Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1854-01-07

40 W oe pa'ului Talner tnan ludlcrOus
mistake.
But, sir, wish to do our Secretary perfect
justice; and should leave this matter here |
might leave the impression upon the minds of
my hearers that the Secretary euioined abso.
lutte obedience to this commandment of God
which he presumed to quote Now, he did
no such thing He remembered American
slavery and the fugitive slave act, and pro
vided for their safety. The Secretary SAYS
that we are 10 obey the Dvene command to
do unto others as we would have others do
unto us: only when there is no command of
men to the contrary. In a word, he adopts
the American theology-theIpro slavery the
ology-wbich exalts the wisdom of man above
the wisdom Of God. Christianity, says the
Secretary, requires us to do unto others as
we would have others do unto us, except
when we are acting under legal restraints
| Now, sir, this exception is sheer nterpo-
alton of the Secretary. This law, as we lind
1t IN the authentic and sacred record Of Chris
tanlty, is absolute. The Administration are
therefore guilty Of deliberately corruptine
Christianity Sir, admit that the Admins
tratlon was under string temptation
in this case to corrupt Christianity.
admit it, and yet hold that this temptation
should have been resisted.
am aware that if the Administration had
put the justification of Captain Ingraham's
conduct upon simple Bible truth, they would,
in so doing, have opened wide the door for
the rescue of every American fugitive slave /;
they would have justified the rescue of Shad
rach, OF Boston; they would have justified the
celebrated rescue in my neighborhood Il
mean the rescue of Jerry, of Syracuse; they
would even have justified the liberation of ev-
cry slave in the land.
Now, sir, to suppose that an Adminstra-
ton which had sold itself in advance to the
slave power; that an Administration which
had surpassed every other in its devotion to
that power; which owes its hopes and its We
ry being to that power-to suppose,
say, that such an Administration would take
The simple Bible ground, which would invite
the subversion OF all slavery, is TO suppose that
1t would practice the basest ingratitude
Such ingratitude could not have failed to ex
asperate that power--that mighty, dominan
power, before which not only all American
Administrations, but the American peopl
themsel ives, fall down as abjectly as dill Neb
uchadnezzar's people before the image which.
he set up.
And yet, sir, hold that the Administration
had no right to give up Christianity for slav
cry Important as it may be to maintain sla-
very, 1t is nevertheless more important to
maintain Christianity; and neither this no,
any other Administration shall with my con
sent deliberately corrupt Christianity, either
10 save slavery or for any other purpose. AMI
If the immortal John Wesley was right in cal
ling American slavery "the sum of all villain
les,' then it is cartainly very poor bargain
TO give up Christianity for it.
80 this doctrine that the law of man-this
doctrine, that we may qualify the law of GOD
with the law of man. is doctrine as perous
To man as it is dishonorable to God. 1t no:
only leaves no rights to God but il leaves no
rights to man. What. sir, if the Turks had
a statu e declaring that every man, Austrian
born, might be kidnapped ?-Then according
to the doctrine of the Administration, we
could not have rescued Koszla, because his
kIdnappers were "acting under legal res
trauts
will suppose, too, that there was statute
IN Turkey providing that every man might be
kidnapped who is American born; then, &C. |
cordIng to this doctrine of the Admnistra-
ton, we could not rescue American citizens il |
kidnapp' in Turkey. But, sir, suppose the
Secretary of State himself were kidnapped,
or even the President of the Un ted States
then, according to the doctrine Of the Admin
istration, we could not .claim either of these
great men, Now, the supposition that such
great men may be kidnapped or enslaved is
by no means absurd. The great Cervantes
was enslaved; the great Arago was enslsved
and 1t may be that even those great men to
whom have referred may yet be enslaved
know, sir, that such men are casting their |
mighty influence for African slavery, and for
the multiplication of its victims. know that
they dream not Of the possibility of their ever
being eDsiaved-of that chalce which they
present to the sof others being ever return
ed to their own; and yet even such retribu.
tion, r one yet more terrible than this life can
afford, may be the retributon for such stupen,
dous treaehery and hostility to the human
brotherhood Napoleon, who, when at the
zenith of his greatness, had the noble but H.
fated Toissant rOuverture carried across the
waters to die in prison. little dreamed that
ne himself, IN afew short years, would be car
rled across the waters to die in prison.
Sir, at that last great day, for which, as it
has been sublimely said. "all other days were
made" when men shall be judged for the
deeds done in the body. let me not be among
the number Of those who have welded civil
power to bind and multiply the victims of op-
preston. When consider the tendency of
power to such perversion, | confess that |
shrink from possessing it. lest too might be
tempted 10 lend it to the oppressor instead of
The oppressed. $50 returned" saws the
wise man, "and considered all expressions
which are done under the sun; and beheld
he tears Of such as are oppressed. and they
rad no comforter; for on the side of their op.
'ressors there was power, but they had no
comfort"
Again. sir. this doctrine of the Aministra-
ion goes to blot all over that page of history
# which Americans are so proud. refer {
o that which records the brilliant achieve Z
nents Of Decatur and his brave companions a
n the Mediterranean This doctrine of the 4