Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1862-10-22
SLAVERY, AND ITS CHARACTERISTICS.
BY JOHN F. BRENNAN. OF LOUISVILLE, KY

-7 a.s srts
BY JOHN F. BRENNAN, OF LOUISVILLE, KY.
ssIn all the Slave States,', said the Presby-
teran Synod of Kentucky, in 1896, s.there
| are not twelve men exclusively devoted to
the education of the slaves. We know
continues the report to that body, of which
! this is an extract, s'of but five churches in
the slaveholding States built exclusively. for
| their use. They are unable to read, as both
law aud custom prohibit their instruction."
| To keep them in as nearly a condition of
barbarous ignorance as possible, is the ten
dency of all laws made for their restraint and
coercion. The effect of this, upon the free
population of the Slave States, though not
obvious at first sight, is disastrous. While
| every day we notice attempts made in the Free
States to alleviate the condition of the hum
| Bile and more exposed classes of society, no
such attempts are ever made in the Slave States
The poor white people are nuisance and a
burden to the land, and are generally, il they
express the least inclination to go, helped out
of it. They are an eyesore to the wealthy
stakeholder. He can neither use them nor
abuse them to his satisfaction. If it was pos
them into slaves, they would at once become
objects of value in his estimation but, az it
is, he cares not whether they live or die. lis
own children he will educate by sending them
to Northern school, or have them educated
at home by Northern teacher, whose eyes
and ears must be bind and deaf to the wrongs
perpetrated by the peculiar institution, and
WI ho tica
to praise it.. With his disposition towards
the poor whites of his neighborho0d, he would
not be teacher for their children. What BEN
eft is it to him for them to be taught any
thing, more than the aegroesl To illustr ate
By figures this fact, will take Connecticut
from among the Free. and South Carolina
from among tn. Slave States, as most removed
from any disturbing influences, such as emf
grafton, &c. In Connecticut, there were, in
1850, 200, 900 persons in round numbers over
twenty years of age. In South Carolina
there were, at same date, 100 600 free persons
of the same age. Among those of Connect
cut there were bu. 500 persons who could not
read nor write, while ia South Carolina there
were 2l 900 free white persons, over twenty
years of age, unable to read or write. In
1887. Gov. Clarke of Kentucky, declared in
his Message to the Legislature, that third
of the adult population in that State were
unable to write their names. Yet Kentucky
had, at that time, a school fund of 81 ,250, 900,
while South Carolina not then. nor at any time,
has had dollar of school fund. Within the
past fifteen years, free schools have been in
stituted in the Border Slave States of Ken.
tucky, Missouri and Mary land. that is, in
the principal cities of those States; but in
neither city nor country is such an institution
known in the Cotton or Sugar Slave States
a free school.
Not only is the common education of the
white people affected in the Slave States in
the manner described, but their religious
education-the doctrines taught them in the
name of God-have an evil tendency by in
hibiting the truth AS in other lands prelacy,
monarchy aristocracy appear in the public
teachings of Christianity-in the Slave States,
and, to our shame be it said, in too many of
the Free States, ubm ission to slavery is taught
as an ordinance of God, justified by Christi
anity, and proven by the Bible ! Thus, as the
public relig gon is elsewhere made to subser>e
and, uphold kings, mobiles, priests, so here it
is made to prove the justice of enslaving men,
women and children. Truly may 1t be said,
there chains so strong and oppressive
as those wrought in the name of God, aud well
ded upon their victims by the teachers of re-
ligion. The efforts of the clergy in the
Slave States thus confined to polemics
Conspicuous among their sermons are those
in defence of slavery, generally calculated to
leave the impression upon their hearers that
were Christ now on earth, he might as con-
sistently be STAKEHOLDER as Abraham was.
While the Southern churches and ministers
teach that slavery is Christian institution,
the Northeren churches and ministers in the
main, either ignore the. subject or join in the
same teaching. Here and there pulpit voice
in the Free States has been lifted up against
Il; but, outside of its own circle, generally