The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1858-04-15

IcosrrxuKp FROM THE FIRST PAGE. |

as coming from God, and as a means fog the re-
generation of a heather race in our land, felt
impelled TO use the language Of the Apostle to
the Gentiles, which be employed on Mars Hill !:
Oh Athenians, perceive that in all things ys
are exceedingly given to religion" daughter.
Now, sir, since this Institution has done all it
can in this capacity, aud since it is now de-
stroyed as a converting and regenerating power,
! stand here TO give il its proper place in eccle-
siastical history, for its right place it has never
yet had
In order to understand what position il is en-
titled to, we must, TO some extent, speak By COM
parison, because we cannot speak absolutely on
these matters of religion. The religious journals
of the free States have oftentimes most unrea-
sonably exulted over our religious efforts, when
they contrasted them with the efforts of our
Southern brethren. have seen placed in paral-
lei cOlu INNS, in Northern journals, the contriou-
tons of the free States and the contributions OF
the slave States and there were mighty words
of exultation, unbecomiDg Christian journal
or Christian people st any time, when II was
shown that our contributions for foreign mis-
sions we're a hundred-fold more than yours 1t
is true we make more contributions. The city
Of Boston gives for foreign missions, perhaps
more than all the slave States and the city OF
New York perhaps more than Boston But what
of that? We give a few cents apiece, and only
a few cents for foreign missions each year, which
amounts TO a great sum, because we are great
people We send men to heather nations far
over the water TO tell them about their future
destiny We are careful not to send our best men !;
we keep our Notts and Waylsnds, and our
Beechers and Cheeyers at home but sometimes
a Judson escapes from us before we know what
he is This is about the extent we submit to self
sacrifice for the sake of the heather.
Is there any cause for exultation in this, when
we see what our Southern brethren have done
w - ~.l-o a
heather to our hesrth-stones and to our bosoms
When have we ever admitted the heather to
social communion with ourselves and our chill
dren? When have we taken the heather
to our large cities to show them the works of art,
or to tie watering places to show them fashion
able society and beautiful scenery Did you ever
see a Yankee at the White Sulphur Springs she'd
ding benign religious influence over little con-
gregation of heather compartment Laughter.
We have pious women in the Northern States,
whose bright example has made attractive the
paths of virtue and religion. Conspicuous among
them, in every good work, are the wives of our
ministers and deacons but not one of these,
within the range of my acquaintance, would con-
slider herself qualified, either by nature or by
grace, TO be chambermaid, dry-nurse, and spirit
ual adviser, TO ten twenty heathens in her own
family. But sir, had these worthy danes been
noble danes had they come down to us from the
blood of the Norman Kings, through the bound
ing pulses of sundry cavaliers, and then had
been willing to assume these humble Offices of
Christian charity, we should have believed the
time, so often prayed for had already come when
=" kings should be fathers and queens nursing
mothers in the church" Where, then is the
ground for this exultation on the part of the
North l tell you that it cannot be prompted
by anything but rotund, dubious, self-righteous-
ness. So much then, for the social sacrifices of
our Southern brethren.
What other sacrifices have they made to regen-
crate this race? Great moral and intellectual
sacrifices. ] will read what Southern men say
on this subject:
Judge Tucker, of Virginia, said in lsOl
al say nothing of the baneful effects of Slave
Try on our moral character, because you know |
have long been sensible of this point"
The Presbyterian Synod of South Carolina and
Georgia said, in their report Of 1884:
"Those only who have the management of
these servants know what the hardening effect
: of it is upon their own feelings towards them"
Judge Summers, of Virginia, said in a speech
in 1892, in almost the same words:
a slave population produces the most perni-
cious effects upon the manners, habits, and
character, of those among whom it exists"
Judge Nichols, of Kentucky, in a speech in
1887, said:
"The deliberate convictions of my most ma
tured consideration are, that the institution of
Slavery is a most serious injury to the habits,
manners, and morals, of our white population;
that it leads, to sloth, Incidence, dissipation,
{ and vice"
So said Mr.. jefferson:
"The man must be a prodigy who can retain
: his manners and morals uncontsmin ated " in
the midst of Slavery.
John Randolph, on the floor of Congress, said
"Where are the trophies of this Internal traffc2
The handcuff, the manacle, the blood stained
cowhide What man is worse received in
society for being hard master Who denies
. the hand Of sister or daughter to such mon
sters2"
I might quote hundred other Southern
authorities of the same kind, showing the bane-
full effect of this institution upon the moral and
intellectual character of the South. might also
quote from the United States census. / have
the papers here, but time will not allow.
Now, in addition to these moral and intellect
ual sacrifices which our Southern brethren ad-
nit. there are pecuniary sacrifices which you
know to be very great indeed, had Virginia
been free fifty years ago, had she been exempt
from this great tendency TO christianiZe the At
rican race, she would have been worth more this
day than all the Atlantic States south of New
Jersey And should she by any chance become
free, you will see her wealth and her population
increase in proportion as this missionary spirit is
diminished. daughter. II is true, our South
brethren, impressed with this great idea of
outstanding the African race having for their
only ambition to present the souls of their re-
grOes, without spot or blemish, before the throne
of the Eternal, have sacrificed almost everything.
I could quote from Southern men upon this sub
ject. The sagacious statesman who governs the
Old Dominion, in a speech few years ago, said:
But in all the four cardinal resources-won-
derful to tell, dsagreeable to tell, shameful to
announce-but one source of all four, in time
past has been employed to produce wealth.
We have had no work in manufacturing and
commerce has spread its wings and flown from
us and agriculture has only SKINNED the sur
face of mother earth. Three out Of the four
cardinal virtues have been idle; our young
men, over their cigars and toddy, have been
talking politics, and the negroes have been left
to themselves, until we have all grown poor
together"
But trials and tribulations, and poverty, have
ever beset the pathway of the saints. In the
earliest days, they wandered about in sheep
skins and goat-skins, prosecuted, afflicted, tor
mented.p Even now, in the nineteenth century
the condition of our Southern brethren is not
much improved, since they are compelled "to
chase the stump-tailed steer over sedge patches
which outshine the sun, to get tough steak,
and to listen to the perpetual cry of "debts
debts 4" "taxes taxesl"
In this age of material progress you have seen
the Nortu OussttiP ye~I Boz 9TH trua Christian
patience and Christian devotion, you have adj
bered to the great work of regenerating the
heather Laughter. Through evil report and
through good report, reproached and maligned
abroad by those who did not understand YOUR
motives, and, worst of all, sometimes abused at
home by the ungrateful objects of your Christian
charity, you have still pressed on towards the
mark of your high calling. Now, sir, when was
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