Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1861-12-04
THE BIBLE AND SLAVERY.


Editors IntelEigeneer -
The Jews were permitted to purchas
servants of the heather, and such person
as were thus purchased became their ser
wants forever. Captivrs takenin war wei
placed in the same condition Of servitud,
From this fact It has been argued Tint II.
bible sustains the kind of slavery that j.
common in all the Southern States .
of our once happy but now distracted land.
In rejecting on the snbjec, we should DO
careful to distinguish between the abuses
of the law or system of laws and the ne
cessary results Of their operations; and MI
so between the system of laws by which
servttude was regulated among the Jews,
and those By which it is regulated in our
midst. And besides this we must not for
get that we are now living under the New
Testament law, and that this is the rule by
which the old IS to be interpreted.
Our system of slavery is opposed to the
Bible in at least three Gifts most important
features.
/. The Bible teaches that husband and
wife are not 10 be separated, so that either
may again marry, except on the ground OF
adultry, but our law allows the master to
separate husband aud wife at his own
pleasure. He may send the one to Alabama
and the other to Texas and either may
again marry, so far as the law is concerned
Here we have not only a breach of the
ordinance OF marriage, buta system of po-
1ygamy as real, IL not as public as that in
existence in Utah. 1t is as really parto
1t, as the arm is a part of the human body.
know that all right minded men among
shareholders avoid this abomination as far
as possible, and condemn it very sincerely;
but this don't change the system. If the
STAKEHOLDER dies intestate, or fails 10 bhsi-
ness, how can the sale of his slaves to the
highest bidder be prevented 2 Many n
bitter tear has been shed by the slave
owner and his family, when compelled to
allow their slaves to be sold; but their
tears could neither prevent the sale nor
wash away the sin of separating husband
and wife, parents and children. This is
one Of the corner stones in the boasted
Foundation of society at the South
q. The Bible makes 1t both the duty and
the privilege of all people TO Hsearch the
Scriptures.n All Protestants, at least.
agree on this point But in orler to be
able to search the Scriptures the slave
must be able to read; yet our system for
bids this. Even here in Wheeling 1t Is an
offence against the laws of the State to
teach negro to read. Christ said search
the Scriptures" but our slave code says,
No, If you obey Christ in this matter, you
shall be subject to fine aud imprisonment!
1t is true that slaves are permitted to
enjoy some religious privileges. They
have congregations of their own, and
large numbers are allowed in some places
to attend the same churches in which their
masters worship. To the credit of many
slaveholders, be it said, they go just as far
as they dare go, in giving religious instrnc-
ton to their servants but this does not
remove the foul olot from the system, and
make it consistent with the teachings OF
the Bible,
3. The bible condemns expressions SO
frequently and so s:ernly, that its mean
ing cannot well he misrepresentation but
our system of slavery, by giving to the
master the absolute control of the time and
person of the slave, legaliEes almost any
amount of oppression the master may sec
proper to iufict. Masters may avoid this,
from interest or from the dictates of hu-
mauity. and may spurn with utter contempt
the creature that would take advantage of
this law, but this does not obliterate the
law, nor reconcile it with the declarations
of the bible. Soflong as the law protects
men in acts of oppression, so long will
there be men found who are degraded
enough to take advantage OF its protection
to crafty their malesolent passions.
These are not abuses Of the system OF
slavery They are parts of the systemit.
self. If laws were enacted to protect the
marriage relation, and the relation OF pa
rents and childrcn-to give to the slave tho
advantage of education-and to guarantee
to him the enjoyment Of his inalienahle
rights as a human beiug-the system would
be radically changed; and until this IS
done our slave laws must remain God
blot on our nations name.
OBSERVER.