Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1857-05-22


tho rest of the Law Of Moses which lie said not
word about If not, he must be aware that this
part of his argument is illcgitimnte and invalid.
Tho Shareholders will not accept the argument,
although they value it beyond the Law of Moses,
on such terms. But could net the Bishop have
given us an obvious reason whyChrist was silent on
the subject ofslavery if he did not approve it,
Did lie not expressly, and often, decline all
observation-disclosures with legal relations (it was not
His method) and yet plainly enough intimate
what wouli be the effect upon those relations
when the leaven of his teaching, the principles of
his religion, shoald begin to prevail-warning his
disciples that they must stand before governors,
and kings, and judgment seats, and that the whole
world would be cnraged against them Why
except that their principles would be thought to
be subversive of what was called /" Law and
Order" in those days, as they are in these days.
The last higher law argument of the Bishop is
the ne plus ultra of all Shareholders and their apo
logists, viz that the Apostles " sanctioned slavery
by laying down rules for the conduct Of both slave
and master" Well Sir, Moses, in whom you
trust, did the same for polygamy and Christ says
not word about it and yet you pronounce the
claims of polygamy " dcbasing and monstrous."
The discussion might rest here if the purpose Of
this notice were merely to show the unsoundncss of
the Bishops arguments in defence of slavery
but does the conduct of the Apostles imply any
such approval Of slavery, of such slavery as the
npologists of American slavery always mean though
cautious in what they express. The Apostolic
cpistles were all addressed to Christian Churches
consisting of both masters and slaves. They were
taught that they were longer Jew and Greek
bond and free, but all ono in Christ. Masters
and slaves were told to consider and treat each
other as brothrcn-the slave to be obcdient, the
master to be just-the slavei was told to prefer
freedom, to be free If he could. and in the mean
time consoled by being reminded of his higher
spiritual freedom. lie was told that the time of
his suerings would be Short that it was better to
submit to temporary injustice than to givcocca.
sion to the heather world to reproach Christiani-
ty. All that can be fairly inferred from the
language Of the Apostles is that they understood
and adopted the method of their master. While
they taught obedience to the ma cistrate and dis.
claimed the right to interfere with legal relations,
they proclaimed doctrines and principles which
were calculated and intended to make permanent
or to destroy, to change, alter. modify, all the
laws AMI Institutions of all human states accord
ing as they were, or were not, consistent with the
principles of Christianity. This then, is the first
the last the only, all inclusive, and sufficient
question between the apologsts aud defenders of
slavery, and the advocates of freedom. viz Is
Mar0y consistent cHi he pr,a-iol,y amt y,yy NJ
ctrNnamty The Bishop, however. does mot
rom ,,,4 ;.,,.. .1to g
in the hicr, like a child half born. lie sccmsrx.
tremely csirous in common with all pious slave
holders, (anl they have all become excessively
pious of latc) to establish the technical point that
slavery is not always . sn that it is " physical
and not moral curse" (for it is a cursed thing
the Bishop himself being judsc) True, quite
true, as to tho airIys Of it, and its truth ought
never to have been denied Even So killipr i.
not al'c9y, murder. taking what is not your own
is not a'oiy, stealing, sacrIcgs is not al,rlvs i'm
pous and yet, for all that, killing is murder
and taking another goods is theft, sacricgc is
impiety, and slaveholling is ,u and tho sum Of
many sas. The one question forever comes IN.
like the ghost Of Banouo, is slavery Consistent
with the spirit Of christianity or is it mott The
stockholders, pushed to their defence. bv the
pressure Of universal christendon. have bccorno
very adroit sopbists. so as ofton botb IN dina
themselves and to seduce their ont ide allie. into
the adoption of the same line of argument an
the principle in both cases. it rould seem ,b,,
it is easy for a man to convince himself vI the
truth of what he is undetermined TO believe. The
plan succeeds also, often, with another and yery
numerous class-the Indifferent AMI untbiukinr.
who care for none of these things and some.
times more thoughtful and bettermind. and hearts
are takenin. The metbod istbis Tho or,,,,.;s,
Qor he commonly begins apoogetically) Of slav-
cry, describes you some exceptional case Of slave
holding as if the Bishop should be moved to be-
STOW tue gut OF freedom upon some person whom
slavery mad made worthy Of that boon, in State
"ncfe mahumission Is forbidden by law. lie must
ASSUME '"e ie''''o" oi MASTER aua 'aRs ms "ap'
'|' ',H t'.V' - 'He'o
1"' Ou'ns H''e ''n'' particular
,-. ,""' ''''"y
or,or, a,ha. Ill., .r,e ""'Vn
cb;Idrsn 10, marl.D l. N,,
sinful or Chr;st;,n .,.roho,ao~ c,,-,-,,'
more than in name. nerceiv;n, ,b. .no.,.;,;.I.
lapfuI and actual slavery around him nil /.
leems it for the hest ;rtsres,. - H. .,.
circumstances compel him, for a time, to retain
the legal relation OF Master, yet makes the real
relation that OF guardian and protector, expends
the product OF their labor for their benefit, and
preserves io' 'nem me relation and privileges
orr ~ mt" anu cnr''uans' Any injustice
- 'N1''''''S ne'e rerhaps T OF I on see then that
~ 'u''a"'ns Tue practice Oh selling the hus-
a e..
cl,ildran ,ho aIi,, 'e, '"o in''nef from her
49,, ;.1, '''N' 'u0 paren's) Is not I'M
a" poSUo writing 10 church consisting Of
CHf'' ''ah s'a'eholders' and Of Christian slaves,
NV, iHiu'u'a' nahumisslon' bu' con-
ro,,io.os Vi oO'n
"' o"' 'S''nn''y requires
''"''"' Tue same Are
''D wv S'''"'1' says tue triumphant defender Of