The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1852-06-15

fellow. Christians, and often their own children,
brothers and sisters, as slaves. Without admitting
the premises, utterly deny the conclusion drawn
from them The Creator and Judge of all men, IN
finite in WISDOM goodness justice, and power, selects
his own modes Of maintaining his moral government,
and Of naicting deserved punishment; ana none may
say unto him, +" What doest thou! To INN De
longeth vengeance, and none may execute 1t IN his
name, except by his appointment. he saw mt TO
destroy by water guilty world; but will be inferred
Nom this act of divine sovereignty that SAINTS nave
moral right to drown sinners? For their extreme
wickedness, the seven nations Of Palestine were
doomed to determination, and the Jews were order
ed to take possession of their land and to put all
the inhabitants, men, women, and children, to the
sword; to make covenant with them, nor show
mercy unto them. Does this commission to the jews
confer upon similar rights in other lands! The ma
tions adjoining Palestine idoatrous and other
wise excessively depraved; and we are assured by
pro- slavery divines that God, by express revea-
ton, gave the Jews the privilege Of buying and
holding their inhabitants as slaves; and hence We
are taught that, without any similar revelation to
ourselves, we are authorized to keep our own
brethren in bonds, and to reduce them to the con-
dton of beasts of burden in defiance of the express
Commands of God to do justice and to love mercy.
and to do to others as we would they should do unto
us. We utterly deny the authorized existence of
hereditary chattel slavery in the jewish common
wealth, such slavery being absolutely forbidden by
the universal emancipation proclaimed on each re-
turning jubilee But SO far as relates to the lawful
ness OF American slavery, IT is wholly mmaterial
whether the Jews held slaves or not, since it is nd
mited by all that they did, they acted by virtue
of special and express permission from God. while
it is equally admitted that such permission has
been given to us. HAmerican slavery be sanctioned
by the religion of Jesus Christ then indeed, is that
religion an nexplicable riddle both tolerating and
forbdding every species of cruelty, injustice, and
oppression.
American slavery is hateful in his sight, and utterly
irreconcleable with the holy and merciful precepts
of the gospel Of his Son. Hence we believe it mo.
rally wrong to render any voluntary aid in uphold
ing an iniqutous system, in reducing fellow
man to bondage.
GOVERNMENT IMPLICATED WITH SLAVERY.
We are continually told that the federal govern
ment has nothing to do with slavery, and yet, from
very early period, its powers have been exerted to
1t is the object OF the A. and 4 A. S. Society to
effect. as far as possible entire divorce of the
federal government from the subject of slavery In
relation to, the constitutional powers of the federal
government, we indulge in no opinions more ultra
than such as have been avowed by Daniel Webster
himself. With him, we hold that Congress is fully
authorized to abolish and to forbid slavery in its
own territories to suppress the commerce in slaves
the Union of new slave States. We also cordially
concur in his Judgment" expressed in his speech
in the Senate, on the 7th March, 1850 that the
stituton does not confer on Congress the right to
legislate respecting fugitive slaves. In accordance
with these views, the A. and F. A. S. Society aims
at delivering the general government from all en-
tangling alliance with slavery, and they desire to
effect this much desired deliverance by inducing the
people to select for their representatives in Congress
such men only as will resolutey refuse to legisate
in behalf of slavery.
THE CHURCH IMPLICATED WITH THE SIN OF SLAVERY.
But as anti. slavery Christians, duties in re-
gard to this horrible and sinful system extend be-
yond the jurisdiction of the federal government,
and reach even to the shareholders themselves.
True Christianity is an aggressive religion. $50
We into all the world" was the command of its
divine founder Can it be our duty to send mis-
sionaries into China and Hindostan, to rebuke the
sins Of their inhabitants, and to PROSTATE in the
dust their affairs and their gods, and yet to observe
the silence Of the grave in regard to a sin
which, in our own country, reduces millions to ig-
norance, degradation, and wretchedness, and, by
denying them the lamp of life, keep them in vir-
tual heathensm Convinced that slavery is sin,
we not only have the right, but are bound by the
obligations OF Christianity, to oppose it, and to
all lawful means for its abolition, whether in our
own or other countries. If slavery be not sinful
then we know not what degree Of cruelty and injus
tice amounts to violation of the law of God.
combination Of circumstances has led many Of
our clergy at the North, and nearly all at the
south, to regard slavery, with all its inseparable
denominations. as an exception from the Christian
code. We must love all men as ourselves, with
the exception Of such are black. With the same
exception, we must do COED unto all men, and exer-
else Justice and mercy to all. We must give Bibles
to of all lands and all races, except TO about
three millions of our countrymen. The laws must
protect the marrnge tie, except in the Of these
same millions. Supplications must be made for all
men, except those among us who are Of all men
the most miserable. In short, Christians, we
must rebuke every sin except that giant sin Of
Eation which involves the preparation of almost
every other But it is affirmed, by way Of apology,
that We at the North free from this SIM and have
therefore no concern with it. Were the assertion
true, the apology would be equally valid for not at
tempting to overthrow the idolatry of the Hin
docs, the decisions of the false prophet, and
for recalling all our missionaries TO the hcathen
But unfortunately the assertion is utterly destitute
Of truth. Probably not a sermon is preached in our
large city churches which is not listened to by
Shareholders; probably not congregation is as
sembled in the free States which does not include
persons directly indirectly interested in slavery
How many of our sons are constantly removing to
the South, and becoming Shareholders! What num-
bers Of daughters mstresses slave planta-
tions! How many Northern cergymen now descant
from Southern pulpts the divine rights Of slave
holders! And shall we be told that Northern
Christians have no cause to raise their voices
against sin which is daily corruptng their
sons, their daughters, their politicians, and their
clergy! Alas there is mighty conspiracy,
prompted by selfish considerations, to suppress
all discussion OF this Sin, all exhibition of its
whitening influence on human virtue and happiness.
We have great national societies for disseminating
Christian truth but no reader Of their tracts and
Sunday. school books learns from their pages that
it is sinful 70 rob black men of all their rights; to
compel them to labor without wages to deny
them the Holy Scriptures and to send fathers,
and mothers, and children to market, like cattle
and bales of cotton. All other sins in these
publications faithfully and freely rebuked but
every allusion to this great and all peryading sin
Of cur nation is carefully excluded Occasionally,
a tract or religious biography from the other side
of the water is deemed worthy of republication !;
but IL is first submitted to process significantly
termed cottonizng, and which consists in care
July eNpunglDg every expression condemnatory Of
human bondage. The A and +. A. S. Society, utterly
repudiating such time serving view of Christian
duty, aims at convincing the hearts and understand
inrs of all both at the North and Mt the South Of
the siniulness Of American slavery.
THE wIcKEDNEss AND INDIGNANTLY or CASTE.
1t must, however, be understood that this So
cety dii Gets its Lahore to the abolition Of caste
well IS Of slavery. We have among ourselves
population, each individual Of which is a swift
WIRES of our cruelty and unchristian conduct.
While protesting against the injustice and oppres-
sion lTactised BY our Southern brethren, let US
not forget the deep guilt of our Northera com
muniy n the treatment Of the free people Of color
No castistIy can reconcile the scorn and contumsy
poured upon these people with the precepts Of the
gospel OF Christ-of that gospel which makes love