Squatter sovereign., 1855-06-26
BY THORNTON STRINGFELLOW
Continued.

COWfHUcU.
Second. In the criminal code, that con-
duct is punished with death, when done,
to freemen, which is not punishable at all,
when done by master to slave; for the
express reason, that the slave is the mas
ter's money. ''He that smiteth man, so
that he die, shall surely be put to death"
Exod. xxi. IL, II. 'sIf man smite his
servant or his maid, with a rod, and he die
under his hand, he shall be surely punish
cd; notwithstanding, if he continue day,
or two, he shall not be punished, for he is
his money!" Exod. xxi 20. Here is pre-
cisely the same crime: shifting man so
that he die; if it be freeman, he shall
surely be put to death, whether the man
die under his hand or live day OF two af-
ter; but if it be a servant, and the master
continued the rod until the servant died un-
der his hand, then it must be evident that
such chastisement could not be neccssa-
ry for any purpose of wholesome or rea-
sonable authority, and therefore he may
be punished, but not with death. But if
the death did not take place for a day or
two, then it is to be presumed, that the
master only aimed to use the rod, so far as
was necessary to produce subordination,
and for this, the law which allowed him to
lay out his money in the slave, would pro-
tect him against all punishment. This is
the common-sense principle which has
been adopted substantially in civilised
countries, where involuntary slavery has
been instituted, from that day until this
Now, here are laws that authorize the
holding Of men and women in bondage,
and chastising them with the rod, with a
severity that terminates in death. And
he who believes the Bible to be a divine
authority, believes these laws were given
by the Holy Ghost to Moses. [ under
stand modern abolition sentiments to be
sentiments Of marked hatred against such
laws; to be sentiments which would hold
God himself in abhorrence, if he were to
give such laws his sanction: but he has
given them his sanction; therefore, they
must be in harmony with his moral char
actcr. Again, the divine Lawgiver, in
guarding the property of right In slaves
among his chosen people, sanctions princi-
pies which may work the separation of
man and wife, father and children. Sure
ly, my reader will conclude, if make this
good, shall force part of the saints of
the present day to blaspheme the God Of
Israel All can say is, truth is mighty,
and l hope it will bring us all to say, Let
God be true, in settling the true principles
of humanity, and every man a liar who
says slavery was inconsistent with it, in
the days of the Mosaic law. Now for the
proof: 'sIf thou buy a Hebrew servant,
six years shall he serve thee, and In the
seventh he shall go out free for nothing; if
he came in by himself, he shall so out by
himself; if he were married, then his wife
shall 90 out with him; if his master have
given him wife Gone of his bond-maids)
and she have borne him sons and daugh-
tiers, the wife and her children shall be her
masters, and he shall go out by himself"
Exodus, xxi. 2, 3, a. Now, the God of
Israel gives this man the option Of being
separated by the master, from his wife and
children, or becoming himself servant
forever, with mark of the fact, like our
cattle, in the ear, tina. can be seen wher-
ever he goes; for it is enacted, s.If the SER
want shall plainly say, love my master,
my wife, and my children, I will not go out
free, then his master shall bring him unto
the judges, Gin open court, he shall also
bring him unto the door post, $50 that all in
the court house, and those in the yard may
be Witnesses and his master shall bore
his ear through with an awl; and he shall
serve him forever" 1t is useless to spend
more time in gathering up what is written
in the Scriptures ON this subject, from the
the giving of the law until the coming of
Christ.
Here is the authority, from God himself,
to hold men and women, and their in
crease, In slavery, and to transmit them
as property forever, here isplenary power
TO govern them, whatever measure of Sc