Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1860-05-12
Che Antt- 9lnurrp BuoIr.
From the American Missionary.
CONFLICT BETWEEN CHRISTIANITY
AND SLAVERY.

AND SLAVERY.
The persecution and expulsion of our mission
aries, and of other christians, from Kentucky and
North Carolina, and tho imprisonment of the
Rev. Daniel Worth, have awakened general feel
ing Of indignation. As The burning of chapels,
the prosecutions of British Missionaries in the
West Indies, and the personal outrages inflicted
on them, aroused British Christians, and led to
the emancipation of the 100000 slaves in the
West Indes SO these outrages on our missionaries
must tend to unite the efforts of tho Christian
and humane people of this country, for the de-
liverance of the 4,000,000 Of our enslaved breth-
rem.
That the fate of our liberties civil and religious
and the character of cur christianity, suspend
ed upon the question whether the Church will ex-
orcise slavery from its body, and, under God,
exert its power and influence for the speedy over
throw of that iniquity, cannot be intelgenuy
doubted.
In view of the alarming facts recently brought
before the people, the following considerations are
respectfully presented to the friends of Christ, and
of Humanity, by the Executive Committee of this
Association,
The time was, when Shareholders, generally,
acknowledged slavery to be wrong, and many of
them were compelled by conscience and the Word
of God, to emancipate their slaves. They felt
that the Bible required that the oppressed should
20 free, that every yoke should be broken, an
that it shut the gate of life against men-stealers
in common with drunkards, adulterers and unbe-
levers. But slavery has triumphed over such
fears, by the aid of religious teachers who have
sold themselves to pervert the Scriptures and de-
stroy the foundations of right. These false teach
ers require reverence for ethics that authorize the
stealing of men, women and children, the separa
tion of their families, general concubinage, and
the whole catalogue of crimes and that place the
Bible, as a system of morals, below the lowest
conceptions of justice and right even among wick
ed men.
A system of despotism that crusbes out the
freedom of WILL as well as of action, is not salts.
fed with the subjection of the slave. Non-save-
holders next feel its naughty bearing, in every in
terest social industrial educational, political and
religious. Law and Judgment are both directed
by the will of the Shareholders, which controls their
legislation and Jurisprudence. Men of independ.
ent thought and action who feel the value of free
speech, are met, not merely with neglect but with
persecution; they are driven out, or are subjected
10 anu luIilS VI NIOltuCc, ny
lynchng GLANCE committees, and it is not phi
losophical to suppose that having the spirit of
slavery fosterod from childhood, strengthened by
education and the force of habit the demands of
the saveholding class ill be satisfied with inlict
ing wrongs upon the slaves and the poor VIII tes.
Slavery seizes the reigr3 Of government and by
threatuings, browbeating, and outrages on all who
are not in its own service, divides and Conquors,
Its final arguments are the bludgeon, the bowie
knife and the revolver. With but slight intervals,
Shareholders have had possession of the Govern.
ment from its commencement, and have used its
power effectually, against freedom and justice.
But the turning back of justice, the debasement
of Government, and the other barbarities engen.
dered by slavery, are not so disastrous as it's war
against Christianity, its corruption of the only
perfect system for individuals and for society, its
deludng the people with the idea that they have
Christianity, when its principles of righteousness,
peace and benevolence, are all subverted, and
turned by its professors into instruments of vio-
lence. For Christianity, without Christ of love
and justice, is mockery; and its lying against
the truth, to appease conscience, is evil terri
BILE to be practised and defended.
THE CONFLICT INEVITABLE.
Christianity has its moral basis in the Law OF
God. That law asserts the dominion of God over
all creatures and requires the supreme worship Of
all intelligent beings. Slavery assumes preroga-
tyes which belong only to God. Claiming do
minion over men, and standing between God and
the slave, ii requires of him fear, homage, and the
virtual worship Of the master, whose will it makes
supreme. The law of God, and its exposition by
Christ, require perfect benevolence and that we
love our fellow-men as ourselves. Slavery is the
perfection of sel6sbness; it denies the slave his
manhood, robs him of the fruits of his labor, and
holds him, his wife and children, subject TO sale,
separation, and outrage, without remedy.
Christianity and the law of God, constitute sa.
cred ties between man and his wife Slavery
destroys them at pleasure. Christianity requires
the nurture of children by their parents in the
fear of the Lord and the obedience of children to
their parents: Slavery holds the parents authori
ty Of no account, and transfers to the MASTER the
honor and subjection required from children tC
their parents. II also deprives tho parents o
knowledge, and denies the instruction Of children
in letters and the Bible with few exceptions, they
are not permitted to read.
Slavery knows no Sabbath sacred to the slave
but subjects him to the will of his master, either
for labor or pleasure, on that holy day. Christi
anity requires honesty. Thou shalt not steal
says the law Of God slavery teaches the highes
theft, that of man, and the making of him
chattel.
Christianity requires purity of life and heart
holds the virtue of each person sacred, and aim
tbe flaming sword Of divine justice at him tina
violates it. Slavery denies even the right of puri
~ and necesstates system of universal cOncu
biuage.
Christianity, as we'll as the moral law says
Thou shalt not kill Slavery holds the life Of tho
flave In its power, and its laws are 80 arranged