Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1863-08-19
A BIBLE VIEW OF SLAVERY.
BY HON. AMOS KENDALL.
REPUBLIsnED BY REoUsr.

peared as one of series of (" Letters to the
President"
10 abraham Lincoln, President Of The United
States:
RESPECTED SIR - My object in these let.
ters be il distinctly understood, is not to
commend slavery as desirable institution,
nor to mitigate in the least the crime or
the penalty OF the Southern rebellion
but il is, by the light of Truth, 10 disarm
in some degree, a set of Northern fanatics
whose insane hatred Of slavery make them
equally hostile to our glorious Constitution
II is to show the honest people of the free
States that, as political question, they
are not responsible for it, and have no
control over it, and that, US a moral ques>
ton, there is nothing in it which justifies
their interference 10y virtue Of any higher
| law" than the Constitution of their coun-
| try. Rebel masters may be divested of
their right 10 the labor of their slaves as a
punishment for their treason, just as far
as they may be divested of other anala-
gous rights, and no farther; but for the
United States to abolish the institution
because individual shareholders head the
rebellion, would be as gross an usurpation
as sweeping act to divorce all wives from
their husbands, and free all children from
their parents in all the slaveholding
States. for the same reason.
Not from any other motive than to
bring home more vividly TO the minds of
the reader the Bible truths developed in
my last letter, address myself to Rev.
erened representative of class.
| say TO him, do you, in common with
all or most Christian teachers. recognize
Noah as a prophet of God, who spoke by
inspiration If 50, it was God himself
who doomed the defendants of Ham TO
perpetual servltude. II, therefore, slavery
be sin, God in this case is responsible
for IL; and when you attempt on that
ground to rescue the African from slavery,
you assume TO be more wise and Just than
God b! Is ii not soi
Abraham bought servants with his
money, and had hundreds born in his
house" lie was a special favorite with
God, who not only heaped blessings upon
him, but chose him 10 be the father of his
peculiar people, and the progenitor Of
the Saviour OF mankind.
You denounce the buying of men and
women with money as sinful, and its tol.
GRAFTON in our country as "a great national
sin" which has brought down upon US the
judgment of Heaven. Abraham did the
same thing, and Heaven showered bless,
ings upon him. Our fathers and brothers
did the same thing, and were blessed as
Abraham was until the reformers of Gods
moral law, by their impious assumptions,
disturbed the peace of the country, and
aided in bringing down upon it the cal
antilles under which il now mourns.
You denounce slavery as sin. God
says, Exodus, 2l, p IF thou buy He,
brew servant, six years he shall serve"--
That is sLdvery, or invoE ntdry ssrpittlde by Tie
command of God. Who knows best what is
sin, you or Godg
he may become free at the end of "six !
years." but if he choose. he may be made
slave 't0rGver," b. means oe q ceremony
prescribed in Exodus 81, 6, and Deuter-
onomy Is, IL. He had no further option
OH the subject; but says God, "he shall
he thy servant forever"
But you may say this is voluntary SER
vitude. Not certainly for the first six
years and according to your principles,
man cannot ALLEVIATE his liberty. If so,
this voluntary slave, after he has become
so voluntarily, may change his mind and
resume his freedom but God says he shall
be a servant 'torcver." Is God sinner?
But if he accepts his freedom at the end
of six years, his sons and daughters, if
born of wife given him by his MASTER
(doubtless herself a slave, "shaH be her
masters" and he shall go out by himself.
In other words, they shall not be free on
the seventh year. but shall remain slaves
forever This is Gods order. Is il sin,
Reverend Sir?
You say there cannot be ownership in
man. God says the women and sons and
daughters in this case "sIaR be her mas
ters'"
In the 2lst chapter of Exodus. after
directing that if master beat his slave to
death he shall be punished God SAYS in
verse 81, Notwithstanding, if he con-
tinues day or two he (the mnster,) shall
not be punished for he 1.-THE slave is his
money" Is not mans money his
property You, Reverend Sir, say that
man slave is not his property. God
says be Isl which shall Christian be-
lieye! would like to hear you preach
sermon from these words of scripture,
"For he is his p,oaey."
"Thus saith The Lord" in Leviticus 25
A, 4" Both thy bondmen and thy bonds
maids which thou shalt have shall be- of
the heather that are round about you
efthem shall ye buy boAdmsn aud bondmaids."
Give us sermon on this text also, and
snow us how acts which God expressly
authorizes can be sinful.
Thus saith the Lord" in the next
verse, Moreover of the children of the
strangers tnat do sojourn among you, of
them shall ye buy and of their families
that are with you, which they begot in
your land, and shall be your possession. !"
Another good text Reversned Sir, from
which should like TO hear you deduce
the conclusion not only that buying these
children was sin, but that " possession
here does not mean property"
"Thus saith the Lord" in the next
verse, "And ye shall take of them as an
inheritance, for your children after you,
to inherit them for a possession they
shall be your bondsmen forever"
Your Bible tells you, Reverend Sir, that