The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1858-05-27


Wet is there which ttey cen. call their
own? Tneir time, that pfec;oCs talent which
is 10 purchase eternity, is all ours. IL
is ours to legislate for their souls and bodies,
and say whether they shall read the word of
God FOR themselves or hear it from others.
How fearful is the trust reposed IN usi Who
does not tremble at the responsibility which
nust belong to it?"
Such is the language, and without any quail
6cation-without any expression Of dissent.
The Bishop ident fes himself with Southern
Christians" Of every denomination-with slave
holders Of every description--and appears to
peak in their behalf, and as their mouthpiece:
Are they" the slaves, not ours by night ard
~ day, o. days of labor and days of rest?"
Net culy during the six days in which God, IN
ne commandment, says men shall labor and
10 al their work. but on the Sabbath also, on
wmch. says TIE Divine Laweiver, Z" thou shalt
not 90 any worn, thou, nor thy son, nor thy
laugh er, thy man servant, nor thy maid SER
gsnt, nor thy cattle, nor cry stranger that is
within thy ea,es."i According 10 the Bishops
'anguage, the slaves have not single day nor
night nor any portion CT time they can cell
Loeir own. Even the Lords day does not be-
lorg to the elaYe, NOR any portion of II.
THE is the tract, said Mr. T. that has been
applaudcd here, as tract that should have
been Published by the American Tract Society
With funds chief fly contributed blythe Christians
If the free States. he thanked God that it
had been suppressed. he did not want any
tract, containing such statements, TO be pub
I;shed by that Society, although he was free to
say that he concnrred with gentlemen in saying
be Publishing Committee, in refusing TO pub
Il it, or some other tract on the subject Of
Slavery, had neglected their duty to the Society.
L.. e - -,
said, stated at Hartford, that one of the reasons
Why this tract WAS not published was, the So
ciety bad no right to inculcate the duties of
masters. Mr.. I. said he did not know how
ths might be he did not know the sentiments
# Dir. Stephenson, with when he had been
wrongfulIy associated by DR.. Tying and others,
as agreeing in defending the righteous con
Duct of the Executive Committee" This was
said after he (Mr. TT had expressly stated, in
the hearing of DIR. Tying and the gentlemen
present, that he believed the Committee merited
the censure of the Society.
DR.. Halves asked If the language quoted from
the tract implied that Bishop Meade regarded
the slaves as being what Southern slave-owners
claim them to bef F -
Mr.. Tappsn replied, that he had endeavored,
in his quotations from the tract, to give true
representation of the expressed sentiments of
were not expressed in the tract, he did not know.
He had already stated that he believed he was
at heart antiSlavery. He was so much 80, that
he had given offence to Shareholders, and been
threatened with Lynch law. Under such threats,
most men would yield. If his fevered and
esteemed friend from Hartford, who had always
stood up so firmly for Freedom and righteous.
ness, should be threatened with the application
of this code by the influential men in his city,
Mr.. T.. said he should tremble for him. lest he
might be tempted to swerve. he could not
guaranty even his stability.
DR.. Halves. You would not be called upon
for your endorsement.
Mr.. Tappan. Well, sir, / should be most
happy to have yours; and should be almost as
willing to be hung, as to see you hung.
Last evening, Mr.. I. continued, no allusion
was made to letter, written by Prof Goodrich,
Of New Haven, to the Secretaries of the Tract
Society, and endorsed by ex. President Day and
some half dozen more distinguished gentlemen
Of that city. But, said Mr.. T., as this letter
has been circulated among the members Of this
meeting and those who agree With them, to In
fnence their conduct on the present occasion,
shall deem 1t proper to review some portions
of it, conceiving it to be in some respects more
l curious in its expressions than the essay of
Bishop Meade, although / cheerfoliy say that
considerable part of it contains excellent SEN
iments, and the author is gentlemen of de.
served excellence as o scholar and Christian.
This letter Mr.. Tappan criticised at some
lergth. Prot. g. strongly recommended for
publication by the Tract Society the essay Of
bishop Meade, saying: at contains nothing TO
q nd The most delicate sensibilities of the
Ssu'h"
1t may be 30, said Mr. r., but it does contain
-. J
p n men-cne of them ut lesst The Professor,
a ie. thus soliciting favorable reception and
-D:s'd ration Of his letter, says.
We have 20 wiah to have the Tract Society !
'i-cuss the duties ard moral evils arising ont Of |
pa system CT American Slavery, in any other
piri or 10 any greater ertent, than she discuss
G.. he du'i and mos al eyi!s ny ected with the
gs.-m Of manufacture, or navigation, CT any
On i7siitc;ion Of the n ,rth."
Hr i. was aatonish he'd at such an announce |
msn'-ihst Northern Chris isns should feel hat |
beir daty TGs performed to Shareholders, when |
ley alluded merely and 60 gingerly to their
e;ltA morals. l. reminded hir &c discussion
10 hca-i, lotty-seven years ago, in London, BIZ
q popular divine of that day, before large aud
fashionable audience, from the text, " Ell com
. unics'ions corrupt good manners" when the
preacher introduced the subject By saying;
MY brethren, do not iutel d this day TO
j s,pss he qrea: aims hat disgruce this metropo-
i, hut the small offences that tread upon the
heels cf indecorum."
Mr.. L said that Prof Goodrich eulogizpd
Rev. d.. Smy,h, of South Carolina, who had
commended Bishop Meede's tract, as cone of
he most eminent divnes of the South, who hos
I'D firmly for its institutions, and enjoys its
entire confidence" lie it prubabls that tract,
thus recommt nded, meets the views Of Anti.
Slavery Christians at the North? Shall they
be appealed 80 by o Northern man to urge upon
the Tract Society the adoption aud circulation
Of trGct on the duties and moral evils arising
oas &! he system Of Slavery, recommended by
one Il the abltst and most uneompromisipg
friends and defenders fthe system? How incor.
s:-tent is this with other statements made by
Prof G. in his letter to the Secretariesl In one
place he says, ard very truly, Tracts are one
OF the chief instrumentalites Of our age for pro.
noting the regeneration of the world +" And, in
allusion to savehoidipg, he says "If there is
any subject on which faithful instruction is
needed, this is oue." In view of such truths,
shall we employ Satan to rebuke Satan Shall
we employ one CT the sblest and most uncom.
pronisirg friends and defenders of American
Slavery TO endorse tract, to be issued at the
instance of Northern men, intoxicating upon
s'aveholders their duties to those whom they rob
of their dearest rights, and condemn to perpet-
usl servitude? And shall one of our most esti.
mable men recommend tract, written by
Southern man, and endorsed by Southern man,
who contends for the righteousness of human
bondage, intoxicating upon his brother slave.
holders the duty Of SO treating those bound by
them in letters of iron, that the system shall
meet with more favor on the part of Northern
Christiars2 Is this the way to regenerate the
s5uth? Is this the faithful instruction the crisis
demsnds2