The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1863-11-18
LETTER OF BrsnoP HOPKINS.

LETTER or BISHOP HOPKINS.
10 tie Right Reverend Aioaso Potter, d. d., BisIop
\ effhe Diocfse Of Psn~sybsnia
THE PUBLIC VIEW or SLAVERY
I have seen. With great amaEen,ent. a
protest against ny letter on the "Bible
View Of slavery" sigsed BY yea ssd q
lcsg list Of ysur clergy. In which you csn-
semn 1t ass unworthy Of sny servant Of Je-
sus Chrisf." - "aa eaort 70 Sustain, on
Bible priseiPles. the States in rebellion
sssinst the Goseramsst in the wicked a..
tempt 70 establish BY fierce sf sras, s.ty-
snay in the nams Of republic. whose csr-
,er s,ose shall be the perpetual sssdsge Of
ihe African" and as sseh ,su say that il
challenges your "isdigsaaf rProbsfioa."
Ns~. nv right rcvsresd brstssr, 1 an
,srry 70 be obliged % charge yss. not osly
with . grsss iasuit against yspr senior. bet
With the mere serisss sGeaee sf false &C.
sssatisu. Nv letter vas frst psslished
10 Jsuu.ry, 1861. ssrs than three months
before the war began, st = time when no
sre cosld anticipste the form u govern.
ment which the Sosihern States should
adopt. or the cosrse whieh Cssgress might
take 10 relerenee 20 their seeessiss. Asd
vasn I consented TO iis re-psblicstioa. l
a,d not suppose thssrt wsuld ss used IN the
,,rrrice Of any politiesl party. slthsseh |
had no righ, 10 romplsIn if u were 50 ssed.
because tAe letter, sacs published, became
, public property. But 10 lie Preseat fern
ihsre is spth,ag ~hslsssf in il which bssrs
an the qasstioa Of "rebellisn," or Of he
perpetual bsndsgs Of the African" T sf
aetsrsnny usdsr the namr of republic.
s.f ~hicA slavery shosld be the " corner
stone" Tn tAn eostr.ry. retrrrea. on
my last page. 10 ny lecture pablished IN
Bsaals. in 1850. and 10 nv book called
The American Ciiixes." pubiished 10
Ne~ York IN 1857. where | SET forth the
sane views or the subject Of slavery. adj.
d,ng. hesever, plan ior Us irailssl sbsli-
,,.n shrne,sr the south should eesseni.
aud the whole stresgIh Of the gs,enseni
..uld aid in lissceompiishment." +" Soaser
% lster.' added. Il bsl,eye tha' scae
msasure &c that character must be sdnp'ed.
Hat il belongs 10 the slave states them.
,sI,cssts iakeeihe lead 10 spch Q move.
menf. And meanwhile their legal rights
,sd their natural frelipgs mast be respect.
ed. i We ~said h.ps Tor unity and peace.
wah these facts before your syes. a~
isI.lly al a loss to imsgise how e,en The
rItravaganee 81 partv zeal could frame
against me "a bitter . denuacisyiou. The
whule object Of my letter WAS to prove
.frrm the Bible. that in The relatlca 81 mas
irr and slave there was necessarily 70 sin
whatever. The sin, IL there .as any, lsy
10 the treatment Of the slave. snd not ~ the
relation itself. or course, u vas lis,lc e
abuse. as all human relations msstbe Bdl
~hils IL was cerlsin that thousands Of osI
Chr.stian brethren Who held slaves were
treating them with kindness and justice
according % the Apostles rule. and ear
nvslIy isborIng 70 irproye the comforts
snd smeliVrate the hardships Of the insti.
tsiion, / hold il 10 be cruel aud sbsufs
Charge 10 accuse them as sinners agslns
tAe Divine law, when they we're only do
.iag what the word Of God sllnwsd. uNdci
the Constitution and eNablisLed code .
their country.
do net knew ~heihet tour band Of TO-
dignsnt uprobatienisis ever saw ny book
publishe1 in 1857. but you rrad i. bscaus'
sen, yru copy, and have y0ar leiiel
" acknowledgment. il which, while ",
ai,,cn,cd from sews VI my conclusions
,su did IL with the eourtrsy Of Christian
reu,leinnn. Is that letter there is n0lhin;
said about my opiniens be.ng ''pnsorth,
el any servant II Jssus Christ" and moth
ing Of "indignsnt depreciation" But TEN
pora mfaanfur, Il nos mniamnr in ills.
Yes the times are, Indeed. sadly chang
I'd. and you have changed accordingly
For many years ysu have met in bror'lsrl'
esuncil with these Southern slsvshsldsrs
You invited them TO the hsspitalities o
Jour house and paid them especial defer
snes. The new light Of Eastern abolition
ian bad net yet risen within our church