Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1860-08-29
supporting Relations Ordinances in Da-

wEDNESDAY,....-.. .-....-...~.-'''.-.AUGUsT -
supportins ReIiaious Ordinances In Da-
honey. isHt lu
Solomon slaughtered 1000 oxen at the
dedication of the Temple. The SAVIOR must
have been like our Brighton magni6ed
about one hundred times, The King of Da-
honey is greater than Solomon. He sacri-
fees human offerings more abundantly than
Solomon did dumb beasts. Recent advices
state that the Dahomey Solomon is about to
sacrifice 1000 persons to the memory of his
grandfather. But little while ago it was
announced that he had 'offered up 1000
victims on the death of his father, and, being
little short at the time, he borrowed part
of the number from the slave baracoons on
che coast-borrowing of Peter to pay Paul, as
they say in Dahomey-and then, having the
testimony Of quiet conscience, and after
having public prayers made for his sue
cess, he set out on a foray ameng the sur
rounding Canaanites, to collect the means to
pay his devotional debt, and recruit his ex-
hausted human exchequer. In that primi-
tive land, where the demoralizing vices of
NAaAnaeAOh htfN yNbthtSAOA1 hhBo anu
corporations do not pay their debts by
issuing new bonds, but when the Kings
bond is out, he gives the neighboring tribes
no peace until he has captured enough of
them to redeem il thus causing them, as
John Brown said, ito remember those who
are Ia bonds, as bound with them"
The announcement of this liberal offering
to the soul of his grandfather, shows that
the prayers offered for blessing on his foray
have been answered. This will, doubtless,
strengthen the faith of the devout Daho-
meyans, and put scoffers to shame.
IL the three cargoes of native Africans
whom our navy has recently redeemed from
thehorrors of slavery, and whom our Gov
eminent is returning to their own happy
native land, reach it in time, they may help
to furnish this offering to the King grand
father; and what comfort that reflection
ought to be to the philanthropic heartl As
the King is in the habit of drawing on the
future for hir sacrifices, trusting to Provi-
dence to furnish them, as Abraham told the
youthful Isaac to do, when they started for
the mountain where a trial of Abraham 5
faith was to be made, for Gods satisfaction,
it is possible that the King Of Dahomey is
trusting to these returning cargoes to fur
nish his sacri6ciai offering. Thus our At
rican feet may be supporting religious OBJ
servsnces in Africa, and even the wrath Of
the SLAYER is turned to praise.
II gives an affecting view Of the strength
of filial affection in Dahomey, that the King
should sacrifice 1000 persons to his father,
and 1000 to his grandfather. In countries
where family affection has been benumbed
by civilization, it only reaches to the nearest
relations; but in Dahomey, where nature is
in its primitive innocence, the affection
grows stronger as the relationship is more
remote. AS the King sacrifices 1000 per-
sons for the soul of his father and 1000 for
his grandfather, it is demonstrable by that
ratio that his regard for his remote ancestors
must be quite affecting, especially to his
subjects.
The consumption of mankind for devo-
tional purposes is so great in Dahomey that
religious observances must inevitably be-
come restricted by the scarcity of victims
just as the resources Of the Hebrews were
crippled by the havoc which Solomon s
sacrifices made among their oxen, which,
with other burdens consequent upon his de-
votion and bis women, caused the revolt of
ten tribes from his son, and their subsequent
emigration to America, where one of their
relics, called the Holy Stone, has recently
b,en exhumed by David Wyrick, near New
ark, in this State. But the true faith in
Dshomey is saved from this sad calamity by
the valuable services of our African feet in
preventing the export of persons who might
Otherwise escape their religious response
bility. af IA
1t is also quite certain that if it were not
for the dangers to which this commerce is
exposed from the British and American
nsyies, the market price Of native Africans
would be so high as to limit the number con
sumed for devotional purposes; for, it vii
be observed, that the heathsE~ religion
always eaAft thsmsslyes TO the profits
striking contrast to our religion, which con
tennis the profits, and all temporal pros
perity, laying up treasures only in HEAVIER
Thus, by our national intervention, tn
atars Of Dahomey are kept fresh and bleed
ing, the sacrifcial knives are kept shar
and bright, the dying shrieks of thousand
OF victims, annually, propitiate deity an
saved from the cruel slave-trade by our ph
lanthropy, support the ordinances of n
ligion at home, and are dispatched on tn
road to bliss.
ulu.se In,