The daily Green Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1861-1865, 1863-05-04
DR.. Lord, Canaan, and Abolitionlsm

by the SeymourlteS, during the recent polltlcai
canvas in that State as an electoneering docu-
ment to advance the success of the pro-slavery
Democracy. DIR. Lord has recently explained
that this production, thus circulated, was written
originally for, and appeared anonymously in the
Boston Courier, and it was without his
knowledge that it was employed as an agency to
advance the political fortunes of any party. He,
however, confesses to sensation of pleasure in
finding that his views were thought worthy, by
the Seymourites, of republication as an cleo
pioneering tract, and so, substantially, approves
the use of them.
The letter in the Co,uier-thus re-publlshed-
appeared last November, and was an assault, in
Dr. Lords peculiar style of authoritative asser-
ton, upon the Emancipation policy of the Admin
istration, then foreshadowed by President Lin
coins September proclamation, and upon the
" Abolitonists," who he affirmed were now es-
tablished in supreme authority at Washington,
and upon Abolitionism," by which term he was
pleased to characterize the policy in relation to
Emancipation which has now become the settled
rule of action in the White House, the Cabinet
and the field He denied that Slavery was the
cause of the war, any more than travellers none,
is the cause of highway robbery. He affirmed,
on the contrary, to use his own language, that
abotionism is the causative anteceden of the war;
and will be fatal to the Government if its destruc-
tive policy be carried on" We have read, some
what carefully, DR.. Lords argument. in support of
this proposition, and think its three columns may
be condensed into this: Slavery is consequence
of the curse of Canaan, and is therefore prov
dental order" is right aud must. remain until
the Millennium. 1t is a question of morals, and
should never have been introduced into politics.
But abotionism, not respecting this "provden-
tial order," insisted upon making it a political
question, and hence our troubles.
1t will readily be seen that this is not difficult
style of argument. 1t rests, from first to last, on
the opinions of its author, and comes back finally,
as to an ultimate and unanswerable reason, to DIR.
Lords Interpretation of the curse of Canaan. But
to our mind,-aud not being learned in theologi-
cal questions we shall make no attempt to inter-
pret the curse of Canaan-the reasoning of the
letter is quite inconclusve. And, as an illustra-
ton of our inability to see the logical connection
between the premise, the curse OF Canaan, and
the conclusion, that abolitionism is, the cause OF
the war, and will be fatal to the Government if
its destructive policy be carried on" we suggest
the following difficulties:
Granting-for the sake of the argument
the curse OF Canaan is not to be fully lifted from
him and his posterity until the day of the Great
Jubilee, the millennium, are all the descendants of
s. Canaan included in the curse ? Must all the de-
seeudants of Canaan be slaves in order that reve-
lstion may be proved trueP Haze all who have
their descent from /" cursed Canaan" been slaves
in time past ? If not, has the "providential
order" been invaded in the exceptional instances
andhas the verify of revelation,n these exceptions,
been assailed Are the slaves in the United
States descendants of Canaan ? Are not the free
persons of color 10 this Country just as Gneally
descended from Canaan as the slavesp Ifso, how
does it appear that part suffer yet under the
curse, while part have escaped from it ? Does
the State of Maryland violate Gods" providen'
tial order by not reducing to Slavery the $4,000
free blacks in that State? If not, by what divine
test or by what Interpretation o! revelation, or by
what right have $4,000 descendants of Canaan in
Maryland the use of their freedom, while SO ma
ny of their brethren are toiing in bondage P
Has the curse any territorial limits p IT. so, by