The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1865-09-01


NJ Special notices - cents line
.-a.s--.--s..-Er:-.a-sE--
Letter TO Rev. Henry Ward Bccchcr.
SIR. Now that the war is over. and
the darling object Of you" heart is ac-
colophshel--.rt least, on pancr-I
woul;t DC glad to renew q request which
madn OF yo'l about twenty years AGO
IN Indianapolis.
irovc t" me that slavery is sin.
You promised me then, ihat ut some
collvCllcnt season you would do so.
iitien'Ied, on several occasions, vu,,r
osc"ilrses on Sunday, as we'll as .vu,r
Ncndesda veninS lectures. and -our
lectures to nmg mon. But the near
est approach You made 10 !, r1ltillment
% your promise Was the assertion.
IN one OF your lccturcs-that the
greatest Bchemoth that ever appeared
on land was STAKEHOLDER, and that
the greatest Lcvi;.than that ever dis
turhed the deep was u slave ship.
With you this is Gil axiom-with
he it is not. You affirm that slavery
is a SIN Affirm that it is II blessing.
lou draw yIlr inspiration from your
own conscience; draw mine from tllc
Holy Scriptures. You draw infor,na-
ton fron the fancy sketches and tic
tons OF real and supposed travellers;
draw mine from direct observation.
made tor forty years IN the cabin aud
the parlor-in the kitchen and the
field.
Ny reasons for my faith are based
upon Gods Word and Gods Provi-
dencc. War may settle mans OPT
mons upon policy and necessity, but
1T can never change the essential mo-
rality OF any question.
| have carefully examined the arc11-
ment Of Claiming and Wayland-
dlsnlfied men and sober re;,soners. I
have also read the furious declarations
of Phillips, Garrison, Prime and
others; bat they, by reason Of preju-
dice and passion, are utterly Incapable
OF discussing the subject.
L still remain firmly persuaded in
my own mind that the Scr;ptural
view Of the matter is the only correct
one. The authority Of prophets and
apostles is certainly higher than that
OF unlnspired men, and .(unless we
have tle wrong Bibla) they teach us
very plainly that slavery is in perfect
harmony with the Will and pleasure Of
God.
Iwas raised in kentucky by parents
who taught me That slavery is /. sin, II
great crime, the monstr" iuic17ity Of
the nation, and / never Thought 9th
crw!sc until l was twenty four wears
old
The Billie enabled mo to take nv
stand firmly and immovahly. AS long
as tho Bible teaches pro-sltvcry scnti-
mcnts, SO long will DO u pro-sl:,ycry
man.
Bcnr with me- while point ont to
you thn course OF reading and st.;ly
which has brought NC standing uD in
>, favor Of IN institution whic!. has God
for its author, the negro race for it's
subjects, and the elevation Of llunani
ty for It's end. 1t will be necessary
ior NE to define slavery, because you
90 not seem to me to understand our
position. Your indignant orators,
without any exception, misreprcscnt
our creed. We do not suppose It
would be right tos catch Henry Ward
i5eeeler, cnslave him, and put him in
the cotton field, and make him work
for his victua1s and clothes. Why {?
Because Beechcr is an Anglo-Saxon, a
man OF superior intellect, well quail
1!rd TO till higher position tilap a
field hand.
Mr.. Beccher is competent to be a
freeman. The negro is not. He is
fully competent to be slave.