The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1857-11-26

DR.. Waylaud, that his communication to the
late Committee OF Investigation, appointed BY
the American Tract Society, which we transfer
to our columns, hiss been given to TIE public,
in compliance with a request of members OF
that committee.
Providence, Oct. I9, 1857.
GENTLEMEN: have the honor to acknowl-
edge the receipt of your letter, requesting a
copy of the paper which sent to the Investi-
eating Committee Of the Tract Society, in Feb
ruary last.
Ii has been out of my power, until the pres
emit moment, TO comply with your request. L
now enclose copy of that document So far
as / am concerned, you are perfectly at liberty
TO use it in any manner which you and other
members of the Committee may think proper.
an, gentlemen, yours, very truly,
+. WAYLAYD.
Rec. Joel Hdlces, ID. d.
Rec. Ray Palmer, ID. ID.
From the notices which have appeared in
the public papers, and from the communiea.
tions issued by the officers of the Tract Society,
it would seem that the object for which this
Committee was appointed, is to inquire and re-
port upon the principles which have governed
the Publishing Committee in matters affecting
the subject of Slavery.
1t is admitted that, in some instances, publ
cations have been altered so as to exclude SEN
timents Disappearing of Slavery. 1t is also I'M
derstood to be the belief of the officers of the
Society, that they are, by the Constitution, pre-
cluded from treating the subject of Slavery in
the same manner as they treat other subjects
involving the interests of vital goodness and
sound morality. If such be the facts, they GER
tainly deserve an attentive and candid consid.
Grafton.
1t is obvious that the Constitution of Soci-
ETY. is simply compact between individuals,
for the purpose of accomplishing a certain OBJ
Ject in specified manner. So long as the OBJ
ject, for the accomplishment Of which the COM
pact is formed, is a good object and is sought
10 be accomplished by good means, all good
men may unite in promoting it. If the object
is bad, or only imperfectly good, or is to be &C.
complished by bad or imperfect means it is the
duty of good men either to withdraw from it, or
seek to correct it; and for such correction, pro-
vision is always made in the Constitution itself
If then, it be admitted that the course which,
in any case, has been pursued by Society, il
the only course allowed by the Constitution,
this fact is by no means final it only intro
duces the question, does or does not the Con-
stitution itself require emendation and amend
ment?
But is it the fact that the Constitution of the
Tract Society imposes the restrictions supposed {?
The words Of the article referring 10 this sub
ject are as follows:
The object of which A" e. e., the Society,"
shall be to diffHse a knowledge of our Lord
Jesus Christ as the Redeemer of sinners, and
to promote the interests of vital godliness and
sound morality, by the circulation of Religious
Tracts calculated to receive the appreciation Of
all Evangelical Christians"
The object of the Society then is "to pro
mote the interests of vital goodness and sound
morality, by the circulation Of Religious Tracts"
The interests of vital goodness and sound mo-
rality are to be promoted by setting clearly be.
fore men the whole will Of God, and the conse-
quences which must follow from obeyng or
disobeying it. There is surely no restriction
here. Whatever is at variance with vital
goodness or sound morality" whether at the
North or the South, in the East or the West in
city or in country, among the rich or the poor.
may properly be discussed in the publications
Of the Society; and it is the duty of the Socie.
ty, in the spirit of Christ, to exhort the WRONG.
doors to repentance. The only question then
here to be considered, is the following: Is it
consistent with the interests of vital goodness
and sound morality to buy and sell our fellow
men to forbid them TO marry; to place it out
of their power TO bring up their children in the
husbt-AC anu dNclOulllDn OF LIe lLOrQ and To
deny To them the privilege Of reading the mes.
ssge of salvation? fit be consistent with the
interests of vital godliness and sound rnoralit,
to do all this, the Society is under no obliga.
tion to treat of II. If it be at variance with
these interests, the Society seems called upon.
in view of the object for which il was con
stituted, 10 bear decided testimony on TIE
subject So far, then, as this portion of the
Article of the Constitution is concerned. there
is nothing to prevent the Society from publish
ing on these subjects, unless it considers such
acts consistent with "vital goodness and sound
morality"
If there is any restriction on the action of the
Society, 1t must be in the latter clause of the
Article, which is in these words Tracts cal.
cutdted TO receice tie appreciation of all Epan-
geIicGt Christians"
When the terms " Evangelical Christians "
are used here, 1t will not, of course, be supposed
that the Society undertakes TO determine the
personal plety OF Its members that is, of the
individuals who are to approve of it's Tracts.
This is the province of the churches TO which
these individuals belong, and the Society can
not 90 behind the decision of these churches
The words must mean, then, and they car
mean nothing more than, members of Erdn0eI
cal Churches.
What, then, is meant by receiving the oppro
baton Of all ErdHgelicdL Christians? To this
clause two meanings may be given. In The
first place, the words may be taken literally
that IS, that every Tract which the Society nnb
hshes must receive the appreciation of every
member of an Evangelical Church-that is. Of
q all Evangelical Christians" If this he Tia
true meaning, then any member of an Eyanpel
zeal church might, by his single veto, arrest
the publication of any Tract whatever. bv sim.
ply declaring that 1t did not receive his aup-oba
ton But some members of EvanCelicsl
Churches may believe attendance on balls and
parties, from which men are carried away in.
toxleated, is an innocent Christian recreation
Others may frequent the theatre or the orera
house. Others may derive their wealth from
the sale of Intoxicating liquors, and partake
freely oil them themselves. Others may believe
falsehoods IN trade only venial sins, if sins at
all (; may see no harm IN smuggling and taking
false Oaths at the Custom House. or obligipe
their clerks to do 1t for them. Tracts on dane.
ing, theatrial amusements, intern perance. Ivinc.
ard perjury, would not certainly receive the
appreciation OF such members of Eyanpelical
Churches; and, IT we interpreted this Article
In the manner suggested, they would have q
right TO prohibit them. These illustrations
might easily be extended, but it is unnecessary.
1t is apparent that such an Interpretation vouid
reduce the Society to a nullity.
The only other meaning of which these words
seem susceptibleis the following: These {" Evan.
gelical Christians" are known to the Society
only as members of different denominations
each having its own formulary Of belief and
practice. The character and opinions of each
individual, so far as they are recognised by the
Society, are defined by the Formulary, or Arti
cles of Faith and Practice, to which he affixed
his name when he became a member of thai
particular communion. In matters essential