The Union. [volume] (Georgetown, Del.) 1863-1866, 1863-10-16
Misffllamenms.
From the Smyrna Times
Mo. A.
To Ayers StOckIy, Esq.

terian Church" declares that "it has beei
the commonly received opinion ofaH ages, tha
the negroes are the descendants of Canaan,
p. 9-that " there has been supernatural in
terposition by which portion of the race wer
made negroes, specifically distinct from an,
subject to their white brethren" p. tina
I'VE hear the curse Of perpetual slavery pro
nounced by Gods prophet on the children 0
Canaan, and then find them occupying Ethio
pia, the land of Ham," p. 7-"th tn,
changes produced "(of the Ethiopian skin"
"was Gods miraculous performance, by way
of preparation for, and adaptation to, the prac
teal execution of Noah's curse" p. g." thai
the Divine law giver spoke by the mouth Of
Noah, and that the black skin and woolly
head, &C., are the miraculous attestations, OF
rather consequences thereof" p. 9.-and that
" Negro slavery was legislated into existence
by Divine decree, and by the same authority
it is to continue forever and ever" p. O.
from all which the 90 Elder :" would have us
believetha the "black skin and woolly head" /"
are the evidences, the signs, by which we may
know the descendants of Canaan = those
cursed-and doomed T. slavery, which is to
continue forever and ever"
The Elder" has ass,ased several PROPOSE
tions-not proved-for which he has no au-
thority-and which assumptions, in fact, are
contradicted by the most authentic Historic
records. First-The descendants of Canaan
were not negroes; they had not black skins,
and they did not settle In, or people Ethiopia.
1t may be further remarked, that Z" the black
skin and the woolly head" are not the attes-
tations" by which we may know the descend
ants of Canaan--and those who were cursed,
and doomed to perpetual slavery. According
to his own showing, those descendants of Ca
naan-whom Joshua obliged "to fly" from
the land of Canaan, I" few some into Africa,
and others into Greece. Have we any evil
dence that the Canaanites who fled into Greece
or their descendant, were negroesi Or
that the Carthageneans and other people in
habiting the Barbary asst, on the shores Of
the Mcditerranean were negroes--with "black
skins and weolly hcadss9 Or that negroes
men with "black skins and woolly heads I"
are to bo found any where outside of central
tropical Africa-unless they have emigrated,
Or have been transplanted from that region
Of burning sands, and vertical suns May we
not say, with confidence, that, " if the black
skin and woolly head, had been intended to
designate the descendants of Canaan, and
those who were the subjects of the curse of
slavery which was to last " forever and ever"
God, by his prophet would have stated it 2"
Sir, have neUer, in TIE whole course of my
'eading, seen work of no larger dimensions
han this " Letter of an Elder"-occupying
'nly fourteen pages so .ti.U Of bold and
'echIess Gssttmptions-scholly unsssstained By
'roof-cf palpdbLe contradictions--of.J fragrant
rrors-of toicked declarations, and under the
anctimonious GARD ofchurch membership. of
uch 6lasphemieS against humanity against
God, and His Hols Rsslgssss But let us
cave the Elder" alone in his with
whatever of laurels he may have gained by so
wicked production--and let us look to the
most authentic-the only authentic record on
hese subjects-the Holy Bible-for a history
f the early settlements of the sons of Ham,
he second son of Noah.
Noses is accredited, among Christians, as
he author of the Pentateuch, and as having
written by the inspiration of the Almighty"
Tho Of Hox,, md HE.
graphically described in the
inth chapter of Genesis. DIR. Adam Clark,
n his commentary on the 22d-24th verses
f this chapter, remarks" Ham, and very
robably, his son Canaan, had treated their
ather on this occasion with contempt, or re-
rehensible levity." "The conduct of Shem
nd Japheth was such as became pious and
ffectionate children who appsaf to have been
a the habit of treating their father with do
ency, reverence, and obedient respect. On
he one, the spirit of prophecy, (not the in
ensed father) pronounces curse ; ON the
theirs, the same spirit, mot parental tender
ess) pronounces blessing. These things
ad been just as they afterwards occurred, had
Ioah never spoken. God had wise and power |
III reasons to induce him to sentence the one |
D perpetual servitude, and to allot to the
theirs prosperity and dominion. Besides, the
urse pronounced on Canaan neither fell i'm
,ediatcly upon himself, nor on his worthless
lther, but on the Canaanites; and from the
istory we have of this people, in Levitt.
and Deut TX, A: XII, 81; we
lay ask, could the curse of God fall more de-
'rvedly on any people than on these? ?"
Their prOAigacy was great, but il ,oas not
Ie effect cftie curse; but being forcsecn BY
le Lord, the curse was the effect of their
,nduct."
In the tenth chapter of Genesis, Moses,
riting by inspiration, and with the "tradi-
onal knowledge" of his family, gives " the
enerations of the sons of Noah, Shem, Ham,
nd Japheth and says "unto them were sons
'rn after the hood,7 v. L." and by these
ere the nations divided in the Earth after
lie flood" v. 80. By the descendants of Ja-
teth the eldest son of Noah" wore the Isles