Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1863-12-31

and he shall serve thee forever: thou shalt do Ia
like manner TO thy woman servant also"
g. Provision vas made for the case Of a Hebrew
who sold himself in servitude to stranger. The
desire OF the great legislator Of this people was,
TO keep them separate from the other nations. and
especially to preserve their religion, BY prevent
ing their falling under the dominion of the idola
trous people by whom they were surrounded. 4
Hence the creates; taken TO prevent /
servitude to strangers. and to facilitate, without
injustice. the redemption of those who became its
subjects Thus il was regulated. Levticus I
XIV. Al: elf the hand OF stranger or sojourn- /
er grow strong among you. and thy brother. /
being impoy ershed. sell himself to him TO any
of his race. As. AFTER the sale, be NAV be re
deemed. he that will of his brethren may redeem
him" The following verses show the power the
servant had of redeeming himself. by paying at
the rate of the hire of a servant. in the ratio OF
the time to the jubilee. And an injunction was
given not to permit the stranger to treat him with
cruelty; at all events he was to be free in the
year of the jubilee.
Provision was made for fugitive slaves un
der peculiar circumstances. deuteronomy XIII
l5, l6)
{. Hebrew parents were permitted under Ger
tain circumstances, to sell their children to their
own brethren Special provisions are made for
the treatment of young females thus sold. Exc
dus xi l. She wss to be treated differently from
u 2.
not to a foreigner 9. Ii his son marres her, she
shall be treated as his daughter. 10. If she be
set aside for another wife. she must be fully pro-
yided for. Ii. Should there be neglect of any
OF these conditions. she became free.
g. The Hebrews were allowed to have foreign
ers and their descendants in perpetual slavery.
Leviticus XIV. A: LET your bondmen and bond
women be Of the same nations that are round
about you. As. And of the strangers that so
th.txv I.or 4 til
in your land, these you shall have for servants"
SO: and by right of inheritance, shall leave
them TO your posterity, aud shall possess them
forever"
TO- Where slavery did not exist, there could
not be the crime which is made capital i'll Exc
dus xxi. l6: 'He that shall steal IA man and
sell him. being convicted OF the guilt. shall be
put to death; and in Deut. xiv. Z: 1T any
be found soliciting his brother OF the children OF
Israel and selling him. shall take price, he
shall be put TO death, aud thou shalt take away
the evil from the midst OF thee J."
IL. The excuses of masters in the punishment
of slaves were provided against by the law in
Exodus xxi 90 and 81: He that striketh his
bOndman or bOndw0man with rod, and they
die under his hands, shall be guilty OF the crime.
But if the party remain alive day two, he
shall not be subiec, To the punishment, because ii
is his money" And again in v. 90 and q:
eff any mon strike the eye of his servant
or maid servant and leave them but one eye, he
shall LET them go free for the eye which he put
out Also, il he strike tooth out of his man
servant or maid servant. he shall in like manner
make them free
- Compensation was provided for the mas
tiers whose slaves had been injured Exodus
XXI Or wicked OK that was known to be dan
gerous, 81 of he assault bondsman or a
bondswoman, the otcner OF the shall give thirty
sicles of silver (the usual price of al ordinary
slave,) TO their master, aud the OK shall be
stoned"
49, In the precepts relating to the observance
of religious ceremonies. well as respecting the
Sabbath, the eternal Law gver draws the dis
tiuction between the free and the slave. Deuter
onomy ali. IL: In the place which the Lord
your God shall choose. that his name may be
theEein. Thither shall you bring all the things
that commaHd YOU, holocausts, and victims
and tithes. and the first fruits of your hands and
whatsoever is the choicest in the gifts which you
shall vow to the Lord IL There shall YOU
feast before the Lord your God, you and your
and daughters, your men servants and your
maid servants, and the Leyite that dweeth in
your cities" The same distinction is repeated
in v lS, ard in Deut. xxi. III IL
NAV now enumerIte several t;les Of domin
ion plainly expressed, or manitestly adyeTted to
in this code emanating from God himself
odus XXI ); Levitt. XIV. 80: Deut XIV. Is } I
am aware that Judge Blackstone and Monies
quien appear 90 contend against the right OF any
man to sacrifice his liberty. 1t IS 10y assuming
the existence ofa paralielism which does not ex
list, VIZ: that liberty is equal good with life,
and because man has not the power of disposlng
of the latter he has therefore, no power to dis
pose of the former.
The divine legislation of the Hebrews, Is how
ever, quite decisive
. persOn is born in sevyitude. Exodus
xxi 4; Levitt. XIV. 10, AZ
3. Children sold by their parents Exodus
xvi. Z Isaiah i. H.
1. Thieves unable to make restitution and
pay the penalty legally inflicted. Exodus
xxi. 3
s. We find that creditor could also take his
debtor lis children to serve for the redemption
of the debt "A or Kings, chap. iv.)
8. Purchase il recognized throughout a
good title 20 the services OF one already Ell
shaved
Z Slaves we're made in war. (Deut. Xxx v.
IA
Thus. sir, all the divines of the Roman Catho-
lie Church acknowledge that they hnd in the
divine legislation for the Hebrew people, the re-
cognitiou OF slavery, and the enactment of pro
visions for its regulation
Ii was not contrary to the law of nature. or
else the God of nature could not have permitted
its sanction in that code which he gave 70 his
chosen people. 1t not incompatible with the
practice OF pure and indebted reigion-because
it was. at least. permitted by Him who Is the
great aud sole object of the highest religious
homage. IL was, in many cases, rather source
Of protection than OF evil "a its unfortunate
subjects.
s. Augustine stated that slavery was con-
sequence OF sin. lib XIX. De civitate Del cap
ID J not that the sinful individual is always the
slave. but that this evil inflicted upon a sin
full world, sickness. war. famine, &c.
whereby tOiten happens that the less sinful are
afflicted. that they may, by such chastisement,
be turned more To the service OF God. and brought
20 bis enjoyment He refers 10 the example OF
Daniel and his companions in the BAhylonan
captivity whereby Israel was brought 60 repent
ance And he shows from the etym0logy Of the
name Seruus that according 10 be law OF ma
tons ~ the time the corquerOr had at his dis
p0saI the lives of his cAptives, some of whom
were serrat or seTri that Is kept from destruction
and Their lives spared upon the condition 81
doing works of laborious drudgery for their mas
tiers.
In his chapter l6. he shows the distinctions IN
bodily EMPLOYMENT and labor between the son
and the servant; but regards the soul. each
was equally under the masters care. and de
served a like protection Hence. the masters
were called Pafres Families, or Fathers of the
Hou-ehod - n shaw that thew should consult