Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1852-03-24
Nd. XIX.

|
tains instruction respecting not only the
rights Of masters, but also the duties OF
slaves. Joseph, in state of bondage, into
which he had been most unrlghteously
brought. teaches by example, that servants
should show call goDd fidelity" with good
will doing service" The unbouhded coni
fdence which his master reposed in him,
would doubtless have afforded, him ample
opportunities to escape, had he been dis
posed to embrace them. But although he
must have longed to see the house Of his in-
dulgent father, yet he never become fugi-
tive; restrained no doubt bya consciea'
tious regard to the claims of his MASTER
What powerful rebuke does his conduct
convey to fugitive slaves, and to their coun-
sellors and abettors and especially to those,
who would advise and aid insurrectionary
murder! Joseph was most tnjustly sold to
the Ishmaelites; and they were criminal IN
buvlng him, if they knew the circumstan-
ces of the case. But there is no reason TO
suppose that Potiphar was culpable in pur'
chasing him, ignorant, as he probably was.
of the fact that he had been "stolen away
out of the land of the Hebrews" We are
told that, "The Lord blessed the Egyptians
house for Josephs sake" Gen. 80: D.
This was at the very time when he held
Joseph as slave. Does the blessing OF
God attend robbery! In the providence OF
God, Joseph afterwards became Governor
of Egypt. While acting in that capacity,
he bought the Egyptians as slaves for Pha.
raoh paying their price in the grain which
had been gathered during the seven plente-
Gus years, Gen. AZ: 1926. By this trans
action, their condition was changed from
that of political servitude, TO that in which
they were the property of their lord, a state
which is the peculiarly of domestic slave
ry. Now would such measure as this have
been taken by a man SO eminent for piety
and Justice as Joseph, if slavery were in
itself sinful? This case deserves particu-
lar attention. An abolition editor once said,
that in order to understand slavery, all that
was needful was to stand under it. 1t must
be admitted then, that Joseph understood it.
He was moreover, raised by remarkable
interposition of Divine Providence, to the
station which gave him the power to effect
the measure referred to; and it is said Of
him that he was, "a man IN whom the Spir-
il of God" was; he was, in his conduct, un-
der the special guidance of Divine wisdom,
Gen. Al: 38.
Important instruction, respecting the dn.
ties of slaves, may be derived from the ac-
count of the Egyptian bondage Of the lsrs.
elites. That bondage originated in an act OF
injustice, for which there could not be the
least apology. The worst evil which the
Egyptians pretended to fear from their
growing power, was that they would "get
them up out of the land" Ex. /: 10. 1t
was bondage made bitter by the most in
human cruelty, Ex. l.: 1922. Again and
again the Lord commanded the Egyptians,
mot to emancipate the Hebrew,-but sim
ply to permit them to 60 three days jour
ney for the purpose Of religious worship;
and again and again they refused, Ex. 3:
18, 10, and s: 10, and 8: 1, Is, 90, 81.
They were even more oppressive than be-
fore. If there was ever case, which would
Justify servile insurrection, this surely was
one. But God did not give them permis-
sion to rebel nor did he even direct them
to leave the country, until their masters had
given them liberty to do 80. The Bible
gives no countenance to the idea, that slaves
possess the right of revolution, even in the
most extreme cases of oppression. 'Reyo-
luton is not justifable in any case what
ever, unless the insurgents have rational
prospect Of accomplishing good, which
shall be sufficient to countefbalance the
horrors of civil war. AS community OF
clovoe cannot reasonably eYnect to oroan-
ize government which shall realize such
good, they can never be justified in any
attempts at Instruction.
Yours respectfully, a.as. -ee
NOtANGLUS.