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Anniversary Discussion

Anniversary Discussion image
Parent Issue
Day
20
Month
February
Year
1843
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

Mr. Stewart, President of the society, on taking the cliair, made eome introductory remarks on the evils of slavery, and the means which could be üsed for its exttrpation. These were by the alteration of public sentiment hy disseminnting infonnation upon tlie sub-jf et, and by acting politicülly against slaver y, by direct legislation, in all proper ways. These two modes oi iction had the same end in view, and ahhough different, they were not necessarily opposed to each other. Tliere nced be no acerbity of feeling between those who war against sla vet y only as a moral evil, and those who regard it aa a great poli tical curse, established by law, to be removed by poliiical action. Rev. Mr. Wè$t, of Monroc, was obliged to leave the meetinj in a shott time, and wished the privilege of making a few reniarks on the antislavery enterprise. He had often spoken on the subject, both in Scotland and America; and yct he had never taken part in a poliiical convention in eithcr country; and he could also say he had never voted f r a supporter of slavery. A note had been put into his hand, apparcntly as a text for hïin to preach from, nsking hiin to. explain wliat consistency ther was in using moral suasion against a great political evil, and then voting from year to year to sustain that evil. - In ansvver to this he would say, that there was just as much consistency in such a course as there would be in the act ion oía temperance man who aiiould sell all his grain to a distiller. and then come up to this Temperance anniveisary to connibutc his iunds and his nfiucnee for the advancement oí the tempei anee cause.Mr. W. was undcrstood to say ihat he waenot opposcd to the Liberty party. Ue"wíshed that eve ry voter in the United Slaícs would vote ogainst slavery. But he 'could not consistently take a part in political anti-slavery conventions. His great business was to pieach tho Gospel of Christ to every creature. In the minds of many there wcs a strong prcjudice against ministers entering political caucuses. and thould he take a part in them,some to whotn the Gospel was now preached mi ght be unwilling to hear it from him. He did not defend this feeling. hie did not say it was right. Heonlysuid that such would be the effect of a given cjurse; and thus, whether the minister were right in pursuing it or not, it was certain the preaching of the Gospel would be 'hereby obstructed. Mr. West's niain proposition was that slavery, as it exiáts iu the United State6, compares with slavery as found among the pagan Romans - and now, as well as then, trainplcs on the claims of the Gospel. Mr. W„ Bustained his positiun at considerable iength, and made a strong itnpreseion on the audience. He showed that Roman sia.'es were held in la w aschattels - pro nullis, pro mortuis, pro quadrupyütnts'' - as no men - asdead men - as four footed beasts - that they wcre scourged, badly íed.put to cruel dcaths, overworked. imprisoned in mines, kpt nearly naked, and oflen branded with (he letters of the owner's name. [Heresomeone inquired what was the color of these slaves? ] Mr. W. said they wcre of all colorsT-just as were the elayes of America- Wüite red, brown, black or olive. They wene trom al-i countricsand climates - some were from i nglnnd, and Eome from Frnnce.- Mr. V. drw a parallel on the points ho had men tioned bet ween Anieiican and Roman slavery. Il has been said ihat kindness to slaves was tho gen eral rule of their treatment, and cruelty the exception. Ho denied this-he believed the reverse to he true. He defied gcntlamen to sliow a condi.ion on this side of Heil worsc than that of the slave. No man or bo dy of men should evcrielucehi.n t) stavcry alive. He could not find words siroag enou gh to express his abhorrence of the iniquity. It'dircily withstnnd s the progressoi the GoP3l, and the command of Ctrtist to preach t to every creatu:c Mr. VV. coucludcd by odverting to the duty of .'Juistias lo .do all üiry eau for iJjc evu llueveoi tliis enornious cvil. The ty3tem was. indeed, for.ificd by legislación, but it was always right to disobcy those laws whicli contraveno the legislo1-' tion of Heaven.

Article

Subjects
Signal of Liberty
Old News