Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1857-04-26

BISHOP HOPKINS, OF VERMONT, ON SLAVERY.
The able and distinguished DR.. John Henry Hop.
kns, Bishop Of the Protestant Episcopal Church in
the Diocese Of Vermont, has recently issued work
entitled, The American Citizen His rights and duties
according to the spt Of The Constitution Of the United
States.
The wen know learning and ability of the writer of
this work, says the New York Commercial Adpertlser
as well as his high ecclesiastical position, command
attention 20 whatever he may have to say in regard
to moral and political ethics, and especially to
treatise which has been prepared with so much care
notice.
The learned Bishop devotss chapter to Southern
slavery. He takes the standpoint Of q Southern
planter rather than that Of New England Clergy
man.
Slavery. Bishop Hopkins maintains to be SGriptur-
ally lawful, and be asserts that 'the most violent
I opponents Of slavery in the United States al
ways ready to Wrest the Bible and deRoUnee the
Church, because they cannot derive from either the
the slightest real support in their assaults against
the lawtuness Of the institution" Concerning its
expediency and desirableness he argues that ''the
slaves at the South are, the whole, the happiest
class Of laborers in the world and the most perfectly
! contented with their own condition" and he
declares that al true philanthropy rcoices and will
rejoice in the fact that Southern slavery has raised
the African far above his original condition. and
sbled him to plant the noble colony Of Liberia" He
! asks:
''What sort of benevolence is that which would
prefer that the noble colony of Liberia had never
existed, and that the negro should have lived
and died in all the cruel and bloody dispotism of
Dahomey rather than become fitted in the hands of
their Southern masters to dispense the knowledge Of
God of liberty and Of civilization throughout the
darkest ragions Of barbarism?
! g For myself can truly say that have no sym
pathy with those who depreciate the negro be-
low the true standard of humanity. / repudiate
L. Al 7 II L Il.
that God hath made Of one blood all the nations OF
the earth believe that the negro is capable of all
the improvement Of mind and moral principle which
every proof Whish individual cases have afforded of
his genius and his powers. But do not admit that
slavery is the cause, in ITSELF Of either moral in
and intellectually degraded The greater part Of the
instructors Of youth in the palmy days of Greece
and Rome, were slaves. Es0p a slave. The
philosopher Epictetus was a slave. large pro-
portion Of the primitive Christians were slaves
And assuredly there is nothing in the mere bond
compelling to labor for another, which opposes
the love Of virtue and Of truth. On the contrary,
the master be good man, the effect Of such bond
must be to elevate the character Of its subject anC
the hardship on the one side, in the obligation
to severe, is more than equalled other, in being
obliged to maintain the servant through every change
of circumstances.
We hope this admirable work Of the Bishop o
Vermont will meet with extensive patronage at th'
South. Our Book merchants would do well to Ordel
supply. Itis bright and shining light in darl
place.