Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1857-08-28
WHY a Minister Left his Church.
BRUTAL, MUaDER0Us, AND cOwARDLY OUT.
RAoRs or sLAvLs.

nAeRs OF sLAvIs.
The Rev. Samuel Sawyer, q graduate Of
the N. Y. Union Theological Seminary,
and for the past nine years pastor Of the
Second Presbyterian Church, Rogersville,
East Tennessee, was recently driven from
his Church in consequence Of bis course
10 regard to the beating Of slave named
Anthony by his master, one Colonel Ne
therland, an elder in his church. Mr.Saw-
yer has published nothing in regard to the
affair until driven to it BY slanderous re-
ports, prejudicial to his character as min
lister, have been circulated and forced him
to his own defence. He therefore pub
fishes long statement in supplement to
the Knoxville (Teuu.) Presbyterian W.T.
ness, the truth of which is vouched for by
Messrs Jos. Hoffmaster and j. NJ. John
son, elders of the Rogersville church. Tho
Colonel Nctherland, whose brutality is SO
disgustingly shown, has been elected
delegate to the secession convention called
by the pro slavery ministers of the New
School Presbyterian Church, to meet at
Richmond on the 9th inst.
1t appears that a slave, formerly belong
ing to the children Of DIR. Ross, was owned
by Col. Netherland, and was sold in 1856,
to be sent to Mississippi. Rather than 60
"down South" the negro ran off to the
woods, aud remained concealed for more
than year, until found and brought back
by some hnnters. He was then hand.
ed over by Col. N, with bis chains on, to
the trader who bought him, who took him
back of the church, in field, and there,
in the presence of crowd of spectators,
beat tim with over three hundred and
thirty Jlo~s, 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 con-
fess who had barbored him, aud probably
would have "beaten him till Saturday
night" if such an excitement had not been
caused by the first instalment Of scourging.
But this was not the worst. Col. Meth
erland 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 be chose to
tell, he handed him over to the same ne
gro trader, to be taken to nsig ghboring
county and .L.-. .....- .. a;..-.sie., 60
make him confess.
The trader took the cid man to place
called Beans Station, in the next county,
(Grainger,) and there, on Sunday morn.
ing, in stable on the public highway,
stripped and tied him naked on plank,
strapped his feet to post and tied his
head forward to brace, and then whipped
him BY striking with carpenters hand
saw-Mississippi way, which raises large
blisters and bursts them, cutting the hide
10 pieces. lie rhpped him that Sunday
till all the neiyhbors closed their doors
rhipped him till the ne;ghbors put dovn
their rindoUs and closed the curtdins-
paipped him till the comcn, driven ,cild
by hearing the bosrs and the seyrO's ogon-
iz,ng cries for mercy, cried out against it
till one man declared if be did not stop he
would return him to court-till the land.
lord of the tavern, after hearing in silence
the infiction of at least three hundred Jlops
Nth the saW, went to him and told him
that be must put an end to it-tbat he
himself was liable to indictment for suf.
fering such things On his premises, and
that be was unwilling to bear it any longer.
TIE trader became very angry at this in
reference, and told the landlord that be
had sent . boy to get him bundle of
whips to scourge the negro's back when
the flesh should be too much cut up by
the saw-aud, finally, finding he could not
60 on, he tumbled the negro into hi, wa
Gon, in disgust at the Bean Station people,
and went to Rutledge. The slave had
two fits in consequence Of the beating, but
notwithstanding, the trader tied him up
again in Rutledge Jail, while the jailor
(who would hardly have allowed iD was
away, aud beat him with three sticks from
loom over :he raw flesh until he was
tired, and then told him he would try it
again the next day. The Inspectors, how
ever, refused to let the Jail be used for such
purposes, and the negro was sen. home in
a week-no information having been OBJ
tanned from him.
Thereupon great excitement arose at
Rogersville, and the Church Session mildly
requested Col. Netherland to come forward
and show he was not responsible for the
outrage He refused to do this declared
be had right to beat bis negroes as much
as be 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 be must leave. Mr..
Savver- thinking that the church would