Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1863-12-08
MONTPELIER, VT.
Teuesday MO ming, December y, 1868
A Northern Bishop with Southern Principles.

tiugulshed within the past lew years oy Ms au-
vocacy Of the divine right Of the master to the
unrequ.ted labor Of his slave. His letter to some
New York pro.sIavery politicians on thi' subject,
written three years ago, and recent repdoIlshed
aud circulated in Pennsylvania, Vermont and |
else snere, as campaign document in aid OF The
peace democracy, and which called out the sharp |
rebuke from Bishop Potter and large number
OF the Episcopal clergy Of Pennsylvania, is e.
bored and lengthy argument IN favor OF Slavery
as the fulflment Of Scripture prophecy and a
wise, benefccnt and Christian institution. lie
ca the lefter the Bible View Of Slavery" but
having exhausted his Bible learning upon tie
subject, he devotes much space in bis communica
ton to denouncing the relI.eyideni truths OF the
Declaration of Independence, and dwells at con-
siderable length Oh the benefits to humanity, CIV
iiztIon and Christianity, arising from the lnsli'u-
ton SO much abused by the peslilent abolition
lists.
Il $ WORTH While 10 notice that the Right Rev
erend Bishop, so far as be proves anything has
proved BY tni. letter that Slavery is right with
out respect to the color Of the master or The
slave So far as be argues the question from the
New Testament, his +" view " is entirely iode-
penden; Of the curse Of Ham; and VIZ would
respectfully suggest whether it Il not possible
that the view," in Thu respect proves rather
too muca. Certainly the slavery, which be asserts
existed in the time Of the Apostles, was entirely
irrespective OF the complexion, the education or
the intellectual capacity Of the ems aved, and s as
much an argument for the White race being en-
shaved by the Black race as the Black by the
White. In fact, We cannot see from the " view :
why, if the colored population at the South
should rise and enslave their masters, the Bishop
would not be bound to Justify the new slavery,
as he now does the old. If some Southern
STAKEHOLDER charmed by the Bishops Biblical
learning aud dialectic skill and DESTROYS Of hav-
ing such an able defender Of &" the institution
in his permanent service for the trihing compen-
saton Of board and clothts,-tow cloth and corn
meal-should kidnap the Bishop and attempt to
hold him as q slave, the ''vew would be a COM
plete estoppel to writ Of habeas corpus on be-
hall of the Right Reverend John II Hopkins, to
obtain bis personal freedom and in such case,
we think the doctrine OF the unalieuable rights OF
man would gain noted convert, or the Diocese
OF Vermont would lose pro.slavery Bishop
If the Bishop had confined himself to the Bi.
BILE View OF Slavery" at the most proves
only that Slavery was once tolerated in the Chris.
ton Church and allowed under the old dispense
ton, and was not in terms condemned by the Sa.
vor,-he might have found himself in no wors
company than with Brigham Young, who en-
ploys the same style of argument to excuse his
desire for several score of wives and concubines
and indeed the Bishopin his letter attempts very
lamely to make distinction between the Bible argu
men in favor Of slavery, and thatn favor Of pclyg
amy, evidently conscious that the two nearll
akt as u be in fact almos, identical. He how
ever, Goes not stop here, but boldly declares that
Southern Slavery, as it actually exists is benign
cvilIzng, and outstanding institution. We sub
init that here the Bishop gets beyond his Bible
and is simply giving the opinion Of John IL Hop
kins and inasmuCh as the opposite opinion is
held by about nine teaths Of the Christian people
of the earth, there is probability, a, lea't, tina
the Bishop is mistaken. An institution tha
makes merchandise Of human beings, that com
pels the separation Of husband and wife, paren
and child, that places every female slave entirely
at the mercy OF the caprces, passions, and lusts
her master, that does not recognise the marriag
relation as permanent, but encourages it only L
multiply property, that is careful, by the strictes
laws and the severes. penalties, to shut up to III
slave every avenue Of learning, that makes whip
pings, torture, and heeralions legal, that hunts it
victims With blood.hounds, and brands, maimt
scars and shoots them, that takes from tn, sav
all political, civil, and religious rights, and careful
ly giaris him iron every influence that can excit
an aspiration for higher life, in word, that re
duces what, even the writer Of this letter is wllu
to recognize as man and brother" to tn
%epAhfoh Va hV' " VI 81 NAi hhii W. 'hS ofthtN
of tae Right Reverend Bishop Joha IL. Hopkins
be Cnrslian institution, but for our part, W
pray to be delivered from the Christianity an
the learning that teaches such monsrous doc
thine.
As natural and logical sequence to his pre-
slavery "Visw the Bishop is also secesslonis,
A! the time his views of slavery we're asked, hi
opinion oil the right Of the Southern States to st
cede, was solicited. To this inquiry he respond
cd as follows:
10 my humble judgment, they have right t
secede, although grant that the point being en-
tir,y new, is not without considerable ditficu ~.
He then proceeds to argus ths cause of tn
rebels as follows
The preamble to the Constitution does nc
speek Of perpetual Union, but more perf,,
Union, TO establish justice, insure domestic tran
guilty, provide for the common defence, promot
the general welfare, aud secure the blessings
liberty 10 ourselves and 10 our posterly." An
the very ground which the Southern States a,
sumo is that the whole of this design has bee
frustrated with respect to them-tha NOT N
South, but the .Vorih has violated justice. de,
troyed domestic tranquility opposed the generg
welfare, and thus ehectually broken the bonds
che Constitution, by their determined and uncea,
ing assaults upon the domestic institutions
those who we're intended to be their equals at
their brethren, making il virtually impnctioahl
TO live in peace together. The power Of the fre
States which have thus carried ON their sseant
upon Slavery has at length obtained the MASTER