Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1863-03-13
For the Journal.
The Dccal0sue and Slavery.


/ Mr.. EplroR:-In my sermon Sabbath even
ing last, made the passing remark, in sub.
stance, that not being the topic of the dis
course, that the Decalogue (ten command
ments) is immutably opposed to, and lays
death at the foundation of the system 0i
slavery. On Monday, through the post Office
| received respectful note from one who
heard the remark, in which the writer init
mates doubt as to the correctness Of the as.
sertion, but protesting to be an honest en-
quirer after truth on the subject, he tasks me
to explain the topic" Presuming it possible
that others may be in the same difficulty, and
as it is question of public interest, re-
spectfully submit the following explanations
through the JOURNAL: 7
FIRST. The first law God ordained to ope-
rate on human society was the taw Of mar
riage. This law necessarily includes the re.
lations of husband and wife, parents and
children. $50 God created man in his own
image in the image Of God created he him !;
male and female created he them. And God
blessed them, and God said unto them, be
fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the
earth. Gen. l, 81, %. Therefore shall a
man leave his father and mother, and shall
cleave unto his wife; and they shall be one
flesh Gen. II, "a. Wherefore they are
no more twain, but one flesh. What there
fore God has joined together, let no man put
asunder" "-Math. 10, 6.
From the above, which is a mere specimen
of divine revelation on the subject, it is seen,
1st, That the law of marriage is absolutely of
divine origin and authority. I'd, That this
law necessarily includes, all the,domestic rela-
tions of husband, wife, parents and children
with their reciprocal obligations and duties.
Sd, That it applies to all people in all coun-
tries to the end of time, and that it is the
basis of order, civilization, morality and
Christianity in the world.
SECOND. The Decalogue distinctly recog-
nizes, confirms and establishes the divine au-
thority of the law of marriage, with its nec-
essary relations of husband and wife, parents
and children with their personal and relative
obligations, duties and privileges. This law
as declared in the Dccalogue, and explained
by the Saviour, denounces all intercourse of
the sexes outside of lawful marriage, as sim
full and exposed to the curse of the law.-Ex.
20, 14-Math. 5, %. n-.
By the authority of this law and the rela-
tions it creates, the Apostle enjoins: wives,
submit yourselves unto your own husbands,
as unto the Lord. Husbands, love your
wives, even as Christ loved the church, and
gave himself for it. t."-Eph. 5, %, 25. "Chil-
dren, obey your parents in the Lord-Honor
thy father and neither quoting the deca-
logue-"And ye fathers, bring your children
up in the nurture and admonition of The
Lord. ."-Eph. &, 1, 2, 4. Similar instruction
is given to masters and servants-not opners
and savss. e..r.f
In the language of the decalogue, and the
inspired Interpretation of Christ and the
Apostles, we have 1st, The law of marriage,
which necessarily includes the relation of hus-
band and wife. I'd, The relation of parents
and children. Sd, Their several duties and
responsibilities. 4th, These relations and
duties are divinely ordained, and of universal
and perpetual Obligation in human society,"
Therefore the decalogue is absolutely opposed
to and, whenever its authority is allowed,
must destroy all institutions and systems
that ignore or annihilate these relations, and
render it impossible for the parties to perform
those duties which God requires of them in
holy law. But the system of slavery destroys
those relations and makes it impossible for
the enslaved to perform the duties God re-
quires of husbands and wives, parents and
children, in the decalogue. The only ques-
ton any reasonable person can now raise is,
whether slavery is really chargable with thus
opposing the divine institutions of God.
THIRD.-What IS slavery, or a system of
slavery l ask this question with special
reference to American slavery. Most of the
disasters of the nation, under which we are
now fighting, are traceable directly or indi-
rectly to the erroneous and sophistical an
swers to this question. 1t is called a "scrip-
tural and patriarchal institution" "human-
izing, civilizing, Christian institution, in
which the strong and intelligent protect pro-
vide for and take care of the weak and igno-
rant ~ All Of which is intensely false and
absurd. The only true answer is, system
of slavery is that system by which men, wo-
men and children are put absolutely under
the control of human laws as property, naer-
chandise, articles Of trSde, and are subjected
to all the uses and accidents of property, to
be bought, sold, executed. mortgaged, given
or gambled away, Just as horses, hogs, mules
or any other property. 1t does not recog-
nize or protect the relations of husbands and
wives, parents and children, but, on the con-
trary, makes provision to sunder and scatter
rendering it impossible for the slaves to sus-
tain and enjoy the relation, and perform the
duties enjoined in the decalogue by the Al
mighty. The slave code and practice
of the South abundantly demonstrate the
truth Of this definition and statement of the
slave system. And it avalls nothing to say
this treatment Of slaves, in opposition to the
moral law of God, is an abuse of the institu-
ton. Legally protect the relations and the
discharge of the duties required by the divine
law and you destroy the system. Take the
slaves from under the laws of property, and
you annihilate the institution in an Instant
Hence, as slavery ignores the law Of marriage,
which the law of God enjoins and protects
as slavery outrages the relation which God
has ordained of husband and wife, and rem
ders it impossible for the slaves to perform
the duties to each other that the divine law
requirs Of husbands and wives; as slavery ig-
nores and outrages the relation Of parents and
children. and pu itout ofthe power of children
to ''obey and honor their father and mother"
and Of parents to "bring up their children in
the nurture and adnonition of the Lord"
and as the law of God forbids adultery, and
slavery is propagated by the universal and
persistent violation of this law-for there is
no legal marriage or protection of the relation
among slaves = the conclusion is resistless
that the decalogue the moral low of God.
is immutably opposed to the system of Amer
ican slavery, and that if its divine authority
was recognized and its requirements obeyed,
it would Danish chattel slavery from the
world. -' f @ JOHN H. Power. :
What Say the Democrats Here ::
A telegram published yesterday, informed
us that on Friday evening a meeting Of the
unconditional loyalists of New York City, was
to be addressed by the Hon. Joseph Holt and
the Democratic champions and orators John
Van Buren and Jos. T Brady in snnnort of