Randolph County journal. [volume] (Winchester, Randolph County, Ind.) 1855-1862, 1858-09-30
From the New York Independent. ]
Shall il be Done.
BIZ HENRY WARD BEEcHER.

ernment Of the United States is about
to perpetrate? A telegram from
Washington announces that the frigat,
Niagara is ordered to Charleston, s. c..
to take the Negroes lately captured or
board of a SLAYER, and carried into
that port. The facts were these:
A SLAYER was already within two
hours sail of her destined port. with a
cargo of over three hundred heather
Africans. who were being brought tc
the West Indies for civilization and
sugar-making. BY some unexplained
mistake, United States vessel over.
hauled and captured the Shaver
Such thing was never known, we
believe, before. Our national cruisers,
hitherto, have so we'll understood their
business that they were either too ear.
ly or too late to capture these Mission
airy ships freighted with Heather,
bound for the Heavenly Kingdom Of
Southern and West India Plantations.
Their business has been to hustle about
the ports, and skim around the waters,
in such a manner as to exhibit dex-
trous inefficiency. But accidents will
happen. and United States cruiser
has really caught SLAYER and sent
her contents and cargo to Charleston.
This seemed like q very inerciful
providence. 1t is well known that the
means Of grace in rice-swamps in
Carolina are more eminent than upon
the ugar-plantations of Cuba. just
as the Churches of Charleston were
opening their arms to receive these
disciples and put them under the con.
verting Influence Of the plantations.
the Government steps in and COM
mands these immortal creatures to be
sent back to Africa
Will the Christian public allow
this? Shall three hundred heathen
pilgrims who had just touched the
land of Gospel privileges, be thrust
back again upon their native liberty?
Why do not the Churches of South
Carolina rise in mass, and demand
that the Government shall suffer these
petitioners for civilization and Chris
tianity to abide under the shadow OF
the cotton plant and sugar-canc stalks?
Where are those Ministers that have
been proving to the North that Sla-
very is divine institution; that it is
better for the African than liberty /;
that it introduces its subject into the
Kingdom of God and speedily makes
him an heir Of Heaven; that i; puts
him high above the unfortunate North
ern colorcd Freedman? Will they
now sit silent and sec these immortal
creatures cast forth into liberty again.
when they had almost attained to the
privileges of Slavery?
One can not but be shocked at the
coldness and indifference which ap-
pears among Southern and Northern
Christians On this subject. Our Gov
ernmcnt has not shown the slightest
Christian zeal. But it may not be too
late yet. A proper representation
made TO our venerable and conscien-
,ious President might incline him pray
crfully to review the case.
Should the Churches send depu.a-
tion of twenty jealous Christians,
equal numbers of laymen and Clergy
men, to give to the President assuran-
ces, that. if these heather be permitted
to remain on Christian ground. their
souls shall be cared for; and if, as a
pledge of their sincerity and earnest
ness, they shall represent to the Gov
ernrent that they shall all of them be
brought under laws which take away
from them their manhood as their first
step of civilization, and put them into
the class of chsttels; that they shall bc
led to purity by system that takes
away all validity from marriage. that
destroys the sacredness and pcrma-
nence of the family state, and takes
away from parents all right and title
in their own children; If. moreover.
the Government be well assured tha.
in the prosecution OF this pious intent.
they shall be brought under laws
which forbid them to learn letters. SO
that they shall never read the Bible /;
and If, further, the President shall be
well assured that no pains shall be
spared to repress the development of
these Slaves. except in docility to la
Dor, and obedience to Masters;-if all
this be properly placed before the Gov
ernment. it can scarcely be possible
but that they will see the eminent ad-
vantages Of Slavery as Christian in
stitution, and yield these captured Af-
ricans to the instructions of the cato
nine tails.
We wait with trembling solicitude
to see whether the American Church
will permit three hundred human be-