Weekly North Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1850-1858, 1857-11-18
Z IMPORTANT FACTS-PROOFSHE OF THE
,'l "DUTiES OF MASTERS"-MlSTAKES COR

, - MEssRs. EDIroRs: Statements in some respects er.
roneOus n reference to this proposed treatise hav.
ing been made in several papers, the following facts
are submitted for such as care to know them.
For many months previous to May. 1856, the Tn.
the Congregatonalist Boston, the Re-
lgious Herald at Hartford, the Congregational Her.
aid at Chicago, and perhaps other papers, had ihti-
mated that the American Tract Society, by refrain
ing from Issuing specific Tracts on slavery, virtually
upheld the system. This objection the COMMITTEE
believed lay with at least equal force against the BIZ
ble ITSELF but in their Annual Report then present.
ed they said, that should a tract referring to
"dntcs, evils connected with this subject be
laid before them, which promised usefulness and
p" in which evangelical Christians, north and south,
would agree" they knew no reason why it should
not be approved and published" .'...-.
Soon after that anniversary the Rev. DR.. Young
of Kentucky sent 20 the Committee his sermon
Danve some twelve years since, hoping il might be
acceptable to Christians throughout the country.
The copy Of the sermon being deiaced and scaic cey
legible proofs were taken for examination by the
several members of the Committee, and Others they
might wish to consult Their attention was also
called to pastoral address by Bishop Meade
of Virginia the same subject, which, without his
knowledge and with the addition Of three short ex
tracts from Rev. DIR. c. G. Jones and Others, was
combined with the sermon, and proof of the whole
cOnfidentially submitted to the authors and to
several officers and friends Of the Society in differ
ent parts Of the country for their Counsel.
The replies received were various. Bishop Meade
expressed his Judgment as unfavorabe to the Socic-
tvs issuing his address any thing on the
suhject in the present state Of the ~. One
layman and one clergyman asSented u the lublira-
ton of the treatise and Rev. DR. Smyth not long after
wrote note commencing it to the attention of his
southern brethren, and sent part of a of DIR.
Adger both Of which were also combir ed i'm the
treatise. Several to whom it was sent expressed
their Judgment that there insuperahle obs,a
cleS 10 the society issuing it and State Auxl-
ia add essed to the S"cietyS Special Committee of
Fifteen formal an3 earnest remOnstrance against it.
The qaesnn of issuing the treatise thus pen
ding when the Special Committee Of Fifteen met
and on the re1uet OF Of their number to see it
it furnished to all their members each copy en-.
dorsed "Proof for the Committee" words to
that effect. But that Committee took action
the docum. mt, aud expr ssed opinion as to the
proprirty of the S,cety's issuing it,
On the " ell known alarm awakened at the south
by the Report OF the Special Committee the vener-
able bishop in connection with Rev. DR.. Jones HON
he had provicntionally met felt cons raned to IN
terpOse decided objections to the Snciety'S issuing
what had been selected from their pens and
DR.. Smyt!, for himself and DR.. Adger nerpnSed
similar objections. These objections alone in.
supcrabe. irrespective Of the remonstrances months
before prest nied from other sources.
But more than this. The question Of issuing this
Tract had become identified with the great political
contest Of the day many at the north contendng
that the Sccietv mnst Issue Tracts in reference to
duties evils of slavery whatever might he the
sequences many others at the north resisting such
a course violating the Society's principles; and
the south declining to receive such Tracts from the
north or longer n cooperate with the Society should
| it proceed to issue them.
| Thus the responsibility Of action again thrown
back on the Publishing Committee, where the Con.
stituton originally devolved it, and where the Spe
ca Committee in their last resolution adopted by the
Society," had also devolved it. should obstacles arise
threatening ,he widest and best usefulness Of the
| Society throughout whole country" The Socie
| tv had given no warrant for its own d,smenbermen
! by rash act Of their Publishing Committee, who
were solcmnly pledged before God and to iss,,t
only what is 'calculaicd receive the appreciation
of all evangelical Christians" and all the member,
| net only of the Publishing, but Of the Executive
Comm i'tee, were unanimous that in the existing
stare Of the country the proposed treatise could no
consistently be issncd.
Truth requires that it should also he said, that II
the recently published review and abstract of proc
copy Of this treatise in some way procured, some o
the portions that had been most ohio ct omitted
| and that objections both from the south and tn,
north might be seriously felt against the treatis
entire, which might not be perceived in this ab
stract We doubt not that many conservative read
ers would Individually accept the treatise as whole
while yet has been unquestionab'y evident that,
coming from the presses Of this Society," what j
does contain would he objected to by many evange
lca Christians IN one part of the country and tha
its omission to condemn slavery itself or propos
| any thi'S uireCty tOT VS removal, wOuO Oy H,an'
in another part Of the country be deemed no less Oh
jctionable.
| = 1t is also a mistaken idea as those who have Ia
bored for the Society from the beginning well know
that there has ever been day since the Societ
was formed by union Of Christians from tn
north and the south, when it could have issued Tract
specially the subject Of slavery without disunio
and disruption. This is the clear testimony of tn
Committee, including the most active surviving
founders. The Hon. Mr. Frelinghuysen, chair,na
OF the Society's Special Committee in presenting
their report said, in view Of the appalling emharras.
ments of this subject, that " il ever came tc
gethen feeling how weak and dependent they were
he believed they did SO" and that " BY the blessin
Of God each aScertained for himself that tina
line upon which the Society had been operating fu
more than thirty years. was one in which the Con
miitee, with all their diversities of opinion, coul
concur" All that has since occurred but confirm
the fact that this line substantially and this onl,
can the provisions of the constitution be compile
with, and the Society move on tremendously in il
work. The quest ions about slavery in controvers
among evangelical Christians, like those about pr
lacy or baptism, however momcntous they may il
h, renly be, are placed by the nature Of the compa
b yond the pale Of Its action. p r ..E
The Committee are conscious of having MAD
every suitable rndeavor to issue this evangelic
treatise ON the Duties Of Masters" till it -four
that the mt mbers and friends Of the S"ciety cou
unite in it. 1t is not the loss of southern conlr
buttons that they have feared liberal those col
stitncns have been, they have never cqralled II
Societys expenditure for the destitute in he sout
ern and south. western states; but they have eart
to violate the sacred trust reposed in them, and II
constitution under which they act-to d" what mu
Sunder the Society with no warrant from the SOcie