The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1852-06-24

cruelty and injustice amounts 10 a violation of
the law of God
combination Of circumstances has led
many of our clergy of the North, and nearly
all at the South, to regard slavery, with all It's
denominations, as an exception from
the Christian code. We must love all men as
ourselves, with the exception of such as are
black. With the same exception, we must do
good unto all men, and exercise Justice and
mercy to all. We must give Bibles to men Of
all lands and all races, except to about three
millions of our countrymen. The laws must
protect the marriage tie, except in the case of
these same millions. Supplications must be
made for all men, except those among us who
are Of all men the most miserable In short
as Christians, we must rebuke every sin except
that giant sin of our nation which involves the
preparation of almost every other But it is
affirmed, by way of apology that we at the
North are free from this SIM and have there
fore no concern with it. Were the assertion
true, the apology would be equally valid for
not attempting TO overthrow the idOlatry of the
Hindoos or the delusions of the false prophet,
and for recalling all our missionaries to the
heather. But. unfortunately, the assertion is
utterly destitute of truth. Probably not SER
mon is preached in our large city churches
which is not listened to by shareholders prob
ably not congregation is assembled in the
free States which does not include persons d.
rectly or indirectly interested in slavery. How
many of our sons are constantly removing to
the South, and becoming shareholders. What
numbers of our daughters are mstresses on
slave plantations How many Northern clcr-
gymen now descant from Southern pulpits on
the divine rights of shareholders! And shall
we be told that Northern Christians have no
cause to raise their voices against sin which
is daily corrupting their sons, their daughters,
their politicians, and their clergye Alas! there
is mighty conspiracy, prompted by selfish con-
sderations to suppress all discussion of this sin,
all exhibition of ITS whitening influence on
human virtue and happiness. We have great
national societies for disseminating Christian
truth: but no reader of their tracts and Sun
day-school books learns from their pages thai
it is sinful to rob black men of all their rights
to compel them to labor without wages t.
deny them the Holy Scriptures; and to senC
fathers, mothers, and children, to market, like
cattle and bales of cotton. All other sins are
in these publications faithfully and freely re
buked but every allusion to this great and all
pervading sin of our nation is carefully excu
ded. Occasionally, tract or religious biogra
ply from the other side of the water is deem
ed worthy of republication; but it is first sub
mitted to a process significantly termed = cot
tonizing.n and which consists in carefully
expunging every expression condemnatory Of
human bondage. The A. and F. A. s. Society
utterly repudiating such n time-serving view OF
Christian duty, aims at convincing the heart
and understandings of all, both mt the North
4 IL nf bn inf,, of mo Al
slavery.
THE wICKEDNEss AND INHUMANITY OF CASTE
IL must, however, be understood, that thl'
Society directs its labors to the abolition Of
CASTE as well as of slavery We have among
ourselves population, each individual OF which
is swift witness of our cruelty and unchris
tan conduct. While protesting against the
injustice and oppression practiced by our South
ern brethren, let us not forget the deep guilt o.
our Northern community in their treatment Of
the free people of color No casuistry can rec
oncile the scorn and contumely poured upon
these people with the preccpts OF the gospel o.
Christ-of that gospel which makes love fol
each other the badge Of the Redeemers dsci
pies. 1t is unnecessary to dwell on the priva
tons and disabilities to which our colored citi
zens are subjected. When the proiessed min
listers of Christ refuse to sit in the councils G
the church with their reverend brethren nc
colOred like themselves, and when colorcd car
ddates for the ministry are excluded from the
illogical seminaries solely on account of tn
tincture of their skin, it is not surprising tina
others should be rs regardless of the temporal
as certain of the clergy are of the spriturn
welfare of men to whom God has been please'
to give a dark complexion. When the piou
cOlOred youth is denied the usual facilities To-
qualifying him to minister to the diseases o
the souls of his people who shall rigidly con
denim the professors of the healing art for de
nying similar facilities for mnistering to the dis
eases of the body, by excluding colored students
from their lecture rooms Surely, the rufhan,
who insult and abuse the cOlored man, and the
demagogues who, awaiting themselves Of a pop
ular prejudice deny him equality before the
law, have high examples to extenuate if not t.
justly their pride and cruelty. In striving to
secure to our colored people the rights freely
accorded to all Others, and thus giving them
the means of maintaining themselves by hon
est industry, OF developing and improving their
talents, and Of studying the things which be-
long to their peace, the Society is pursuing an
object in perfect accordance with Christian
beneyolence, and one that must commend Itself
| To every unpreJudccd mind.
ATRocITY OF THE FUGITIVE SLAVE ACT.
In our opposition TO slavery and caste, we de-
sire to use no instruments of unsanctifed TEN.
per; nor have we any wish to conceal those we
do use Believing it sinful to compel an limo.
| cent man to serve ~ n slave, we must refuse
to be partakers of other mems sins a; and hence,
| under no circumstances can we and IN catch
| ing or securing fugitive slaves, whatever may
be the penalties of our disobedience to a sinful
act of Congress II will be the endeavor OF the
A. and F. A. s. Society to dissuade all from
joining in slavc-hunts as palpable violation
of Christian duty. Setting aside the moral
turpitude Of slavery, the Fugitive Slave Act
comprises mass of iniquity in no degree re-
quired by the provisions of the Constitution
The act points out the mode Of Selling and
surrendering not slaves, bat persons OUing SER
p,ee or labor, and is therefore applicable to
white apprentices and to persons under con-
tract 10 labor for a limited time. Apprentices
have already been surrendered under it, and
there in no reason why Others who are alleged
to have hired themselves out for month or a
year, may not be. To illustrate the intense in
justice OF this act, let US suppose young man
10 leave his fathers home. in Boston or New
York for California. After the lapse of n year
or two, he returns. While pursuing an honest
calling, he il arrested in the street, on the
charge Of stealing-the stereotype charge in
such cases, to prevent rcsistance--and hurried
before IA Commissioner. An affidavit made in
California, and there certified by Judge, is
read, setting forth that the prisoner is the APP
prentice OF the deponent Immediately, with
out being permitted to produce any testimony
10 rcbut document which the law declares
SHALL BE CONCLUSIVE, he is put in irons and
sent on board vessel departing for the Pacf-
ic, without being permitted to take leave Of his
parents, wife, or children. DO we revolt ut the
mere superstition Of such barbarity, But does
the barbarity and injustice depend on the com
plexion Of the victim That the Constitution
reanres the nernetrati0n of such horrible ont.