Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1859-03-09
SLAVERY A DIVINE INSTITUTION

To g.. DIX, Esq., Southampton, England:
DEAR GEoEGE: You request ne to give YOU
my opinion Of slavery, morally and socially
considered. Iwul willingly 90 Sc.
After witnessing its workings in Brazil
Cuba, S. Thomas, aud for rear four yeas in
this country, can tmb say that I have no,
been able 70 CLEAN he least evidence that tits
morally or socially wrong.
You viii r~ecolisct that when ! returned from
a cruise in search Of slavers on Cuba, I er-
pressed to you that the operation was only
making the matter worse, and that il was an
expensive labor IN vain. 7 wrote you from
Jamaica, that in England emancipating the
slaves Of that island they PerPelrated a moral,
social and financial blunder; and in ny letter
from Rio J%aneiro, I expressed nv disgust at
British Pslsver al he wickedness Of slavery,
after witnessing the cruel manner in which
they treated the CAPTURED slaves. am stil Of
the same opinion, though Ihave heard abolition
speeches and read abolition works.
As an nEishman, ! was. educated 70 SYM
pafhisG with the Afncau b0ndmsn; but when
set out on my travels TO zee the world. ! re-
solved to see and understand things as they
really were. and acknowledge them as sUch,
however much they might clash with the pref
Udices Of my native land.
lt would b. folly for me to discuss the sub
iect in enc letter, and therefore / viii write YOU
a series Of letters in favor Of the Institution.
You oppose the Institution Of slavery be-
cause vou cannot see that Il is igiouslFr right.
! am rather surprised h hear YOU say 50. from
the fact that YOU are such a Bible reader, for
there is no doctrine or ordinance more clearly
set forth, a. an institution Of heaven, than
slavery.
According to biblical authority. slavery
commenced with Canaan, the grsnd-child Of
Noah; but according 10 monumental evidence
it commenced a vast period antecedsnt to that
tine. The CanaanitGs were cursed a. the
servants Of servsnts7 Gen. * p W, and
buying was one Of the conditions whereby they
heeanf private properly.
III slavery was not an institution of heaven,
God would not have sanctioned his particular
fdend Abraham in purchasing human beings,
and recognizing them as private property.
(Gen. XVIII i3. "A, p vs.
God promised to make Of the descendants Of
Islmael a great nation, because be was he son
OF Abnahani. but Ishmeal, though the eldest
child Of Abraham. was not allowed 10 be the
heir Of Abraham, brcause ne was the son Of a
slave. (Gen. xxi: 10 "; Gal. iv: 30 W
Taking the Bible fer our authority, we learn
that no nation M particular was SCI ASIDE 70 &c
slaves. but that circumstance were likely to
bring any nation into bondage to another.
Even The peculiar people Of God, the Hebrews,
were slaves 70 The Egyrtians for over four
hundred vears.=GenIsiE, XIV; 18th verse
Exodus. O.: 18th verse, XII; f1st verse And
would have been much longer had not an Abo-
iitionizt gone among them and excited them
with flIbustering expectations to leave Egypt
However. The Hewbrew slaves, like the ruined
of slaves Of the present day IN this country,
having proved their incapacity for anything
else bat bondage, murmurCd to be sent back 20
their leeks and nesh-pots.
The Hehrews were not only taken into bon
daEe BY other nations, but the Lcrl actually
sanctioned tn seiing Of themselves 10 those
~ their own nation.-Leuticus XIV 3sth and
18Th verses. Deuteronomy XIV 18th 20 18th
verse.
According to the Bible. slavery is as much 10
institution Of Heaven. as the priesthood, the
feast Of TIE passover, baptism o. any other in
s~titution. ordinance or doctrine. God, in de-
Hvering the Jaw unto Israel through Moses,
saws: Moreover, on the children ofthe strangers
that 40 ~soiourn amcnc you, Of them shall y
bnu. and Of their familiss that are with Fou,
which they begat n YOU land and they shan
be in your POSSESSION; And ye shah take them
as an inheritGno For y0ur ehudrca after you,
10 Inherit them for a possession; they shall be
your bondmen former" Levtieus XIV ash
and 46th verses.
If there was re other passage il The Bible
bud this one, ID would certainly be sufficient 10
overthrow your idea Of Abolition, bibliraliy
considered, and establish hrmly the doctrine
hat God ives the author Of slavery. You VII
observe hat slavery was noi ~ institution q