The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1858-12-02
For the Nationalist
THE INDEPENDENT IN. DEFENCE OF
THE AMERICAN BOARD.

The editors of the Independent are unques-
tionably good men, who possess eminent abili-
ties but they have erred in trying to defend
the American Board in an untenable position.
l have felt extremely mortified on reading two
articles in the Independent of Nov. A. "The
Great Heresy Repudiated,' y and What are the
Facts2 Take specimen from the latter !:
" We have high authority for saying that the
man who does not regard and treat his servants
as mere articles of property, who recognises
| them as his brethren of the human family di-
vinely invested with all human rights, who hon
estly desires to do them all the good he can, and
who conscientiously seeks to give them what is
| Just and equal, is not stakeholder"
The editor assumes that the thirty
shareholders in the Choctaw and Cherokee
| churches, gathered by the missionaries of the
American Board, are all of this class, and calls
upon the world TO prove that they are not. Who,
but person befogged in false theory would
write such sentence7 Can the editor of the
IIldependent, in his right mind, unbiased by
| false notions, suppose that a man who volun
UNFAIRLY subjects his fellow-men to the condition
| of slaves and legally transforms those made in
the image and likeness of God into brutes
making them goods and chattelS, holds them in
that condition during his natural life and leaves
them as legal inheritance to his children, or
TO be sold perchance at public auction to pay
| his debts, Recognises them as his brethren of
the human family divinely invested with all hui
man rights" that he "honestly desires to do
them all the good he can, and conscientiously
seeks to give them what is just and equal J"
IL he does, we do not wonder that he can justify
the course of the American Board
The independents test of heresy and church
dicipline for Slavery is full as sensible the
| above extract. A man may hold as many
slaves as his avarice may desire, and keep them
in perpetual bondage, subject to all the liabili-
ties of goods and chattels, using their service
without wages, enriching himself by their earn
| ings, and vet be member of a Christian ~
| church in good and regular standing, and
never have charge brought against him,
should he only so treat his slaves as to occasion
no scandal or complaint in aslaveholding com
munity. But should he be SO imprudent and
| blind TO his own Notwithstanding the posi-
ton of the church-as to claim that the Bible
sanctions the system of Slavery, then he shall
be dealt with as a hereto. This is The
| GREAT HEREsY REPUDIATED "by the American
Board and the Independent!
| What are the facts 1t is supposed by men
| of good Judgment, who were on the ground at
the time, that had the missionaries at the first
| with the sanction Of the Board, with all its in
| fuence, taken firm stand against Slavery on
Christian principles, that the system of Slavery
never would have become strongly intrenched
among those Indians. At first, the mssiona
| ries had almost unlimited sway over the minds
Of the Indians. The favorable time was not
properly improved. The missionaries united
with Pro-Slavery ecclesiastical bodies; they
hired slaves, gave no public rebuke to the sys-
tenn of Slavery, and, with the sanction of the
American Board, they admitted shareholders
| to their churches. We do not blaine the mis-
| sionaries for wishing not to be called Adolf
| tionists," as that term is often understood i'll
that latitude, but we do blame them and the
American Board for giving sanction in any
manner to the system of Slavery. This they
have done 1t is folly to deny it.
Some of the missionaries did not sympathize
with the majority of their brethren, III regard
10 Slavery. One faithful brother at least, pro-
tested against their course, because, IN his view,
they gave open and direct sanction to Slavery.
He agitated the subject among his brethren,
made known his sentiments to the Prudential
Committee of the American Board, and brought
about an investigation by the committee, and
visit to the mission, from which arose the eel
ebrated Treat Letter" The missionaries be-
came 80 exasperated because their course was
called in question by the Prudential Commit
tee, that they drew up petition, that was sign
ed by nearly all the missionaries requesting to
be transferred from the care OF the American
Board to the Old School Assembly's Board-a
Board that would allow them to hold slaves, if
they chose, without molestation. Secretary
Treat persuaded them to remain, by assuring
them that whatever the Committee might rec
ommend, or the Board adopt, to still the camors
at the North, they should not be disturbed, but
pursue their own course at pleasure. Not that
Mr.. Treat really intended to place the matter
in that light before them, but that they chose
50 to interpret it. They acted accordingly,
and this, in fact, has been the result
These are the facts. The friends of the
American Board had better by far not try to
hide them, nor to apologize for them, but per
suade the Board now to take bold and decided
Christian stand against Slavery and all wrong.
The American Board is, in itself, noble
! institution. Only let it hold up the true light
on all moral questions, and it will be glory
to Christianity and blessing to the world