Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1852-01-28
NO. XII.

There are not many of those "atrocious
slave laws of the Southern States which
have been so severely censured, that wouid
appear more favorable TO the master than
this. But the law of Moses was not, n us
general character, remarkable tor ienity IL
punished blasphemy and Sabbath breaking
with death. Again, if man smote out the
eve or the tooth of his servants, ne must let
| him 90 free, Ex. 21 26, 27. Such a law
as this is scarcely necessary in our country;
the cruelty against which it guards being al
most tinbeard of. The Mosaic law forbade
man.steallng, Ex. 21: 16; crime which
is prohibited by the laws OF our southern
States. Fugitive slaves, from tors'gn ma a.
tions, were not to be delivered up 10 iheir
masters. but this statute did not apply TO
servants of Hebrew masters, Deut. 70: 10,
is. Express precepts were given Tor the
liberation of those Hebrew servants, whose
term of service had expired, Deut; 10: ~
1S. The laws Of the Southern States Sc
cure the liberation of those who may De ~
legally held in bondage. Ihere Is ou. on.
more regulation which calls tor our notice
and it is one which deserves speciai at'en-
ton. It is that which required the master,
to furnish his servants with opportunity 70
epioy religious privileges; especially TO en-.
ioy the blessed privileges of the SABBATH,
That Sabbath which the abolition leaders are
most wickedly striving to take away from
both bond and free. It is remarkable that
the Hebrew code con ms so iitue Prosisioh
for the benefit of the slave, when its M lunc
tions are so numerous and emphauc IN Ia
vor of the poor, the stranger, the ~i1ow' o9 .he
fatberless. and the hired servant. inns iact
shows that, in the view Of the Divine Law
giver. the welfare of the slave mignt De
Safely and properly entrusted to the MASTER
a, is that of the child to the parent.
Having examined the provisions OF tne
Mosaic law respecting slavery we WIN
now look at the Institute as IL eXrsteu III III
der the operation of that law. J" n1ie ao one ,ne
Israelites were yet in the wilderness, o%'coo
captiyes were distributed, by the direcuon
of God, among the people as slaves part
of them being given to the Lerltes,tne MN.
isters of religion, Mum. 81: 11-4. Before
the conquest of Canaan the Glbeonites were
reduced tc bondage which was to De per-
petual, Josh. g: 21-27. In the time Ol
Samuel, slavery was common, Sam. Q: To- io'
In the next generation, fugitive slaves were
numerous Nabal insultingly compared Da-
vid to one. 1 Sam. 25: 10. We hencel learn
that fugitive slaves, instead OF being ap-
plauded, a. they now are at the North. were
considered infamous, as they now are AZ .ne
South. That there was NO difficulty IN re,
covering such fugitives, appears from
Kings, 3: SO, 40. David became an owner
of slaves by his marriage with Abigail, !
Sam. 25: 1912. When he took Messnioo,
sheth under his special care, ne direc,ea
slave labor to be used in providing. tor his
support. Q Sam. g: 10. This was the man
after Gods own heart; and we find no ac-
count of his ever repenting of the "sin OF
slavery" Solomon was an owner OF Saves
Ex. 2: 7. and he gives some useful olrec- e;
tions for their management, Prov. 20: l9,%!'
A hundred years later, in the time OF Eli,
sha, slaves were common, and the gooc
Shunammite owned some, 2 Kings 4: %4.
The prophet speaks of men-servants ana
maid-serv ants in connexion with other klnos
of propertv, and puts all in the same catego.
ry, Q Kings S: 26. Between this period
and the Babylonish captivity, slavery is is
brought to view at several intervals, Joel 2:
%, Is. "a: Jer. "a: SIT. When the
Jews returned from Babylon, they brought
large number of slaves with them. Ezra 2:
65, Neh. 7: 81. Idolatry ceased from the
time of the captivity, but slavery continued.
JOSHUA Zerubbabel, Ezra and Nehemiah
were not free-soilers. The last of the Old
Testament writers speaks of the institution
as If he was perfectly familiar with 1t,
Nal. 6.
Thus do we find traces Of slavery through
out the whole period of the Old Testament
history but we find no one, Of the "holy
men of God" who "spake as they were
moved by the Holy Ghost" proclaiming
that "slavery is sin" or e1horting to the
duty of emancipation. Nor is it anywhere
taught that slaves were held merely for their
own benefit; but on the contrary they are
expressly declared to be the property of
their masters: they are therefore held like
other property for the advantage of the own
er. will complete this outline, of the
Scripture view of slavery, in my next let
ter, by giving the testimony Of the New
Testament on the subject.
Yours respectfully,
NoVANGLUs.