New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1856-05-28

In the late three days debate on the question OF
Slavery in the New School General Assembly Of
the Presby teran Church, the sboriog oar on behalf
of that patrarchal and beneficial institution, az il
was represented to be, was assumed by the Rev.
Joel Parker of this city. That very pous and
benevolent gentleman seemed 10 regard American
sayeholdiDg in its relation to the negroes, much u
ST. Paul did the Mosaic dispensaion in relation"
the Jews. He spoke OF it as schoolmaster tobnng
the negroes to Christ-ratLer testy and perhaps a
little severe at times, with a somewhat bad habit
of an oyeruse of the rod cutting and slsshiag now
and then in way slightly disagreeable to DR. Par
ker's very tender sen,ibilities, but an excellent
necessary, indispensable schoolmaster for all that;
and he wss totally averse thai toe 83ner,l Assembly
should say a word or do tang calenlsted in the
slightest degree to interfere vic the dae progress
of this system Of Christian instruction, in which
our Southern brethren are 30 persevendgy,
earnestly and disntersstedly engaged.
II the negroes have been for ages past, and now
are, held in slavery; if breeding slaves for sale, and
the domestic slave trade ~ means Of disposing Of
them have, in the last thirty years, under the coun
tenance and encouragement held out to the slave
system by DR.. Parker and other learned and pious
Presbyterian diynes, become as regular part OF
the business of the country as the raising OF tobacco
and cotton if within that period nothing has been
done toward restricting in the slightest degree tho
absolute power of the master over the person Of
bis slaves, male or female; if families are cot3
stantly separated, and the marriage tie as between
slaves is not recognised if laws have been enacted
within the thirty years referred to restricting
within narrower and narrower limits the privileges
of the slaves in regard 10 religion and intellectual
Developments if it has been made crime TO teach
slaves TO read and women have been sent to jan
within year or two past for doing it; il, by
q systematic course of legislation, the Senevo-
lent or conscienee-sFicken among the masters
have been deprived of the right Of giving
liberty to their slaves by will or otherwise;
if the whole aim and policy of the slayeholdias
legislatures for the last thirty years-a policy now
in many quarters openly avowea-hss been 70
cramp ard curtail the slave population in every
way, so as to prevent their further intellectual
growth and ~ keep them forever degraded and
n,laxed; if all these seventies, oil these studied
de sradations and Qualifications are brought to bear
not merely against those slaves Of pure or FREEDOM
psnt African blood, bat are unainebingly extenas
10 that large and fast Increasing portion dN
slave population in which the blood Of the va"
race preysils--maDy Of whom. beth males and w.
males, are apparently as white as the Kew !"
Parker himself, or the female members OF bis n~
iIy. and not few of when can claim az nea
fathers lot only members Of Congress ~
other high state digni,srps, but pious "'''
bers of the Presbytsrian Church IN s~'
landing, since even they are not s"
proof against the temptations to "nleh -
posse.sion of absolute power over bis ieInsle ''"
e,poses every male slaysholder-if all this ha
90 NO On aud isnow gOiDg on beiGseOur eyes, NO.
DR.. Parker and those who sympathise and COSY
ate with him stardng by, and if not scti'eY
eating or participating, yet conserving "
silence if not by their open applause; YET
ing to the argument Of the Rev. DIR. fs
this and all the thu asand other horrors OF A'
Slavery. are not 10 be ascribed in the lsas'
w;ckedne.s or hardness Of heart on the psn
Shareholders or their Northern eulosis" VI ~
Qis.s, requiring Any repressive dIsciPinSl! 'one
even word Of exhortation and Christian "r
| On the part of the General Assembly
clusiyely TO the degradation" Of the nes.o,s
elevate them out Of which "degradstion
being held in slavery is the Legitimate ."
pointed means ,.sc
The particular aspects under which We n'. ~
.entsd the views of this eminent divin~
OWE; but that we have done him no ,y,a
sscrbpg these views to him, the follows
from one Of bis speeches will show: l,,v.s
! The eolorsa race had beea tao.@s~'