Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1858-10-30
|. LETTER TO TIE SECRETARY.
PRovIDENcE, June l4th, Is

PRovIDENcE, June l4th, 1853
Ny DEAR BRoruER I lately conversing
with brother in the ministry, who held that suf.
cient allo vance was not made for the American
Tract Society by those who condemned its silence
on the subject of slavery, for the that its
course was dicta ed, not so much by policy as was
generally believed, as by q necessity arising from
the inherent difficulty Of preparing any rublica.
tion which would give proper satisfaction; and he
instanced recent speech of Mr. Lewis Tappan
who expressed his qualification that the Society
did not issue the prepared compilation on the "Du-
ties of Masters" from which he dissented; and
who on this point probably represents the views Of
o considerable class of Christians.
Rccollecting that on some subiects-the Duty
of Liberalty, for instance (Tract No. 433)-you
had presented the simple Scripture testimony. and
rejecting that there the same propriety in ar.
rayns the commands and threatenings of Gods
Word against n particular sin, as in adducing his
commands and promises in favor of particular
duty asked my friend if he supposed that you
would be willing to publish, in a tract of four pa.
ges fair selection of Scripture texts bearing on
the sin of oppression : and he expressed his fnll
conviction that you would. This opinion, which
pare the nclosed paper, and offer it to your Com,
mittee for acceptance as tract.
There is moro than one kind of oppression in
the world, and the Bible refers to more than one.
/ have endeavored to make the selection as broad
as the sacred Scriptures. and as impartial. Ofthe
twenty ght passages cited twenty specify the sin
of oppression by name. and the remainder appear
to me to bear directly upon the topic. They are
arranged in a regular series from the frat chapter
in Genesis to the last in Revelation-the first and
last quotations being regarded as an appropriate
introduction and conclusion. Other passages can
be added. If these are not sufficient. and some of
these may be omitted if there is an excess. If
another hand can do the work more skilfuly let
Shis be thrown aside or amended; or If you can
suggest any improvement, will try my hand
again If another title would be preferable, let it
be substituted for this
You have here the simple and clear testimony
of God against an acknowledged and heinous sin,
which in moro than one FORM and especially in
ono form. is rife in our land. Will you publish
isl your present policy is what it is so exten,
sively understood to be. namely to secure the lib.
erty Of circulating everywhere publications which
treat Of other sins and duties. by suppressing Gods
truth respecting particular siu--the sin of op,
pression-and the duties which grow out of that
you will, Of course, refuse to issue this tract II
such is not your policy, can conceive of no posi-
BILE objection to the step, and some cogent reasons
occur to me as likely to commend it to your savor
If your position is misunderstood fand it seems
shat there is an honest difference of opinion about
it) it ought to be known. II it would affect the
decision of your Committee, las presume that il
would not) would engage to raise sum, which