Star of the Kanawha Valley. [volume] (Buffalo, Va. [W. Va.]) 1855-1856, 1855-08-15

N or. IL Is true therefore, that u vas no
formally introduced in the legislation act
Of Moscs; but, was legislated uponby hin
rs an institution Of standing recognition
"That slavery had an existence when Mo
SEES undertook the task Of legislating for tn,
I Hebrews, there can be no doubt. ~
We have seen that servitude Of some kim
prevailed among the patriarchs; that th'
traffic Of slaves was carried OH between
the Mechanics and Egyptians, and that !
existed among the Egyptians. TWAS IN
doubleday practiced by all the surround
I ing nations, for history does not point u
to a time when slavery did not exist
l There is even evidence that slavery wa
/ Pacticed by the Hebrews themselves
4 whcn>in state OF bondage; and thu
l though lhey were as nation, 'bondmer
\ 10 Pharaoh, Yet they had servants ill thei
families who hadbeen 'boughtsih mon
ley.' Atthe very time that the hw wa
given respecting the Observance Of tn
passover, and before theexodc> from y ypt
this statute nppea rs among others This i
4 The ordinance Of the passover: there shal
\ b. no stranger eat thereof: but every mah'
servant, Mm is bongAtlormoney, when thou
hast circumcised him, then shall he eat
thereof 1t is clear, from this, that the
institution was always in existence, and
that Moses did not originate it." " V
! But, the laws enacted by Moses, were
according toDivine instructions given by
Divine authority, and as slavery was rec
ognized and provided for, it mus follow
that slavery as originally introduced and
',regulalcdby such legislation isaccordingto
Divine appointment. ThisconcluS sion will
appear themore forcible, when it j. under
stool that'lle object Of the Law was TO sup
press vice aud promote virtue. Hence cv-
cry acknowledged wrong was prohibited uu.
erppenaly corresponding with the nature
of lie offence; and inthe list of offences, one
was that ofimproper interfenccs with the re-
lation of the slave TO his master, or owner.
And the charge was delivered in such ali
august manner that the people were over
whclmed with a sense of the Divine author
.ity. '.And all the people saw the thun-
behring's, and the liyhtonings; and the noise
Of the trumpet, aud the mountain smoking:
and when the people sawa, they removed,
and stood alar Off. And they said unto
Moses, Speak thou with us, aud we will
hear: but let not God speak with us, lest
we die" Such were the.cI'ccts prod ced
ana language employed, Immediately after
the charge involving unjust intcrfcrcnccs
with each Others rights in which the man
servant and maid.servant were embraced.
The incorporation Of an item into the dec.
alogue, guarding the institution Of slavery,
must settle the question its claims to Di-
vine authority. A
The following quotation from the TWEEN
ty-ffth chapter of the book of LcvitiGus,
is presented in confirmation ofthc forego.
ing. and to show the special instruction
given to regulate tho institution Of
slavery. Both thy bondmen, aud thy
bondmaids, which thou shalt have, shut
be of the heather that are are round about
you; Of them shall ye buy bondmen and
Moreover Of the children of
the strangers that do sojourn among you;
Of them shall ye buy, and Of their families
that are with you, which they bcgat in
your land: and they shall be your posses
sion. And ye shall take thoni as M inner
ltance for your children after you, to in
herit hen' for possession; they shall be
your bondmen forever: but over your
brethren, the children of Israel, yeA shall
not rule one over another with rigour.''
Numerous quotations ola kindred charac-
ter could be brought forward, but these
are sufficient to establish the points con-
tcmplated in this article; besides the con-
sidcration Of the pcrpetuity Of the institu-
ton, will require some Of the residue and
and il cannot be received AS in bad taste,
to study variety as well as strength. This
may be a proper place in the subject to re.
mark, that the best linguists assure us that
the term serpant, as employed in the scrip.
lures, has all the force of the term Stare,
as employed in the English language. es.
pecially when used in connection with the
neutrality-suspicious.. !
We have' fixed upon the PRONUNCIATION
Of the law, which was four hundred years
after the call Of Abraham, as tho: proper
data from which we draw the conclusion
that slavery is Of Divine appointment and
that il was not contingent in its original
introduction, SO far as the legislative acts
regulating the institution are concerned.
For we are. of the opinion that no man who
is: believer In. the truths Of Divine reve-
lation, and entertains correct views in re-
card to the Divine character. will arpue