Delaware gazette. (Wilmington, Del.) 1837-1883, 1863-10-23

tirely on circumstances. Suppose, for example
that the Mayo Of New York should usk ole Of IL
merchant princss CHOW would you like to be
polieeman2" I doubt whether the question nigh
not be taken for an insult, aud some words Of 10
dignation would probably be uttered in reply
But suppose that the same question were addressed
to an Irish laborer, with what feelings would he
receive IN Assuredly with those of gratitude and
pleasure. The reason of the difference Is obvious
because the employment which would be degra-
daion TO the one, offers promotion and dignity to
tho other In like manner, slavery, to an indi
vidual Of tho Anglo-Saxon race, which occupies 80
high rank in human estimation, would be de-
basement not to be thought Of with patience for a
moment And yet, to the Guinea negro, sunk In
heathen barbarian, It would DO happy change to
place him In the hands Of Southern MASTER
Evan now, although the slaves have no idea Of the
pagan determinations from which their forefathers
were taken, II is notorious that they usually value
their privileges as being far superior to the oondi-
ton OF the free negroes around them, and prefer
the certainty Of protection and support for life to
the hazards of the liberty on which the abolionist
advises them to venture. How much more would
they prize their present lot If they understood
that were II not for this very institution Of slavery,
they would be existing in the darkest idolatry and
lioontiousness among the savages of Africa, under
tho despotie King Of Dahomey, destitute of every
security far earthly comfort and deprived of all
II mon would reflect maturey on tho subject,
they would soon be convinced that liberty is a
blessing TO those, and only those, who are able to
use il wisely. There are thousands in our land,
FREQ according to law, but enslaved to vice and
the misery consequent on vice. that it would be a
mercy TO place them, supposlng II were possible,
under the ruc of some other will stronger aud bet
tor than their own. A it is, they are in bondage
to Satan, notwithstanding their imaginary free
dom; and they do his bidding, not merely in tho
work OF the body, but In the far worse slavery Of
tho soul Strictly speaking, however, the freest
man on earth has no absolute liberty, for this be-
longs alone TO God, and is not given 10 any craa-
ture. And hence II is tho glory of tho Christian
to BIO the bond servant of the divine Redeomer whs
bought us to himself with his own precious blood.
The service Of Christ, saith tho APOSTLE is tho
only perfect freedom All who refuse that service,
slaves Of necessity 10 other masters; slaves to
Mammon; slaves to ambition; slaves to lust slaves
to intemperance slaves to a thousand forms Of
anxious and perpleKityi savos at beat to pride
and worldly docOrum and slaves to circumstances
over which they have no control. And they are
compelled TO labor without ceasing under some or
all OF these despOic rulers, at the secret will of
that spiritual task master, whose bondage does not
end at death, but continues to eternity.
The sixth objection arises from tho fact that
slavery separates the husband from the wife and
the parents from the children. Undoubtedly 1t
sometimes does SO, from necessity. Before we
adopt this fact, however, as an argument against
slavery, il is only fair to inquire whether the
separation docs not take place, perhaps quite as
frequently, amongst thosB who call themselves free.
The laboring man who has a large family is always
obliged To separate from his children, because II Is
impossible TO support them in his humble home
They arc sent to SERVICE therefore,on to this mas
ter and another to that, bound as apprentices
the case may DO, and thus the domestic relations
are superseded by Strangers for the most part be-
yOnd recovery So among the lower orders, tho
hu6banna ai frnfn THAR Wivas Inv lha
same necessity. How many, even Of the better
classes, have left their homes to seek their fortune
IN the gold regions How many in Europe have
abandoned their families for Australia, or tho
United States, or The Canaiasl How many desert
them from ure Wiokedness-a crime which can
hardly happen under the Southern system But
above all, how constantly does this separation take
place amongst our soldiers and Sailors so that
neither war nor foreign commerce could bo carried
on at all without III All these borne by free
men, under tho slavery Of circumstancos Is ii
wse to joclain against this necessity 10 form,
when We forced 10 submit 10 IL in so many 9TH
er kinds Of the same infection
There Is only ono other argument which occurs
to me- requiring notice, and that Is based upon the
erroneous notion that the laws of God, under t1e
Mosaic dispensaiion, allowed polygamy as we'll as
slavery; and, therefore, 1t is Inferred that the legs
laiiOn Of tho Old Testament Is Of no authority upon
the subject, but as the Gospel did away the first,
90 also IL should do away the other.
Tho facts here are misunderstood, and the infer
ence is without any foundation. Let us look at the
matter as il is explained by the Saviour hipsef.-
The PharisceO cagO to him, tempting him. and
saying pnto him Is II lawful for q man to put
away his wife for every cause2 And he answered
and said unto them; Have ye not read that he
which made them At tho beginning made them
male aud female; and said, for this cause shall a
man leave father and mother and shall cleaVe TO
his wife, and they twain shall he one flesh p
Wherefore, they are no more twain, but one flesh.
What, therefore, God hath joined together let no
man put asunder. They say unto him; Why did
Moses then command to give writing Of divorce
ment, and put her away lie saith unto them =
Noses BECAUSE of tho hardness Of your hearts, sut-
fered you to put away your wivep, but from tho
beginning II wah not 10. And l say unto you
whatsoever shall put away his wife, except It be fol
foTnicatiOn, and shall marry another, cOmmitteth
adultery, aud whose marrieth her that ia put away
doth commit adultery Matt. 10; 3-9)
Now, here our Lord plainly lays down tke orig
inal law of marriage, referring expressly to Adam
aud Eve, ono man and ono woman, declared to bt
one flesh, and adding this commando What dOd
hath Joined together lot no man put asunder. But
it is evident that polygamy must, Of necessity, in
terfers with this divine union, The twain eau ne
longer be one flesh, when anathor vito is brought
between them, because tho new wife must deprive
the former one of her exclusive rights and priyi
leges, and the husband destroys the very unity
which God designed in joining them together. TIT
doctrine Of Saviour therefore, restores the Law
of marriage to its original sanctity, and the apos
ties, accordingly, always speak of the wife in th'
singular number, in no instance appearing to con
template tho possibility of the Christian having
moro wives than ono while, in the case of bishop
st. Paul specifics II as an essential condition tina
he shall DO the husband OF one wife, Il Tim. 3
~
But how had the chosen people been allowed TO
20 many centuries to practice polygamyi and di
vorce their wives for tho slightest cause2 Gu
ord xnlaina IL hu hat Aasea zuifarR
them to put away their wives because of the hard
ness of thor hearts, The special questions address
sed to him by the PhariseeP, did Hot, indeed, ree
to polygamy but only to the liberty OF divorce, fol
at that time 1t should seem that tho practice O
poygamy had well nigh ceased in Jaded, and 1t |
certainly not countonanced by the Jewish laws q
this day. The principle, however, is precisely th
game in the two cases. Dissatisfaction with th
present wife and desire for another, tho oaus
Of action 10 both and when tho husband did nc
wish to be burdened by tho murmurs or the supper
of his old companion, he would naturally prefer
send her away, in order to make room for her sue
cessor. We 500, thon, how readily this facility
divorce became tho mode in which the jews of tbs
day sought for tho qualification of their capriciou
attachments, instead OF tho more extensive an
troublesome system of polygamy. And hence on
Lord applied tho remedy, where it was special
required, by fOrbidding divorces unless for ii
weightiest ehuse, such as adultery. Yet this WI
no change in the divine arrangement, which hu
posn sno Sane Hom Inc peBlhhlug' ne ezprohsl
declares on the contrary, that the latitude assume
by the Israelles was an Indulgence granted .
AoseS on account Of the hardness of their hearts
And this is a very different thing from an author
tetive decree of the Almighty.
1t is surely therefore manifest from this anguaJ
Of our Saviour, that God had never given any d
rect sanction to polygamy, Doubtless, as we Inu
infer from many parts of the Old Testament, Il hu
become common among tue Isrealites, who, SUI
posing themselves justified by the case of Jaco
had probably adopted it in many instances thu
Moses did not think it safe prudent to put
down, lest worse evis might follow, unless no WI
constrained to do SO by the positive command