The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1852-11-11

bic, by sale and by inheritance, to poSterity.
3 The very general assent of all nations,
from the earliest ages, to the right of savehOld-
ing and the consequent general practice OF 1t
among them.
g. The supposed authority of the Old Tesla
ment and the acquiescence of Christ and his
Apostles in the custom, as eyinced by their not
condemnng it. and even by giving directions
for the reciprocal duties of masters and slaves
A little reflection will show us that the va
lidty of the two last of these considerations
depends on the first and if the first is shown
to be false, the other two will cease to have any
force. Capture in war is asserted TO be the
sole origin and original Justification OF slavery.
If the original foundation of any contested
claim is proved to be unsound no custom. how
ever prevalent and no authority however re-
spected, can sanction it.
In the earlier ages Of the world and yet,
perhaps, in barbarous countries, the right to
take the lives of captiyes in war was fully adj
mltted and, a fOrtiOri, as a mitigation, the sub
stituton of reduction to slavery. The idea OF
hereditary privileges and obligations was also
as fully accepted; and, accordingly. not only
honors but punishments were extended to the
relations and descendants Of the recipient, even
beyond 4" the third and fourth generation
But Row, in civilized countries, what man who
values his own reputation for justice and hui
mainly would venture to defend the imagined
right either of destroying or enslaying captlyes
taken in war; after their resistance had ceased,
and especially when the war was terminated!
What would be thought Of the civilized Gov
eminent which should now take such meas
ure
Az 10 Of an, M
brauce though it is still maintained in Euro We
in respect to honors and privileges and is made
the foundation Of regal and aristocratic an.
thOrity, it is utterly repudlated in regard to
punshments and disgraces and is universally
denied, in both cases in this country, and IN
all republics and it is strangely inconsistent
in the upholders of slavery here, to advocate it
on Il ground the validity Of which they are
obliged to disclaim. No authority, then, can
be found for the alleged right Of property in
man, from the formerly supposed rights over
captves in war, the claim of which is now
universally and entirely abandoned, and no
other original foundation for that right is any
where assigned
| have said, that when the original ground
Of claim is taken away no subsequent Gus
tom or authority can justify it. But as this
proposition may not seem clear, or be admitted
by the advocates Of slavery, proceed to ex-
anime these two other considerations i'll its
favor. In regard to custom, it is freely admit
ted that chattel slavery has prevailed in many
regions. and from the remOtest antiquity; and
that its injustice has not been perceived by the
wsest and best men Of such ages and coun-
tries But shall we now still be taught, that
the customs of the past, however extensive, if
found to be unjust are to be the guide Of the
philanthropy of the present Or that doc
trines, revered AS true in one age, are to bar
the discovery of antagOnistic truth in another
Could Christianity have ever supplanted all
pervading idolatry, if such a maxim had been
admitted by its martyrs The divine right Of
despotic soyereignS polygamy, pious ira,,ds and
ialSehOods and the barbarOus invasion of ma
tons for conquest, were all once generally
prevalent, and universally approved. Who
will be found to advocate them now Too
long has the world been swayed and cruelty
oppressed by resting on custom and authority, |
in disuse of reason. The time for independent
thought has come, and it can no longer be
awed by the fading phantoms of the past. The
customs of ages may excuse the practice OF
dcluded Shareholders, but cannot give the slight
est authority for the right Of their claim to
human property.
We now come to the considerations in favor
Of slavery, derived from the Scriptures. These
are two l. The curse Of Canaan as recorded
in Gen. tx %, which is supposed to be dcvoyed
on his posterity; and 3 The alleged acquicS-
cence Of Christ and his disciples in the prac-
tce.
In regard to the first, admitting the revolving
doctrine that God punished the misdemeanor
of Ham by II curse on one and one only, of his
innocent sons, and extended it to his equally
innocent posterity still the decree that he or
they should be servants of servants to their
brethren, only signifies their subsection, and
gives no intimatiUn OF the right OF holding
them as property. The distinction is so broad,
that no argument for one can be drawn from
the language of the other.
Again: 1t does not appear that the black in
habltants of Africa ever descended from Ca
naan or any white person all scientific doycl-
opmcnts are unfavOrabe to such an hypothc-
sis The location of his posterity is plainly
pointed out in Gen. X, 10, in land the inhabit-
ants OF which we know were not black and the
prophetic curse was fulfilled in their suhjec-
ton by the lsraclteS, after their return from
captivity The resting of claim to human
prophecy savors of Jewish or Roman super
stiton. Intelligent Professionals should he
ashamed of the argument
But our Lord and his Apostles acquiesccd
in the system Of Slavery How is this known !,
Ii is true we hear from them no direct dcnun-
Citations of it, as an institution They had
more wisdom than towaStc their efforts in lop-
ping the branches of social corruption, when
they were engaged in tearing up the roots. In
temperance, polygamy, despotsm, war, sur
rounded them and no one of these is assacd
by them, as II general practice, by name but
who believes now that their assent to them is
to he inferred from this silcnccl 1t is not by
specific appreciation or ccnEure of particular
customs, but by the general prime pies laid
down in the Gospels, and their accordance or
discordance with those customs that the as
sent or dissent of Christ and his followers, re-
garding them, is to he determined The two
fundamental corruptions of human nature, re-
peatedly and unsparingy denounced by our
Lord, rs the double root Of all moral evil, are
the desire of wealth, and unfOrgiving maligni-
ty; and no institution, custom. or pursuit, I'M
favorable to human happiness, springing from
these propensties, though not especially mem
toned, can be considered ny approved by him
The great doctrine of love of God and love Of
our neighhor, the great rule of doing 10 others
as we would they should 10 to us, are entirely
incompatible with the reduction Of fellow men
to chattel brutes, in qualification of the era
wings of ayarice, and in obedience to the p,u,npt-
ings of Malignant passion. The doctrines Of
the divinity of the human soul, its utilization to
the Eternal Spirit, and the dwelling and fra
ternizing teachings Of the Gospel in derogation
of all human authority, 50 clearly discernihle
by the intelligent reader, are as adverse to the
claim of property in man. ns any direct pro-
hibtion could he
Paul indeed has settled this question by
single act He sent back 10 his friend Phiie-
mon his fugitive slave, not hy force and unwil.
lingy-tor this he hadno powcr-but raised by