Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1855-01-30
A Caro-.

I
TO q speech Of the Hon. Joshur r. G;ddinrs
delivered in the PRESBYTERIAN church, Gales
burg, Illinois, on The 2i9;h OF October 1854
and published in the :. GaleSi,urg Free Demo
crat," from which l extract the Following par
sgrHPh.
And now must say a worl alont the
ministry. thank them for the devotion they
have shown to the cause Of the slave. Their
words and prayers have Cheated me in the dis,
charge of my duties, 70. seyenteen wears
have not heard prayer fo- tie Stare from a
chaplain in Congress. Anti-sIa7e-y faersibcrs
of Congress have bad to do all the PRAYING for
the slave which has been done there. When
Dr.. Wylie, of the Scottish church, visited
The chuEcheeof this country, he entered the
hall of the HOUSE ems day while was speak
ing on bill affecting the rights of slave and
a. Bsothar Tustin chaplin of the Senate, after
wards introduced ms, DR.. Wrlis WAS pleased
to compliment me on my efforts. felt ike
taking a liltle revenge on Brother Tustin. and
told the Duetof that when ministers 10 WASH
ington dare not pray for the slave, laymen
were compelled to use their poo. Abilities IN
| his defence. In establishment. The Doctor
turned 10 Brother Tustir, ard asked him II It
| was SO. Brother Tustin hung his %ead, and
| replied We de- not think it prudent"
| CourtesY ard bterriety forhids ,no 70 i'm
| peach lie -eracisy Of Mr. Giddings, for he is
| a venerable ard distinguished citizen; Yet JUS
! tee % myself requires me to say that, after
taxing my recollection TO the utmost, l cannot
recall the most remote shadow OF any one ci--
| culrstsuCe sporilied in the above s.'uement-
II is chcerfuIiy confessed CEijhout, however,
| any references to the prudential considerations
| alluded tp ty Mr.. Glddings, and SO discreiit-
able to my Christian and ministerial integrity
that, in the discharge of my official duty as
chaplain Of the Senate, / may not have con-
sidered it necessary to utter abolition speeches
to the Deity in order to make my supplications
acceptable to Him. In the moGcf prayer
taught by our Blessed Redeemer to his dlsci-
pies, the spirit, if not the language Of which,
was intended to be initiated by all succeeding
generations, re .fnd nc specific r5arcn;c 10
that class Of persons as such, albeit slavery eN-
listed in its hardest form at that very time,
and of necessity under the immediate insr"c-
ton of the omniscieDt Saviour. in tho omjs-
sion, therefore, of which Mr.. GiddinCS com
complains, l am willing to stand in tie shad-
ow of Him whose heart was perennial foun-
tain Of all that was 6 pod and just, aud whose
heavenly lessons, wren strictly oteved, will
lead us TO the faithful discharge Of all our rel
alive duties whether we be in authority or sub
lection. Ny venerable friend flor am sill
inclined so to regard him, aside from these I'M
necessary assaults upon my Christian and min
is terial claracter) will excuse rue for intmat-
ing to him that there are other methods Of eX-
hibtiDg orr sympGt1Y for the stare besides
political speeches and official prayer. The
position in which / am involuptarijy placed
will justify me i'll making pubic "a little
incident in my own history, which, until
now, has been scarcely known be- ond the
&c,
without any agency Of mine in the way OF pur
chase, I became, Ike Philemon of The JNelc
Testament, the owner of a man slave, 1.-The
only one / ever did possuss,) whose services
would have contributed largely to the comfort
and convenience Of ny family. Instead OF
preaching and praying tJr his emancipation,
went to the proper authority and directed his
free papers to be prepared il due form and pre-
sented to him, by the execution of whicl, act
my G8chcGuer, never suffering from plethora.
WAS teduccd to the extent Of $500, or per-
haps, $1,000. Whilst far renewed from Mr.
Giddings's peculiar views on this interesting
and exciting subject, I nevertheless was I'M
PEELED by motives which I need not disclose 10
make this voluntary offering on the altar Of
freedom, and thus eYiRce, by so !1uch. "a
small amount, to be sure, in the estimation Of
some,) that true and substantial sympathy for
the slave does not belong exclusively TO the
north SIDE Of the lire. ..t.
The naelio,U 2,rctx which M Gliding has
attached to my name does not diminish the
severity OF the assault. The honey which he
has placed ut the end of tho spoon does not
make the doee at all less nauseatinr. He is
too well acquainted with the Scriptures not to
know that there is one case, ct least, recorded
upon inspired authority, i'll which the gentle
appelIation is connected with an action not
entirely traterndI in its character or result.
may be permitted to add, shat if did not, in
my public prayers as chaplain to Congress,
specify particularly the class Of persons which
seems to monoPolizo SO largely the sympathy
Of Mr.. GiddiDc2, there is QUE petition which,
in sentiment, if not in words, he and others
will recognise as holding prominent place in
my daily prisons; it was, rs It'll row, and ev-
er shall be "that ov- precious oaa priceless
Union mag be perceived against Tie 02ach.DG-
tons Of its t6es, qcIct+er foreign or domestic,
and be trcn&Daiticd t:'1inp1rsd 70 ossr cllareass
Children Throughout al! generations; end that
tie NORTH end South nny ncuer FORGET,
eveTs in hour7 2T agiZdsst crcitsH1enf, TIM
Whilst distinct as he jj!i9"2,
THEY ere one as tie sea"
an Crieyed to be thus brought into PCb-
lie collision with 1ir. Gidiings; for, apart
from the oOilgEltI OF lctiiHZ tHgeHLSItt ~
his mistaken Tie-.s of slavery and .he best
means of improving tbs condition of ti:a sIsYe.
1 believe he would rocoil from INJECTING an
injury upon llie,character of Christian min
isicr who, by his principles and Office, il The
opinion Of many, is deprived alike Of tl'eTiGht
or privilege of sclfdefsnce. Ely reputation
however. secured by thirty years OF hard and
exiigtstiEg service in the cause of humanity
and religion, is too. precious to myself and
family to allow me to stand by and witness
with accomplishing acquiesce its rnutilation
and dismemberment, for the useless purpose
of rounding off an aPocryphal period or fur
nisbing material for Bnneornbe paragraph.
In conclusion, I beg leave to add, that
would not, for various reasons, have felt my
self at liberty to lobtrude this "casd" uq9n
above extract were the only one in which Sir.
Giddings has used mr. name disparagingly
but am credibIy informed tIat he hes done