Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1854-12-23
OUGHT OUR SLAVES TO BE TAUGHT TO
READ?

Under this Head the Southern Presbyterian
lately published the following precious specimen
of Modern Protestant Jesuitism:
The affirmative is argued by the author of the
Address before the Abbcyille Bible Society at its
recent anniversary we are on the negative. As
far rs our means OF Information extend, the advo-
cate has entirely misaprchcrded tie grounds of
that legislation which 'enacts that slaves shall not
he taurbt to read" lie has moreover simply at
tempted to disprove the negative of lis proposition,
forgetting that the affirmative. is without proof.
We might here rest our cause and wait for the al
frmative to be argued; but we insist that the laws
in question are imperiously demanded by a regard
to ruLlic safety, not because slavery is most com
patibie with a state Of profound ignorance" but
because instead of reading the Bible, slaves would
have placed in their hands those ''other documents,
books and papers," intoxicating nsubOrdination
and rebellion. and thus placing the lives of our
families in eminent peril. If, with the ability to
read, you could impart true religion, or even a de-
sire or disposition to read the Bible, the danger
would be largely diminished. But, if n judgement
may be formed from the known conduct of white
readers, we may reasonably conclude that the
great majority of the blacks would prefer other
books than the Bible.
Is there any great moral reason why we should
incur the tremendous risk Of having our wives and
children slaughtered in consequence of cur slaves
being taught to read incendiary publications
Religion is as important to the slave rs to the
master the soul Of the one is as valuable as that
of the other--but is the ability to read essential to
salvation? Is the reading of the Bibles import
ant a means of grace that to hinder a person from
being taught to read it is equal to his exclusion
from the religion of the Bible? Is there no other
means Of preaching the Gospel except by printed
page? The only answers which can be given to
these questions will at once expose the fallacy
which underlios the whole ground work of the
discourse referred to, and it is the same fallacy
which gave direction to the action of the A. b. c.
I. NJ, in relation to the Choctaw Nation. Many
very pious persons, many persons III possession Of
large stores of Biblical truth, were never able tC
read a single line in the sacred volume. Millions
of those now in heaven never owned n Bible. TC
read is a valuable accomplishment, but it does not
save the soul. But few persons, comparatively
are converted by their private reading the word
preached is the usual means Of grace, which the
Holy Spirit blesses to the conversion Of inners.
The press may aid the pulpit, but we must not
give it pre-eminence over the heaven-appointed in
strument for the salvation Of men.
The author, We fear, has not taken much pains
to inform himself upon many collateral issues he
has raised in his address. lie seems to be uni
formed of the fact that the Scriptures are read in
our churches every Sabbath day, and those rcry
passages ahich i~ncUlcafe the relaiire duties Of
masters and servants, in consequence Of tier tertuai
connections, are more Frequently read Man other pr
tons Of the Billie, We are convinced that it is in
correct to say that the pulpit is silent upon this
point, so far rs it is Il practical question in morals
and religion.
We are amazed that any person should speak as
our author has done in his last paragraph, who, in
the very declarations he makes, shows himself so
utterly unacquainted with church statistics. We
saw without fear of successful contradiction,
that there are more pious persons among the blacks
than among any similar class an the tcorid.-South'
ern Presbyterian.