The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1856-10-07
ST. NICHOLAS HOTEL,
New YORK, Sept. %, 1856.

NEW 1ORK, Sept. ~, 1906
INTRODUCTION TO REV. THEODORE PARKER.
The services at Music Hall having been concluded,
as narrated in my last letter, fingered to get
good view Of Mr. Parker; and, being offered an in
PRODUCTION to him. followed him into an apartment
across the passage way between that apartment and
the hall in which he had just discoursed, and was
presented to him. He no soouer heard my name
than he said: a. Are you the gentleman that l saw
and heard speak at the Plymouth celebration in
1852" l replied, Eyes, the.very man, who, with
the weakest and feeblest voice, you had heard,
from South Carolina dared to defend slavery the
sacred s3i of Plymouth" AT this he smiled, and
added: AT home, sir, am thought to have rather
loud and soDorous voice." After seine other
slight interchange of words, l told him / would like
to have some conversation with him, and he there
upon said he would be happy to see me a. his
house, Exeter place after o'clock, on the evening
Of that day.
THE VISIT TO THEODORE PARKER.
At or near the appointed hour, proceeded to Dir.
Parkers, accompanied by N. III. R. Dawson, Esq,
son of the late Lawrence E. Dawson Esq, and
native of Charleston, but now resident of Cahaba,
Dallas county, Alabama and . practising lawyer
there-a gentleman of high character and talent,
cultivated mind and refined taste-who is cores
Pondipg with and writing a very elegant series
of letters for the Dallas (Ala.) Gazette. On ar.
irving at Mr.. Parkers residence, we were po-
litely and cordially received by that gentle
man, and introduced by him to Mrs. P. and to
several other ladies', and to several gentlemen
whom we found assembled in the parlor or draw
ing room. Among the ladies was Mrs. Garrison
and among the gentlemen was the famous abolition
VI; Z md Ar I
and Mr.. Willis Mr.. Parker assured me that the pre-
sence of the gentlemen above named was entirely
accidental, (his friends being accustomed to drop
in, on Sunday evenings, for social converse); but
added that he did not regret the occurrence, as they
we're the very persons he would have selected
and invited to meet me.
On being introduced to Mr.. Goodrich, / said, With
empresssmsnt: what, Peter Parey?' Not
exactly, replied he, smiingly; and Mr.. Parker in
formed me that his guest was Mr. Goodrich, former
IL and lately member of Congress from Massachu-
se,ts when added: "Oh, | remember now, Peter
Farley is in Europe.
WILLIAM LLOYD GARRISON.
Introductons being all over, ] took my seat near
Mr. Garrison, who Immediately commenced dis
cussion with me on the lasfulness morality and hg
manity of the institution of slavery, which We both
conducted with great vigor and earnestness, and al
most exclusively for some time, Mr.. Parker anl
other gentlemen only occasionally putting in
word.
THE YRo-sLAvEgY AND ASTI-sLAvERY DEBATE.
pressed home on Mr.. Garrison the ssrptural
argument showing that Jehovah himself not only
sanctioned the preexistng system of slavery, but
actually~ ordained It among the Jews-his chosen
people-as perpetual institution, authorizing and
commanding them to make and to buy slaves Of the
heather that were round about then, as a posses
sion and an inheritance for themselves and fer their
children or posterity, forever, ard expressly recOg
nized slaves as prope ty, in the remarkable injmc-
ton, that where Jewish master smote his slave,
who died under the stroke after o day or two, the
master should not be punished, Because says God,
"he Is his money: that Jehovah himself returned
the first runaway or fugitive slave To her jealous, i'll
treating and prosecuting owner, Sarai, who, By
Abram perm isson. had "dealt hardly with her.,
so much SO. that she fed from the face OF her mis-
tress' into the wildeness-at time too, when she
bore within her the little sanctuary Of embryo life
that, by sarais own doing, was TO make Abram
the ancestor Of the Ishmaelites s. and commanded
the returned fugitive Ito submit herself under the
hand" Of her capricious and tyrannical mistress;
and that Jehovah himself, amid the thunders
and solemnites OF Sinai, placed slave properly
under the protection Of the Dec3logue, expressly
against covetousness, and implicitly against
theft and robbery At the assertion. On nay part,
Slave law Of the Bible Mr.. Garrison exclaimed
'blaspheny!r what said |, "blasphemy sim.
ply 70 quote the words Of scripture!" He there
upon denied that It was scripture or Gods word,
and even denied that Hagar was Abrams slave at
all! then went on and added tie cumulative testi-
monv or evidence, OF the New Testament to that Of
the Old, and showed that both ST. Paul and st. Pc
ter recognized slavery existing Institution un-
der the Roman empire, (where the master had the
power OF life and death over the slave,) and regu
lated (not abolshed) it by code for the conduct n
both Christian slaves and Christian masters admit
ting Christian masters into full church fellowship
and communion, and counseiling Christian slaves to
fidelity and obedience 10, and against theft from,
and even against impertinence TO, Christian masters,
good and bad bnfleting and un5uiietng, as thank
worthy" conduct, and as a mode OF "adorning the
doctrine OF God their Saviour In all things and that
st. Paul, after converting the runaway slave
One-imus 10 Christianity, returned him to Ptile-
mon, his Christian master, and pledged himself for
bis future good conduct and prohtabenese TO his
owner. In reply 70 this Mr.. Garrison denied that
Onesimus was slave a. all or ANYTHING more thas
hired servant on the ground that he is spoken of
a. owing debt 70 Philemon, which St. Paul a.
sumed and promised 10 pay; and that, IL a slave,
be could not owe debt 10 any one. answered
that the debt was doubtless that Of duty or obe-
dience which bad been withheld or unfaithfully
performed, or arising from theft or robbery commit
ted In the past. Sc. Paul says "n he hath wronged
thee, or oweth thee any thing, PIT that to mine
account" Philemon, " IS. ! also insisted that
It was absurd TO suppose that hired servant,
who had right TO quit his owners service at
vill, should have been returned TO his master,
hy the apostle, under the circumstances and i'm
tie manner that Onesimus had been restored
tn Philemon whom st. Paul recognized az his
clearly beloved friend and fellow laborer," and as
one by whom "the bowels OF the saints refresh.
ed when he was that horrible thing in the eyes Of
modern fanaticsm, or Of Pharsacsl righteousness
a STAKEHOLDER. Mr.. Parker bad another yet shorter
and more patent way Of getting over the dilenma-
he did not bubble on the meaning Of words, his
principal in the argument had done, but boldly
asserted that Onesmus not the slave but the bro
ther-the illegitimate brother, | think-of Philemon
Both Of the antislavery disputants, however finally
adopted wholesale method Of evading the force OF
s"roth thy bordmen, and thy bondmaiis, which thou
shalt have shall be Of the heather that round about
you OF them shall ye buy bondmen and bondmads
Moreover Of the children Of the strangers that do
iouin among you Of them shall ye buy and Of their "a
nits that with you, which they hega, in your land
ami hey shall be your possession And ye shall take
them for inheritance for your children after you IN
nhet them for . possession, they shall be your bond