Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1856-02-07
Written for the Green Mountain Freeman.
A Northern Presbyter--No. 8.

A Northern Presbyter--No. 8.
The hardened Presbyter has been
Presbyter too long,
Whodbuy and sell his elOw-men,
Nor deem such traffic wrong.
Eleazer. Jew of distinction, to whose an
cestors it is contended that the right of chattel
slavery was granted by the Almighty, says,
/" Slavery is mol such an erH as is natural and
necessary among men," But a Northern Pres
bytcr gravely inquiries, " W neither minister of
the Gospel, who has learned that early impress
sons and common prejudices are not necessarily
ust, and is now convinced that Slavery is not,
of itself, q moral evil, or, by necessity politi-
cally injurious; but is essentially an ordinance
of the God of Nature and Revelation, &c.
1t is not remarkable that he should repudiate
early impressions and common prejudiceS, because
our early impressions, or first ideas of right and
wrong, convince us that Slavery is moral evil.
Nor can the consciousness that it is wrong, be
eradcated by education, nor by the One Hun
dred Inquiries of Northern Presbyter. In every
age, there has existed a common prejudice
against Slavery, except as punishment for
crime. Early in life, Nero was susceptible of
tender emotions, At the commencement of his
imperial reign, he was known to weep on sign
ing warrant for the execution Of a criminal
and to express wish that he had never learned
to write his name. But the exercise of abso-
lutte power soon produced q sad and most un-
happy change. 1t was undoubtedly the early
impression of the Presbyter that Slavery is, of
itself, moral evil and this impression must
have ripened into consciousness, which cannot,
90 like the law be bought out with money" Asv
well might the Presbyter and legislators,
"work all their energies, level their black fres,"
To annihlate the soul immortal
i Or change the eternal laws Of Nature,
AS to make man the property of man
u THING chael to be bought and sold
The Shareholder can never establish lapful
claim to the person or unrequited labor of his
slave. Liberty is an inherent right that cannot
be annihilated by human legislation. 1t maybe
enacted that the slave is the property of his
master, but this no more makes him 50, than
the verdict of guilty by jury makes an inno-
cent person guilty. AS well may men be trans
formed into gods, and horses into men, as to
transform men into property. Departed empe-
rors and heroes have been deifed by a Roman
Senate and the favorite horse of Caligula was
declared high-priest and consul. Equally alb
surd and chimerical are all the enactments and
declarations that man is the property of man.
If Slavery" is an essential ordinance of the
God of Nature and Revelation and Christ
taught in what spirit it should be carried on"
as affirmed by the Presbyter, then it is an essen
tial ordinance of the Christian Religion. That
every essential ordinance of religion should be
strictly observed, is a truth too obvious to be
denied therefore, according to the Presbyter,
every Christian should be a stakeholder. But
s he is not Stakeholder; therefore, he must ell
U ther remove to the South,
u And prove" himself right "orthordox,
u By" PArRIARcHAL " blows and knocks"
or plead guilty before " the God of Nature and
g Revelation" Guilty of not buying, selling and
s whipping his fellow men
e Suppose the delinquent Presbyter should leave
i the shades of Hanover for the sunny South,
and become Stakeholder; that as proof of
e unwonted generosity, he should revive on his
plantation, the Saturnaia, and permit his slaye.
to exercise the liberty that was MssnAs<a sk1
: slaves of Rome, during the celebration of that
~ festival Suppose he, and one of his slaves in
: whose veins flowed more Anglo-Saxon than AZ
IS rican blood, and tho vigor..of whose mind was
y not destroyed by the blight and degradation of
: Slavery, should hold the following conyersa-
t ton -
Pres6yter. The Jews, the Greeks, the Romans.
e and, indeed, all ancient nations. held slaves
Some of the learned historians suppose that the
: Safurnal'a was first observed by the Romans af
ter victory obtained over the Sabines But
the origin OF this festival is question of little
Importance. 1t was most remarkable for the
liberty that universally prevailed. The slaves
were permitted to rdcule their masters, and to
= speak with freedom on every subject. You are,
this day, allowed the same liberty
Slaoe. thank you, sir, for this liberty. But
do you justify Slavery by the example of ancient
. Rome!
l.. No; but by the example of the Jews.
y. Then are you not bound to initiate their
example in all things pertaining to Slavery,
p. Most certainly.
~ Then why not proclaim a Jubilee, as the
, Jews did for the benefit of the poor and for the
g emancipation of slaves,
r. 1t is sadly strange that after listening re-
2 peatedly to the reading of my One Hundred
! Inquiries, you should not be reconciled to the
humble state of servitude. You have been told
l that the descendants of the depraved and ac-
cursed Ham, should be enslaved as predicted by
righteous Noah. ~
. y. DO the unfortunate dascendents of Ham
inherit by nature, his deprayity.
| P They do; for this is admitted by every
orthordox believer.
y. But my father was an Anglo Saxon:
therefore do not inherit, by nature, all the de-
praylty OF Ham. If the sins of the father ara
justly visited upon the children, should not be
enslayed, as my fathsr descended from Shem or
Japheth. rsas-e-------.------------.
1 P. But your mother descended from the &C.
cursed Ham. Hagar, the slave of Abraham,
was a descendant of Ham, and Ishmael, her son
by Abraham, was ensaved. You will now be
convinced that am fully justified by the exam.
pie of the most eminent patriarch