Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1853-01-22
From the American Missionary.
The American Board and The Indians.

| The American Board and The Indians.
We are continually inquired Of respecting
the action of the A. B. G.. +. NJ. on tho suh-
ject of American Slavery. 1t is in compli-
ance with such intimntions, and requests
! founded upon ttem, that we have felt it Our
duty to give such presentation of the sub
iect, embracing facts already stated from time
| to time in our columns, aud other infornla-
| ton, as will enable our readers to take a
! comprehensive view of the whole matter
| We shall aim TO perform this task with ddel-
| ity aud kindness, and presume that no sincere
aud candid inquirer after truth will refuse to
give pruyeriul aud dispassionaie consider
alton TO what we shall present.
Corresl oudents Of some of the Western
religious newspapers, who were present nj
the late meeting Of the Board at Troy, n. y,
have expressed their great Disappointment
and grief that nothing was said against sla-
very aud mission churches contaminated
with slavery, but much TO erioi slavehodiug'
churches sustained hy the Board. 1t seemed
to them, as it did to numerous other friends
of missions in attendance, that unusual pHins
were taken to make such churches, aud the
missionaries present WHO are connected with
them, special objects of attention aud com
incubation, and TO encourage the idea that
the meetings OF the Board were spiritual
just ~ proportion to the partial or absolute
exclusion of the slavery question. One of
the correspondents referred TO says;
"A corporate member, residing Mt the
West, was asked if il would he possible to
! get the silt of saycholding, as practised in
the mission churches, before the Board p
| His reply was that the thing would be ut
terly impossible. He said that ii was his
opinion that even the corporate member,
who should attempt TO Introduce the eXclud-
| ed subject would be 'discountenanccd -
kindly but firmly 'put down. So every man
| must feel who attends q single session of
of this Board. While in the Amer
lean Congress the subject of slavery can he,
! discussed, the American Board has succeed
cd in absolutely excluding the consideration
of this same evil with which their churches
are Immediately connected. No
Christian can give good reason for giving
his means To propagate the gospel connected
with slavery, when lie can send free gos-
pei to tie heathen. Let us labor tlIen to
disseminate truth. Christ and tie Christians
conscience arc on our side aud although
we shall not live in this world to see the
issue, yet we sall see il. All who labor in
| faith for free missions will unite in the hal
iNAhIi'n NhASA WIN iAiS AltohSh hiI oiNhio
Of the spirits home, when the last vestigc
of slavery shall be expelled from the Church
of Christ"
In the paper elninating from the Pruden-
tiul Committee, that was read n, the annual
meeting, il was said:
"A large number of the Choctaws Rre tho
| followers of the Lord Jesus Christ. E. .
One eigth of the whole tribe belong TO the
visible Church. No other cluster
Of churches in the world, it is believed, eau
show such table of statistics (addtions) for
the last twelve years. In some
things, moreover, these churches are ensam-
pies TO us. Choctaw Christians pray
Innch for the heather. lutemper-
Gnce among the Choctaws has been greatly
curtaied. :. Through the efforts OF
the missionaries law was passed IN 1888,
| embracing the principles of what is now
known as the Maine Law but which with
greater propreiy, may be called the 'Choc-
! taw Law Education is highly
priced by tho Choctaws. Mr. llotch-
kin (ihe missionary thinks that the ChactRw
Christians, according TO their ability, oie
more benevolent than their white brethren.
And Mr.. Stark says: IL all Chris
tians would give as liberaly as the Good
Water church, the gospel would soon be
sent to the whole heOthen world
The Choctaws have good government
| They have n written constitution, with
| declaration of rights which embodies the
liberty of the press, tIial by jury, the rights
of conscience proper safeguards Of person
and property, the equality Of all Christian
| denominations, and almost every great prin-
ciple of civil aud religious freedom.
The statutes OF the Choctaws are simple,
sometimes defective in plraseology but for
the most part commenduble in their aims
and spirits"
| OF the Churches it was said:
81 know not how many cases oftriumphs
in the hour Of death might be produced to
show that Cherohees aud negroes have had
the same happy exit from the world as the
more highly favored whites. /. 'ThOse
whom we received into our churches Mr..
Ranney thinks, OH the whole give as much
evidence Of being born again as did church
meuibers in Vermont, when l lived there.'
(. The Cherokces, like other Indians,
ave hospila5le to proverb; and il would
Seem that they only need to be taught the
more excellent way to open their hearts TO
all the world. The Cherokees are
struggling manfhlly against tho evils of in
temperance. The Cherokees have
mnde great Improvements in sgricnlture.-
. The Cherokees are advancing in
knowledge. The Cherokees have
an excellent government. In form II closely
resembles that of Massachusetts.
All free male citizens, eighteen years of age,
are entitled to vote, tho vote being vipa voce.