North Branch democrat. [volume] (Tunkhannock, Pa.) 1854-1867, 1863-08-05

complete conviction in my own mind, anC
must, as regard it, be equally conclusive tc
every candid and sincere inquirer When the
array Of positive proof is exhibited, l shal
consider the objections, and examine theil
validity with all the fairness in nay power.
The first appearance of slavery in the Bi
BILE is the wonderful prediction of the patr
arch Noah: Cursed be Canaan, a serran
Of servants shall he be to his brethren -
Blessed be the Lord God of Shem, and Cana
an shall be his sercant. God shall enlarge
Jabhet, and he shall dwell in the tents ot
Shem, and Canaan shall be his servant -
| (Gen. O.: 25)
The heartless irreverence which Ham
the father of Canaan, displayed toward his
eminent parent, whose piety had just saved
him from the deluge, presented the imnedi
ate occasion for this remarkable prophecy
but the actual fulflmeut was reserved for
pos'erity, after they had lost the knowledge
of God, and become polluted bv the abomi-
nations Of heathen idolatry. The Almighty
| foreseeing this total degradation of the race,
| ordained them to servitude or slavery under
the descendants Of Shem and Japhet, doubt
less because he judged ii to be their fttest
| condition. And adj history proves how ac-
curately the srediction has been accomplish
ed, even to the present day.
We come next to the proof that slavery
was sanctioned by the Deity in the casesof
Abraham, whose three hundred and eighteen
bond servants, born in his own house, (Gen.
II: IA. } are mentioned along with those who
were bought lrih us money, as proper sub
jects for circumcision. (Gen II: 12)-
His wife Sarah had also an Egyptian slave,
named Hagar, who fed from her severity
And " The angel Of the Lord" commanded
the fugitive to return to her mistress a,d
submit herself [Gen. Is f.: 81 If the phil
anihropi|tS Of our age who profess to be
!ieve the Bible, had been will ng to take the
counsel Of that angel for their guide, it would
have preserved the peace and welfare of the
CnIon.
The third proof that slavery was authorized
by the Almighty occuis in the last Of the
Ten Commandments, delivered from Mount
Sinai, and universally acknowledged by Jews
and Christians as THE MORAL LAW: Thou
shalt not covet thy neighbours house, thou
shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife, nor his
man Serr0nt, nor has maid Serrant, nor his
OK, Nor his ass, nor anything that is thy
neighbor's" [Exod. 20: II Horc it is
evident that the principle Of ofpropertu- -" any
thing that is thy neighbor's" 's"-runs through
the whole. am quite aware, indeed, of the
prejudice which many good people entertain
against the idea of propenyin human be-
ing, and shall consider it, in due time,
amongst the objections. am equally aware
that the wives of our day may take ur.orage
at the law which places them In the same
sentence with the slave, and even will the
house and the cattle. But the truth is none
the less certain. The husband has a real
property in his wife, because she is bound,
for life, to serve and to obey him. The wife |
has real property in her husband, because
he is bound for life to cherish and maintain
her. The character of property is doubt
less modified by its design. But whatever
whether person or thing, the law appropri |
dfes to an individual becomes of necessity |
his property.
The fourth proof, however, is yet more
express, as it is derived from the direct rule |
established by the wisdom of God for his
chosen people, Ierael, on the very point in
question, namely:
" If thou buy Hebrew servant six years,
shall he serve, and in the seyeai he came in
shall pO ont freq f>---- ,,e TT
'na, go IgpseIf If he shall 90 out by himself.
rere married, then his wife shall go out
with him. Ifhis master have given h'm
vifa and she have borne him sons or daugh-
tiers, the uoife and the chitdre" shdIt oe nen
masters. and he shall go ont ov h'mSeV'
IExod. 81 1-4l Here we see that the sePa-
ration of husband and wife is positively "-
rected by the divine command, IN order 70
secure the property of the master IN MS
hond maid and her offspring. But the nus
hond had an alternative, if he preferred sia'
vary :, sensration. For thus the law OIL
Cod proceeds {" If the servant shall PLAINLY
say, love my master, my w''e' anu ny ~:
,h:ldren will not 60 out free; then MS
master shall bring him unto the Judges ne
shall also bring him to the door or uh'o '"e
door post ; and his master shall lore his ear
,hrougb with an awl, and he shall serre M"
orerern [Exod. 2l: S, With this law
before his eyes, what Christian can believe
,hot the Almighty attached immortality o'
sin TO the condition cf slavery
The treatment Of slaves, espec'a'iS as
rewarded the degree of correction, when 'n
master might administer, occurs in the sam
.I.,,,or as fellows "Ifa man sm'te n
sorv,,t or his maid with rod, ana nc
under his hand, he shall be surely pu"''"'
Notwithstanding, ifhe continue Id!