Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1861-03-07
The @ible aud Slarery,
For the Yorkville Enquirer.
ARGUMENTS FOR SLAVERY.

fence of Slavery may be fortified, is fur
mished by the character Of the opposstio"
made to the institution.
l. This opposition to slavery is made in
the face of the intelligent conviction, and
general practice of the great majority of
the wisest and best men since the days of
the Apostles. Not denying the fact that
some of those at the present day, and in past
times opposed to slavery should be ranked a.
mong the great and good of earth's sons-we
contend, however, that the largest part of the
excellent and wise, have not echoed the o.
pinious now rife among the opponents of
slavery. On the other hand it is an irrefu
table fact that the great body ofwise and good
men, in ancient and modern times, inclu-
ding all the commentators, critics and theo-
logians of any note, have believed and
taught that the Apostles of Christ did re-
ceive shareholders into their churches and
that saveholding is not, in itself, sinful
AS illustrative of this point, without going
into details, we will quote from Bishop
Hopkins, who, in his "American Citizen"
after briefly exhibiting the scriptural proof
that slaveholding is not sinful, writes: elf
we go on from the days of the Apostles to
examine the doctrine and practice of the
christian Church, we find no other views
entertained on the subject, q. e., than that
it was not to be regarded as sinfuD. Slave
~ continued to exist in every quarter
Slaves were held, without any reproacb,
even by the bishops and clergy. When
the practice died out, as it did in many of the
European nations, the change was gradual,
through the operation of worldly causes,
and without any suspicion that the institu-
ton, in itself, involved violation of reli-
gion or morality. Hence its lawfulness
with respect to the Africans and the Indi-
ans taken in war, was universally maintain
ed by the Puritan settlers of New England,
who claimed the closest adherence in all
things to the teachings of the scriptures
And it was not until the latter part of the
eighteenth century, that doubt was ex-
pressed on either side of the Atlantic, in
relation to the perfect consistency of such
slavery with the precepts Of the Gospel"
From this testimony, of an able and pious
New England Bishop, it is evident that op-
position to slavery is nouelty in the opin
ion and practice of the civilized and chris
tian world. In addition to this we observe
that it is also counter to the teachings and
conduct of thousands who for wisdom, NOR
ality and piety, have no superiors either in
Church or State, in this or any other age
of the world. This point, which admits
indefinite expansion, not only neutralizes
in part, the present hostility to slavery, but
it also contributes something to its support.
2. Again. Sel6shness characterizes much
of the contest waged against slavery. Ex-
perience and observation have demonstrated
that slavery, at least, African slavery, is
not profitable in cold climates. To such
the negro is not adapted, and the produc-
tions of the soil of frigid temperature are
such that repder free labor cheaper than
szave labor, and hence with marvellous
unanimity in the Northern and frozen re-
gions, wherever slavery is Improbable, it
is denounced and fought against. How
far the fact that slavery is the dearest form
of labor in cold climate, may tend to origi-
nate and perpetuate warfare upon it, is a
question in casuistry We will not attempt to
answer upon our own responsibility. We
have the impression, however, that the
charge, made lately in an extreme North
western State, may be truly alleged against
many others. Rev. J. L Corwing, a Pres
byteriau minister IN. S. of Milwaukee,
Wisconsin, in a sermon said: "There has
been vast amount Of self conceit in the
Church and the world, in their hostility to
slavery. There has been an arrogating of
philanthropy among the reformers on this
subject, which is neither agreeable to taste
nor truth. Do you suppose that there is re-
ally very much larger amoun. of philan-
thropy, on the whole, at the North, than
there is at the South. I wish there were
for there is little enough in all latitudes. II
But confess to be confirmed skeptic on
this point Taking given number of men
at random from Northern and Southern
community, and I suspect you would find
about as many in one as in the other, who
would hold men as chattels if it subserved
their interests and public opinion tolerated
it. 1 verify believe, that if tomorrow NOR
ming ten thousand negro slaves were rained