Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1862-08-01

Wookly' Per year 's...s...s,s...........,.. i 90
A Letter on Siavery-It is VindIcate
BY the Bible-A Remarkable DOcu.
ment.
The following letter published in the Nationa
InteLLgencer, from Amos Kendall, a man Of
learning and ability, who has filled as large a
space In our political history as any living man
will be read with interest:
Origin of Bible Slaueyy-Noah, Abrahan-TA
Latos Of Moses ChristiGnity and Slavery
Christ, Paul, Peter, Philemon and his Church
To Abraham Lincoln, President Of the United staleG
RESPECTED Sir: In my preceding letters
have endeavored to show that, whether slavery
be right or wrong, no body is responsible for its
existence, or has right to interfere with Il IN.
der our political institutions, except the people
OF the State in which 1t exists. Ny object In
this letter is not to show that slavery is useful
or desirable institution for our age or country,
but that, whatever may be the abuses TO which
IL is liable, there is nothDg in the institution H.
self which makes it the duty OF Christian TO
seek lts abolition otherwise than by admonishiDg
the slaves to be obedient to their masters, and
the masters to be kind and indulgent to their
slaves. ...
To this end | shall attempt to prove that
slavery is not in itssF sinful, by showing from
the Bible that it has been sanctioned by God
himself, not only by not rebukiDg 1t, but by
giving it his direct authority.
The hrst we learn of slavery In the Bible is
the curse OF Ham or Canaan by Noah-Gene-
ss, 9.h chapter, 25th verse "And be said
cursed be Canaan, a servant of servants shall
he be unto his brethren" Nov, Noah was se-
lected by God TO perpetuate tie human race,
and he was not punished or censured BY his
Maker for thus booming portion of bis DOS.
terity to perpetual bondage.
In the 18th chapter of Genesis, yerses 10. l3.
70 and 27, the fact that Abraham bought 10 en-
with his money Ia four times recognized. Verse
IL is represented to be the language of God
himeelf speaking to Abraham, and is in the fol
owing words, viz:
And he that Is eight days old shall be clrcumcised
among you, every child in your he that
is born in the house, bought with money Of any
stranger, which 10 not Of thy seed.
Here is a direct recognition of the fact that
Abraham held slaves; and God, instead of com
msnding him to set them free, directed him TO
incorporate them into his own family by the
right OF circumcision.
In the 24-h chapter, verse IS, men-seryants
and maid.servants are named among the "bless-
iDgs" which God had bestowed upon Abraham.
The speaker, who was himself q servant, said:
And the Lord hath blessed my master greatly and he
Is become great and hs has given him Aocks heards
and silver and gold, and men.8eTUdnts and maid SER
VdnfS, and camels and asses.
By the l4Gh chapter, 18th verse, Il appears
that Abraham had three hundred and eighteen
"tfained servants, born in his house." and how
many bought with his money" is not stated.
Now, II buying men with money, and holding
them In slavery be a sin, Abraham was in his
age one OF the greatest sinners; yet God, in
stead OF rebukiDg him and requiring him to put
away his Sin, not only prospered him, but, on
account OF his special faith and holiness, se-
lected him to be the father of his chosen people,
and an example for all generations Could Lhis
have happened If slavery had been sin in the
sight of God7
IL does not appear that the Hebrews held any
slaves when they fed out of Egypt, or that
they acquired any while wandering in the wild
erness. Flying from slavery themselves, they
were new nation without constitution or laws,
and all their institutions were prescribed by
God himself, through Moses Does any Chris
tian believe that God could or would prescribe
to His chosen people sinful institution Yet
God himself established, or expressly recognized
slavery as an institution of the Hebrew nation.
II any one doubts IL, let him read the 2lst chap
ter Of Exodus, the 25sh chapter of Leyilicus
and the 18th chapter of Deuteronomy.
The first six verses of the first, and the verses
from the twelfth to the eighteenth of the last,
recognized the right Of Hebrew to buy bis own
countrymen and hold them in bondage six years,
and prescribe mode by which, with their own
consent, they may be made bondmen "forever"
But the establishment or recognition of perpet-
ual slavery as an institution of the Hebrew
Commonwealth is found in the a5th chapter Of
Leviticus.
The leading objects of this chapter are to es
tablish and regulate the Sabbatcal Year and
the Jubilee.
The first seven verses provide that every
seventh year shall be "a sabbath of rest unto
the land" "Thou shalt not SOW thy field nor
prune thy vineyard" ss
The sixth verse declares that " the sabbath of
the land shall be meat for you; for thee and for
thy servGnt; and for thy maid and for thy hired
ssrudnt, and for the stranger that sojoufneth
with thee"
From the eighth verse, inclusive, to the end
OF the chapter, the main subject is the jubilee,
recurring once in fifty years, and it's bearings on
the various interests Of the Hebrew Common
wealth. The 10th verse is n the folio wing words,
and proclaim liberty throughout all the land unl
to all the inhabitants thereof it shall be iubi,
lee unto you; and ye shall return every man
unto his possession, ID ye shall return every
man unto his family" -
This passage 80 often quoted as evidence that
slavery ceased among the Hebrews every Atty
years, whereas, taking the whole chapter TO-
gether, IL proves exactly the reverse In the
first place, the bond servant, not Hebrew,
never had possession to which he could return
In the next place, the jubilee was an institution
for the benefit of the Hebreto only, from which
the bond servants OF foreign blood are express
ly excluded. The Ssh and 43d verses, inclu-
sive, read as follows:
And II thy brother that dwelleth BY thee be waxen
poor ana be sold unto thee thou shalt compel him to
serve as bond rvant. But ahlred servant and as
scourner he shall be with thee and shall serve thee
until the year Of the jubilee.
And then he shall depart from thee both he ami his
children with him. and shall return unto his family,
and unto the possession Of his fathers shall be return
For tney are my servants which brought forth out
OF the land OF Egyp they shall not be sold as bond
men.
Thou shalt not rule over him with vgor but shalt
thy God. .-i
Then come the 44th, Ash and 46sh verses, in
the following words, VIZ: s g.r-
Both the bondmen and bondmaids, which thou shal,
have shall be Of he brethren that round about you
Of them shall ye buy bondmen and bIndmaids
Moreover, Of the children Of the strangers that do 80.
ourn among you Of them shall ye buy, and OF their fam
lilies that are with you which they begat In your land
and they shall be your possession.
And ye shall TAX, them as an inheritance for your
children after you, to inherit them for possession they
shall be your bondmen forever but over your
the children OF Israel ye shall not rule one over another
with vigor -, .~ -
Is It possible for language more clearly to de.
clare that, while the Hebrew servant was to be
set free in the year OF jubilee, the bondmen and
bondmaids Of foreign blood might be held as
"bondmen forever2" r-5 e.l II
If there were any room for doubt on this sub
ject, il would be solved BY the 4h verse of the
2lsl chapter of Exodus, in which il ia proVided