The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1852-09-09

but II VIII amount I'd nOlnlnS, ioI .hcio 10 n.y.
ing in it, The book comprises the usually
quoted facts associated with the history OF sla-
very as recorded in the Scriptures, accompa-
MED by the opinions and arguments OF another
man in relation thereto. And this sort OF
thing may go on to the end OF time IL can
accomplish nothing towards the perpetuation
Of slavery
"The book is called Bible Defence of Sla-
very and Origin. Fortunes, and History OF the
Negro Race Bible defence of slavery! There
is no such thing as a Bible defence of slavery
at the present day Slavery in the United
States is a social institution. originating in the
convenience and cupidty Of our ancestors ex-
isting by State laws and recognised to a GER
tain extent-lor the recovery of slave proper
ty--by the Constitution. And nobody would
pretend, that if it were inexpedient and un-
profitable for any man or any State to continue
to hold slaves, they would be bound TO do so,
on the ground of a Bible defence of it, Sla-
very is recorded in the Bible, and approved,
with many degrading characteristics. War is
recorded in the Bible, ana approved, under
what seems to us the extreme Of cruelty. But
are slavery and war to endure forever, because
we find them in the Bible Or are they to
cease at once and forever, because the Bible in
culcates peace and brotherhood?
THE book before us exhibits great research,
but is obnoxious to severe criticism, on account
of its gratuitous assumptions. The writer is
constantly assuming this, that, and the other.
In work of this sort, doubtless this and
no doubt the other, and such is our belief
with respect to important premises, will not
be acceptable to the intelligent reader. Many
of the positions assumed are ludcrous; and
no 70 Of 10 nhara in
putting words and speeches into the mouths of
the ancients, predicated upon the brief record
Of Scripture history. The argument from the
curse Of Ham is not worth the paper it is writ
ten upon 1t is just equivalent to that of Black
woods Magazine, we remember examining
some years since in reference to the admission
of Rothschild to Parliament The writer main
tanned the religious obligation of the Christian
public to perpetuate the political disabilities Of
the Jews, because it would be resisting the D-
vine will to remove them, in view of the curse
which the aforesaid Christian Pharisee under
stood to be levelled against the sons of Abra-
ham. Admitting that God has cursed both the
Jewish race and the descendants of Ham, He
is able to fulfil His purpose, though the rest Of
mankind should in all things act up to the
benevolent precepts of the Divine law Man
of the Christian dispensaton, and leave God
to work out the fulflment of His curse.
According to the same book and the same
logic, all mankind being under curse, none
of us ought to work out any alienation for
ourselves and we are shining heinously in har-
Messing steam to the performance of manual
labor, cutting wheat by Mccormick diablerie,
and laying hold of the lightning to carry our
messages for us, instead of footing it ourselves,
as our father Adam did With little more
common sense, and much less of the uncom-
mon sort, we should better understand Scrip
ture the institutions under which we live, the
several rights of our felow-citizens in all sec
tons of the country, and the good sound, prac-
teal, social relations which ought to contribute
infinitely more than they do to the happiness
of mankind"
The Sun is published in slave State it is
deservedly popular, as newspaper though it
has never been suspected of fanaticism against
the institution 1t has not however, lost all
common sense in supporting it. The reverend
gentlemen who spent so much labor on the
Bible Defence of Slavery get but cold
comfort from any but Hunkers and Dough-
faces
SLAVERY As PAINTED by A SHAREHOLDER
A correspondent of the Tribune, VIM. s. Spcer,
writing from Cornersville, Tennessee, under
date of July %, 1852, thus writes:
" You are an Anti Slavery man. SO am l. |
was born an heir to slaves-so was my wife.
We were raised and have lived among them.
But | have long believed, and known, and seen,
and felt, that slavery, as it exists IN the coun-
try, cannot be defended. 1t is a most unlucky
thing for us that slavery is among us On the
score of moral and religious good, it is out of
the question. On masters, and on the white
community generally, the institution rs it ex-
list on our statute books and on our plantations
is seven-fold evil-the parent of more evils
than are enumerated in the Decalogue ven
ture to say that in the slaveholding settlements
of Middle and Southern Mississippi, where
have lived several years, there is not a virtuous
young man of twenty years of age. How can
they be virtuousi They have nothing to do but
to cultivate their passions-and masters and
slave-maids think righteousness no great dis
honor Among the young bloods it is a matter
to boast Of Nor will marriage make man
yirtuous who was previously libertine. To
send lad to male acadamy in Mississippi is
moral murder. Now, ] have four children
three of them boys. ! confess shall never raise
them in slave State willingly. They already
want servant to wash their feet to hand
a gourd of water, &c, which in my opinion is
all a humbug. expect to remove to Illinois.
was there last week. What different coun-
try and people! Every farm and dwelling
neat and charming-cities and villages quiet
and without loaiers doggeries, and oaths-and
nod uith hus N attend tD
so at least so far as ! went to jacksonville.
saw only three negroes two of them looked as
if their souls were far away as their eyes were
aching upon the river for a steamboat want
my children raised away, far away from the
haunts of so degraded a race, the abomination
of the Anglo-Saxon American"
We doubt whether any Anti-Slavery man
has ever written more sweeping condemna-
ton of the effect of the peculiar institution
upon the morals Of the community where it
exists. 1t demoralizes the people-makes labor
dshonorable-" cultivates the passions" and is
A" the parent of more evils than are enumerated
in the Decalogue" This is the testimony Of
one who has grown up in the midst of it Are
not the Independent Democracy therefore just
flied in seeking to denatonaize it,
VINO WAS JUNIUsl-A writer in the Dublin
University Magazine furnishes an interesting
and discriminating article touching the iden-
tity of Junius. He pronounccs him to be Lord
Chatham the elder William Pitt, and intimates
that if his hypothesis be not adopted, people
must honestly chime in with Lord Byron, and
admit
That he whom Junius we wont to call,
Was really, truly nobody at all