Columbia Democrat and Bloomsburg general advertiser. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1850-1866, 1861-03-02

converts him to the Gospel, and then sends
him back to his old home, with a letter
! of kind recommendation. Why does st
Paul act thus! Why does he not counsel
the fugitive to claim his right to freedom,
and defend that right, if necessary, by the
strong hand Of violence, even unto death
Why does ho not write to his disciple,
Philemon, and rebuke him for the awful
sin of holding fellow man to bondage,
and charge it upon him, as solemn duty,
to emancipate his slaves, at the peril of
his soul
The answer is very plain. St. Paul
was inspired, and knew the will of the
Lord Jesus Christ, and was only intent on
obeying it, and who are we, that in our
modern wisdom presume to set aside the
Word of God, and scorn the example of
the Divine kedeemer, and spurn the
preaching and the conduct of the apostles,
and invent for ourselves "higher law"
than those holy Scriptures which are given
to US as eight to our feet and lamp to
our paths" in the darkness of sinful and
polluted world Who are we, that virtu-
ally blot out the language of the sacred
record, and dictate to the Majesty of
, Heaven what He shall regard as sin, and
reward as duty? Who are we, that are
: ready to trample on the doctrine of the
7 Bible, and tear to shreds the Constitution
e of our country, and even plunge the land
! into the untold horrors of civil war, and
yet boldly pray to the God of Israel to
bless our very acts of rebellion against his
' own sovereign authority Wo to our
Z Union when the blind become leaders of the
+ blind Wo to the man who dares to
"strive against his Maker !"
). Yet do not mean to charge the numer-
), Gus and respectable friends of this popular
!, dclusion with wilful or conscious oppos-
o ton to the truth. They are seduced
= doubtless, in the great majority of cases,
:, by the feelings of false philanthropy,
which palliates, if it cannot excuse their
n dangerous error. Living far away from
it the Southern States, with no practical
|. experience of the institutions, and accus-
It toned, from their childhood, to attach an
1 inordinate value to their personal liberty,
they are naturally disposed to compassion
is ate the negro race, and to believe that the
l. slave must be supremely wretched in his
y bondage. They are under no special
'f inducement to "search the scriptures" on
st this particu ar subject, nor are they in gen.
E. eral, am sorry to say, accustomed tc
is study the Bible half as much as they read
ID the newspapers, novels and magazines
lie There they find many revolving pictures o.
es slavery. They do not stop to ask the
lie question whether they are just and faithful
ID Perhanr q e, -i..-->-, s.AD "no, IN Jus'inca
s. ton of himself, will usually give yer,
es distorted statement of the facts, even if h
no does not invent them altogether. Ant
1d these good and kind hearted people believ
re. it implicitly, without ever Remembering
les the rule about hearing both sides befor
il. VIC form our opinion. Of course the
ev .ympathize warmly with the poor oppressc
all African, and are generously excited t
,rs hate the system of Slavery with all the'
ms heart. Then the eloquent preacher choose
nd it for the favorite topic of his oratory.-
ms The theme is we'll adapted to rouse th
,or feelings, and it is usually by no NEAR
on difficult 10 interest and crafty the audienc
the when the supposed sins of others, whic
cf they are under no temptation to comm
Of are made the object of censure. In d'
the time, when the public mind is sufficient
lies heated, the politician lays hold OF the su
the icct, and makes the anti-slavery moveme
the the watchword ofparty. And, finally
old Press follows in the wake of the leader
the and the fire is industriously famed until
ord becomes perfect blaze while the adm
nor ing throng surround it with exulta'ion, a
IS fancy its lurid light to be from heav'
rast until the flames begin to threaten tn
,ple own property.
oud Eucn mas peeu tho P"ii'0eS
,erv northern sentiment on the subject
lurs slavery. The great majority in eve
not community are creatures of habit, OF as
of citation, and of impulse, and every aiiC
very auce should be made for the errors VIII
all are committed in ignorance, under
do generous sympathy for what they supp
hose to be the rights of man. l cannot, he
nno. ever, make the same apology for those
are professionally pledged to underst'
by and inculcate the doctrines ofthe Bible
He On that class of our public instructors
, be present perilous griefs of the nation cas-
sake, fearful responsibility. SOlemnly bound
anch their sacred office to preach the Word
the God, and to follow Christ and His Apos'
,auol as the heralds of "poace and good will
= -, man - thav seam to me strangely reg