Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1855-09-06

Ours is pre-eminently Christian movem ent
Its grand idea.its central, life. giving principle
is the equal brotherhood of all men before
their common Father in Heaven;''and its mis-
sion is the practical vindcation of this truth
We are to make it the animating spirit OF th
religion. the morality, and the politics, of th
nation. We are to rescue .he doctrine of
common brotherhood from the limbo ofunmean
ing distractions, and make it incarnate in tn,
popular heart. "One God,one Humanity, one
love from All for All'-this is the platform o
the Abolitionist, ,and this is the platform o
the Christian.
The work we are striving TO accomplish
therefore, comedies with Christianity itself
The obstacles which oppose the liberation o
three and half millions of American slaves
are the obstacle which oppose every enter
prise looking to the reign of "peace on earth
and good will to men," Contempt for human,
ity is the foundation of slavery, and of every
species of oppression and wrong; respect for
humanity is the foundation Of Freedom, anC
the grand condition of the worlds advance
ment. Abrogate the n6de, law of Hate
which tegords man as a child of the devil, ant
entbrone in its stead the christian law oi
Love, which reveres him as the chill and
moral likeness Of his Maker, and not only
will the chains of the clave fall asunder, but
the curses of land monopoly, the cruel ex-
actions of capital over labor, the cold-blooded
rapacity of avarice, and every other form OF
"man's inhumaDity to man." will be sent how
ling from the face Of the earth.
Here, Mr.. Chairman, on the great Rock Of
Christianity, and on no narrower or Trailer
| foundation, shall we erect the altar of Free
dom, and here should we offer up our sacrih-
ces This is the only true standpoint icr
the Anti-Slavery party in the United Sta tes
and we should resou,ely and unitedly main
tain it, in the face of all opposition. Princi-
Piles and policy alike require that we stand on
Christian ground, and on no account should
we forego position which alone can render
our cause mpregnable, ana which is so much
needed to cheer us under the many discour-
agements to which il is perpetually subjec-
ted. We are branded as infides. Let US
say to the world that we wage war against
Slavery because pe are Christians, and that
to us rightfully belongs the prerogtive
Of sitting in judgement upon the popular re-
ligon of the country, pronouncing upon it ac-
cording to its fdeiitv or its infdelity to the
great doctrine of human brotherhood. We
are upbraided with having but 'onedea." Let
US reply, that we borrowed it from the New
Testament. in which we find it appealing to
us as the "one idea" of the Founder of cur
religion and that idea is large enough to COM
prehend the moral universe. We are char
ged with an undue measure Of zeal in the
advocacy of our cause. Let us answer, that
the system OF American Slavery is the hugest
aud most frghtful denial of the central truth
OF our religious faith, the most atrocious libel
upon Justice and Humanity, that now con-
fronts Heaven on any part If our globe
We are reproached with our weakness. as
party, and sometimes our own doubling
hearts whisper to US that our struggles have
proved but so manv failures. Let US remem-
Der, that SO holy an enterprise must necessa-
rly encounter every form of human selfish
ness, and be subject to those conditions by
which every other good work has been relar-
ded; that, in the nature of things, it can only
keep pace with the gradual but slow progress
of Christian principles in the community;
and while we thus learn u lesson of patience,
let US ever bear in mind that Heaven itselfis
pledged to the ultimate success ofour sincere
endeavors.
| That our movement is not understood, not
uniformly referred to the grand principle
which underlies it, seems quite evident, from
the want of any deep and pervading convic-
ton of the wrongfuness of Slavery, among
the people of the free. ta,es. Our abhorance
of the institution is from the lips, and not
fro the heart We do not hate it with an
earnest and robust hatred, that goes out in
to deeds, but with a sirkly and superficial
aversion, that yields no result, unless it be to
debauch the conscience. We hate the negro
with practical vengeance. 1t is no counter.
feit no mere disguise, but hlighting, sea
thing. r-present hatred, under which the
colored race withers and is consumed in oul
midst. Ask the people of Indiana if they
hate Slavery, and they will po mt you to their
Constitution and laws forbidding colores
men from comeing into the State, denying
those who are in the right of suffrage, taxing
them to support the Government, whilst refu
sing them any share in the school funds, for
bidding them to testify in our courts, and ever
J, questioning their right to travel on our rail
ways. Ask the people oFIlinois the question
and they will point to a still blacker cod'
thar that oe their adjoining neighbor. Do thu
people of Ohio hate Slavery! The Genera
School Board Of the chief city of the Stat'
recently sanctioned she exclusion Of a whit
lad fro nne of its schools, because on,
thirty-second part of the blood in his vein
was understood to be of African extraction
+ Sir, the lamentable truth is, that the unchris
tian spirit of Caste in the dominant spirit il
the religious, political, and social institution
. of the non-s'aveholding States. Has no
every slaveholding outrage that has ever ye
i. aroused our people been summarily followe
j.. by quiet acquiescence! And would this b
ST. if there were any deep central fire of Al L
Slavery h. -ed burning in our hearts! Doe
v it not prove much of our animosity agains
) Slavery to be frothy and evanescent sent
d ment, nursed into life by our politicians, an
n thrown on to the surface by temporar
!. swell of popular feeling!
al Norscan I reoard the late Anti Nebrask