Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1862-12-11
DECEMBER II, 1862.

quarter of million of lives. Throughout
our whole land. from the lakes to the
Cult. and from the Atlantic TO the Pacific
Oceans, are now heard nothing but ia
mentation and weeping, and great mourn
ing" Rachels weeping for their children.
and will not be comforted, because they
are not; and vet the General Assembly,
speaking in the name of the Lord Jesus
Christ. declares il to be the duty of the
National Government 10 continue this
destruction. if necessary, until all innocent
women and children nj the South. and all
men at the North who are able TO bear
arms, are slaughtered. for the Union must
be preserved at ,chdferer cost. Is there
not room for harboring doubt whether
the blessed Jesus-he Prince of Pence
who told Peter to put up his sword when
he had drawn it for the defense OF his
Divine Master. approve OF this action!
/ object to the paper on slavery, be-
cause We have no authority, as court of
the Lord Jesus Christ. to prescribe TO cit
izens what they ought TO urge the Ma
tional Government either to do or to leave
undone. This paper declares ii to be the
imperative duty OF the citizens of the ma
ton I" TO urge upon the National Govern
ment the exertion of the whole power
with which it is legitmately invested,
whether under military law or otherwise,
to withdraw the nation from all completely
with slavery" There are several points
involved in the discussion of this ques-
ton:
lst. g Do the scriptures teach that the
holding of slaves. without regard to cir
cumstances. is a SIM" The General As
sembly of 1915, in reply to this very ques-
ton, said: 1T is impossible to answer
this question in the affirmative, without
contradicting some of the plainest declara-
tions of the word of God. That slavery
existed in the days of Christ and his
apostles, is an admitted fact. That they
did not denounce the relation itself as sin
ful-as inconsistent with christianity: that
shareholders were admitted to member
ship i'll the churches organized by the
apostles; thar whilst they were required
TO treat their slaves with kindness. and
as rational, accountable. immortal beings.
and, If Christians, as brethren in the Lord.
they were not commanded TO emancipatc
them: that slaves were required TO be
obedient 10 their masters according TO the
flesh, with fear and trembling. with sim
glcness of heart az unto Christ. are facts
which meet the eve OF every reader of the
New Testament. This Assembly cannot.
therefore. denounce the holding of slaves
as necessarily a heinous and scandalous
sin, calculated to bring upon the church
the curse OF God, without charging the
apostles of Christ with conniving at sin,
introducing into the church such sinners,
and thus bringing upon them the curse of
the Almighty And in reply 10 the
question whether slaveholding should be
made bar to Christian communion. the
same Assembly gave the following ans
wer:
Rcsolred, That the General Assembly
of the Presbyterian Church in the United
States was originally organized, and has
church upon the conceded principle that
the existence of domestic slavery under
the circumstances in which it is found in
the Southern portion of the country, is
no bar TO Christian communion"
If the holding of slaves without regard
to circumstances was not a sin in 1915,
how can it be sin in 1862? And if not
sinful, wherein consists the propriety of
urging the National Government TO with
draw the nation from all completely with
it?
The same Assembly declared that since
Christ and his inspired apostles did not
attempt 10 remove slavery from the
church by legislation. we have no au-
thoritv to legislatc on the subject. II
Christ and his inspired apostles did not
attempt to remove slavery from the
church by legislation, what right has this
SYNOD TO legislate on lis removal
whether by military law or otherwise,
from the state:
1t is contended that slavery is "A moral
question. and therefore il is a proper sub
ject for church legislation. | admit that
slavery has various aspects and relations
purely or mainly moral. concerning which
church courts may lcgislate. AS for ex-
ample, it is competent for them to give di-
rections to their members respecting the
duty of masters and slaves. The church
has jurisdiction over the moral conduct OF
its members in their treatment of slaves
The paper before us proposes to legislate
not on the moral aspect of this question
but upon its civil or political relations
over which church courts have no control
whatever 1t contains no instructions re-
specting the relative duties of masters
and slaves. but it proposes :" to urge upon
the National Government the exertion OF
the whole power with which il is legiti-
maiely invested. whether under military
ia,c or otherwise. to Withdraw the nation
from all completely with, and supper; Of
slavery. Ii is not a moral, but a semi.
military, and semi-political deliverance.
In 1916 a letter was received BY oul
General Assembly from the General AS
sembly of the Presbyterian church o
Ireland. on the subject of slavery. In re
ply to said letter by our General Assem-
bly, the following passage occurs: "Tht
relations of Negro slavery as it exists II
the States that tolerate it, are two-fold
Chiefly. il is an institution purely ctri1