Holmes County farmer. [volume] (Millersburg, Ohio) 1857-1926, 1861-03-07

all my prejudces Of education, habit and
social position stand entirely opposed to
it. But as a Christian, / am solemnly
warned not to be "wise in my own con-
ceit," and not to clean to my own under
standing" AS Christian l am COM
PEELED to submit my weak and erring in
tclect to the authority of the Almighty.
For then only can | be safe in my conclu
sions, when / know that they are in ac-
cordance with the will of Him, before
whose tribunal | must render q strict ac-
count in the last great day.
proceed, accordingly, to the evidence
Of the sacred Scriptures, which, long ago,
produced complete conviction in my own
mind, and must, as l regard it, be equal
ly conclusive to every candid and sincere
inquirer. When the array of positive
proof is exhibited shall consider the OBJ
jections, and examine their validity with
all the fairness in my power.
The first appearance Of slavery in the
Bible is the wonderful prediction of the
patriarch Noah, "Cursed be Canaan, a
Servant Of servants shall he be to his
brethren. Blessed be the Lord God Of
Shem, and Canaan shall be his Sergdnt.--
God shall enlarge Japhet, and he shall
dwell in the tents Of Shem, and Canaan
shoH be his Servant. (Gen. tx, 25.
The heartless irreverence which Ham,
the father of Canaan, displayed towards
his eminent parent, whose piety had Just
saved him from the dcluge, presented the
immediate occasion for this remarkable
prophecy; but the actua! Julf(lment was
reserved for his posterty after they had
lost the knowledge of God, and became
utterly polluted by the denominations Of
heather idolatry. The Almighty, fore
seeing this total degradation of the race,
ordained them to servitude or slavery un-
der the descendants Of Shem and Japhct,
doubtless because He judged it to be their
iittest condition. And all history proves
how accurately the prediction has been
accomplished, even to the present day.
We come next to the proof that slav
cry was sanctioned by the Deity in the
case of Abraham, whose 31S bond serv-
ants, born in his own house, (Gen. xiv,
IA, } are mentioned along with those who
were bougM WiM lis own money, as prop
cr subjects for circumcision. Gen xvii,
II, J His wife Sarah had also an Egypt
ian slave, named Hagar, who fed from
her severity. And "the angel of the
Lord' commanded the fugitive to return
10 her mistress and submit herseT. [Gen.
xvi, Q. If the philanthropists of our age
who profess to believe the Bible, had been
willing to take the counsel of that angel
for their guide, it would have preserved
the peace and welfare Of the Union.
The third proof that slavery was au-
thorized by the Almighty occurs in the
last of the Ten Commandments, delivered
from Mount Sinai and universally &C.
knowledged, by Jews and Christians, as
THE MORAL LAW. "Thou shalt not covet
thy neighbors house, thou shalt not COW
ct thy neighbor's wife, nor his man SER
rant nor his maid seryant, nor his OK noi
his ass, nor anything that is thy neigh
boris" (Exod. Xxx. l7.) Here it is ev.
ident that the principle of property any
thing that is thy neighbor's" s"--runs
throughout the whole. | am quite awar,
indeed, of the prejudice which many
} good people entertain against the idea O
property in II human being, and shall con
slider it, in due time, amongst the obcc
tions. am equally aware thatthe wives
) of our day may take umbrage at the law
which places them in the same sentcnc,
with the slave, and even with the house
and the cattle. But the truth is none the
less certain. The husband has rea
property in the wife, because she is bound
for life, to serve and to obey him. Th'
wife has real property in her husband
because he is bound for life to cherisl
+ and maintain her. The character of prop
y eriy is doubtless modified by its design
r But whatever, whether person or thing
| the law appropriotes to an individual, be
e comes of necessity his property.
$ The fourth proof, however, is yet more
| express, as it is derived from the direc
| rule established by the wisdom Of Goo
} for his chosen people, Israel, on tho very
Y point in question, viz:
eff thou buy Hebrew servant, six
4 years shall he serve, and in the seventh
year he shall go ont free for nothing. |
, he came in by himself, he shall go out by
' himself If he were married, then hi,
wife shall go out with him. If his mas,
q ter have given him wife, and she have
borne him sons or daughters, the wife ana
@ Me chiidren shall be her masters, and h,
: shall 90 oft himSeD" (Exod. xxi, "a.
Q Here we see that the separation of hus
band and wife is positively directed by
, the Divine command, in order to secur,
$ the property of the master in his bond,
| main and her offspring. But the husband
, had an alternative, if he preferred slavery
to separation. For thus the law of God
proceeds. Hlf the servant shall plainly
say, j love my master, my wife, my chill
, dren; will not go out free; then his mas
ter shall bring him unto the Judges; he
shall also bring him to the door or unto
, the door post; and his master shall bore
his ear through with an awl. and he shat
serre linn .torerer." (Exod. xxi, 5, G. J
With this law before his eyes, what
ChriStiap can believe that the Almighty
attached immortality or sin to tho condi-
tion of slavery.
The treatment Of slaves, especially as
II regarded the degree Of correction which
the master might administer, occurs in
the same chapter, as follows; "lf man
smte his servant or his maid with n rod
and he die under his hand, he shall be
surely punished. Notwithstanding if he
continue day or two, he shall not b
punished, for he is his money" (Exod.