M'arthur Democrat. (McArthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1853-1865, 1861-04-18


only, who profess to believe, and take
the scriptures as their guide and ,uls
Of faith and practice-to those who
disbetieve the Bible, no arguments
will he addressed the simple, una.
duiterated ScriptaraL .Uie,O alone will
form the jecl for consideration. Let
lslAyery stapd esI fsll ~ chs scriptures
are found to approve or condemn 1t.
This is the touchstOne-if slavery can
not abide it, let it tall-"Let God be
true though every man be liar"
The canting sneers, 80 common
among abolitionsts, about the inpro.
priety--the almost sacr lege, Of quot.
ing the Bible in support Of slavery,
rank high among the causes which
have produced this examination. Ii
seem''d 30 strange, not to say prtpos.
terOus, that il could be improper to
investigate the matter aud see why
abolitionists were so much opposed
to their use in discussions on this
subject. The examination has shown
abundant reasons why aboLitiOnsstS
should object to their use. But on
the other hand 1t has shown still more
abundantly why they ought to be
thoroughly examined by those who
believe them, and wish to be governed
DO their precepts. Sneers should not
prevent any one from probing the
subject'to the bottom, for when no
better argument than sneers exist, the
cause must be bad.
Ii the Bible was given by inspira.
tion Of God, not only some parts, but
ere'y part-eve:y .jot and title must
be hue--and what was true four thou
sand years ago, in an ethical point of
view, must he true .tS.daY, and will
be true forever
Right and wrong are immutable
principles, and independent OF time
or place. God is the source of truth
and justice. and to believer, q Thus
saith she Lord, is ali the argument
required. To this authority he bows
in meek submission and desires no
I"higher law"
Let us now look at slavery little
closer ard see whether it be that 'gob!
lin damned so often and pertinacious.
ly asserted that it may not be harbor.
ed even anothe! day, without produca
ing a mass of m9ral putriditr so rank
aud gross as stops the nose, aud cries
to Heaven for Cengeance--whether
our brethren Of the South have snned
SO past forgiveness that we should
"cry havoc and let slip the dogs OF
war upon them,
Whatever may be thought or said
Of slavery, morbid sensibility evi.
dently pervades the public mind on
this exciting subject, and such is the
holy horror with which heated zeal.
ots behold it, that a candid hearing is
scarcely to be expected Whoever has
the temerity to utter sentiments unta'
vorable to. immediate and uucond.
tional abolition is denounced as I'M.
candid aud unchristian, and in some
hnt.bc of abolition, scarcely deemed
worthy the common civilities OF life
The charge will not be retorted, fer
it may be supposed possible that even
abulitionists may BE- christians, though
they have strayed far from the Bible
and have much to repent of. In this
state Of things there is an evident re
lucrMce on the part Of those who
wiring their hands and pretend to have
shed aoods OF tears for the poor AT.
ricaus. TO a iuIl and Tree discpssiun Of
the scriptures bearing on the subject
A few ,assagese disconnected with
l.eir context, ard having no relation
whatever to the subject, are seized
upon and thrust before the public eye
iassit they alone were conclusive.
To thpse at all familiar with the Bi.
ble, it will be recollected that a limit.
ed slavery was established among the
Jews themselves, immediately after
the exodus from the land OF Egypt,
wherein it was provided that ifa mans
brother, being an lsraelte, was sold
to him, he was required to treat him
kindly, and not as bop1 servant
bis seivitude, moreover, was limited
to six years, or al most to the year Of
jnbilee; when he should return with
his children to tho possession OF his
fathers; AMI it was the express com.
mand Of God that they, the children
vf Israel, should not he sold as bond
men; and yet. under certain circum-
stances. if he 81 elected, he should re.
main a servant Iorever. These per.
sons, thus sold on account Of their po.
verty to their brethren, were only
slaves in the second degree or in mi.
ngated form. 1t is tue they were the
property OF their masters for certain
number Of years; yet as they were
specially required mot to rule over
them with rigor," they may be passed
without further remark in order to
come at once to what the Bible says !
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