Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1855-12-29
Gbr Antt- 5laprrp Buele.
WHO ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR SLAVERY
, IN THE UNITED STATES ?---NO III.
70 The Editor Of he (Londoa) A. s. idrocatc.

Thirty thousand minister's and about three millions
of baptized comlunicants, nearly one sixth OF the
nation, cannot be over estimated. To suppose that
slavery could long exist unsupported by its appro-
val,-much more, under the whitening blast OF Its
execratiou, is out of the question.
The bodies which represent the Caivinistc
Church in America are pre-em inenty the American
Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions, the
American Tract Society, and the American Bible
9, Society-And the stand these have taken on the
subject of slavery should be well known. The
course and character of the American Board of
Commissioners for Foreign Missions will be the
theme of this article.
ana The Presbyterian and Congregational Churcheo
of the United States particularly desirous to
hold high place in the esteem of British Chris
tiaus. At this time, the union with them on the
part of the American Board of Commissioners for
Foreign Missions, in plan for spreading the gos
pei in Turkey is held to be OF the highest impor-
tance.
To one acquainted with the American Board n
movement OF this kind would be expected Not
that the Board considers the Church of Great
Britain incompetent to conduct its own missionary
operations, wanting in zeal for the conversion
of the heather. But liz common with most OF the
American Churches, that great body is in danger
of becoming bankrupt in Christian character, on
account of its long connection with the slave sys-
TEN of that country. True, in obedience to the
advancing public sentiment, it has been compelled
TO take apparent steps, from its former guilty
course of direct completely in the crime. Once 1t
employed at least one missionary in Africa, who
was slaveowner in Carolina--John Leighton
Wilson Even now its members and contributors
often Shareholders. 1t is written, 81 the Lord
hate robbery for burntoffering." But to rob of
money, manhood, humanity, wife, children. educa-
tion religion as is done to millions of Gods poor
children in the United States is excusable by this
Missionary Board and the price of the victims
sold in the shambles still repenishes its treasury
And this is accepted by highly protesting Christians
of the nineteenth century, while even the unbellev-
ing crucers of Christ would not receive into their
treasury the price Of blood.
The Board has for many years sustained opera
tions to a large extent among the American lnd-
ans. Civilization and Christianity said to have
greatly fourished in consequence. But never was
a North American savage known to hold slave
until he learned to do from the new culture and
new religion. Now, there are not more relentless
oppressors in the world than they have become
Since 1886, they have had law in one tribe where
the missionaries have been most successful, that
''if any citizen of the United States acting as q
missionary or preachershall be found favorlng the
principles and doctrines of the abolitioniss, he shall
be compelled to leave the nation, ,and forever to stay
out of it,"
The second Act defines the first THUG THAT t
teaching the slaves to read write sing, in meet
ing houses or schools, without the owners consent
shall be sufficient ground to convict of the Of
fence"
Since 1871, the same nation has had law, 'that
all free negroes unconnected with Choctaw or
ever stay out of IL" The penalty for returning
was to be sold to the highest bidder for life. Many
left their dearest kindred there in slavery
The Choctaw law was the same, except that the
penalty for returning was mot less than one hun
dred lashes on the bare back"
Since 1916, no slave can be emancipated there,
except BY. permission of the Legislature ;
that permission he obtained unless the owner be
free from all debt both in the nation and out of it,
And every slave emancip pated must leave the nation
in thirty days. be sold again into slavery, for
term Of five years"
Such are but specimens of laws enacted long
after the missionaries of the American board be-
gan their operations there, ard boasted Of their
success. And not of these enactmeDts has
been repealed, even if some of them have become
dead letter. Nor have the missionaries thought
of making slavehoding, or even the enactlng OF
such laws, a diciplinary unchristian offence.
Even the separation of families by sale they palli
tate as coolly as though it were only selling the
lambs from the sheep. The official language on
the subject is this In relation to the separation
of parents from children, must first remark TINT
IL is one Of the things ,chich are not forbidden 6y
cypress injunction Of Scripture. 1t is mpossibe,ip
our circumstances to make it a general rule that
the separation Of parents and children Gy sale or
purchase shall be regarded as disciplinary offence
We can never make it a test of piety or condition
of admission to the privileges of church memt ership,
that candidate should express determination
not to live and ole stakeholder"
The above is an extract from letter from the
Cherokee Mission to the Board. The Chocaw
Mission sent letter at the same time, containing
similar sentiments and also declaring-"We have
endeavored as a Mission, to keep alOof from the
,- Abolition movement" The Board accepted re-
port upon these letters, commending"the Christian
spirit which pervaded them"
In 1S48 one of the secretaries of the American
Board Rev. S. b. Treat, made an offcial visit to
the Indian Missions to enquire into the connection
I.f nd chure hes 81
The Eollowng passage from Mr., Treats report will
show hsw he and the directors of the Board regard
the holding of slaves by these new converts to the
Christian faith =
1t seems fair to presume that a .feC persons have
been led by christian principle to abs tain from the
purchase of slaves and such, was told, is the
case But on the other hand, We may not shut
our eyes to the fact hat process has been silent.
ly going forward whic IA has tended 10 a d!HeTent
resah As fast as the doctrines of the gospel have
cxerted their appropriate Influence, the inuians
have advanced in civilization. They have felt new
desires, and consequently new wants llaving
these desires, and experiencing these wants, they
have looked around for the means OF gratifying
the former and removing the latter. They have
sought do ths, as others have done before them,
by the acquisition Of property Bnt the forms OF
investment accessible to them were very few:
They could not buy land. even if they had wished
10 do 90, because their whole country belonged to
the nation in common. Indeed there was hardly
any species af property it was so natural for them
10 desire and seek as this of which we are speak
inc, for il became not only mode of investment,
but, in their Judgement the means of further &c,
ou;sition If we also take into account the hered'
itary gnRnce Of the Indians TO labor II we re-
eect .hat the slaves were capable of doing many
things better than their masters, we shai see how
,ho lumber of slaves have increased rather than
diminished, as the Indians became more and more
like the people around them
q i"More and more like the people around them
that s, more and more civilized and chrlstianized
IN the sense of the American Board Inc more