Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1860-07-07
REPUBLICAN NOMINATIONS.
THE TRACT SOCIETIES AS AFFECTED
BY SLAVERY,


Providence, Rhode Island, in the beginning of
this year, DIR. WAyLAND delivered a short but
very comprehensive speech, from which VIC
learn several interesting items in the history of
our Tract Societies.
1t appears that one of the Oldest tract socie-
ties in the country was formed in 1914, under
the name of the New England Tract Society.
This society gradually extended its operations
until it embraced not only New England but
the whole United Estates, and in 1923 its name
was changed by act of Legislature to the
american Tract Society, its center being at
Boston.
In 1924 proposal was made to remove this
society from Boston to New York, but it was
not received with favor 1t was then proposed,
by the New York Religious Tract Society, to
call a convention of all the tract societies in the
country, to form National Tract Society, to be
located in the city of New York. This was
done. the New York society not being incorpo-
rated, however, until the Goth of May 1871, and
the Boston Society still retaining its original
character Though this latter society consented
to cooperate with that of York, and COM
mitted its printing to it, yet its object, its con-
stitution, its officers its character and the con-
troll Of its ov n funds, all remained the same as
before. 1t has been sustained from the begin
ing almost exclusively by the Congregdtionatisis
of New England, though on no narrow sectari
an basis. Its principle of action was to publish
tracts which would meet the appreciation of all
serious Christians of every denomination. In
this respect it was governed by the precept of
Matthew 10th, chapter 9th: ",chat / tell you
in darkness, that speak ye in light; and rlat
ye hear in the ear that preach ye upon the house
tops,"-whether men liked it or not; and if
they did not like it, there was all the more reason
why they should have it.
The cooperative union between the two So
cieties continued harmonious until within the
last two years, when that principle of universal
discord among us, viz, Slavery, began to ex-
hibit itself here too as it has in almost all the
other institutions of the country Most of our
readers doubtless rccollect the time when the
Southern Christian was ready to admit that
"Slare,y is rrong, ace kiioio ii, and should be
glad to get rid Of it; zee wiU do any thing rea-
sonable that you ,eiU point ont; ,re irish to hnoc
of any thing you feel 10 be prong on this sub
.ject in the sight of God" But great change
has now come over the country, and slavery is
held to be right, not only as it is, but in the
abstract. What was once admitted to be n
curse, has now come to be considered as bles-
sing. The Scriptures are brought forward 10
prove that Slavery is just and righteous; that
the Savior of mankind. approves of it and the
consequent shutting out of light from the minds
of men.
This change, however, in the minds Of South
ern Christians has not changed the views OF
those of the North. We still think, as former
ly, that Slavery is great evil; THAT this evil
becomes only the more manifest as time wears
away, and that the duty of all Christians there
fore, is to address themselves with renewed ef.
forts to the work of its mitigation. The learned
Doctor says, land we shall give his own words
in the remainder of this article y
"One day father comes to us to beg money
telling US that his daughters are to be sold t.
prostitution in New Orleans; the next day
mother appears and tells us the same story anC
begs that we will rescue her ceildren from Sc
awful destiny; brother and sisters plead fo
the freedom of each other; and we are com
PEELED to ask Is this according to the Gospel o
Jesus Christ? This condition of things calls a
once for some testimony in this respect. Her
are hundreds and thousands Of our own Chris
tan brethren, Christ's little ones, forbidden t.
read the word of God, and Christian men ar
forbidden to teach them But little Will
since woman in Virginia lay some weeks il
prison for the atrocious crime of teaching chill
dren to read the Bible! Christian men hav
been forbidden to marry; thing spoken of b
the Apostles as one of the types of anti-Chr
Now, there is not single Southern State il
which slave has right to form any contract
not even marriage; something like it may b
PERMITTED, but it can be broken at any momen
by the will of the master Here are men an
women united by affection, by sympathy, b
every tie which can bind human beings together
who may at any moment be separated fror
each other, though Christ has said, "What Go
hath Joined together, let not men put asunder.
Men are chattels; they have no right to hol
property. need not 60 further, for the law
upon these subjects are well known.
Christian men, then, are beginning to ask
setting aside the abstract question of SLAYER
--"Have we no duty to discharge to these ou
brethren and sisters in Christi Can we see a
these things without bearing testimony" Her
are Christian men and women suffering oppos
ton such as can be equaled nowhere, not eve
in Austria. The Madai family were punishe
and sent to the galleys in Italy for reading til
word of God, and the whole Christian world
aroused, and different Protestant government
have sent to beg their release. The Mortar
boy was caught in Rome, and they determine
to make Papist of him, and the Christia
world is all remonstrance. Here are two
three millions of enslaved men and women, an
hundreds of thousands of Christian poop
among them; and does it not behoove ,
to bear testimony in behalf of these Doc
outcast children of God, and also to bear test
mony to those who are expressing them, (whetl
er they know they are wrong or not,) in acco
dance with the words of the Saviour, what
tell you in darkness, that speak we in light an
what ye hear in the ear, that preach we upo
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