Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1860-02-16
WHOLE NO. III.
The Question for 1890.

Charles O'Connor til, distinguished ju-
rist and eloquent lawyer. the mouthpiece of
the Democracy at the great Union meet
ing in New York, declared that the only
question at issue in the approaching cam
paign will be as SLAVERY JUsT?" Ifit
be unjust he admits that every argument
against its extension used by the Repub-
licans is right, proper and legitimate. If
it is unjust it should be ovcrthrown-it
should be circumscribed-it should be ex-
tinguished. But like bold man, in the
face of the Almighty. who made of one
blood all the nations Of the earth-in the
face Of all Christendom. who are taught
that the God they serve is God ofjustice,
Mr.. O,Gonncr takes the affirmative of this
question, and asserts that slavery, as it
exists in our country, is Just, proper, hu-
name, and Christian. To this standard
he insists the Democratic party must and
will come in the approaching campaign.
All other doctrines are temporizing in
their character-merc paliatives which lull
to sleep without efecting a radical cure
while this grand ranacea strikes at tho
foundation. Once establish this do trine
bring the North to this standard rally
the democratic hosts under this banner,
and no dog will dare open his mouth to
bark against the patriarchial institution.
Simultaneous with this assertion of Mr..
O'Connoi, comes the declaration Of DR..
Rice, to which we referred last week, that
slavery is not in itself sinful, and that if it
were SO Christ was guilty of an incon-
sistency, in failing to denounce it,
Whilc U'Connor indoctrinates the DEM
ocracy, DIR. Rice appeals to the church
1t is painful to see such man, in the
zenith of his fame. lending his great name
and talents for the propagation of such
sentiment. However pure his motive. the
Christian world cannot but be shocked at
such an exhibition.
Has the Reverend Doctor followed his
argument to its legitimate conclusion9-
There is no neutrality in this NATTER
Slavery is either sinful or It is a positive
good. Because there are good and humane
masters, who seek to promote the present
and eternal welfare of their servants, it
does not follow that the institution is right.
Good men have at times been guilty
ty Of Sabbath breaking, profanity, adulte-
ry. polygamy, bat they have never sane.
titled these determinations. 1t is no worse
for Legree to hold his fellow man in
slavery than for minister of the gospel.
And if slavery be a positive good, why
not seek to extend and perpetuate it.
open to it all our national territories-en-
slave every free black man in the union
reopen the slave trade, and let all the ma.
L.. r Il. 30 H. L y
to subjugate the entire population OF the
African continent. This is the inevitable
result of such doctrine.
Against this sentiment and these results,
in the name of Christianity--in the name
of morality-in the name of humanity
in the name of the American people--in
the name of God, we enter our solemn
protest. We protest against such prost{-
tuition of the word of God-we protest
ag inst such desecration OF the pulpit
we protest against such subversion of the
doctrines of the declaration of Indepen-
dence-we protest against such an insult
upon the flag of our country--we protest
| against this effort to bring reproach upon
| the church, and to make it tributary to
such a cause.
| We believe it to be the duty of every
man-of every patriot-of every christian
to unite with us in this protest. We be-
lieve it to be the duty of every Minister of
the Gospel to repudiate these sentiments,
and to declare that wherever the spirit of
| God is, ''there is Liberty" We do not
believer to be the duty of any Minister Of
the Gospel to engage in political contro-
versies, to preach political sermons, or to
announce himself partizan. but we be-
lieve it to be his duty on this great moral
question to give his influence to the cause
of truth, justice, morals and humanity
Every man whose conscience is rot ed
ucated to believe slavery blessing. or is
not scared by contact with it, instinctively
pronounces it sin--a sin without excuse
or palliation-compared with which the
peccadiloes of men are as ant-hills to the
Alps. And why then should any one least
of all the minister of the living God hesitate
to say so? The question is before us-it
must be nett is the question of the day
"Ls slarery Just" and every man is Gale l
upon to answer yes or no! "He that is not
for us is against usp'- Goshen Times.