The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1852-11-03
Suuaaly Reahiug,
From The Banner Of the Cross.
LIVINGSTON, Sumpter Co., Ala. 1852.

United States, on your motion to repeal
the Fugitive Slave Bill"
This speech which came under your
frank, and consequently, by your order,
has, l suppose, been sent to others of nv
brethren whose names and addresses have
been copied from the same published list
OF the clergy, from which my own was
taken. AS you know nothing of me,
acquit you of any design to offend me
personally. You have only Offered a gen.
eral indlgnity to those ministers of the
Protestant Episcopal Church whose homes
are in the South. In ne abuse of the
ranking privilege, you have sou ght to OBJ
trnde the most obnoxious sentiments, ex-
pressed in the most offensive manner, up-
on men who would have refused to hear
the from your own lips. Men of the
world deem this conduct insulting; and
am yet to learn that an injury is any the
less aggravated by the fact that the suffer
ers are forbidden to retalate. We can
only protest against such treatment.-
whether our remonstrances are to be hee
ded by one who wantonly dispises the pa
tlenee, not only, but the safety of the ma
ton, is for you to decide.
My own observations, during a residence
OF several years in Massachusetts,, convinc-
Ell me that charity to the fugitive slave,
demands that he be returned to his mas
ter.
A careful reading of the Holy Scripture
on the subject does not permit me to doubt
that it is my duty as a Christian Minister,
to insist upon the obligation of masters to
their slaves. This l do. Nor do hold
back any part of the counsel of God. l
teach slaves that they, also, are bound by
Christian obligations to their masters OBJ
legations from which they are not released
by unkindness and frowardness on the
part of their masters, supposing them to be
unkind and toward" which is rarely the
case.
Were living in Boston, and should a
fugitive slave come to me for protection
and assistance, he should certainly have
both :--protection against the arts of DEM
agogues and fanatics, who, having used
him tor their purposes, would leave him
to starve; and assistance to return to that
condition in life, in which alone he can be
truly happy. would undoubtedly do all
that man may do to make Christian of
him. This being accomplished, it would
heed but little argument to convince him
OF his duty as a Christian man-to po
back to his master, and by increased dill
gence, zeal and industry, to restore, four
Told, IT it were possible, whatever loss NAV
have resulted from his running away.-
lhis seems to be the rule of action pre
scrlbed by Holy Scripture in such cases.
1t certainly was the course pursued by St.
Paul {; and, so far as am informed, the
Protestant Episcopal Church, throughout
the United States acknowledge no high
er law" Another course may be more
popular with people whose applause you
seek, but we have been taught that "that
which is much esteemed among men is
abomlnation in the sight of God"
You must have known our views and |
feelings upon this subject; and, therefore,
l.
oy causing the document which l now re-
turn, to be forwarded TO us under your
frank, you have deliberately and grossly
insulted the entire body of our clergy.
For one, l feel it deeply. lido not like
to be exposed to such i'm i,ertinences. Still
more deeply am grievcd by the thought
that our labors for the benefit of the slave
population are in any degree liable to be
hindered by the interference of women,
and men, who have not the least
responsibility in the matter who looking
beyond the moral and social evils that lie
at their own doors, are willing, for the graf
'ication of a morbid or hypocritical phil
anthropy, to overthrow the ordinance of
dod' and involve the whole country is ru-
in. ....r
Having thus discharged my duty, l
hope to be troubled no more by YOU in
relation to these subjects. Should it ever
be in my power to render you any chris
t'sii service, you may believe me
"fonr servant for Christ's sake"
The Hon. CHARLEs SUMNER -
,. .... Boston.