North Branch democrat. [volume] (Tunkhannock, Pa.) 1854-1867, 1863-08-05

Here we see that the master was authorized
to use corporal correction toward his slaves,
within certain limits. When imme date
death ensued, he was to be punished as the
judges might determine. But for all that
came short Of this, the loss of his property
was held to be sufficlentspenalty.
The next evidence furnished BY the divine
law appears in the peculiar and admirable
appointment of the Jubilee. "Ye shall hal
low the fftieth year, and proclaim liberty
throughout all the land to all the inhabit-
ants thereof: it shall be Jubilee unto you
and Ve shall return erery man unto his pos,
session, and ye shall return erery man to
nis tami g." (Lev. 25: l0) This enact,
ment, however, did not affect the slaves, be-
cause it only extended to the Israelites who
had ga possession and family," according
to the original distribution Of the land among
the tribes. The distinction is plainly set
forth in the same chapter, namely:
If thy brother that dweleth by thee be
waxen poor, and be sold unto thee, thou
shalt not compel him to serve as bond
servant, but as a hired servant and as So
journe- he shall be with thee, and shall serve
thee unto the year of Jubilee, and then shall
he depart from thee, both he and his chill
dren with him, and ST. all return unto his OVID
family, and unto the possession Of his fathers
shall he return. For they are my servants
which brought forth out of the land of
Egypt they shall not be sold as bondsmen.
Both thy bondmen and bondmaids, uhich
thou shall hgre shall be of the heathen that
are round about you; of them shall ye buy
bOndmen and bondmaids. Moreover, of
the children of the strangers that do sojourn
among you, Of them shall ye buy, and of
the eir families that are Nth you, achich they
begat in your land, and they shall be your
possession. And ye shall take them a an
Inheritance Of your children after you, to
Inherit them for possession THEY SHALL |
BE YoUE BoNDMEN FOR EVER but over your
brethren, the children Of Israel, ye shall not |
rule one over another with rigor, For unto |
me the children Of Israel are servants; they |
my servants whom brought forth out
of the land of Egypt: | am the Lord your
God" (Lev. Is : 40-46, with v. $50
The distinction here made between the
temporary servitude of the Isrlelite and the
perpetual bondag- of the heathen racr is too
plain for controversy. And this express and
positive law furnishes the true meaning of
another passage which the ultra abolition
lists is very fond o:repeating: "Thou shalt
not deliver unto his ma ter the servant
which is escaped from his master unto thee
10 shall dwell with thee, even among you, in
that place which he shall choose, in one of
iHy gates where IL liketh him best thou
shalt not Cypress him." (Deut %: Is. lG)
This evidently must be referred to the
case of a slave who had escaped from for
elgn heather master, and can not, with any
sound reason, be applied to the slaves of the
Israelites themselves. For it is manifest that
if it were so applied, it would nuIlify the
other enactments of the divine Lawgiver. and
il would have been an absnrdity to tell the
people that they should buy bondmen and
bondnads of the heather and the stranger,
to be their posses sion and the inheritance of
their children for ever" while, nevertheless,
the slaves should be at liberty to run away
and become freemen when they pleased. 1t
is the well-known maxim, in the interpreta-
ton ofall laws, that each sentence shall be
SO construed as to give a consistent meaning
to the whole. And assuredly, if we are J.
bound to follow this -rnlA rho
or Tie legislation of the Almighty 'ho {
meaning that I have adopted is the only one
,hiob agrees with the established principle
Of legal construction, and it has inVarlaoy
been sanctioned by the doctors OF the Jew
;sb law. and every respectable Christian COM
mentator.
sucb then, is the institution OF slavery
laid down by the Lord God oil lsraei ior n''
chosen people, and continued Tor ill'een ecu
,pries. until the new dispensa'ion Oh 'ne uoo
noI What change did this produce L
Grant, of course, that we, as christians, are
hound by the precepts and example Oh '"o
co,;or and his apostles. Let US now, there-
co-e nroceed to the all-mportant INQUIRY
,rhotbar we are authorized by these TO pre-
s,o that the Mosaic system was done away
First. then, we ask what the DIVINE ne,
aoo,oer said in reference to slavery. ANU
AZ, nswer is perfectly undenable: HE DID
,rnE TO 1rAr ALL. Not one WORD
mon the subject is recorded by any OF the
rur.Ssangelists who gave His lie and doc- ;,
80 to the world. Yet slavery was IN iuil
u;.,arcs a, the time, throughout Judea;-
and ,be.Roman empire, according to the MS
torisu Gibbop, contained sixty millions o
e on the lowest probable computation
IS How prosperous and united would our s'o
e .,. ,o,,,b,ic be at this hour, if the eloquent
!. and pertinacious declalmers asalnst sa'e, er
'r had been willing to follow their sAV'or's ca
is hau o7Si