New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1856-04-16

reprinted works all illusions to Slavery and con-
domination of il O. sin and 3 crime, hiss been
warmly attacked by members Of the Society and
contributors TO its funds, snd that on various
grounds. II has been condemned as evincing on
the part Of that committee a strange and IN
accountable insensiblty TO one of the greatest OF
our national sns; or if not such insensibility,
then strange pusilanimity, unbecOming the posi-
ton Of Christian teachers in pointing out the sin
and thereby rebuking the sinners. Besides, this
silent suppression Of the incidental testimony which
good men Of their times aud countries had thought
themselves called upon in conscience TO bear
against this ain and crime Of Slavery, has been
urged, and surely not without much reason, 81
grievous wrong to them az well az to the public,
by which they are falsely made to stand before the
community, if not a. the friends, advocates and
apoogists of Slavery, st least as dumb dogs
who have not word to say against it.
The attempts Of the Managers Of the Tract So
ciety to defend themselves against these serious
charges have been more various than successful.
Il was at first set up tkat the charge Of mutlatng
the works republisbed BY the Society was IN
nothing of any serious cODsequence-had been
done. But this position it wss impossible to main
tain against the array Of facts brought TO bear
upon il. Obliged to admit the fact not only OF
their own studied silence the subject Of Slavery,
but Of having gagged the mouths and suppressed the
testimony, 40 far as this subject was concerned, OF
everybody permitted to speak through the medium
Of their publications the Managers Of the Society
Ike their political sympathizer. in Congress-have
been obliged to fall back upon constitutional ar
gument. Speaking under breath aud in whisper
aside to those good people Of the North, and con-
trbutors to the funds Of the Society who have been
grieved and alarmed at the charges made against
its management" Slavery" they say, {" may, for
ought we know, be exactly what Wesley
pronounced 1.-THE sum Of all vilainies.
1--WE must not be understood as denying that, or
"as at GIL committing ourselves TO the doctrine
'tbst saveholdiDg is an institution ordained by
God sanctioned by both the Old and the New
Testament, and every way compatible with Chris
" tisn life and feeling Some Of US individually may
lean TO that view; but we must not be at all IN
"derstoed as committing or pledging ourselves asa
COMMITTEE, or the Tract Society for which we act
"o any such declaration Of sentiment On the other
"hand however great sin and wickedness we
"might regard Slavery TO be, there is Consstu-
"tional lion in the path. The very charter under
(Which we act forbids us to say single word
"about it." This is the last defense set up by the
management of the Tract Society; and they have
backed it up by legal opinion, obtained from the
venerable T. S. Williams, formerly Chief Justice
Of Connecticut, and late President of the So
cety, to the effect that to print any thing bear
ing on the subject of Slavery would be in violation
of their charter.
The ground upon which this opinion is based is
this: The Constitution of the Society provides
that It's object shall be d" to diffuse the knowledge
" Of our Lord Jesus Christ as the Redeemer Of
sinners and TO promote the interests of vital god
&" illness and sound morality by the circulation Of
" religious tracts calculated TO reeeire the apprOJa
ton Of all erangelioal Christians; " and the in
depreciation now attempted to be put upon the last
clause is that every individual evangelical Christian
in the United States has veto upon the publica-
tons Of the Society-somethiDg like that which
the members Of the Polish Diet used TO enjoy
and that by its charter the Society is prohibited
from publishing anything calculated to meet the
disappro,a of any evangelical Christian. We
are afraid if this Interpretation were to prevail,
that the sphere Of operations Of the Tract Society
might be a good deal narrowed and limited-in-
deed, that it would become necessary to suppress
great part Of the existing publications of the
Society, at least Of those bearing upon
moral questions and practical life. There liz,
We fear, hardly any sin that is not
also the easily besetting sin of some
who claim to be evangelical Christians, and
whose claim has all the external support Of regu.
lar standing in the church, and is otherwise quite
as well backed up as that Of the great body Of
evangelical shareholders. Take, for instance, the
tract on MammoD, one Of those which the Com
mittee has mutilated, ont of tenderness 10 evan
gelical slaveholders-we very much fear that an
impartial exercise of the same tenderness, and an
equal regard in other cases beside that Of slave.
holding to the appreciation of all evangelical Chris
tisns, would require the suppression of the whole
tract. We spprehend, indeed that it might be-
come necessary TO deal in the same way with a
large number Of what are commonly regarded as
the very best of the Socetys publications If the
thing ia no longer TO be looked at in tee light Of
moral and religious duty, but as mere question of
chartered rights, We know not why quite large
lumber Of other sins beside slaveholding-and for
that matter the whole catalogue Of them, each in
its tun-might not insist upon being passed by in
silence, lest their mention, too might disturb the
y.