Indiana American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1833-1861, 1857-10-09
A,rxRrcAx TRACE SOCIETY.
subssrviency 70 slavers.
From the New York TT

4 4nt American 4FHct Oocttty = ar
represented by its Standing Commit
tees--has suceumbed to the slave.
holders. Placing its hand on iti
mouth and It's mouth In the dust, Il
has eaten its timid and apologetic re.
solve of last Spring and returned &c
the policy Of absolute silence with re-
gard not only TO slaveholding per Sc
but even TO the evils and sins which
-as the Society itself resolved last
Spring-are connected with or dedu.
ciblo thereffom. And the reason
given Is simply tho unwillingness o.
the Shareholders to receive, listen tc
or read anything that the Society
may SEQ at to offer on the subject.
This Is certainly very extraordina'
ry ground We cannot remember
that Noah, or Lot, or Isaiah, or John
the Baptist, ever planted himself up
on IL.
The Tract Society, at its last An.
nual Meeting, decided TO publish q
tract or tracts on the moral evils con-
nected with or resulting from Human
Slavery-the acknowledged evils, y
we believe the phrase was. The
Standing Committee say that this was
| to be done without trenching on the
political relations of Slavery" so as
only to set forth "certaim moral du.
ties growing out of its existence, or
moral evils and practical immorali-
ties deplored by all evangelical Chris
tians." The direction OF the Society
was unconditional; the Standing Com
mittees were not instructed to enter
upon this field of labor if they should
think proper, nor to consider the
propriety of doing it, but to do it.
The Publishing Committee, it seems,
had already ia preparation tract on
tho duties Of Masters" made up Of
articles written by Southern Christ
ians Of various evangelical denomi-
nations. But the South demonstrated
the South revoltcd-the South ex-
claimed, like the demons Of old, "Let
US alonel" and Committees hearts
became IKE water. The work which
the Society unquali6edly directed
them to do, they have not only inter-
mitted-they have deliberately deter
mined not to do it. Their apology
for this lapse we print in another
column. Can it be possible that the
clerical gentlemen who mainly COM
pose these Committees have never
pondered the Book Of Jonah? What
right have they to retain the stations
conferred on them by the Society for
the purpose of obstructing the work
which the Society ordered them to do.
instead of doing it2
The Committees say that the South
will only receive or listen to their
publications on condition Of their re-
framing from putting forth dnything
with respect to Slavery. 1t is not
enough that they expressly ignore
any con sideration of "the political
relations of Slavery"-that they pro-
po,e to consider only the duties of
Masters as Masters, without discuss
ing their duty to cease being Masters
it is not enough that they proposed
to quote only from Southern divines
the gentle rebukes Of the short-com-
ings of Masters which they had de-
cided to publish-the South will
permit no publication whatever re-
lative to Slavery by this eminently
National Society. 1t refuses not
merely to hear the Tract Society on
this subject. If the subject be dis
cussed in any of tho Society's publi-
cations, the South will not hear the
Society on any subject whatever. And
it is to such menaces that men like
the Rev. DIR. Williams would seem to
have succumbedl We regret it, and
think they will live to share in this
sentiment. 1t seems to us that 1t
would be unfair for these Committees
to distribute tracts against rum selling
in Cherry street, or those condemning
harlotry at the FIVE Points, after this
decision.
The Committees tell us in conclu-
sion that they are seeking the things
that make for Peace" and "aiming to
secure the fruits Of righteousness sown
in Peace" by the course they have
resolved on. 1t seems to Us that the
Bible estimate of Peace, and the Bible
method of obtaining Peace, are an
tagonistic to the Committees. "First
pure THEN peaceable," is the well.
known Scriptural rule. To seek peace
through subserviency to wrong seems
the last way to secure that peace
which the world can neither give nor
take away.
Slavery is either one Of the very
greatest wrongs, and the fruitful pa.
rent Of other wrongs, with all manner
of vices and evils, or it is q Just and
proper relation which Christians may
blamelessly maintain and uphold. Itt
rightfulness is evidently question o.
ethics. of morals, and of Christian
theology. Good men may be honestly
mistaken with regard to its tru,
character; but woe TO them who, per
ceiving the right, conceal or dissembl,
it. How can they read without 1
twinge Of conscience the great Apos
ties declaration, ~ have not shunnet
to declare the whole counsel of God.
- Two young Misses discussin,