The American Board Of Foreign Missions

Wb&n this venerable body was request ed at its last annual meeting by seventeen ministère oí New Harnpshire, to break their "studicd silence" on the subject of slavery, they excused ihemselves by insistingon the r.ecesity of pursuing their ■one great object" wiihoul turning aside hem it. But it appears ihat they have repealedly turned aside to express their senliments freely on the sulject of intoxicating drinks. Saya a writer o the Libcraior: „Jn the 31st Annual RopVtjintemperance js denounced as a 'vice,' and ihc 'reformation now going prosperously forward,' is aJluded to with approbation. Whun have the Prudential Cinnmitlee, or the Buard, everalluded to slavery as a sin or a vice, ond spoken of theanti-slavery rcfurmation juoiv going forward, in equal term? of np provalv? VVould it be lurning from ihe 'one great object1 to do so in one caso more ihan the other? in the Thirtieth Annual Report, in speal ing of the Pavvnee lndians, who have hap pily been exempted from intemperate hab- bits, t is said, that 'intoxica tingdrinks, are thobane of their race.' When have the Jioard, or the Prudential Committee, said lis much of slavery as the bane of the colored race? And why should they not lhus spealt wilh regard to slavery, as they have in regard to ntoxicaling drinks? Is not slavery as great a 'vice,'1 and as much ofa 'bane1 as inic mperance? la the Annual Report for 1840, the situation of the Sioux iudians was represented as 'extretnely critica!,1 and it is feared that the payment they are receiving from the United Slutes for lands, by afiording ihem ihemeans of procuring whiskey,1 was Jikely to hastcn the distruciion of the Indians. What a blow against disiillers, corporatiens who license the sale of spiritous 5rs, relailer?, and wlüskey drinkers! l have the Bourd ventured to say as i on the subject of slavery? It is known that manyof tlie Indians have employed the money received fromment for laads, in the purchase of slaves. Wheh have the Board, in ailusion to this circumstance, everreporled ihat the payment which the Indiansare receiving from ihe United States for lands, by affording 'ihe tneans for procuring' slaves, was likely'tohasten their deslruction' temporally and spiritually ? Mr. Frelinghuysen, the iiewly elected President of the Board, in onaddress at the annual meeting, stated that the hopes of the speedy conversión of the world 'derived a povverful encourage ment in view of the triutnphs of the temperance cause. - Hitherto iniemperance iias been a weighty obstacle to the conversión of the world. But a glorious light has broken through the gloom. God is preparing the way of a glorious progresa . The churches is abom to receive the fulfilment of her desires. But all this will not be do'ie without her patiënt and pcrsevering co-operatiun.' But savs Dr. Woods, in the recent report read and accepied before this speech of Mr. F. it appears to bea duty of the first importance Ho continue to pursue our our one great object with undividcd zeal, and to guard VBtchfully against turning osido from it or mixing any olher concern with our nppropriate work as a Board of CDmraissioners for Foreign Missions.' Ah ! it is a legitímate thing to speak of the evils and devas tations of intemperancc - its ruinous effects upon individúala and communities - it is asuliject of gratulation that the pioneer march of temperance principies is preparing tha vay for the spread of tho gospel - but to speak of the evil devastations of slavery, and ita ruinous effectsupon individuals and communiiies - is foreign to the appropriate work of ihe Board.