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A
ill M E R E D I T H EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR
X S V;
OTIS
RE L I Q 10 N, M O R Ail T T LITIS At V HE, AQRICULTUKX AND OINtRAL INTEUICXKI
S
New Euucg;
VOL. X.-No.
H A LEI GH, S A T URD A Y , F E B RUARY 22, 1 845.
WHOLE No. 455.
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1 1
v
TERMS.
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From the Christian Iteflector.
S TO THE REV. RICHARD FULLER D. D.
." ' . LETTER II. !
' " i i
My dear Brother, In my last letter I took no
tice of some incidental tonics alluded to in your
letter pn domestic slavery. My object was to
shovi that while the North had erred in the man
ner of treating this subject, this error was by no
means peculiar to the North ; and also that the
sensitivemiss in regard to it, which lias of late be
come so universal, had no existence in the early
periods of Jthe history of this country. It seems
to me desirable that the position of both parties
should be changed ; tha the North ; should treat
this subject by a calm yet earnest appeal to the
understanding-and conscience of their fellow-citizens'
at the South, and that the South should in
tite ihe freest possible di scussion of it, from what
ever! Quarter it proceed, !so long as it confine iH
1 self within their limits.
-Jn your; letter it is "stated that 'the. thing affirm
of the slave freely to enjoy the blessings of nor-1
ol and intellectual cahfvatpn, and the privileges of
domestic society, are manifefetlyconicting rights.
One or the other must ovjerrule. If , the right of
the slave be the predominating ; itghl, iraoblishes
slavery, wherever slavery pnterferes Ivitb jU- v vi
AVere I therr fore.! to define the riiht of tlaverv.
I should go somewhat faruieir than ybu have gone.
I suppose it to be the right to oblige'! another to la
bor for me, without his contract or corf sent, with the
additional right to use all lh means! necessary to
ensure the exercise of thes original n?ht. -L
J3ut it is asserted that Ms
evil.: Here I think a most
is to be taken. The term moral eilil may be us-
cd to designate two ideasj widely dissimilar from?
each other, and dependingj upon entirely dinerent
principles. In the one scijisej it means wrong; the
violation of the relations which exist! between the
parties, the transgression ol amoral jiw of God. In
the other sense it signifies the personal guilt which
attaches to me Demg wrjo poes tne vvrong, violates
the obligation, or transgresses the law. In the
I 1 i
first srnsf. moral evil deoends unortl the immuta
ble relations which God his establisied between
his moral creatures. In t
avery & . not a moral
imponani uisuncuon
ed and denied is, that
that slavery is, in itself,
slavery is a moral evil,'
a sin ; a sin amidst any
ing personal guilt, it may vary in Uliflerent per
sons, and at dinerent tirnesi ana pepenas upon
licht. knowledcre of dutv. rheansof ootaininsr infor
o . r 1 i 1 1 o .. . , ,
mation on the subiect, &c. It is manifest that wo
can take no proper view of his" sulbiect, without
i if
considering these two meanings separately.
It has seemed tome that much of the misundcr-
e second
subject has a
this obvious
t
standing which has existed "tin this
risen from the want of attention 16
distinction. We at the North hav
loo exclusively the first, and you at
exclusively the second, of tliese meanings of. the
term moral. evil. . The one phrty has shown that
slavery is always a violation of ngl
fore ahvavs involving equal guilt.
urged the circumstances in which
slaves are placed, and have aimed tp
their present condition they were
circumstances, You also, with great truth and
franlcness, ladd, 4if slavery be a sin, it is. the im
mediate duty of masters to abolish ; it, whatevejr
be the result: this vou urge and this I grant.' I
believe tha in these latter expressions-ou give ut
terance to (the real sentiments of your heart, t
believe lhat you have submitted yourself wthout
reserve to the whole will of God, in so far as he
l"U shall revea it to you. I well know the flattering.
t"v rm!sri-it whlrh Vnn Hhnndoned in order to become
a prwccWlof th goeprlof Christ. I believe that
he sane principles would govern you in this case':
and jhat as soon as you1 shall be convinced that
the rule ot Christian duty ..requires of you an'
other course than that which you, now adopt, you
willf at any sacrifice whatever, act in accordance
with your convictions. It is in this confidence
that address you on this subject with peculiar
pleasure, jl hope that if 1 am convinced of error
I shall be enabled to act from the same principle?.
It majr perhaps be proper to state that I have
neve - expressed my views of slavery in the form
to w iich you have alluded. The assertion is am
biguous ir meaning, god may admit of several
very diflerent answers, jll could not pretend to af-
firmbr denv it in this indefinite and indeterrlnri-
c
t, and there
he other has
Hev and their
show that in
i i
not cuargeaoie
with guilt, . and hence thai what they do is not
wrong. i
Let us endeavor calmly ito: consider both of these
meanings of the phrase mhrhl evil.1
In the first sense, When
ry is not a moral evil, we
man in slavery: as it ha3
right, that it violates po la
nance with no moral re
man and man. Now I be
(sense, mean-
I may go farther andbscryeji that by the will
of the Creator certain Orjoc5inatand temporary
relations are established fr$rfg! htunan beings. A
mong these are the relatibWoT husband and wife,
and parent and child. From 'these relations cer.
tain obligations arise, and fo tho fulfilment or
these obligations, God holds tho parties individu
ally responsible to him. ..With these obligations
no other human being has5'7ight to interfere.
The laws which God liasKrvih reenecting them
in his Word, transcend tuw',t)verrule and abrogate
all counteracting. IawspF roan. Every man is
bound to obey these Iaj,vs.wfiich : God himself has
enacted, nor enn any man" rightfully present any
obstacle to this obedience. I 'might pursue this
subject, further, but. , I have said , enough to illus
trate the nature of my belief. t,
That all these ideas are involved in the concep
tion of a human nature, I ihu;ko one can deny.
And if this bo not denied, I do not perceive how
the Bubject in this view admits of any argument.
it is n matter oi lmmeaiato moral consciousness.
I; know and feel that by virtue of my creation, I
possess such a nature.,, I feel that the rights
which I have described were conferred on me by
the immediate endowmont of God. I feclihat
with the exercise of these my rights, no created
being can interfere, without doing me an aggrava
ted wrong, and violating the law to which we are
both subjected by our Creator. I am sure, tny
brother, you feel all this as keenly as any man a
live. . You feel it, not by virtue of any constitu
tion of government, or any enactment of "civil law,
but simply and truly because you are a man.
And is not every other man, fir precisely the same The individual, or those who preceded him, may
e considered j reason, endowed with the same right, and is not ; have surrendered their individual right over it to
the South as . the violation of these rights as great a wrotg in ' the society. In this case it may happen that the
j individual cannot act as he might act, if the law
had not been made. In this case the evil can on-
it is affirmed that slave-
int to hold a
e explained is
and is at va-
between
ieve directly the reverse
L
assert,
been abpv
vviof God,
-ation' existing
holding this opinion
&
ato i
hape.
of this. I believe it to be wrong, utterly and ab
solutely at variance with the relations which God
has established between his moral and intelligent
ereatures. My reasons lor
are briefly as follows.
I suppose that 'Goo, of bne blood, made all men
that dwell upon the earth that we are all par
takers of the same nature, as we are all the chil
dren of one common parent, j I suppose that this
common nature is not affected, in lanv resoecL bv
-7- - , r . , K - , ,
the color of the skin, the difference: of the hair, or
any other variety of physiqal'lbrmation. I believe
also that this nature remains; the same under eve
ry degree of intellectual development. A man
may be wiser or less wise, tie maUy be more or
less richly endowed in mental capacity, he may
be more or
less ignorant
differences affect not our common notihre. He is in
i
'at
u
h
i
ioi
he
It will be necessary therefore to fix
its different meanings. - and then offer m v views
' - j i i , -
upod each of them. i I
pu remark, it is ' affirmed that 'slavery is a
moril evil.j This you deny, and assert, as I sup-
posei on the contrary, that slavery is not in Use
a moral evil. 4 ;
ou,'dehne slnrprtr t.i ht nn nWioratioTi to labor
, J O i
for the benefit of the master, without the contract
or consent of the slave.' j I understand you, then,
to assert, that the master has a right to oblige the
slavp to labor for his (the master's) benefit, with
out the contract or consent of the slave. Now if
the toaster have this right, he has also the right to
use all means necessary to enforce and to render it
, permanent. He has aright to protect himself a
gairist every thing xhat; would interfere with tke
exercise of this right. If the intellectual or mor
al cultivation of the slave would interfere with the
was er's power to enforce this right, he has the
righ I .tO arrpst tbic nnTtivntirtn nt nrnr nnint lie
chodses, or to abolish it altogether. If this right
xisp, therefore, I do not perceive that any excep
tion can bie taken to the sternest laws which have
ever been, enacted in any of the Southern States,
prohibiting, under the severest penalties, the edu
atfJaof negroes, and. forbidding them to asscm-
DIQiOr the Wnrshln nf finrl ptr.fnt nndpr thi strict
rstisurvei anr.p.
h not renlttr
: j --e"-
WMrated. FIthpf tKo riabt nf tho mrifctpr tr n.
U1L
ber of the pocicty, for all the wrong which the so that is first in his own cause secmclh jcat : tut
his neighbor comcth and acarchrth tun and the
. t. -.t? i? ii
rcsmi oi mis acarcning invanauiy is, mar, at Jeau
in the judgment of the neighbor' party, the fint
becomes last and the last erst.
It is, then, the clear responses of the sacred or
acles to which jve must after nlJ appeal. But aa
wc may rest assured that no science, truly kj call
ed, will be found opposed to revelation ; and n J
abhor and abjure the blasphemy which would
charge the Bible with countenancing' tin ; I dial!
suspend what still appear to me fwrith deference)
to be the uncqoivocal argument from the Scrip
tures, until I examine the logic usually employed
on this subject-ptny principal object being to vin
dicate the inspired volume from having,, at. any
time or place, permitted and regulated & crime uf
the darkest malignity. i
Now. in order to clear cway rallWiJ and tr.
nve at once at the point, let me remind you that
it is simply theesscntial character of slavery which
we arc discussing j and that slavery is a term
whose meaning can be clearly and easily defined.
Slavery is bondage. It is (to give Paley't idea ia
other language) the condition of one to whose ser
vice another has a right, without the consent cr
contract of the servant. The addition you maW
to this defiuitjon is really includcd'in it ; theorig
nal right involving, of course, all rights necea-an-ly
and properly implied. But, my oear brother,
while I concur fully in the conclusions you draw
from the premises assumed, it really seems to. me
that those premises beg the whole question, and
take for granted the only thing I ever denied. I
am now referring to your second communication :
a m
notning can oe more carefully and lucidly reason
ed, and the abolitionists declare they 'have read do
ciety binds itself to uphold and render pcrpct
ual. ; : .-
..The: Scriptures frequently allude to the fact,
that wrong done by law, that is by society, is
amenable to the same retribution as wrong done
by the individual. Thus, Psalm 94-.20 23.
Shall the throne of iniquity have fellowship with
them which frame mischitf by a law, nnd gather
themselves together againt the soul of the righteous,-and
condemn the innocent blood 1 But the
Lord is my defence ; and my God is the rock of
my refuge. And he shall bring upen them their
own iniquity, and shall cut them off in their own
wickedness ; yea, the Lord our God shall cut them
ofl? So also Isaiah 10: 1 4. Vo unto them
thst decree unrighteous decrees, and that write
grievousncss which they have prescribed ; to turn
aside the needy from judgment, and to take away
the right from the poor of my people; that widows
may be their prey, and that they may rob the
fatherless ! And what will we do in the day of
visitation, and in the desolation which shall come
from far 1 to whom will ye flee for help 1 and
where will ye jeave your glory 1 Without me
they shall bow "down under the prisoners, and they
shall fall under tho slainl For ull this his anger
is not turned a wfly, but his hand is stretched out
still." Beside?, persecution for the sake of reli
gious opinion ii always perpetrated by law ; but
this in no manner affects its moral character.
There is, however, one point of difference, which
arises from the fact that this wrong has been e
stablished by law. It becomes n social wrong.
his case as in either yours or my own 1
To present this subject in a jsimplc light. Let
us suppose that your family and mine were neigh-; ly be eradicated by changing the opinions of the
bors. We, our wives nnd children, -are human society, and inducing them to abolish the law. It
beings in the sense that 1 ha voj described, and, in will however be apparent that this, as I said be
consequence of that common Creator, are subject fore, does not change the relation of the parties
to the law. thou sialt love thv neighbor as thmelf. either to each other or to God. The wrong exists
Suppose, that I should set fire to your houe, shoot ns before. The individual act is wrong. The
you as you came out of it, and j seizing upon your f law which protects it is wrong. The whole aoci
wife and children, 'oblige them to labour for my ; ety, in putting the law into execution, i wrong,
benefit, without their contract lor consent.' Sup- Before, only the individual, now, the whole socie-
pose, moreover, aware that I could not thus oblige ty, becomes the wrong doer, and for that wrong
them., unless thev were inferior in intelcct to ' both the individuals and th? society are held re-
myself, I should forbid tllem
consign them to intellectual
argument from any quarter so simple and vet so
conclusive against slavery.' And yet, after seve
ral limes perusing this Utter, will my brother for.
give my saying that it presents to my mind pre
cisely the following problem, and no other : Slav
ery being admitted to be an aggregate of crimes,
it is required to prove that itYs criminal as to
which you very justly add, I do not perceive how
the subject in thi view admits of any argument.
Let me go a littlelnto detail. Your conclusion
is, that slavery is not only a moral evil, but as
gaeat a sin as ve can conceive of f and this you
derive from two propositions, both of which I hum
bly apprehend to be fallacious. First, you affirm
that the right of the master is irreconcilable with
than mj
khls, as perfeci-
hq stands with
to the Creator
every respect, notwithstanding all
ly a human being as mysqlf and
me in precisely the sasne i relations
and Father of. us all, i
I believe that every human being is endowed
with an immortal soul, afidj that
the present state of probataon , a candidate for ev
, - . , . 1 I ' ... !
er.asung- nappmess on everlasting'
an intellect capable of endless
knowledge, and is animated! with
prove that intellect to the utmost
given him a right to improve it,
tent he pleases. He is endowed wi
self,, but these
woe.
a
ro
ll
agression
He has
in
nesire to im-
and God has
whatever ex
a conscience
1 .1 m .
I5 tho blzve trt lahtvr Iwithont his rnnsfint mri-
ers the right over his intellectual and moral nature,
0r Noes not. - If it does then it may be rightfully
ex :rcisedIt is a right given me by God, over anoth
id 1 tnay use it innocently, at mv own discre-
. P lat is, I may control his intellectual and
""pi nature just in solar as is necessary in or-
MCf to secure to myself the exercise of the origm
'''p which God has given me. If, on the other
"ajd, it does not exist, then the slave in these re
Pjcts stands to me in precisely the same relation
asiany other man. I have no more right to in
i Ner lyjtjj his intellectual or moral improvement
jn Uh that of any other man. He is in these
rejpct as free as I am myself ; and to interfere
Jth him is both cruel and uniust. Nav more.! I
1: J d to use all the means in my power to el-
! J7 n improve him; just as I am bound to do
vJJ K)all other men, as I have opportunity.
to state the matter in another form. The
v.4lcl the master over the slave, and the right
J 1 - if nw liJUU
i,nnii ; k-i i wv i.- rf . - -
ciiwuisj ik w i j ,i icu juu uire a servant tor
year, he is under obligation to labnr for yoor ben-
.Ri' . J L... J . .... .r
tui wu uoes your ngnt to his service.
to read, and thus Sponsible in the sight of God.
and moral imbe-1 I have thus endeavored as clearly as possible to
cihty. buppose I should measure out to them illustrate tny views upon the question, is slavery i the right of the slave to the blessings of moral
the knowledge of God on the! fame principle. a moral evil 1 understanding by these terms, wrong, ; and intellectual cultivation, and tne privilrres of
suppose 1 should i exercise tjns dominion over or violation of moral law. ihe consideration ot j domestic society ; which I deny. Why indeed
mem anu meir cuuuren as iouj as x nveu, nna ine scconu meaning ot me pnrasc i must reserve
then do all in my power to retjideir it certain that j for another occasion.
my children shall do it after me?" The question It may perhaps be propor for me here to state,'
.mm-m. AA l. l ..II I ' 1 . II A I A Z M. 1 I 1 A 1. A I . . .
ueiure ua 1 supposse to w sinipiy iuis, wouiu l m unce lor an, mat in tuese remarks nnu uiosc uiai or your right to 'use all means necessary to th
so uomg act at variance wun vnereiai ions existing t may lonow, i spean as tne organ oi no party ana ' original right,' conflict with his right toHhe bless
between us as creatures of God I Would 1, in olh- of no sect. I belong to none. Iam not and I j ings of moral and intellectual cultivation, and the
er words, violate the supreme jaw of my Creator, ' never have been connected with any abolition soci- privileges of domestic society V The term mor
Thou shalt love thy neighbor j as thyself, or that ety, and I believe that I have read as much on one al cultivation' means, I suppose, improvement in
other, Whatsoever- ye would that men would do side of the question nson the other. I write what ; holiness ; now, suppose a slave to have the word
unto you, do ye even so unto tjiem 1 I do not see seems to me the simple dictate of my individual ! of Goil, and to enjoy all the means of grace, why
how any intelligent creature cn give more than ' understanding and conscience, enlightened I hope1 should his moral improvement be impossible be
one answer to this question. Then I think that j by the teachings of the Holy Scriptures. Nay, I cause he labors for my benefit 1 In fact mMit
c v i jr iiiiciiitufc vn.a uic uiuh unit in muv iu uu m.i uiumi iiiai inu cillliiicuis v iiit.il i uut u uu-
this is wrong or, in the other jTocm of expression, vancevl are by necessity involved in the character
that it is a great moral evil. ; Can we conceive of
any greater 1
j not his very, position shelter him from many of
those temptations of nride. and avarice and miL
which I hold as an American citizen. I do"not j tion, which are most fatal to piety ! Then, again,
know that I have advanced a single sentiment as to intellectual cultivation the laboring popub-
Again, suppose my neighbor offers me money, J which is not comprehended in the notable words ; in all countries have but little taste or time for lit
ble of rnofal obligation
In virtue of this en-
ive duty to seek by all
.vhich renders him suscept,
both to God and to man.
dowment, it is his impern
means to know the will of
ienable right to serve God in the manner which
he believes will be most pleasing tc the Creator.
He has powers of external! action, and by means
of his intellect he may ulel these powers-for the
improvement of ; his own condition', and, provided
he use them not in violation of the equal rights of
his brethren, he may employ them as he will, and
the result of this employ rhent is strictly and ex
clusively his own. i i i
But more than this. Elvery h iman being is a
fallen creatuie. He is a sinner against God, and
is exposed, for his transgressions, to
nation of everlasting deatht ! God
that he gave his only-bego ten Son, that whosoev
er believeth in him should apt perish but have ev
erlasting life. To one possessing this nature, Je
susCririst has mad in the ( gospel the offer of e
'ternal salvation. The New Testament constitutes
his message, addressed to every child of itdam.
Upon our understanding and obeying it the etern
al destiny of every one o us depends, livery
human being has a perfect right to know every
word that God had addressed to him, and as per
feet a right to the use of all i the means by which
this knowledge may be obtained.! ! These rights
and I, for the sake of this monev, transfer some of
these children to him, to oblige them 'to labor for
his benefit, without; their contract or consent j' and
takes all the means, as before stated, which shall
enable him to exercise this power. Docs this
iransfer of money from him to me in any respect
modify the relations which exist between him and
them as creatures of God, or abolish that law by
which God has ordained that all our actions to
wards each other shall be governed They are
the same human nriture, and they stand in the
same relations to God and to each other that they
did before. The transfer of silver from him to me
neither makes one party more nor the other less
than human beings 5 hence their actions are to be
judged of by precisely the same rule as if no such
introduction to our Declaration of! eraturc j but if our slaves were taught to read, I
Wc hold these truths to be self-1 know no class of neoDle emnloved in mmmil ';.
1 4 -
dustry who would have tnoreliesure for booki
which form the
Independence.
evident,' (that is, so evident that they arc, from
the principles of the human inind, admitted as Many Ikmau slaves were hard students they
soon as they are stated,) 'that all men are created were employed as amanuenses, and their ralua
equal, (that is, equal in right to use the endow- was in proportion to their edocatioo. And so, too,
ments of the Creator as they choose, though not as to domestic society, why should it not be co
equal in endowments,) 'that they are endowed by joyed by those who -labor for a master The
their Creator with certain inalienable rights,' (that j right of a master, 1 repeat it, does not confer any
is, rights from which they cannot be rightfully j such rights as you suppose. He may require the
alienated,) 'and that among these are life, liberty, 'just and reasonable service of the slave, but it is a
and the pursuit of happiness.' I do not know how service exactly such as is due from a servant hir-
eise in so lew words i could express my opinions ed for the year or for life. Nor docs the absenc
the condem-
. 1 . .
so, loved him
God, and it is hisinnl- transfer had taken place. Hence I cannot resist
ior conclusion mat tne act in question is, ns oe-
fore, wrong ; and that slavery, with this modifica
tion, is again, ns before, a moral evil.'
I will offer but bne . more supposition. Sup
pose that any number, for instance one half of the
families in our neighborhood, should agree to treat
the other half in the manner that I have describ
ed. Suppose we should by law enact that the
weaker half should be slaves, that we would exer
cise over them the authority; of masters, prohibit
by law their instruction, and concert among our
selves means for holding them permanently in their
present situation. In what manner would this
alter the moral nspect of the case 1
A law in this case is merely! 0 determination ef
on8 party, in which all unite, to hold the other
party in bondage ; and a compact by which the
whole party bind themselves to assist every indi
vidual of themselves to subdue all resistance from
the other party,1 and guaranteeing to each other
that exercise ef this power over the weaker party
W'hieh they now possess. j j ,
Now Icannot see that this in any respect chan-
ges me nature 01 tho parties. 1 1 hey remain, as
before, human beings, possessing the same mtellcc
on this subject.
I am, my dear brother, yoars with every scnli
ment of regard, j
The Atmioit of toe Moral Science.
and obligations seem to me to an$e specially and tual and moral nature holding the samo relations
exclusively from the relations established by uoa to each other and to God, and still under the same
between the creature and himsell mcrciore wim unchangeable law, tThou shalt lovo thy ncighboi
them no other creature of I God, not even; the an-; as thyself. ; By the act of holding a man in bond
gels of heaven, hare a rigljt! to interfere, j lhey nge, this law is violated. XVrong is done, moral
were ordained from the-bei nningv ere even
The hills were formed thb fountains opened '
Or the sea with all its roaring multitude of waves;'
and no ordinance of man lean in any manner vary
or annul tnt rn
evil is committed. I In the former case it was done
by the individual j now it is done by th:; individ
ual and the society. Before, the individual was
responsible only for his own wrong ; now he is
Responsible both for his own, and also, as a mem-
of 'the contract or consent of the alave, nor the
t - . f a .
ngnt 01 transicr, at all alter the nature and extent
of the master's right. The case is analogous to
that of parents and children. A father has a right
to the services of his child during minority, with
out the contract or consent of the child j and he
may transfer that right, as in case of apprentice
ship ; but is he therefore justified in debasing the
moral and intellectual character of the child 1
Mr dear Brottiek, Tho issue now before ns Nay, does not the very law which gives him tho
regards the essential moral character of slavery, 1 control of his child, place him under the strongest
and on such a question I am strongly disposed to ! obligations to promote that child's best and eternal
pass by nil ethical and metnphysicnl dissertation, interests 1 And, beyond a doubt, this is the true
and appeal at once to the only standard of right j light in which Christianity would have masters re-
and wrong which can nrove decisive, ror tny card themselves a view which mntt rna ft,.
- hvw
From the Christian Reflector.
TO THE REV. FRANCIS WAYLAND, JR. D. D.
LETT Lit II.
own part, I om heartily sick and weary "of the
controversies and debates waged and waging on
every side, in which each party is contending, not
for truth, but victory, and which have etlected just
nothing,' for the want of some arbiter recognized
by all, and whose decree shall be final and infalli
ble. Now such nn umpire we have. Whatever
importance others may attach to the deductions
of human reasoning, and thus impiously nrray n-
gainst the Scriptures those 'oppositions of science
falsely .so called, which the Apostle terms 'pro
fane and vain babblin'rs.': vou and I have long
since put on our shields one motto, 'Let God be
true and every man a liar.' There are, indeed,
some. truths which arc seen, like the sun, by their
own light ; but when the character of any human
action admits of discussion at all, it admit?, almost
always, of indefinite discussion. The question it
?lf of innocence and guilt is necessarily complex j
and it is vain, too, in this day of knowledge and
mental discipline, to expect any such signal re
sults as formerly belonged to the trial by battle.
No matter how an advocate seems to establish hi
opinion?, mey wm not prove luvumcraoie. iie
nunc, muungsi us 10 iremoio at our ianui re
sponsibility, and bow down in contrition and pen
itence at our unfaithfulness. .But this is only
what I fear to be too true as to most parents ; and,
in each case, it is not the relation which is sinful,
but infidel ly to the solemn trust which that rela
tion creates.
The proposition addaccd by yon is only a mod
ification of another which has po often been urged ;
viz : that man cannot be made a subject of prop
erty j ti to which who but sees that the wholo
perplexity arises from a confusion of terms t Tb
affirmants mean, that it is wrong to treat human .
beings as brutes and inanimate chattels; which "
self-evident. Those who support the negative in
tend only, that one man may hare a just right to
the services of another, and that this right may U
transferable ; which is also self-evident. Hera the
dispute would at once cease, if the term property
were defined. And just so with ua. Your con
clusions are quite iudispntable, if slavery be essen
tially and necessarily tho compound of palpable
infractions of right which you Mppoar. But thin
you surely do not maintain. Yo? Ctflarply di