Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1860-02-18
CHE Anti 9laprrp Buale.
div t.E'frf Prom the Principia .. ' .
POSITION OF HENRY WARD BEECHER


sapihilated. There might be formalities, and
whether they took seconds, days or weeks, time
must DO consumed. Such a thing as immediate
emancipation was impossible. There was moth
ing bad or good per Sc. thing was bad if its
consequences bad, and uice uersa, and all
things were to be judged BY their tendency to good
or bad" IN F- iA '.i'
The above is from the speech of Mr. BEEcuER
in the discussion concerning the American Board
BY the Plymouth Church, Jan. 23 as reported in
the ~, Y. Times Of the next morning. 1t is the
old doctrine OF gradualisn over again, and stand
ing in its proper logical connection with the doc
trfne l, that slavery sis not sin per Sc" in other
wo3ds, is not sin in itself; and, 2, with the still
more comprehensive doctrine that there is nothing
that is sin per Sc sin in ITSELF because all the elm
folness Tor criminality) of sin les not at all in
Itself in It's own nature, but only id the tendency
or consequences of SHINING. Or, in commercial
parlance, that nothing is sinful long as 1t will
pay. .'t
We thank Mr.. Bsecher for his frankness, and
We honor him for his philosophical accuracy in
placing these things together, where they belong,
where they can be looked at, and seen just as they
are. OF gradualism have heard enough all
triDo that slavery s sin per se" sin in itself
Equally familiar have we been, all that time with
the philosophy Of utility or expedency, as taught
BY Hobbs, Hume, Goodwin, and Voltaire, as the
foundation of virtue, and with equal clearness and
success, by Bishop Law, Arch deacon Paley, and
Rev. DR.. Taylor of New Haven. We were aware,
somewhat vaguely perhaps, of the ethical affinity
between these several propositions. Mr. Beecher
has shown US, more clearly, the consecutive rea-
tion between them His argument before an in
telligent church, required him to do this The
American Board was to be vindicated. 1t was
only On the gronnd Of gradualism that this could
be done. But gradual emancipation, involving
CONTINUANCE of slavery, to be justified in no
way but by maintaining tina. slaveholding is not
ID itself sinful. And this in its turn, could be
maintained only by taking the broader ground
that no practice is, 10 itself sinful Tor blame wor-
thy) is ot6n account or for what it is in itself
but only on account Of the consequences resulting
from 1t. We do not suppose that Mr.. Beecher on
this occasion. or for the first time, or for the mere
purpose OF carrying point, adopted these several
theories. But, having before held them, he knew
how to string then, together for service, when ser
vice was required of them.
Here then are his positions
i. Gradual emancipation. involving present con-
tinuanre, In slavehoding; the present existence
ofslavery. This he advocates In opposition to i'm.
mediate emancipation.
2 Slavery, OF slaveholding, is not bad, in itself.
g. Nothing is bad III itself, but bad only on ac-
count Of s bad tendencies, results, effects, conse-
qaences.
Against each of these we might advance sepa-
rate arguments. Against the first we might bring
the heaven-revealed duty of immediate and uncon-
ditional repentance and reformation. "Now is
the accepted time" Execute judgment in the
morning" without delay. We might say, in the
use Of his own words, tina. failing to insist ON
this, slavery must continue to exist, and be inno-
cent. "until time is annihilated" We might re.
verse bis statement and affirm that all emancipa-
ticn except Immediate emancipation is impossible,
add has neter been witnessed. Against the sec
ond proposition we might urge tina: if slavery
or If slaveholding. be not sin in itself, then i: is
not sin, at all, since nothing can be sinful out Of
itself. Of sinful in something else
But, since the first two propositions repose for
their support on the third, as Mr.. Beecher himself
evidently understands, we may as we'll come d.
rect, to that point; and whether that PROPOSE
ton can stand.
"There is nothing bad or good per se," nothing
good bad 10 itself and vice versa all things are
to be judged pronounced good or bad) "ty their
tendency to good or bad"
By the terms "bad or good" 10 the beginning of
the sentence, we suppose Mr. Beecher means
wrong or right. innocent or sinful. And by the
same terms, near the close of the sentence. we
suppose he means the misery or the happiness re-
sulting from wrong or right actions. Otherwise
there would be nothing Ineligible in his state.
ment. He does not mean to say that all things
are to be judged right wrong according to their
tsndencyio right or wropg-nor that all things
are to be judged miserable or happy by their tea
denotes to misery or happiness. Such statements
would be mere tauto!ogy and verbiage.
The meaning then, is this, "There is nothing
right or wrong per se." A thing tending to mise
ry'is wrong, and uice rersa and all things are to
bejudgsd by their tendency to misery or to hap
piness." ph' '1a' 'f' e'.F 'h'''3 ''
This 10 equivalent to the proposition that there
is no right nor wrong no holiness nor sim in the
universe. If tho moral quality or essence of
yigs or Of holiness does not lie in itself then it
lies nowhere. If the movaI quality or essence Of
wrons, or Of sia, does not inhere in itself then it
inheres nowhere. The one cannot inhete 10 hap
pinSss nor the other in misery. 1t is confusion Of
language as we'll as Of ideas, a confounding Of
moral distinctions as we'll as Of the meaning of
words, 20 to identify sin with suffering, and hap.
pinsss with virtue. as to deny the distinction be-
wssn them, and to transfer praise and blame from
tho sns to the other. The heaven established
conasstion between them does not make them one
and tho Same thing. for this would reader such
copnsctions i'm possible. or Imi tioi hrs s1'0s1c
ThA.an who does mean act is guilty Of that
mean act and blame worthy and self condemned