The Portland daily press., 1863-06-29
MISCELLANY.
a Few Words for Pharoah.

church, we have heard old King Pharaoh spo-
ken Of in terms of disrespect. Preachers all
seem to have "pick at him" more especially
at his heart, which, if you would believe them,
was as hard as granite! They always tell
one side of the story let us give the other.
Pharaoh was king of Egypt, in Africa a
country once celebrated for its science, its
corn crops, and its masons. When this Pha-
raoh, about whose heart we hear so much,
was on the throne, the Egyptians owned about
two millions of slaves-descendents of GER
tain white man named Abraham. These
slaves were multiplying very rapidly; were,
In the main contented; and were "better off,
by far, than the most of us. Pharaoh and the
Egyptians were much attached to them, pro-
vided for them,r made all their laws, and they
had nothing In the world to do but work, eat
and be jolly. Their masters had all the
trouble.
But they were multiplying too fast, $50 well
off were they and Pharaoh was induced to
order. that, after a certain day, all the male
slave children born should be drowned like
kittens. This looks bad, and the preachers
have made the most of it; but, let us consider
his motive. It was to make a slave insur-
rection impracticable. Now we all know
what horrible thing slave insurrection is.
Stump orators sometimes tell us of st. Domin-
go. Pharaoh thought his slaves might be in
cited by some miserable fanatic like John
Brown to rise, and then what would they do
but cut Threats, burn houses, ravish their dus-
ky mistresses, and run pitchforks through
the curly headed children of their good mas
ters? Who will say that in view Of all these
possible horrors, il was not just to send the
little Hebrew slave boys of one or two gener-
atoms TO heaven, where they would be better
of.
It is true, too, that whipping and beating,
1aat1, 9th md hat
women, even, were not spared, but 20 offset
this, they had plenty of leeks, onions, and
other savory things to eat, and all they could
do. They had no concern of mind, no schools
TO attend, no laws to make, no cares to furrow
their faces, nothing TO do but work, eat and
be Jolly. We are certain that If correspon-
dent OF the London Times had taken boat
ride on the Nile in those days, he would have
failed for language to describe the happy con-
dition Of the chiyalrous Egyptian masters and
their contented slaves.
But alas they were walked from this bliss
full dream of happiness by an impertinent agi-
tator named Moses, a well educated man, but,
like too many now, he made bugbear of him.
self by his ultraism. He was a kind of
@Yankee interloper.r When he saw an Egyp-
tian beating brother man cruelty, instead of
helping to subdue the wretch, as he should
have done, he smote the oppressor so violent
Iy that he died from the blow. For this cause
Moses was obliged to run away. But he could
not stay away, He heard something out of a
burning bush one day which inflamed his abo-
lition notions, fanatics are always having Wis
ions,) so he went back to Egypt. When he
got back everything was going well. The
country was fiourishing, the people were uni
ted, taxes were low and trade prosperous. If
Pharaoh had hung him at once, great deal
Of trouble might have been avoided. But
Moses insisted upon emancipation of all the
Hebrews. Think of that Slavery was an
old institution, the slaves were happy, and
worth about S200000,000! How could Moses
ask such sacrifice of property? He claimed
thatsGod had sent him-that the Israelites
were oppressed and all that; but Moses was
minister what right had he to NEEDLE with
slavery in Egypt, a purely political ques-
tion?" The other preachers in Egypt were
faithful to Ammon, and let slavery alone.
How much better it would have been if Mo-
ecs had done like our American Tract Society
and as several OF our popular churches have
done-preached the Bible and kept out Of the
dirty water of politics. But nothing would
satisfy him but emancipation.
OF course the pride of the Egyptians was
touched. They were chivalrous race, with
I hot southern blood. They knew their rights.
To show their contempt for Moses, they in
creased the tasks of their slaves, and whipped
them harder. The Hebrews themselves en-
treated him to 60 away and let them alone.
But he went on, and kept up the excitement
Z until the whole land was convulsed. Millions
of dollars, worth OF grain and stock were sac
! rifced, and there was mourning for the "frst
born in every house.
At length Pharaoh was over persuaded,
Issued an edict OF emancipation, and away the
slaves went, en- nadsse. But after they were
gone, his reason returned. There was ''re-
action. in the public mind The people failed
to endorse the proclamation. Pharaoh's heart
yearned for his poor slaves, who had no expe-
renee and could not take care Of themselves I;
and so he started after them with great ar
my and had it not been for sudden freshet of
water, he would in all probability have accom-
in the Red Sea got too deep. - Religious
Telescope.