Year: 1859

Although the subject selected for the exercise


Of this evening may, to many, seem hackneyed


and thread bare, the importance of the influence


which it exerts, world wide, upon human affairs


may be urged sufficient for its persistive


investigation. No event. since the advent of Je


sus Christ. has transpired to produce SO profound


an impression upon society, as the banding to-


eethsr Of a few obscure individuals twenty eight


years since with resolute and persevering de-


termination to overthrow the system cf chattel


slavery in tho United States of America. The


policy which they adopted in the outset and from


which they have never devated, has been to app


ply to the measures Of all organizations. both


political and ecclesiastical, and to the conduct Of
individuals, tests, tho doctrines of the Declara'


ton of Independence, and of the New Testament.


Whatever they have found in contravcntion of


the principles taught in these, they have been


bold in denouncing as Aut-Repubican. and An


ii Christian, whether embodied in Constitutions,


in the Platforms of parties, with their method of
carrying them out, or promulgated by Synods'
Presbyteries General Assemblies, Yearly Meet
ings, Annual and General Conferences or practc'
cd in social usage. Their movement, in fact,
gives to christianity practical existence instead
of leaving it TO he professed mere theory.
Although their names have been cast out evil,
and have become as a byword and Kissing to the
nation, the consequence of their faithfuness to
truth are to be variously, in the disruption OF
parties and sects, until the attention of the whole
civilized world has been attracted to the ever
thickening contest between truth and error, of
which the United States have been the principal
arena Even the superficial observer is becoming
aware that never again can there be either peace
or truce, between the contestants, until the free
dom of all irrespective Of condition, color, shall
be achieved. And tits equally apparent that neu
trality of position however desirable to the timd
is impossible, and that the influence of every in
dvidual is of necessity felt upon one side the
other in the conflict. A question of such mo.
ment, involving not only the welfare of society,
but the eternal salvation of each member thereof,
cannot be Investigated with too much of care and
soemnity. Your serious attention is invited then
to brief presentation of facts in connection with
slavery in the United States, and the character Of
the measures necessary for its overthrow.


The census of 1850 furnishes with the only
reliable data from which to compute the relative
proportion of slaves and slave.claimants in the
country at the present moment The enumeration
OF our pOpulatOn dl tudJ poTlOu Hhfo tuo NUMBER
of Slaves as 3,204 ,3I3, held property by 347,.
.525 persons, which afforded average of nine
slaves and fraction, to each individual assuming
ownership in human beings. Observing the ratio
of increase in the slave population, during sever.
al preceding decsnnial periods, We find that it is
probably below the truth to estimate that there
are now 100000 slaves under the jurisdiction Of
this government. Is the appalling fact sufficient
iy appreciated by all, that a people, numbering
more by one fourth than this whole nation when
1t threw of its allegiance to the crown of Great
Britain, is to be found upon our soil, dvested of
avery personal right, and claimed. and held as
propertyi


p When we remember the hardship the degrade.
tiOn, aud the suffering endured by the slave, and
the love of liberty which lives eternal in the hui
man breast it is impossible for to suppose these
millions are held in bondage by the unasssted
power Of the few who monopolize their earnings
1t is obvious that one man could not continue two
much less ten, the probable present average, Of
slaves in his possession, without aid from others
With no one to inform him of the course in flight
the fugitive had taken, nor to assist directly
or indirectly in his recapture, the tyrant could
never succeed in keeping victim enthralled for
any considerable period Of time. In ascertaining
tho power by which they are held, we are eompell-
ed TO look beyond that class which claims prop