The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1863-04-12
NASHVILLE. TENNESsEE SUNDAY, APRIL II 863

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Great Britain For the defence aud en-
joy ment Of these principles our fathers
willingly met death, and surrendered !
their lives Martyrs. They bequeathed |
| them TO US as the greatest of human leg |
acies. Yet slavery as it exists in these
United States is in direct opposition TO |
| these self. evident maXims. Every line |
Of our history, every battle 10 our strug-
gle for independence, every anniversary |
OF our national birth, condemns the prin-
| pies Of slavery, and fixes on us the charge !
of glazing inconsistency; aud every law |
passed by legis ures in favor of slavery |
| is in direct opposition TO the principles |
| Of our national existence. Let us will
/ ingly do, that for which we Justly blame !
Great Britain for refusing to do, until
| forced, namely acknowledge the rights !
of men, and give, in a suitable way more
than one million and half of people 10
| enjoy these sacred rights.
AT WAR WITH THE BIBLE.
Itremains on this part of our subject |
! TO shew; that slavery is in opposition 20
the whole sacred rolame And first, it is
at war with the claim which Jehovah has
declared he has an exclusive property in
the human family, "All souls are mine"
Souls in the original is, aepes, and signi-
fes human creature, being self or per-
son; and most certainly means the crea-
ture as composed of soul and body. God
claims all men as his property 10 dispose
of them, TO command and use them for his
own Glory. But the doctrine Of slavery
disreg the right of God, claims the
slave aud the descendants sst the exclu-
sive property of the master to be COM
manded and disposed Of at his SOVEREIGN
pleasure. "Will man rob God Ye
are cursed with curse, for ye have
robbed me, even this whole nation" Of
more than tithes and offerings for it is I
robbery of souls in their whole capacity
of enjoyment and activity; aud OF bodies
which should be employed as instru-
ments in the service OF God. Let man
contend with his fellow potsherd man
about rights and claims; but what indi-
vidual or nation may safely contend
with Omnipotence about his sovereign un-
purchased rights
To this some may object. By the
same mode Of ofreasoning it may be proved,
that we have no right to use the cattle or
the productions of the earth, whether OF
the dry land, or of the waters, for they
are the Lords. "The earth is the Lords
and the fullness thereof; the world and
they that dwell therein" Every beast
Of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon
a thousand hills, l know all the fowls
of the mountains, and the wild beasts of
! the field are Mines
II is acknowledged that the earth is
the Lords, the world and all that are
therein; and if we have any right to ap
propriate them TO our own use, such right
must be founded on divine grant And
such grant we have recorded in Gen 8;
2, 8, the fear Of you and the dfead of you
shall be upon every beast of the ear'h,
and upon every fowl of the air, upon all
that moveth on the earth. and upon all
the fishes Of the sea, into your hand are
they delivered. Every moving thing that
iveth shall be meat for you, even as the
, green herb have given you al things"
But here is no grant to one part of No
' abs family TO enslaye the other.
1t may still be urged that the Africans
. are the descendants of Ham, whose pos
terity were doomed to slavery by the
curse of Heaven. "And ne said cursed
be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he
T, be unto his brethren"
Ii is deemed sufficient answer TO this
objection, that this is a prophesy, and
: not command. And a prophecy that
an event shall take place even by human
. agency, is no warrant for doing that ac-
= ton, nor can the prOphesy be plead 10
!, justification. II it could the most enor-
= nous crimes thathave ever been commit
= = ted might be justified. The death OF
9 Christ was predicted very minutely, ages
!, before it took place aud yet God ex.
y pressly condemns those who were instru.
= mental in his death as guilty Of the bases
= murder. 9. Him being delivered by tn,
determinate counsel and foreknowledgt
:. of God ye have taken, aud by wicked
= hands have cruclhed aud slain"
= But selhshness ever ready 10 apollo
= gize for its plans, pleads, there is n divine
= warrant for slavery, first, in the exam.
" pie of Bible Saints; such as Abra.
- ham, who had servants born in hii
house and bought with his money sec.
ond, and in the grant which God CAV,
!. 10 Israel to enslave the heather nation
- round about them " Both thy bond
. men and thy bond maids which thor
shalt have, shall be of The heather, tina
are round about you, of them shall y,
= J, buy bond-men and bond.maids" Lea
~ 25. A.
y To the frat part Of this idle apology
= for slavery we answer; lst, The Bibl,
!, contains faithful history OF saints. Il
~ records equally their grimes, as well a
- the virtues, without condemnation OF th
40 first, or recommendation OF the latter
~ contenting itself with a naked statemen
of facts leaving US 10 form our judg
~ ment about those facts according 10 lh
doctrines OF morality, which 10 teache
10 elsewhere, Ii the NXample Of Bibl,
~ = saints may be plead as a Justification o
any action; then, we can justify lying
pc adultery, idOlatry, aud even murder =
~ The example OF the SAINTS as much jus
~ titles these crimes as II jusiiies slayerJ
= But point TO the place where Noah {
81 David is commended Tor these crimes, O
= commanded 10 pcrpetrate them, then ma
- you bnu a warrant for slavery In the Or
asles Of God.
= To the second part Of the apology v
uu's answer: there would be "a much propH
81, ely IN pleading as an excuse for the mas
- sacres Of Cyrtes lu 5Julh America, or
-. the British IN the East Indies the rtya
a. ges OF tornado or the indiscriminat
nc destruction OF an earthquake. God Ia
'se right to do with his own as he please
So nor have We any right 10 hnd iaul, q
~ ask him wherefore hast thou dane a
us, God gives an express command 10 "a
nd lion 10 destroy another they ought
h- obey: or ii be gives a Command ~ el