Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1852-04-28
FOR THE spEorAr TOR
Letters to Northern UniOnists Ola
the Scripture View of Slavery.
LETTER NO. 10.

Results ofthe foregoing investiga'iOn.--Hou
mav lille 10 slave property be justly &C.
quired ?-What are the abuses Of slarery
In whal sense is Slavery an euils
RESPECTED FRIENDs,-The limits, with
in which / have promised to confine my
self forbid me to prosecute any farther the
examination of the Scripture testimony on
slavery. will therefore in this letter, sum
up the results of the investigation, which
has been made, and add some remarks,
which are needfuI to the proper elucidation
of the subject.
The results at which we have arrived are
the following. Slavery existed extensively
among the people of God, before the Chris
tan era. Many of the most pious people
who lived in the time of the Old Testament
such as Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Job, Gid
con, Boaz, David, Solomon and the good
Shunamite, were owners Of slaves; some
of them to very large extent. Some OF
these slave owners were the objects of Gods
peculiar favor, and received high commen-
dation from him, while none Of them were
ever censured for slaveholding. Slavery
is twice recognized in the Decalogue. In
the civil law of Moses, slavery is expressly
permitted; slaves are declared property,
and treated as such !; no class of people, not
even priests, are prohibited from holding
them and the provisions of that law do
not appear in general more favorable to the
slave, than the laws of our Southern States.
Slave property is repeatedly spoken of in
the Old Testament as blessing. In the
time of Moses, the captive Midianites were
by the direction of God, distributed as
slaves among the people and the priests
Ir the time of Christ and the Apostles, sla-
very in its worst forms was widely preva-
lent yet they never said one word in its
condemnation. On the contrary Christ
treated some Shareholders with distinguish
ed favor; and in his parallels, he introduced
Shareholders in the most honorable manner
which was possible. The Apostles admit
ted owners of slaves into the Church, and
in all probability into the ministry. In
stead OF giving slaves permission to rebel,
or to run away, they commanded them to
obey and honor their masters, and to serve
them with fidelity and good will. Instead
of directing that slaves should be emanci-
pated, they prescribed rules in accordance
with which they were to be retained. Paul
expressed the strongest adherence Of abo-
litionists and their doctrines. He sent back
fugitive slave TO his master with the most
complimentary letter, in which the emanci-
patton of the slave was not even requested.
If slaveholding be in itself sin, then must
the treatment of it by Christ and the Apos-
ties have been inconsistent with moral prin-
ciple, as we'll as with their own couduct in
reference to every other sin. They clearly
couhtenanced slavery; and that on some
other ground than the benefit of the slave,
for Paul expressly says to the converted
servant, "If thou mayest be made free, use
it rather" In his circumstances, being Of
the same color with his master, and having
if free, the opportunity of rising to respec-
liability, his own interest would have been
promoted by his emancipation but justice
to the master, and regard 10 the good Of
the community, required that he should
continue a slave.
These results of our examination of the
Scripture testimony on slavery, lead us in
evitably to the conclusion, that slavehold-
ing cannot be in itself sinful; and that it
may not be sinful, even when it is incon-
sistent with the greatest advantage of the
slave: for the master may have right of
property in his slave, which will justify
him in holding that slave, as he might just
ly hold any other property, from due re-
gard to his own interests.
BY arriving at the above conclusion, 1
have accomplished the great object, which
| have had in view in writing these letters.
Fairly to reach such a conclusion, is to un-
dermine the main pillar on which rests the
whole structure of Northern abolition and
indeed, it Is to undermine almost the whole
ground, on which the majority Of the North
ern people stand, in relation to slavery. If
the process, by which this conclusion is
reached, be not fair one, let its unfair
ness be shown. If it cannot be shown, as
| am confident that 1t cannot, then let the
North cease to deny, that the South may
have right to continue slavery, even if the
interests Of the slaves do not require its
continuance.
There are other important questions con-
nected with the subject, into which I do
not design to 60 at length. But on some of
them wish TO say few words. One of
these questions is,-How may title to
slave property be justly acquired3 The
Mosaic code prescribed four principal ways,
in which persons might be lawfully made
slaves. Ist, By captivity in war. I'd, By
being sold for debt. Sd, By being sold for
theft. 4th, In consequence of being born
of bond-women. On this last, l will dwell
a moment. Those who came INTO bondage
in this way were called "home born slaves"
The parent of one of these is spoken of as
one that "gendereth to bondage" The
same rule prevails In modern slaveholding
countries and it is equally just in the case
of these, as in the case Of the ancient He
brews. When race has been in bondage
for several generations, it is not Necessary,
that The owner Of one of the race should be
able to prove that the first ancestor, who
was slave, became SO by just means, any
more than it is necessary for me. in order
to hold piece of land, to trace nv title
back to Shem, Ham or Japheth and then
to prove that he got good title from Noah.
It's sufficient for me to show, that the person
from whom my title to the land was immed-
ately derived, had himself legal title to 1t.
So it is sufficient for the claimant of home
Born slave to show, that the mother of that
slave was legally his property. The title
to slave property may be transferred by
sale, as the Bible teaches and consequent
ly man may rightfully hold slaves, who
are "bought with money" The man who
holds another man as property without a
just title, Is guilty of man-stealing. But he,
who has ajust title 10 slave, has as perfect
a right of properly in him. that is in bis Ia