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Christian Slavery

Christian Slavery image
Parent Issue
Day
20
Month
October
Year
1841
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

Dr. Channing has retnarked, that while the evila which afllïct society usually grow lightcr in proportion as knowledge and i lization increase in a community, theburden of slavery grows more ar.d more grievous and intolerable. Slaves to savages are usually in a much better condition tban those of ! their enlightencd and christian neighbors. - They perform less labor, suffer less punish ment6, and enjoy more liberty. This very ■fact was the occasion of the Florida war. - The slaves run away from the planters in Georgia, and the settled parts of Florida, and took refute, in considerable nutnbers, among the savages. Trtie, they were, to a certain extent, made elaves by them, but they bccame inmates of their families, and shared the fortunes of thcir owners, vvhethI er prosperous or adverse. At the commencement of tlie war, it was estimated that five bundred runaways lived in this condition wilh the Iudians, and t appears from officul documents tbat they were the principal means of inciting the Indians to resist the demands of the Government, for fear lest they should be translated from savage to Ghrisüan slavery. John VVesley pronounced American slavery to be "the vilesc that ever saw the sun," and a comparison of the condition of the slaves it; the United States, wilh those of any olher part of the globe, wili show that Christian slavery is vvor?e than Mahommedan nr Pagan, and that Wesley'ö assertion, at the end of a century, is as trtie as when it was first uttered. The cnlightenedjnrisuan siavenotaer pos?esses a Discrimina ng rnind, and often extensive knowledge-. dis plans of labor and business for his j aüon are laid ivith care and forethought, nd executed systematically. He works his laves upon a system. He provides for their ndispensible wanis, and in return appropntes all their time. The master is regular nd systematic in working his slave, in feedng him, in floj-ging hirn, in abridging him of ócial and ruligious piivilegesand j al advanttiges. In eavage üfe, the slave shares wiih lus master the unerenness of ife; he works with him in the field, or pursuers with him in the chase or fights vi;h urn in ihe battle. In his lïts of anger, his I naster will abuse him, and perhaps sonie imes kill him. Bnt he does not, like a Christian masterj systematically degrade his slave to the condition of a b?ast. He is not jpovided with a great variety of instruments of torture, which may inflict the greatest ! physical suffering upon the slave, and yet i rnpair but little liis capacity of boing profitable to his employer. The exercise of the social and religious feelings, or of ihe intelectual powers, is but little restrained. Rev. J. Porkins, missionary to Persia, ' writes f rom Oroomiah as follows;"The conclíiion of the Nestonan Ohrislians, too, for whoso salvation we are more j )ariicularly laboring, is such as often ! inind us of the slaves of America. They are trodden down to thcdust by their ïommedan masters, not for difterence ofi ocilóf, but for beaving the name of Christ. lt is truly affecting to witness their j dation, and often their sufi'erings. There is, however, bul a small oomparison , tween the rigors and horrors of their condition,and thalof thesoutliern slave. The Neslorian, notwithstanding ail his disabilities is never bought or solcl - he may hokl private property to some extent - may receive missionaries to instruct him - may send hiá children to school - enjoys the sanctuary of his house unmolested, and feels aud acts as thou.'h he thought himself a man. Yes, though I blush and my heart sinks within me at the acknovvledgment, yot truthand candor compel me to sny, that in all my tra veis and residence in these dark realns of Mahomjil-dan DEsruTisur, 1 hare seen nothing in the shane ofoppression to equal and scarcely lo bear comparison with the rigors aud abuminations of that under which mïllions of inmortal beiñgs are at this moment groaning in our own Christian, Protestant, Republican Amekica. Were the natives of this country to know the extent and the enormities of slavery in America, how pointedly would they apply to us the cuttingr proverb, "Physician, heal thyself!" Yet wbile Christian slavery is thus the most cruel of any under heaven, the American Board sends its agents to those who de fend itas a Gospol institution to ask for funds to evangelize the heathen. They ask those who buy and sell their fellosv Christians to take seats with them when they delibérate upon the most approved plan of missionary operations and thus say lo the elaveholder that the gospel, which they send to the heathen allows thum to tnake merchandize of their brethren and sisters in the Lord.