Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1867-05-25

CussIon openly and boldly take the ground
that slavery "a it exists in America ought
TO be perpetuated, but that slavery is an
established and inevitable condition to
human society. / will maintain the ground
| that God always intended the relation of
master and slave to exist that Christ and
the early teachers of christianity, found
slavery differing in no material respect
from American slavery, incorporated into
every department OF society; that in the
| adoption of rules for the government of
society and Of the church, they provided
for the rights Of owners and the wants of
slaves that slavery having existed ever
since the first organization of society, it
will exist to the end of time.
Slavery was really established by Di-
vine authority, among even Gods chosen
people-the favored children of Israel 4
Now, my respected auditors, the inquiry
is. how has slavery thus risen and spread
over the whole earth? | answer-by the
laws Of war-the state of property-the
fee5leness Of governments-the thirst for
bargain and sale-the increase of crime
and last, but not least, by and with the
consent, knowledge and appreciation of
Almighty God Slavery, then is an estab-
lthitu anu lutNlldDlt NOIullAOl OF human
society.
"The essential principles of the great
moral law delivered to Moses by God him
self are sci forth in what is called the tenth
commandment, and will be found in the
twentieth chapter of the book of Exodus
Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house :;
thou shall not coyet thy neighbor's wife, nor his
man servant, nor his maid servant, nor his OK,
nor his ass, nor anything that is thy neighbours
THE only true Interpretation of this por-
ton of the word OF God is, that the species
of property herein mentioned are lawful,
and that all men are forbid TO disturb others
in the lawful enjoyment of their property.
Man-servants and maid-servants' are dis
tinctly ccnsecrated as property, and guar
anteed to man for his exclusive benefit
proof that slavery was ordained by God
himself
"The institution of slavery was estab-
lished for the benefit of that class Of the
human family who had not the capacity
to provide for their wants-and of this class
are the entire African race-a class that ex-
listed in the days of Moses-has existed ever
slnce-and will continue to exist as long
as man is clothed with the in6rmities
of mortality. Yes the decree has gone
forth that fully two-thirds of the civilized
race of mankind shall work for the rest in
the capacity Of bond or hired servants. 1t
Is a decree that perVades the dominions of
civilization, not as the edict of duty, but of
fallen humanity aud TO meliorate the suf-
ferings the dependent, by afiording them
a competency during sickness and aged in
trinity, bondage was instituted by Moses,
under the inspiration of God. This form
of slavery, then, is in perfect accordance
with the will of God And / shall be able
TO show that American slavery does not
differ in form or principle from that of the
chosen people OF God.
81 endorse, without reserve, that much
abused sentiment of an eminent Southern
statesman, now no more, Gov. McDuffie,
that slavery is the cornerstone OF our re-
publican editice;' while | repudiate, as ri
diculously absurd, that much landed, but
nowhere accredited dogma of Thomas JEFF
ferson, that all men are born equal God
never intended 80 make the negro the equal
Of the white man, either morally, mentally,
or physically
Having established the Divine origin of
slavery, this defender Of the peculiar in
stitution of the South INDUCED in the fol-
lowing defamation:
"WhiIe / hold, and | think | have
proven that the condition of Southern ne
groes has been vastly improved by slavery |
| also assert, without fear OF successful con- |
tradiction, that slavery only could have |
worked that improvement, and that the |
preservation Of the relation Of master and |
slave IA essential TO the continued improve |
ment and future welfare Of the negro race
Of the South. ! assert that American /
slavery il q blessing a blessing to the |
Of the South, a blessing to |
the civilized white race in general, and |
blessing 70 the negro slaves in particular"
The Governor could not forego a little
5rav4s1 on the occasion, and accordingly
w. lnd him iudulging in this language:
"And while We enjoy the right of Ham
.iic zeryitude, granted to us by the consti-
tuition Of our country, and by the divine /
laws Of God, with cur superior soil and |
genial climate, no competition on earth /
will be able 10 stand before us. And these
rights we intend to enjoy or 10 a man We
will die, strung along Mason and DiKon's
line, with our faces looking North
And then the Governor winds up with
his rhetorical flourish
yes, gentlemen, ours is the land of
the land of the muse, the abode
II Statesmen, the home Of oratory, the
dwelling place of the historian, and Of the !
hero the scenes of classic reColleCtions and |
81 hallowed associations lie south of Ma
son and bxon's line and when the South
is Frustrated, (which God in his mercy /
never intends the genius OF the world will
weep amid the ruins Of the only true repub-
lie ever known 10 civilized man %
Having established the divinity of slave
~, TO his own satisfaction at least, the Cover
nor declared that all the finer feelings Of
were cherished in the boaoms Of
slave owners
The Governor tells US in his book that
his sentiments have undergone osschange
ince" And to show that he chung to his
'aris and matured ideas Of slavery, he
made this declaration in speech at the
g. Cloud Hotel, in this city, on the 18th Of
March, 1862, only few days after he had
ONE through the Confederate lines:
Gentlemen, am no abolitionist: / ap-
,laud no sectional doctrines. / am a South
m man, and all my relatives and interests
re thoroughly identified with the South
nd Southern institutions. | was born in
he Old Dominion; my parents we're born
n Virginia, and they and their ancestors
we're all shareholders"
In his speech in Cincinnati on the 4th Of
April, 1862, which he says was substantially
'hat the saidatall otherpoints in the North,
he said
And now LET me call your attention to
he subject Of slavery, the great topic of
ne day. / have no sentiments At the
'outh that no not hold here. / have
10 sentiments here that | do not en-
ertain when am in Tennessee.
should despise myself and merit vour
corn and contempt, if / held one
ct Of opinions at the North and an