The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1863-10-19
The sco,,,.h Church ana slavery.
The address sent to Europe some time

ne auuTesS sett w DuTopc sUmc iime
ago. from the I" Clergy of the Confeder
ate States" asking for the sympathy OF
the Christian world for slavery and the
shareholders, has excited much indignant
! comment. The last mail brought re
sponse from the ministers of the Church
of Scotland, which shows what il thought
of slavery by the venerable and truly re-
ligious body Of Presbyterians. When
the mail closed, the document had jus,
been drafted. and there had been no
time to obtain many signatures. Blu!
the names already signed are those Of
the most distinguished of the Scottish di-
vines. The address is as follows:
We the undersigned, ministers of
the Churches in Scotland. in reply
to the appeal made to US in the
" Address to the Chrlstians throughout
the World" recently put forth ''By the
Clergy of the Confederate States of
America feel bound to give public
expression to our views, lest our eontin-
ued silence should be misconsirued, as
either aequiescence in the principles of
the document, or Indifference to the crime
which il seeks to defend.
We refer, Of course, to single topic,
that Of slavery, as it is handled IN the ad-
dress. We desire to say nothing incon-
sisteut with our country's attitude of
strict neutrality as regards the war raging
across the Atlantic. We do not discnss
any of the political questions connected
with its origin, progress, and probable
issues We offer no opinion on the meas
ures adopted on either side. Nor are we
to be regarded as shutting our eyes to the
past and present sins and shortcomings of
tie North IN relation to the African race.
The one object we have in view is to ex
press the deep grief. alarm anil indig-
{ nation with which We have peFaaed the
/ pleading on behalf Of slavery in general
; and American slavery in psrtieolar, to
which 20 many servants Of the Lord jesus
Christ lave not scrupled % append their
names.
With the feeblest possible incidental
admission Of ''abuses' which the5 /" may
!, j aplafe. in this, az in other relations Of
: n,hnkind," we fui these men broadly
{ nh!htaining, in the m ST unqnaEiiei man
nar. that ..the relation Of master and
sl4ve''-"among u" they adj, to maxi
their meaning uiore expiicit-"is not m
T ,upatiole with cur hol, Christian u. :
They tn snk G.d for it as for missionary
\ institution the b 81, as ii would seem
aud tae most successful in the world
They hold i! 70 b. their peculiar fnnc,ior
= 10 offend and perpetuaie 1t. Aud thel
evidently conieinp late the form ii o
If the Southern Contederary upon the basl
u slavery a one OF lis fundlmens Il an
= permanent principles or elements not on
: = without regret, but with entire salts
re faction aud approved.
ID Asainsi all this. IN the name If ths
j Ihly f4ith and that thrice liois Name
which they venture to Invoke en te sid
: d q system which treats lmmoriil and n
~ doomed men Is goods 'and chsitals, IL
IN BIes them the rights of marriage and {
homes. csnsigns them T. Ignorance u I'll
i first iudineuts OF education. and expose
them to the gutr4-es o. iast and IAssi II
~ we most earnestly protest
m We d. not think il ueelfu! TO argu
he Tie ;ime Tor argument has, f'r many
he year, been regarded By the whole OF 2
liehtenel Chfistenioiu. as past and gen
Apo6gists for slavery, attem pilngio she
he ter themselves aud ii under the authori
9Th of Gods Word and the Gospel OF Jes
sh- Christ, are TO be denounced as really
IN. whatever may be their inteplion--tl
worst enemies of both.
All reasonable allowance, no doul
-ea should be made for the circumstances
rist Christian ministers called in Proyiien
rn, TO labor where slavery exists Sol
,rs soreness, even, on their part, under vi
i. they regard as unjnstifiable and dangero
movements on the otner side, might
an excused as not unnatural. And il
saw them manfully lifting up their vo
in behalf Of universa. liberty. and setu
~ themselves to aim at the instant redr
of the more flagrant of the wrongs IN
res dent to state of bondage, we would
siai, prepar calmly to listen to their rep
old sentations as TO the best and ikeil
talk methods Of promoting the present am
oration Of the condition of the slaves,
securing within the shortest period C
Lee .;sta,,, w;,b snsetv. their connie te
1iSttit WIN So' 'SNy} eheii SVnp ~
far; final emancipation
dis We IRE lelrctant TO abandon the h
,rm- that upon reconsideration, and IN vleE
the sentiments now unanimously expr'
- ed on the subject everywhere Csc, all 9
sh' Chri i.tendom, our American brethren
more fet be induced to take up POSITION II
had worthy of our common faith than
the whict they at present occnpy But
all events, the obligation lying upon
as things now stand, toward them.
XII ward ourselves. towarl the Church
1ubt the world. towards the Bible and
What Gospel. ia to record, in the strongest
-. sible terms, our abhorrence Of the
80 - ,rlne on the subject Of slavery which
cum Southern clergy teach, and upon W
hand they act; and to testify before ell nat
been that any State. Empire or Repuaic
stituted or reconstructed, in these
of Christian light and liberty, upon
am basis of that doctrine practically apr
beled must. in the sight OF God. be regafd'