The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1852-11-18
From the Banner Of the Gross.
LIVINGSTON, SUMPTER Co, ALA, 1885,

LIVINGSTON, SUMPTER Co. ALA, 1852.
SIR By the mail return, uncut, copy Of
YOUR Speech in the Senate of the United
States, on your motion TO repeal the Fugitive
Slave Bill"
This speech, which came under your frank
and consequently by your order, has, suppose,
been sent to others of my 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, ac-
quit you Of any design to offend me personally.
You have only offered a general indignity to
those ministers of the Protestant Episcopal
Church whose homes are in the South. In tho
abuse of the franking privilege, you have sought
to Obtrude the most obnoxious sentiments, ex-
pressed in the most offensive manner, upon men
who would have refused to hear them 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 sufferers are forbidden to retaliate
We can only protest against such treatment
Whether our remonstrances are to be needed
by one who wantonly despises the patience not
only, but the safety of the nation is for you to
decide
My own observations, during residence of
3
that charity to the fugitive slave demands that
be be returned to his master.
careful reading of the Holy Scripture on
the subject does not permit me to doubt that
it is my duty, as Christian minister to insist
upon the obligation Of masters to their slaves
This do. Nor do | hold back any part of the
counsel of God | teach slaves that they also
are bound by Christian obligations to their
masters-oblgation from which they are not
released by unkindness and trowardness on the
part of their masters, supposing them to be
"unknd and froward," which is rarely the
case.
Were living in Boston, and should fugi-
tive slave come to me for protection and assist
ance, he should certainly have both-protec-
ton against the arts of demagogues and fanat-
les, who, having used him for 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 a Christian
of him. This being accomplished, it would
need but little argument to convince him of his
duty as a Christian man-to go back 10 his
master, and by increased diligence, zeal, and
industry to restore fourfold, if it wore possible,
whatever loss may have resulted from his run
ming away. This seems to be the rule of &C
ton prescribed 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 acknowledges no 4" higher law
Another course may be more popular with
people whose applause you seek, but wo have
been taught that "that which is much es-
teemed among men is abomination in the sight
of God
You must have known our views and feel
ings upon this subject and therefore, by caus-
ing the document which | now return to lie
forwarded to us under your frank, you have
deliberately and grossly insulted the entire
body of our clergy.
For one, feel it deeply | do not like to be
exposed to such impertinences. Still more
deeply am | grieved 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, children, 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
qualification of a morbid or hypocrtical philan-
thropy, to overthrow the ordinance of God,
and involve the whole country in ruin.
Having thus discharged my duty, hope to
be troubled no more by you in relation to these
subjects Should it ever be in my power to
render you any Christian service, you may be-
leve me "four servant for Christ's saken
The Hon. Charles Sumner