The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1859-08-25
TESTIMONY OF THE REFORMED PRES
RYTERY OF CHICAGO AGAINST THE
SLAVE TRADE.

Repeated announcements, advertisements,
and reports, have retadered it credible that the
African slave trade with the United States has
been recently reopened. By this trade, many
unoffending persons in Africa have been as
sailed In their homes by slave hunters, their
houses burned over their heads, great numbers
have been barbarously murdered and others
taken captive and sold to pirates, by whom
they have been conducted into the holds of
their ships, without regard to decency, cleanll-
ness, or ventilation, by which treatment many
others have been murdered. When these pl-
rates have landed on our shores with their
booty, some Of our fellow citizens, instead Of
experimenting them and bringing them to pub
lie execution according to law, have purchased
| their captiyes or slaves, and put them to hard
and unrequited servitude. Others have inter
fered efectually to prevent the pirates from be-
ing brought to Justice. And many persons of
standing and influence have publicly expressed
their disapproval of any laws to prevent such
piracy and murder. By these acts, they have
become accompGces in these crimes and are
| likely to bring many others to become partakers
in them. Persons calling themselves CHRIS
tians, and some protesting to be ministers of
the Gospel of peace and love, have greatly dis
graced religion by palliating these abomina-
ton as means for promoting the spread of the
Gospel, and bringing the heather to knowl-
edge of Christianity, and therefore not only
lawful, but dutiful-thus affirming that vile
Islander on the Gospel that the end iustifies the
means, so Indignantly denied in Scripture, Ro
mans iii, 5-8; and saying, 81 Let us do evil
that good may come )" "whose damnaton,
saith the Holy Ghost, lis just"
Under these circumstances, it becomes the
duty of every honest man, and especially OF
every Christian, to give his voice and influence
in support of the laws of the land which right
eOusly condemn these pirates to death, and to
rebuke the speeches of their accomplces
whether lay or clerical. Now, when righteous
ness is trodden down, silence on the part of be-
holders becomes completely. 1t is especially
incumbent on the ministers of Christ, whose
law is thus publicly outraged, and whose Cos
pei is thus vilely prosttuted, to utter their test
mony against such iniquity.
The Presbytery would therefore exhort and
implore all who may read this testimony, thai
by word and deed they labor to prevent this ad
dition to the cup of our national guilt, which
will expose us to the scorn of the civilized
world, and fill all good men with grief which
will hinder the civilization Of the finest portions
of our land, and people them with a savage
race, trained to war, ready to re-enact the
bloody instruction of St. Domingo, and to
swell the ranks of any invading army which
| they can invite to our shores, and which will
undoubtedly bring down upon the nation the
| judgments of Him who has pledged himself tc
redeem the poor from deceit and violence, and
to break in pieces the oppressor.
Mt. VERNON, Iowa, august IL, 1859.
Ma. EDITeR: The foregoing testimony i.
from the Chicago Presbytery Of the General
Synod of the Reformed Presbyterian Church in
this country, sometimes called Covenanters
This church for fifty years has held the ground
of no communion with Shareholders and has
borne an unfinching testimony against the
sum of all villainies Slavery. She now
utters her protest through one of her subordi-
nate courts against the slave trade the revival
of which on our Southern shores is no matter
of hearsay or doubtful rumor. Presbytery is
DESTROYS of having this Testimony p" spread
as widely as possible, and, as clerk thereof |
have taken the liberty of sending it to you,
with the request that you will give it place in
your valuable columns, if you think proper.
And oblge yours, respectfully,
M. NJ. BRIDE.
To the Editor ofMe National Era,
Washington, d. c.