Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1857-08-22
WHY A MINISTER LEFT HIS CHURCH

The Rev. Samuel Sawyer. q graduate of the
N. Y. Union theological Seminary for the past
nine years pastor of the Second Presbyterian
Church, Rogersvlle, East Tennessee, was recently
driven from his church in consequence of bis
course in regard to the beating of Slave named
Anthony by his master, one Col. Netherland, an
elder in his church. Mr.. Sawyer has published
nothing in regard to the affair until driven to it by
slanderous reports, pref judicial to his character
minister, have been circulated and forced him to
his own defence. lie therefore publishes q long
statement in q supplement- to Knoxville Tenn. J
Presbyterian Witness the truth of which is vouch-
ed for by Messrs. Jos. Hoffmaster and j. NJ. John
son elders of the Rogersville church. The Col.
Netherland, whose brutality is disgustingly
shown, has been elected delegate to the seces-
sion convention called by the pro slavery ministers
of the New School Presbyterian Church, to meet at
Richmond on the 9th inst.
1t appears that slave, formerly belonging to
the children of Dr. Ross, was owned by Colonel
Netheriand, and sold in 1856, to be sent to
Mississippi Rather than go "down South" the
negro ran off to the woods and remained concealed
for more than year, until found and brought back
by some hunters. He was then handed over by
Col. N, with his chains on, to the trader who
bought him who took him back of the church, in
a field, and there in the presence of a crowd of
spectators beat him with over three hundred and
thirty bio1S laid on with leather strap nailed to
board; while the slave was tied down on his back
naked and blind-folded. The trader whipped him
to make him confess who had harbored him. and
probably would have 'beaten him till Saturday
night # such an excitement had not been caused
by the first instalment of scourging.
But this not the worst Col. Netherland
owned an old gray haired slave who had nursed
him in infancy, and suspecting that he knew more
about the runaway and who had harbored him
than he chose to tell, he handed him over to the
same negro trader, to be taken to a neighboring
county and there beaten at discretion, to make him
confess.
The trader took the old man to place called
Beans Station in the next county, lGrainger, )and
there, on Sunday morning, in stable on the pub
lie highway, stripped and tied him naked on a
plank, strapped his feet to post and tied his head
forward to a brace, and then whipped him by strik
ing with q carpenters hand Mississippi way,
which raises large bls.ers and bursts them, cutting
the hide in pieces. He ,chipped him that Sunday
till all the neighbors closed their doors-Dhipped him
till tie neigh6ors put down their ,cndops and closed
the curtains-,ohipped him till tie ,comen, driven
wild by hearing the blo,rs and negroes agonizing
cries for mercy cried out against it'll one man
declared if he did not stop he would return him to
courttill the landlord of the tavern after hearing
in silence the infiction of at least three hundred
JlOps uiM the SaD, went to him and told him he
must put an end to it-that he himself was liable
to indictment for suffering such things on his prem
ises any longer The trader became very angry at
this interference and told the landlord that he had
sent boy to get him bundle Of whips to scourge
the negro Dack wnen the nesn snOul0 be 10 much
cut up by the saw-and, finally finding hecould not
60 on, he tumbled the negro into his wagvn in dis
gust at the Bean Station people, and went to Rut-
ledge. The slave had two fits in consequence of
the beating, but, Notwithstanding, the trader tied
him up again in Rutledge Jail, while the jalor( who
would hardly have allowed it) was away, and beat
him mith three sticks from loom over the raw
flesh until he was tired. and then told him he
would try it next day. The Inspectors, however,
refused to let the jail be used for such purposes
and the negro was sent home In week-no inform
alton having been obtained from him.
Thereupon great excitement arose at Rogers
Vile and the Church Session mildly requested
Col. Netherand to come forward and show he was
not responsible for the outrage. He refused TO do
this declared he had right to beat his negroes
much as he chose or have it done that churches
had nothing to do with politics, and finally wound
up by declaring Mr. Sawyer an abolitionist, and
that he must leave. Mr.. Sawyer, thinking that
the church would be divided if he stayed, and his
friends being too much afraid of being called "ab-
oitionists' if they stood up for him, resigned the
charge of this church with its most righteous elder,
and came away
| Nothing has been done with Netherland or the
trader, and they are supported by the proslavery
strength of the neighborhood, who stand together
on a questions of this kind, ard who declare that
if slave owner whips his chattel till he dies he is
his MONEY!" and there the matter ends.