no prediction Of negro slavery IN
these United States or indeed anywhere else
When Noah awoke from his drunken reVel,
the sacred writer says that he knew what ms son
Ham had done TO him. The use Of the word Han-
sqsh. had done - in this connection, would seem
10 indicate that Ham had not limited his offence
10 a mere wicked intent, but had actually com
mitted. or attempted to commit, upon his father,
the crime for which he bad Just seen the habitable
globe destroyed, and for which the cities Of his
son Canaaus postcrity we're, hundreds of years
Afterwards, cnEsr-- AiFsi 1i' &c ~ - .
NAV Noah commenced prOphecying.
And here it may be we'll to note a common err
mr. ma, -g., ---S -Ti9iSer - ~" J
in the prophetic passages of the English Scrip |
lures leads the mind Because certain thing is
to take place it does not follow that the
prediction is 10 be construed into command on |
the part Of man to bring il about, or into an eX
ampiion from the natural consequences Of the
acts by which it may be brought about IL the
ForI will be substituted in all such passages |
il will better convey the true meaning thereof
The following analysis of this prophecy will
rive the reader who is not Hebraist clearer
dea Of its true intent, than a volume of comment
NY The Hebrew words Of the original text, in
,he order they follow each other, are given in
English syables, so as to represent rs nearly as
possible their pronunciation by the Portuguese
Jews:
GENESIS TX, p To 81.
Paee.u 6.m0yr, so he says.
Au-roOr, declares is injured, will be injured |
s cursed will be cursed
Rks-adu-hqn, Canaan, Chumbled, brought down |
Hay-rayd vassal, a subject.
Ha-udu-dLem, vassals, subjects.
Ye-bs-ydgh, he is, will be.
Le-ay-khour to his brothers.
Tase-gO-mayT, 30 he says.
BJa,l.,OOk declares is worshipped, will be wor
hipped.
Yy-ho-ruh, Jehovah.
E-i6-haV God.
Shdym, Shem namo.
Vee-hee, and he is, will be.
Ke-nd,haH, Canaan, thumbled, brought down
Hdg-Udyd vassal, subject.
Lai-mO to him.
Yd.phe-ue declares is foolish, will be foolish,
g idoatrous, will be idolatrous
E-lO-htem, God
Ls-ydy-phagIh, to Japheth SILLY idoatrOus)
Vsyt-shsk-koa, and he inhabits, will inhabit.
Bbeali-hriay, in the tents
Sbdya. Chns- -~~,e
v7y-kts, and he is, will DC.
Ks-Ad han, Canaan (humbled brought DOWN.
Hdy-Uayd vassal, a subject.
Ldit-mO to him.
The words on which DIR Cartwright hinges his
opinion that this prophecy foretels negro slavery
n the United States are kkl-Rdu.han, Hay-uayd,
md va pke-fts. He contends that Rau-nah the
DOT whence the word Canaan il derived, signi-
les to debase a man by reducing him to invOun-
airy servitude; that Hdy.uGm means slave for
ife and nothing else 10 the sense we use the term
a the United States and that Ya.phe-tte means
ulArge or extend the dominion of the descend
nts Of Japhet over the rest Of the human spe-
les and especially over the negro race, by re-
lucing a portion Of it to slavery as we who
IRE Japhets posterity have done Such are his
positions, if | understand his language.
Now, a comparison Of some Of the passages in
he Old Testament in which the word Kan-Rah,
II any OF its forms, are found shows no such sense
$ that ascribed TO it by DR. Cartwright. For eX-
nipple:
{" II, then their uncrcumcised hearts be HIM
led, Yik.kaa.Hah, aud they then accept he pun
shment Of their niquiiy, then will | remember
Nv covenant Win jacob. -LfNH. XVI, IL, IL.
And they slew Of Moab at that time about ten
thousand men, all lusty, and all men of valor and
here escaped not n man SO Moab was slibdued,
attn -kan-Hah, that dayn-Jadgss iii, 30, 30.
Thus was spddusd, TaV.yIk. kdn-Hdh, before the
hildren Of Israel &c, &c-Jpdges viii IS
md he smote them . . with very great
laughter Thus the children of Ammon we're
Hbiusd Vay-yk-kda-Hs-hO0 before the children Of
sraelh-Judg5 xi, 80.
And, after this, it came to pass that David
mote the Philstines, and ubdAed them Tay-ya-
s-Hss- harm - SaHwsl viii l.
Seest thou how Ahab huRbis'h himself Nike
al before mel Because he humJl7h himself Nj
.-aat, before me, will not bring the evil in his
lsys'-l KmgS xxi, -
Morsousr, nall n.bsp. I,-h.ke.ua-ksf-fss, all
hDe enemies CkyoRrlss xvii, 10
d" Whereupon, he set up groves and craven i'm
iges before be was humlls9, Hh-Lau-R.-ho"-2
-lr0'ltl.5 1KHiii, 10
Aud ialnsi,d not hsrn,,T Ni-ks-Hah. before the
L'rd. o. Manasseh bis father had huH,Jlfd himself,
hts-i'tA tau-Hak - Cuon,ols, xI1iii, %
should soon haze sn5du.d A-k.-Hts-ah, their
enemies '-PSolna lx11i IA
ThT,'0s' he trough dorm, Iay-vg-ks-Rah, their
5eart with labor '-- Psalms evil ~
Thou shalt brmg doru Taken, -ah the
noise OF Stranger, rs the heat in dry place.
ISGuah IXv, 3
Look on every one that is proud and JrHg
,im l0u. Hq.ks-ns,-iav-h00 n-Jol Il. ~
Thus it appears that the hlr-Lltag. the brizgme
lOWH, the sRbdgiRQ, conveyed by the Hebrew use
Il the word Kgu-p7h, is not that subsection Of the
,erson which is the essence Of involuntary servi-
ude. whatever other cruelties were inflicted upon
he descendants OF Canaan by the descendants Of
hem, in order to conquer them. And it may be
bserved that the Arabic use Of the same word
orresponds with that Of the Hebrew
An examination Of the word Hay-u0yd, upon
which DR. Cartwright lays great deal Of stress
lsO in support Of his opinion that Noah prophe-
led 10 this passage the existence Of negro slavery
q our country, will show, in my Opinion that 1t
oes not bear the meaning which he has given IT,
amely, that Of slave in personal relation.
HIytqyd, in Hebrew as well as in Arabic, has
our primary senses l. To serve A master in a