Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1864-05-31
Divine Plan Adapted to Man as Fall
en- Being.

here is society IN New OK when Is estau'
ished for the ayowed purpose Of diffusing politl-
Cal knowledge Of the latter day ArlStocratco- Dem
ocralc pro-sIavery type. Last Summer this So
Getty among other kindred writing, diIused Bish-
op Hopkins letter to somebody, proving TO he
Bishops entire satisfaction that Slayeryis divine
institution. More recently, the association has
put forth d pamphlet with the following title
Papers from the Society for the Diffusion OF 20
ltlcAl knowledge Az argument on the ethical
position Of slavery in the socia system, and It's re-
lation to the politics OF the day. By ). +. j.
Morse. Read, discuss, diifuse.' This pamphlet 10
devoted to the maintenance and advocacy of what
the writer st lies social system which God has
ord lined," AID which 5. +. B. Morse thu, ,uc.-
dates
at consists Of four distinct, clearly defined, but
cooperative relations, thus laid down in the New
testament;
First. CIVIL GOVERNMENT, Ill which the re-
lation OF Ruler and Ruled is ordained.
,Sec0nd. The MATRIMONIAL, in which be
relation OF Husband and Wife Is ordained.
Third Parental, IN which the rela-
ton OF Parent and Cnlld IS ordained.
"foWth-Ihe SERylLE, 10 which The relation
OF Master aud Slave is ordained
Now, here we have drawn OUT, by the pen oil
las piration, Peiec. Social System, the DIVINE
p ian adapted to man, as fallen beng, IN his dis
clpnary state, that Is TO say, to man as he ls.
We invite attention 10 this Perfect Social Sis.
u, TINS "Dlune Plan" which Prot Morse,
speaking for the Almighty, thus authoritativeIy
ptomuIges from the headquarters Of the "Socl9ty
for the Diffusion of Political knowledge" 1t
may not be Improbable to consider briefly Prof
Morse's theses.
There is a sense IN which everything that is, IS
" ordained, even adulteries and murders, mas.
much as the are permitted land if Mr. Morse uses
the word in that sense, he is probably right Bus
he would DO doubt dscaim any such latitude OF
definition, and would restrict it to the Divine
Plan" for eleYatlng, ciyilizing aud Chrstlanizlng
the race ADD ioT the aske Of the argument let
US grant for a moment that these four distinct
clearly defined, cooperate relations" have the
same basis of divine authority and what comes as
logical sequence from thomP
They are universal and are not limited to race
or color. Civil Government, marriage, and the
relation Of parent and child in the nature Of thing"
can know no exceptions. They everywhere, SO
far as they are part of the divine plan, impose
the same duties, snd demand the same obligations
1t is one gospel for all the races, one law Tor al.
mankind. The Divine Plan must then make
slavery universal and everywhere Capital must
own Labor whether capitalists be black, and labor
ers white or vice versa The working man j.
thus to be the slave everywhere, in New England
as well as South Carolina. This is a comfortable
Il Plan ior the laboring portion Of thu Democra'
cy to mediate upon
Civil Government may be ordained, but we
presume even Prof. Morse would not insist that
The rulers are to be perpetuated, asit might prove
difficult to keep them alive Icing enough for that
There must be changes Of rulers; and who shall
succeed Shall the people settle that question,
or is it to be done by divine appointment 7
Doubtless MIR. More would say by the people, as
his society is at work expressly for the purpose
Of dihusing political knowledge, to the end that
Major General George B. Mcclellan, Horatio
Seymour, Valandigham, or some such man, may
succeed MIR. Lincoln iu the executive chair. But
these individuals are now the" ruled" while Mr..
Lincoln is the "ruer; and does it not therefore
follow that it is lawful and right, and even accord
NJ to the divine plan, for the relation Of ruler and
ruled to be changed And may it rot be equal
" right for the slave and his master to change
places? and il they should, would not the relation
be still according to the A." divine plan " Obvl-
ously it must be so, q this divine plan OF slave
~ bears no analogy to civil governments AS we I'm
derstaud government.
But perhaps Prof Morse would seek his aualo-
ges for the setye relation from the family
and assert that it is more like that of husband
and wife Here it is obvious to remark howey'
err, that the Divine Plan " has not made differ
ence of color any obstacle to marriage, or imposed
any duties upon black wives unlike those imposed
upon white. 1t is unlawful, by divine decree, for
certain kindred TO intermarry, and this is the ex-
tent of the Scripture prohioiuon and so far as
marriage is concerned, We presume Prof. Morse
is of the opinion that the relation is to be assumed
by the agreement Of the parties, and is therefore
IN its inception voluntary. Is the serylle relation
to be entered upon in tue same wayP Mt atall
for then it would not be slavery.
But perhaps Prof Morse would find an analogy
in the relation of parent and child, relation into
which one is born But all governments fix lin
it to the duties growing out of this relation and,
of the parents Does the death Of the master
free the slave? The child may become parent
may the slave ever become masterP
But, after all, we presume Prof Morse doesn't
hope to prove that there is any analogy between
g these four distinct, clearly defined cooperative
and SO he may say that showing that
hey are not alike proves nothing, any more than
t would be an argument against marriage that it
was unlike civil government. And this we grant, A.,
'nly insisting that in universally and 10 not being
limited to color or race, the analogy must hold Il.
good or Prof Morse's argument is good for
lothng.
AID as Prof, Morse cAbnot, reasoning from
analogy, clearly define slavery, be must find it i.
described and set forth, and made imperative in /;
he divine word and let us see what difficulties =,
t will drive him into. Prof Morse is quite likely ;
hushand And a nnEenl. rnnnonizinr thasa Nc