Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1855-03-01
TuE pATRIARoIrAL rNsTIrurIoN.

THE PATRIARCIIAL INSTITUTION.
The Washington Globe of January 30th,
commenting Oh Mormon defence OF Polga-
my, says:-
This great social and political evil, as we re-
gard it to be, is defended by quoting the Bible,
as though Ood'had approved all that be permit
ted the urgovernable Jews to do, Or as if what
be tolerated fer time under theocracy, is to
be ru) e of action for the people of an Amcr-
can Republic under Christian dispcnsation-
Very good. But how about that "great
socj a and political evil" SLAVERY : Slavery
is defended by quoting the Bible, is upheld
ss a :. Patriarchal Institution institution
sanctioned by the example of Abraham, Isaac
and Jacob. Now the patriarchs were undoubt-
eddy polgamysts. and if their exampeis rule
for the American people in one case, why not
in the other! If anything, polgamy is more
easily justified by the example of the patri-
archs than slavery. Polgamy is the same
thing in all ages and countries. A second or
third wife in Utah. eighteen centuries and
half after Christ, holds exactly the same re-
ation to her husband that second or third
wife held to her husband in Palestine eighteen
centuries and half before Christ. But
slave to-day in Virginia is by no means in the
condition or status of the servants of Abra-
ham, when the patriarch armed his trained
servants, born in his own house, three hundred
and eighteen" and pursued and slaughtered
Chedoraomer, king Of Elan and the kings
that were with him." Fancy Col. Suttle arm
ing his " servants" snd leading them forth to
make war upon the aboitionists Abraham's
servants, instead of being slaves were serfs or
vassals, or better still, "men Of his tribe"
who followed him to war and otherwise served
him, from love and loyalty and not from fear
of the slaye-whip or the "paddle." We do
not imagine that Abraham needed Fugitive
iSlave Law to keep his servants at home. The
hospitable old patriarch would neither have
pursued one who had left his service, nor CIV
en- to the pursuer one who had taken refuge
, in his tent. His Arab blood would have
boiled within him at the thought of surrender
ing fugitive who had claimed his protection,
: and eaten his bread and SALT Whenever the
Shareholder dare to immitate his example and
i arm their servants" and trust themselves
among them so armed, in the proportion of
y enc to three hundred and eighteen, they may
rely upon it there will be an end to ant-slav-
cry agitation, for slavery will then be DIFF
= ferent thing from what it now is.
: But even if the slavery of the Hebrews had
i been similar to American slavery, had been
$ as harsh and unjust, and atrocous (which
II every one who has looked into the subject
e knows it was not,) sill, as the Globe says of
polgamy, it would not be rule of action for
s a Christian people living under higher dis.
: pensatiop. God in all ages has permitted
" evils to exist to which he cannot without bias
!; phemy be supposed to have approved. He
IL permitted the Jews to do many evil thing;
S which they could not have boen prevented
IS from doing, except by destroying their spiritu
S al freedom, and thus converting them from
0 men into machines. Christ says they were
S suffered to do such things because of the hard
o ness of their hearts. Polgamy was one O.
these, and slavery another. In the time Of
o Christ, however, slavery did not exist in Ju
= dea. The institutions of Moses by emauci-
L pating all the slaves at regular intervals, had
: ngssbefore put an end to it. There is not the
: slightest trace Of the existence of slavery to
n be found in the later Hebrew writings before
q Christ And in all probability the Saviour
/, never looked upon slave The argument,
} therefore, in favor of slavery, that there is nc
u direct denunciation of it in the teachings of
J. Jesus, falls to the ground. There was nc
< need of any, because slavery did not then ex.
. list among the people to whom he spoke
Boston Telegraph.