Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, South-Carolina) 1852-1852, 1852-12-24
Is slavery ] a a Sin E

DR.. Spring, of that city, recently declared that
if by praying for the abolition Of slavery cc6,d
accomplish it, lie would not dare to make that
prayer. In discussing the subject, The Dar Book
makes the following sensible remarks Is
"Thc bible teaches us what is and What is not
lawful in the eyes ofGod, and as it is no.l,,nger
a sealed book, but open to all, each individual
can Judge for himself whether slavery is Or IS not
sin. We 60 to a lawyer telcar, what is law,
and the decision of eminent judges upon qncs-
tions of law are received not only with Difference
and respect, but are regarded as binding upon
parties who, disagreeing, appeal to themf their
decision. The lawyers and the judges examine
their books, they look into. the matteri,nd telhs
plainly what the lawis, and we abide bytHcir
declaration. Is it not quite: as rcison bic then
to appeal to eminent diyincs upon q,estonssin
dispute as to what's gospel. One man says sla-
very is sin, another says that it is not sin;
neither party is as we'll acquainted or as familiar
witt, the bible as he ought to be- and they there
fore appeal to men who h;l.e made it therstudy
all their lives, and have become elninentfor their
wisdom in things pertaining thereto. These men
have told us over and over again "that the bible
ioes not condemn slavery as sin, and that.i.
hinly es MT make it itobligatory ON the master
to mauulnit his slave"
This is almost the universal opinion Of the en-
inent cergyin the Northern States; why then
should the newspapers and the laity continue to
"adnit that slavery is an eyilW The supreme
court of the United States, the constitutional the
bible and the clergy, have all passed judgment
upon it, and all admit the moral aud the legal
right of man to property i'll the serpicc of man.
No one pretends that man can own property in
man, as he does in an OK or an ass. The laws
of the Southern States make a wide distinction
they recognize slave as a man. and protect
him as a man. No man can kill and eat his
slave as he does his OK or his sheep, nor can he
turn him out when old and helpless, to die on
the common, as he does his horse. The proper
ty is only in the services of the slape.. The law
Of the State recognizes the negro oasa pauper-a
human being incapable of taking care Of himself
and steps in and makes contract in his behalf
and for him, with his MASTER 1t agrees,to give
the master his services, and IN return the master
agrees to give the negro his lyipg-,t to :ake care
Of him in sickness and in Old age, and provide
for all his wants. This law may be wrong, may
be hard aud unjust to the negro, bat thatrez
mains to be proved. Experience has not yet
t.ught US that it is. -
''Thc States of New York, New jersey and
Pennsylvania, have withdrawn their guardianship
over the negro, and admitted that they had no
just right to make such contracts for HIM They
have acknowledged his rights to equality with
the white man, ard left him to make his own,
terms and take care of himself and family asbest
suits him. The consequence has been a total
failure on the part Of the negro to maintain, not
a decent, social position merely, but life ITSELF
He has sunk lower and lower in the scale ofins'
telligenee and humanity, his offspring has with
cred and died on the parent stem, and his race,
but for the supply from the slave States, would
soon be extinct. There is no denying these facts;
and the negro like the Indian, if left to hniselfF
would disappear before the white man like frost
before the sun. TO Hue he must be owned, fed
and cared for, by superior intellect No man
will care for and provide for another if he cannot
have his services; and when We take from the
white man the power and the right totcork the
negro, we deprive him of the means of supports
ing him, and as consequence the negro is left
to his resources-which resources, the experiment
in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, has
abundantly proved are not sufficient for him to.
maintain an existence in competition with the
white race. That the law of the States which
contracts with the white man for the support Of
the negro through life do better for him than he
can do for himself is no longer question That
in so doing it does him real and lasting benefit,
we have no doubt-but more of this anon"