The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1859-09-15
A Virginia Camp Meeting.
Correspondence of the N. Y. Tribune.
FAIRFAX County. Va. Aug. 90 1

A Virginia Camp Meeting.
Correspondence of the N. Y Tribune orr
FAIRFAX CousrY, Va, Aug. 20. 1859.
Last week we had a camp meeting
on the farm of Mr.. J. Gibson, in this
county. On Sunday, the 21st of August,
while the people were engaged in the
usual exercises on the canvas ground,
. man named Joseph Birch shot negro
named Charles West, wounding him
severely in the side. The negro is said
to be, habitually, steady and peace
able man, while Birch is contemplate
rowdy. Birch is at present in the
custody of the authorities, and the
negro is in q fair way of recovery. l
saw him to-day. / am acquainted with
both Birch and West.
Immediately after the camp broke
up, last Friday, twenty seven negroes
we're sold on the ground to some South
ern traders. Among this number one
woman and seven children. One of
the men was on his knees engaged in
prayer, when the trader slapped him on
the shoulder and told him he must go
with him. He intimated bis willing
ness to go, but assured his former mas
ter that if they should meet up in
Heaven, he would have settlement
with him there. The trader stopped
bis mouth with his hand, and hand
cuffed him. The whole party were
then put into an omnibus, which was
ready for them, and they were conveyed
to Alexandria. Such is the way in
which the Virginien Methodists "follow
Christ" m sara ro-
The above letter which we copy
from the N. Y. Daily Tribune of
the 5th instant, land which will doubt
less be found in the weekly and semi
weekly editions of that paper) affords
a striking illustration of the influence
ofsouthern slavery upon southern piety.
The Slave Power claims that slavery
is "a patriarchal and Bible institution"
It's corrupt pulpit advocates and defen-
ders, (quite too many of whom are
allowed to desecrate northern desks, J
urge and attempt to justify this claim.
Sacrifice was also ga patriarchal and
Bible institution" Those who hold,
az the Slave Power and its advocates
do, that Christianity has not objected,
but on the contrary, has sanctioaed
slavery, may well hold and, to be con-
sistent, must hold that it has also
sanctioned instead of abrogating cacri-
fetal "blood offerings"
The shooting of the negro on the
oamp-ground was therefore probably
nothing more than offering him sacri-
fee in the regular course of the relig-
ious exercises of the occasion. And
what more appropriate sacrifice could
be offered to such Deity on the Slave
Power and its priesthood recognize
and acknowledge!
And here we4ave an explanation OF
the ceremony of burning negroes at
the stake in the Slave States, of which
their papers have given so many &C
counts within the last few years. 1t is
merely making "burnt offerings" OF
them; the smoke of their burning,
going up as ca sweet smelling savor''
into the nostrils of Slavery's God
We wonder why the victim offered at
the camp-meeting was not burned at
the stake in the centre Of the camp
ground, instead of being shot. Is
Colts revoluer a "Bible institution, "
too? 1t would seem to have become so
in the slave states.
Mr. Birch it seems was taken into
the custody of the authorities" But
let no weak-nerved devotee of slavery
be afflicted by any fear that the Slave
Power will permit hair of his head
to be harmed. What has he done that
he should be arrested like one guilty OF
q trespass in killing dog? He only
performed sacerdotal duty as High
Priest Of Slavery's temple.
The sale of the twenty seven slaves
upon the camp-ground, was probably
to raise funds for the Support of the
gospel" And pray what more appro-
pirate mode of "raising the wind" fol
the support of such gospel as the
Slave Power and its priesthood preach
The sale was probably deferred to the
close of the religious exercises in order
to allow the "chattels" the largest OPP
portunity to increase their market value
by "getting religion" that being held
to augment their value upon the auction
block from FIVE to fifty per cent. BY
reason of its tendency to render then
more submissive, less power to hell
THEMSELVES to food when hungry, ant
content with the luxuries of peck O
shelled corn and two pounds of stale
bacon, a week which their masters So
kindly and gratuitiously supply to each
and especially because of its tendency
to induce them to occupy themselvel