Year: 1859

tion of heartlessness in this work which gives no
promise of good. 1t is the sin Of slavery which
threatens the welfare of our country, which is
corruptng the life-Olood of society and provoking
the wrath of Heaven. Au ill-ad usted system of
labor, an unnecessary burden of taxation, an un-
equal distribution Of the advantages of govern
ment-all the natural evils resulting from slavery
we could tolerate and sustain but tho debase-
ment of the public conscience, the corruption of
the public morals, then emesis which pursucs with
sleepess vigilance nation of oppressors--this
burden we cannot endure. One only path Of safe
ty opens to us--that of doing justly and loving
mercy and walking humbly with our God" This
work is scarce begun. Our politicians interest
cd to provide free territory for free men, and to
lay strong platforms, broad enough for white
mans party )" but what trihing is this The
great guilt of oppression with it's impending ret.
ribu.ion still abdes-the great duty "to loose the
bands of wckedness, to undo the heavy burdens,
to let the oppressed go free, and to break every
yoke" still remains uDdone. We do not wish to
undervauc the political anti-savery interest which
prevails; but how little of it hns even the sem
blance of repentance for wrong doing and of zeal
fer righteousnessi Here is work tor the Christian
men Of the land. ..... -.


3,Closely allied to this indifference to the claims
of the oppressed, ia the cold hearted and repehing
prejudice Uhch erists against the colored race both
bond and free-a standing illustration of the truth
discovered of old, that men hate them they have
injured.


t:..~
ment to abate this cruel sentiment, or to correct
the wrongs which spring from it. Black laws de-
file the statute books of our own and other free
States, excluding the colored race from the polls,
from the public school and from other privileges Of
citizens and no political party has the courage to
demand that the barbarism shall be ezpunged
But why speak Of political parties, when this
plague-spot mars even "feasts Of charity,"-
when Churches, and affairs, and public and private
charities are stained with the defement2 Let us
remove this beam from our own eye that we may
see clearly to extract the mote from our brothers
eye. We deny the false science which assigns
diversity of origins to the human race-shall we
take to our breasts religion which fails to recog-
nize that God hath ade of one blood all nations
of men to dwell on all the face Of the eat.h q


- A. Need we speak Of the siqps, trade whieh4 ia
already lifting It's hideous form in the open pres
ence nf the nation f-the seriest srnonstrosity Of
wickedness which the sun ever looked upon !! 1t
demands tho right to be as the first offspring Of
slavery, that mother of abominations," and has
not slavery been sanctioned and sanctiied by two
hundred years of legislation Where is the moral
force to grapple with the demon !? Where even
the heaven-appointed striplng with his firm
smooth stones to meet this monster ''that de6cs
the armies of the living God :" Here and there
is raised the feeble remonstranoe, "why do ye so
wickedly +" but there is needed the concentrated
moral indignation of the people to blast with a
breath. The revival Of the slave trade is little
less than settled fact The public conscience is
daily becoming accustomed to the idea, and the
prospect is that soon the South and the North will
become alike involved in the practice, the profits
and the shame Of this last invention of oppression
Shall not God visit for these things? Shall not
his soul be avenged on such a nation as this ?"


In the very presence of these great wrongs
there is pressing danger in the disposition to mar
row the basic Of the anti-slavery party to prin-
cipe of general policy, leaving almost untouched
the vital questions Of freedom and slavery-dan-
ger that the aims Of the people will become as
narrow and soulless the platforms of the party
danger that even these firm principles will at
length be surrendered to the demand for more
liberal basis" which shall sacrifice strength Of
principle to strength of numbers, resulting in the
unmeaning triumph of an Opposition, u,"-danger
that candidates for office will be sought, not among
those who have positive convictions and CORES
ponding practice, those who have been tried and
found faithful, but from men of uncertain position
and unknown principles-men who will prove a
broken reed in the day of trial. to those who trust
in them,


To preserve the small remnant of vitality which
now exists in the anti-slavery party. there is an
absolute need Of q higher demand in the people
greater earnestness of aim and effort-a full con-
yiction of the wrongfulness of slayery-deepcr
sympathy with the slave, and q determination that
never wavers that the monstrous wrong shall
cease. What power but that Of Christian benev-
olence and zeal shall breath this spirit abroad up
on the people, ...


To conclusion let US say, that we counsel no fa-
raticism, religious or political We do not expect
to cast out devils in the of the prince of dew
lis. The Christian zeal and effort which we COM
mend is the only proper antidote to fanasicism.
Bitter and malignant zeal springs up in the pres
euce of great wrongs unrebuked by those whose
obvious duty it is to rebuke them-regarded with


Indifference by those whose souls should kindle
with intense anxiety to abate them. We only ask
you, Christian friends, to look nations sin and
shame in the face--to let il rest with solemn
weight upon your conscience and your heart, and
prompt you to such effort and temperate zeal as
the kindliest charity shall approve. And whatev,
er the result, you shall thus acquit yourselves Of
your responsibility and if judgment must be-
gin at the house of God" you shall at least be
spared among "those who sigh and cry for all the
abomina lions that are done in the land"


Nerve learn from the GAINESVILLE Caurier tha