Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1859-04-13

1
bersbip in the Christian church-a blod
thirsty oppressor. whose money is the
'price of blood" and would "pollute'
the treasury of the Lord. &c. DC. And
on the other hand. whether American
slavery is divine institution. the perfec
ton of society for the African race, anC
essential to their happiness-while al
abolitionists are fit only for the mad
house or the penitentiary. These and
such like are the forms the question O
slavery assumes in Kansas, as well as in
many of the free States, where there are
no .masters and servants" in that sense
to be taught their duties, in reference tc
which it was said the question must bs
entirely ignored. And we cannot con.
sent that on one side or the other such
pleas shall be made, under the sanction
of the American Christian Missionary
Socirty.
l did not then, nor do 1 now, suppose
that if you we're employed by the Amer
lean Christian Missionary Society to
preach the gospel in Kansas, it would
fall to your lot to furnish instructions to
many masters and servants. If in any
churches you may raise up in Kansas
evidently destined to be free-you find
master and slaves, Of course it will be
your duty to instruct them both "accor-
ding to the Bible" But, to furnish such
instruction, and to go through Kansa,
lecturing on anti-slsvery. or mixing up
any pro-slavery or anti slavery theories
and dogmas with the gospel, or TO plant
churches with the express understanding
that no master shall be allowed to have
membership in it, are very different
things. And had this very matter in
view when wrote to you, for l had some
how heard that the church of which you
we're a member, was about to take Just
such a stand, and | wanted to have it
distinctly understood that so far as &C
ton under the direction Of the American
Christian Missionary Society was conern-
ed. all such ultraisms must be ignored
l must say, 1 cannot yet see how you
could understand my language as refer
ring to the relation of master and servant,
according 10 the Bible" rather than
the question Of slavery and anti slavery
according to Stringfellow, Jim Lane.
Garrison, and Theodore Parker.
IL. You ask if the Pharasees could
have asked any more of the Apostles
than am asking Of you. If you mean
by this to institute comparison between
those bloody prosecutors in seeking to
coerce the Apostles into submission,
and the course of the American Chris
tain Missionary Society in simply requir-
ing that the preachers she employs shall
adhere TO the preaching of the gospel and
avoid all side issues, l can only say that
when the excited feelings that urged the
utterance of this unkind and uuiust as
persion shall have passed away. you will
probably repudiate it as earnestly as /
now scorn it.
Who wishes to force you to hold your
tongue ? If anti slavery is of more i'm
portance 10 you than the gospel, why
there are societies to which you can ap-
ply for aid in a course of anti slavery
propagandism. IF the apostles had gone
to otse Pharisees for money. 1 presume the
Pharisees would have done well not TO
give their money for the advocacy of
doctrines which they could not approve.
w. You refer to the lessons taught by
political parties, and their attemps to sup.
press agitation. l certainly do not read
the lessons as you do; but tn at is neither
here ncr there. When object to a
manly utterance of any thing which
comes legitimately within range of the
objects of the Society, then a lee.
ture on agitation may have some peril
nence. But, because political parties
have got into fierce broil on the slavery
question, therefore the American Christ.
ian Missionary Society must get into
muss also. is kind of logic | do not un
derstand. 1 can assure you, however.
that the practical effect on churches
where the anti slavery hobby is ridden,
have been such as to make me anxious
to escape the rock on which they have
split.
V. So far as your letter insinuates
desire on my part, or that of the Board
TO tyrannize over you-a fear of the
light. want of "magnanimity." &C., l
think you would probably feel better if
you would recall it. 1t is entirely grstu-
itous. 1t does not annoy me in the least;
l seriously think it unworthy of you
You felt anxious to have help to preach
the gospel in Kansas. felt anxious to
assist you. saw danger in the way,
growing out of The fact that l represent
Society whose membership is in the
South as well as in the North, and that
some factious ultraists are constantly on
the watch to SOW the seeds of discord.-
| knew the state of things in Kansas. as
bearing on the slavery question. know
something, too, of your treatment
there, and of your feelings. l saw
that if you were employed to preach
there, an effort would be made to herald