Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-02-20


they were crucified whenever their
masters felt disposed to do so. In case
OF sickness they were exposed to die,
so their masters were relieved of the
duty to nourish them. The slaves who
were employed in agricultural pursuits
had to 3weeiii, wTeii Ii III large vaulted under
ground reservoirs (orgestula), where
they were packed together with their
legs tied up and fettered. Even in
daytime they had to work while their
bodies were fastened and the jailers
lying around them like watch, dogs on
the chain.
And so it was, more or less, among
all nations of antiquity. Slavery
doubtless existed in Sparta before
Lycurgus, and had its origin in two
causes. First, the victorious conquer
ors OF a nation made the captives their
slaves. Secondly, tho'e who we're
engaged in war deemed it beyond their
honor to devote themselves to agri-
culture, handiwork, etc., and there
fore compelled the weaker ones of
their own nation to do this work; in
fact, made them gradually their
slaves. But the law-giver lent leg i
sanction to this state OF affairs by
making "Helots" a fixed institution
of the country. The "Helots," or
| Spartan slaves, had no right, no law,
no property, not even safety OF life.
Nobody was punished in Sparta for
killing "Helot," and whenever there
were too many OF them, it was even
regarded a patriotic work to kill
them; so Thucydides informs us that
one day two hundred slaves were
slaughtered like beasts in Lacadae-
mon. This cruelty was the more ter.
rible as the law OF Sparta did not per
nit to sell slave or to make him a
free man. And yet the "Helots"
were born in the country, yea, the
| oldest settlers.
How otherwise the legislation of
Moses on this subject? Judaism
presents itself with the doctrine tina
every man was destined to labor.
This is already expressed in the
pas, age of Genesis: "God had placed
Adam the first man into the garden
! OF Eden" but not that he should
spend his time there in laziness and
UotCc f0f HoHtc, DO ehC 1ldiltilS say
but to W 'rk, to guard it In
the Ten commandments the word:
six days shalt thou labor and do ali
thy ork," are just as important as
those following Immediately after,
"but the seventh day is the day O.
rest" "In the sweat OF thy brows
shalt thou eat thy bread" or H
who eats the fruit of his hands hard
work, is truly happy" and dozen
similar Passages show beyond
a shadow of doubt the dignity
in which work and labor were held in
Judaism. All men are created III the
image OF God, not the progeni'or OF
one race or particular nation exclusive
| ", but the loving Father Of the whole
human race .and from Him the family
Of man has descended, vested with
Equal rights. The complete abo ition,
the total annihilation of slavery by
Judaism at its very entrance upon the
sta se of history, would have been iu
po' sible at that lime, and in direct
conflict with the historical develop
ment OF human relations. For man
kin can only be gradually educated
and reformed, but by no means radi
caly changed at one stroke. Hence
slavery existed among the ancient
Hebrews, but more in name than in
true substance. The new wine,
poured into the old vessel, must
burst it.
Let us, then, first of all, consider
the Hebrew word expressing of a
slave, and we discover that there is
no word covering this meaning in the
Hebrew language-a fact which in
itself is of greatest significance. The
only term, in measure, approaching
this idea is "ebed," derived from,
"abad," to "work.'' or to "labor.''
Now, the word la orer"is, to be sure,
not at all disgracing. For even the
prophet, yea, the expected Messiah
and Redeemer Of the ma ion from mis-
cry and oppression were called "ebed
adonai, "that is Servant OF God" But
not only the word, but also the concep-
ton of slavery was missing among the
Jewish nation and race. An Israelite
became slave then only when he
sold himself as such out of poverty, or
was sold for slave bv order of the
court, in case that he committed theft
and was unable to restitute what he
had stolen. Such slave could re-
deem himself or be ransomed by his
relatives and they were in duty
bound to do so-at any mo-
ment, and his master had
no right whatsoever to re-
fuse the ransom. A neglect Of re-
demption made the slave free after
six years service, and even sooner
than this, when the year OF jubilee
arrived. Then he returned unto his
former civil relations, fully equal in
birth and rights with his brethren.
But in case that he preferred
slavery to freedom, he could,
Of course, not be compelled to
leave, but mark the following law in
such a case. The ear OF such slave
was pierced with an awl to the door.
which slave mark branded him with
infamy. "Why is it," asks Jewish
sage, that of all other parts of the
human body, just the ear was the
member which had to bear the
branding symbols" And his answer
his answer is the noblest vindication
OF personal freedom and the best
proof of the strong refutation OF the
whole system of slavery. The expla-
nation Of the peculiar ceremony is as
follows: "The ear that head from
Sinai proclaiming the sublime declar
alton, The children of Israel are my
servants, my servants are they and
yet, having heard this, did not hinder
a man selling himself to a master
OF flesh and blood must suffer the pun
ishment by bearing forever the de-
grading mark of servituae." What a
sad commentary upon the many min
listers OF the Gospel in this continent.
who were not ashamed to advocate