New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-03-03

lnos They Iaus. become before they can become
Cbris,ians great effect may, under fortunate cir
cnmsapces have been wrought on particular indvid.
usls But those who believe that any extensive effect
con ba nroduced by religious instruction on this mig
srabIe lace NAV believe In the famous conversion
yVrouobt by St. Anthony on the Gsh: Can preacher
syaI on bs hearers strictly to fulfill their conJugh
duties in country where no protecuon gwen
10 their coDjugal rghts--iu country wne'e tne
husband and vile may al "e es,snt ssrsrs.ed for
eyef1 Can he persuade them 10 rest on tae senasy,
in Colonies where the lay appoints inst ums Iof n0
marketsl Ia there any lesson which Christian nun
lister is more soemnly bound to teacb-is there any
esson which it il, IN religious Pon' ~ ys dutS
important for convert TO learn than that IL II GUY
10 refuse obedience 10 the unlawful commands o. su
periors Are the new pastors OF the slaves 70 noI
cate this principle or not In other words, are 0o
slaves to remain uDnstructed In tne iundsmen.a, -
of Christian morality, or are Their teacner5 70 10
banged This 10 the alternative. We all remember
that it was made charge against Mr. Smltn, tnst No
had read an iDammatory chapter OF the bioe 70 nis
Experimentation encouragement Ior Ineir lu-
ture teachers 10 declare unto them according 70 tho
expression of old divine far too methodsca TO Dc
considered az an authority in the West Indies, tho
whole counsel OF God.
pesed religious instruction; and they are in The right
Thew know though their m,sinformed friends IN En-
gland do not know, that Christianity and slavery can
not long exist together. We have already gwen IL as
never. while their political state remains the same be
expected to become Christians. But, if that were pos
sble that their political state wonid very
speedily be changed At eve y step which the negro
makes in the knowledge and discrimination OF night
and wrong, he will learn to reprobate more and moro
the system under which he lives.
He will not indeed be 80 prone TO engage in rash
and foolish tumuts; but he will be az Wiling as no
now il 10 struggle for liberty and far capable Of
struggling with effect. The forms in which Chris-
tany has been at different times disguised, have been
often hostile to Liberty. But wherever the spirit has
suimounted the forms-in France curing the wars OF
he Hupuenots-in Holland during the reign OF Philip
lin Scotland, ut the time Of the Reformanon--n
ENGLAND through the whole contest against the stu
arts from their accession 70 their expuson-in New"
England through its whole history-ln every Plsce-
in every sge-t has inspired hatred OF Oppression,
and love of Freedom II would be thus IN the Weet
indies. The attempts hch have been made TO press
few detached texts into the c1use OF tyranny nave
ever produced any extensive effect. Ihoee who can
lot refue them by reasoning and comparison, will be
buried forward by the of intoerabe wrongs ana
the madne,s of wounded affection All this the Colo
nists have discovered and we feel assured tnat tney
will never suffer religious instruction 10 Do unresev-
edy given 10 the slaves In that case, the Establish
mept will degenerate into job. This Is no ehimerca
apprehension. There have been clergymen In the
West Indies for many years past aud what nave they
done for the negroes In what have they c0nduced,
either TO their temporal TO their spiritual welfare
Doubtless there have been respectable men among
them But is II not notorious that the benches Oh the
Colonies have been repeatedly given TO the outeasts
of English society-men whom the inhabitants would
not venture to employ bookkeepers, yet whom they
desired 10 retain as boon companions Any person
who will look over the Parliamentary papers which
contain the answers returned by the Colonial clergy TO
certain queries sent out a few years ago by Lord
Bathurst will see some curious instances of the ignor
ance the idenees and the levity Of that body. Why
should the new Establishment be less corrupt than the
old The dangers to which i is exposed are the same;
we do Bot see that its securities much greater. It
has Bishops no doubt; and when we observe that
Bishops are more active than their interiors on this
side Of the Atlantic shall begin to hope that they
may be useful on the other.
These reforms have begun at the wrong end.
Good" says old Hooker, no enemy to Episcopal Es-
Establishments, "frst assigned Adam maintenance for
life, and then appointed MIN law to observe" Our
rulers would have done well to initiate the example
TO give some security to the hearth aud to the back Of
the slave before they sent him Bishops Archdeacons,
and Chance ors and Chapters.
The work of Mr.. Stephen has, we think disposed
for of some of the principal arguments which are
urged by the Coonlsis If those who consceDtiously
support Slavery be open TO conviction if its dishonest
advocates be susceptible of shame, they can surely
again resort TO that mode of Defense which they
have 80 often employed when hard pressed by soma
particular Of oppression. On such occasions their
cry has been. "These individual instances. You
must not deduce general conclusions from them. What
would you ray If we were to form our estl4ate OF
English society from the police reports, the
eaecalendar Look at the rules and not at the excep
tons.' Here then, we have those boosted rules. And
what are heyl We find that The actions which other
societies punish crimes in the West Indies
toned by law; that practices, of which England af
forde example but in the records of the jail and tbs
gibbet, there suffered TO exist unpunshei that
atrocities may there be perpetrated in the drawing
in the marketplace on the persons Of untried
and upconvcted individuals which here would scarce
ly find asylum in the vaults of the Blood-Bowi
House.
Is it any answer to this charge now most fully es-
tablished, TO ray that we too have crimes Un-
estiCnably, under all systems, however wise under
all crcun stances however fortunate, the passions Of
men will incite them TO evil. The most viglant po-
lice the most rigid tribunals the severest penalties
but imperfect restraints upon avaIce and revenge.
What then must be the when these restraints are
withdrawn In England there is legal remedy for
every injury. If the first prince of the blood were to
treat the poorest pauper St. Gess the best code
in the West Indies authorizes master 70 treat ais
slave would be better for him that be had never been
born. Yet even here 6nd that wherever power Is
given it is occasionally abused that magistrates not
having the fear Of the Court OF Kings Bench before
their eyes will sometimes be guilty of injustice and
tyranny that parents will sometimes strye, tor
ture murder the helpless beings to whom they have
given life. And is II evident that here there are
fewer checks, there will be more cruelty
But we are told the manners of people, the state Of
public opinion Of more real consequence than any
written code. Many things, it is confessed, in the
Colonial laws, are cruel and unjust IN theory; bot We
assured that the feeling Of the Colonsts renders
the practical operation of the system enent and hbe-
raj. We answer that public feeling, though excel
lent auxiliary TO laws, always has been and always
must be, miserable and inc tcieDt substitute for them.
The rules OF evidence which public opinion pro-
ceeds defective and its decisions caprcous. Its
frequently spares the guilty and fails
the nnocert 1t is terrible TO sensitive and generous
minds but it lie dsregarded by those whose hardened
depravity most requires restraint. Hence its DEGREES,
however alutary unless supported by the clearer def
pitons and stronger sanctions Of legislation, will DO
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