, 1860-01-19
39ress 4 Triibtt&te.
DR, RICE ON SLAVERY.

We print on tho qcxt page, an address on
slavery delivered hy Dr. Rice to his congre-
CATION, on Sunday evening last. Dr.. Rice
complains that bis opinions on this subject
have been mi5rcprescnted, and to set himself
right before the public, as we'll as 10 defend
the notion Of the Old School Presbyterian
Church in admitting shareholders to church,
fellowship, is the avowed Object Of tho ad-
dress-
It is not our purpose to pass in review this
morning the positions assumed Iy DR.. Rice.
We content ourselves fur tue present with
tho following:
l. Slavery, as Dr.. Rice and tue Princeton
Rs,1e,r define it, is not what is known
by that namo in the slaysholding States Of
America 1t is I Hypothetical institution,
which neither Dr.. Rico nor any other man
now living las ever seen, or probably ever
will see; and, viewed with reference to what
Dr.. Rice undertakes to proye-that slavery is
not in itselfnecessari]y siuful-must be regarded
merely as begging OF the qut stion. That
1horo are Isolated cascs in which slaves arc
kindly treated by their masters, no one will
deny who has ever lived in slnvcholaing
State; but these cases do not prove that slav
err is right, but that in the case Of certain
humane persons it is not 20 intensely bad
and horrible is it is in the generality Of in
stances. To claim anything for the system
from these exceptional cases is Us absurd as it
would be 10 sanction Piracy, On the ground
tl1nt some wEo engage in it arc possessed
81 certain rcdecming qualities. 1t is
tho system with which NC hare to do;
not tie moral qualities q ;cry -It'o
persons connected soiA H. But even
if We conccde tlle correctness Of DR.. Rict's
definition, it will not serve his purpose in the
argument. Humane shareholders are not i'm
mortal, but tho slare, through his posterity,
IL. The former may lcare the latter to chill
dren who arc tyrauts and slaves to the mcan-
est passions, or he may become embarrassed in
business, or die insolycut, and the slaves in
either case be sold under the law to the
basest Of masters, It will not do to say, as
Dr. Rico does, that it is the luto and not slavery
that is bad Such is Tie law wherever slavery
exists andwilhout such Il Law slaycry could not
last sius!e generation. The law is insc. ar-
sble from the ssstcm-is 4 part of it.
2. That minister Of tue gospel who
spends much or auy part Of his time in Ell
deavorin to prove, by The humane character
Of certain nacn identified with bad system,
that the thing Itself is not necessarily sinful or
wrong, is dong the Devils own work. Dr..
R:ce's theory Of total depravity, Of itself,
proves tAis. Let a mau be tempted by his in-
1erests or his lust to become Shareholder, and,
30 "dcceitful above all things and desperately
wicked" is lis heart that he will at onco per.
suade himself that lie is one Of DR.. Jticcs CT.
ceptioDal cases-tllat lie can hold slaves with.
ont committing SIM There is mol LesTee
in the South who does not believe himself at
much entitled to tho Saving cause cf Dr.
Rice $ argument, MS Shelby, the humane slave
holder WHO found himself under tie necessity
Of selling "Unclo TOM to ray his debts
Preach the same doctrize as to profanity
thcft, forgery, gambling, CT even murder-fo
very humane men have been guilty Of each
mission Of either, ho will shield himself belline
the clerical postulate that the thing is no
necessarily sinful II Dr.. Rice is in carnes
il lis expressed desire for the abolition {
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