Press enter after choosing selection

Rev. Mr. West's Sixth Letter

Rev. Mr. West's Sixth Letter image
Parent Issue
Day
4
Month
September
Year
1843
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

We have space only to reler to two or three ; things in this letter. It will be seen that Mr. i West comes out, as was anticipated, an avowed, argumcntalive advocate of the nghtcousness of Christian slaveholding. In another am1 concluding letter which we sliall publish next week, he takes the ground Ihat slavcholders were received into the churches in good fellowship by the Apostles, and ought to be received into our churches. To show the different phaeea of Mr. West's abolition, we pul his position in h'n speech last winter in contrast with his present views, thus: Feb. 9. 1313. Aug. 21. 843. "Mr. West's niain "Few only (of the proposition was, tliat General Assembly) slavery, as it exists in perhaps none, were the United States, perperred to take the ' compares with slavefv responsibility before ' iis found ainong ihe'God and m:in,of saying Pagan Romans - andby tlieir vote, that the now, as well as tlicn, relation of Masler and 05a3 trampi.es on the Slave, uuder all cirCL.Ai.MS ok the Gos-j cumstancL's-.constitutcs vkïJ' ,JQ 'the master guilty of i lic It had been said that'snm of oll villainics,OR kindnessto slaves wasASGUILTYOP ANV the geneial rule of V1LAINY AT ALL." tlieir treatmeut, and"I did give it as niy cruelly the exception. opinión, Ihat the GenHe denied that, he be-jcral Asyeiiibly,circiinilieved the reverse lo'stanccd as" matteis be tnie. He dcfied were, ougiit kot to Hemen to shoio a intkuferk." dition on Ihis side oj (l . Did compnlsorv llvlt woi'rSf litan fhat of slavery exist in tho (he. slave. No man or Apostle's days? Ycy, body ok miï.v should and as vile a system of EVER hkul'ce uim to slavery as ever did, or slavery Ai.ivE. Hüever can exist,if history could kot find woRDsjmay be relied on. 2. strokü enouguto j Were aiiy slaveholders i'iuiss ms ADIIOR-Church meinbers in RSNCR OF THGjihose day.s? Yes, the liN'IQUITY. It Jljiostle Pmdrvferslo reclhj wiTiisTANDS tuk Hum frtqnaitly. 8. - I'rdgrkss the Gos-j Were any (ebaired peí-, and the commnndjcoinmnnion privileges of Christ to preacli itibricause they were fo every creature. Mr. 'shveholders? " No:'nit W. concluded by the uni:y of the Spirit veri ing to the duty of and the bond of peaco, Cnrisiians to do all and (LTtiiií fellowthcy canfor the ship ör the saí?ítSJÍ :lirow of this were eiijoined in the Moes evil.t' most soleinn marnier, ! and upon every occasion." "Dr. Wisneh, in his mnsterly rauhner Iskowcd !mw tlic Aposlles treated llie subject j of slavery as exifiting i in tliose doys: . . . VCffor the nu pose of fiNDUCING .-ÍHB ASS)?MBLY TO 1OLI.OW A SlM1L.AII COUlibE." LJ} New we do not complain of Mr. West for altering or qualifying bis anti-slavery creed as ofien as he pleases; but his celerity is so great that he must not blame tslow mnulded people if they find a dilficulty in ascertaining his tracks.One ihoLight in rclaüon to the nction of t!ie General Assembly. lt is contended ilint a resolution pnssed by a email majority would liave little or no moral forcé. To have nvich weight Mr. W. contunda the majori'y slionld I be "formidable." Suppose we admit this, 1 which we do not admit, ho'v is this formidable majority to be attamed? Why during the next tlirce years, the matte1' will be discussed over in the woods - in the log school-houses,in the tneehanic shops, and by the firosides of poor, hnrdworking members of our churches. Shccmakers, carpenters, woodchoppers, nusons, ü-illers, reopers, mowers, and cvery kind of 'coinmon people" will canvass the whole subject, uutil the (Ugnjtaries of the chrirch, like Mr. Weit and the 1). D.'s who .sucud '.heir time in writinj.f and talk'ng apologies for robbers and baby-3tealers, shall hear tbc sound coming up londer and loudcr in theirears, and in I ii lü. they wül reluctanlly eay as litlle as possible against the cursed system, and when they iind it ineets with no o)posilion, tbc Doctors of Divinity can triumphantly exclaim, liWhat a mighlij "moral injlucnct" otu' dccisions have vpon the chitrchrs!'' This is the truc position of the majority of the Assembly, and one, it appears, that they are ambitious of rctaiiiing'. They come lagging nlong in the rear of evCry impopular reform, beinr, according to their own avowed eystem of action, noihing bit a mere weuthercock, to show the cource of public sentiment. ]f they will stand thtis before the wcrJJ, let them. Weathcrcocks are usually harmless; they indicatc the coursc of the gale, but can neiiher excite nor allay it. Mr. West has an argument somewhat like this, if we enn understand him: In rebuking sin in the chuiches, wo should follow the example of the Apostles: The Apostles did not rebuke Blaveholders nor exclude them from thechurche s: Therefore we should neither censure nor exclude them. Now apply this reasoning to Dancing, which tbe Assembly declared deserving of correction l)y discipline. It will read like this: We ought not to be more rigid ir. rebuking siu than the Apostles: They did not rebuke or censure Dancing, although it prevniled generally in those d'iyü: Therefore the General Assembly ought not to censuro or discipline dancéis. Aceording to Mr. Wcst's argument, in censuring dancers, and declaring the offense disciplinable, the Assembly have greatly transcended their legitímate soliere of action. Mr. West wonders that we should expect any thing creditable from the discussion of an Assembly of such miscreants, such menstealors.slave breeders and blasphemers as we have fctated the majority of the Assembly to be. - He need not wonder. We do not expect ony thing 'creditable' from such men; and those who do will bc disappoinled. Mr. West further Eays: "None indeed, appear dissatislied with theAssembly's decisión of Uiis subject, but thOse wlio calculated before hand upon convertin tlie decisión au unxionsly louked for, had thev obtained ït, inlo capital al the enswngelcction.1' The charge that the only or principal object Abolilionists liad in view in seeking au ex pression on slavery from the General Assembly, was to tnnke such expression teil for the purpose of political capital, was first marie by Mr. West beforo that Assembly, and t,Us spread all over the Union. Wc have called on Mr. West for the proof of this untruih and instead of furnishing it, he senda ns week' ly letters from Monroe, re-affirming the fulschood again Scagain,as ihough repetition voul] augment its intrinsic valup. and he has thg assurance to ask us to pubüsh tliese reitcratcd mistatements frcni week to tveck, for tlm perusal of those whose motives are tlius fulscficc1. Tho truth is,lhe aclion nsked for would indirr ctly favor the dvancemebt of the Liberty party, but only to a vcry small extent, and the action souglit lor, if secured for that object only, would not be worlh tlie trouble of obtaining it. Mr. West has become so occustomed to the language, charactcr, and principies of his slave brefiding colleagues, thatlie séerns ulterly incapablc of understanding t)e ' (act tliat Abolitionists regard the whole system of slavery, in the churcli as well ns out, as of infernal origin. They wish the Bible lo Ie esteemed, ns it is, an anti-slavery volume; and they do not vvish to fel]ows!iip,as gennine, consistent Chrislians, "Oi.n.SAsiíiv from tur PiTj" or any of his "Diacons" or ministers. The Bible knows notliing of negro slavery; and i f, as Mr. West contends, rncn inay Hcilhout any villa ny at all1 hnld slavcs, color will be no barrier to ifs extensión, and however white we inay he, we may find oiirselves and fiunüies redticed to ''compulsory slavery" hv Preibyterian clnircli memberi, and Mr. West trying to prove they oiight to be retained in good follows'.'ip, becuise the Apostles did not cast out suc!i charactér.s. God forbid that there sriould bc anolher minister in tliis State who will be so recreant lo trutn amkjurticé, as to maintaiu that 'compulsory slavery' is an ins'Jtulion cótreistf'irt wilh the precepis of Jesu?, ind woithy 'the frfkwship of the üaints.' At any rate, we hope Mr. W. is tlie only one in hisdenoniinalion who will publicly con'end for its righïiainess; and may he ever enjor the distinclion without a. rival.- Bm we digress. In snying that a desire lo inake political capital is tlie moving cause of the presentution óf the sixteèn memorials on slavery to the Genoral Assembly, Mr. W. does gross injustice lo a l:irge"and respectable class of lus fellow citizens, and werc bc ns familiar wilh thc-ir views und feelings as he appears tn bc witli those of his lynching and siavebreeding eolleagues, he would beheartily ashamed of the cliarge, and hasten to retrart it. Q3 The Monllily Concert of prqycr for the enslaved was observed at the Presbytcrian Churcli last Monday eveniüg. Rev. Mr. Covkll of Buifalo, ad'lresscd tlie meeting and presentcd some interesting thoughts. He spoke of the enccuragemetit we have for prayer and efforts for the slave, derived from the more favorable state oï' feeling in all parts of Ihe country. IJe rcl'orred to interviews he had enjoycd with Sonihern men, who assured him that the anti-slavery ChristidUs of t lic North had farmorc sympathizerá in thesoutliern church'ïs ;han ihey supposed . The q'ie: - tion might be nsked why then ia it not manifesled? In answer to vb'.?, he saidthat most of the churcljcs contained some five or six or more opulent slaveholdcrs, who were principal supporters of the ministry. I3y their superior wealth and knowledge, they were able to control the poorer, though more numerous port on of the churcli, and gruatly to niluence tlie ministers. In Üúa way a vcry few slaveholders contrivcd to govern the aclion of the churehe?, os wcll as of tne civil government. Yet they were a mere handful in comparison with the mass. Vrhat were 00,000 aniong seventeen millions? But all the southern cliurches were not thus governed. It was a (act not generaüy known, tliat there were many cliurches in the Soutii which refused any fellowship to slaveliolders. This kind of aclion from Northern cliurches was cffectual in reaching the slaveho!der's consciencn. A Southern man had lately said to him, that they coiiid stand political action at the North, because they thought public seitiment was in ihcir fuvor; but to be cut oö' from all fellowship with Chiistians, and treatcd as unwortliv of the name, cut them to the heart. Mr. Covell also adverted to the duty of those who pray for the slave, to act in bis behalf in every proper way. The men who make our laws are our ogents. We employ them only because we cannor all meet together. We are responsiblc for tho conrse we know they will pursuc. How, then, could a man come to a prayor meeting, and beseech God for the liberation of the slave, and then arise from his knues. and deposit his bailot for ono vvho he knows will opposc their emnncipation? No man can do i', and be consistent. (t?0 Rev. Abel Brown has been lecturing in Wisconsin. He spoke at Prairie village eight times in bix days to large audiences. He writes that he and his lndy have travelled 1 500 miles in scven weeks, and have taken a prominent part in fifty-eight meetings. Ol?3 Gerrit Smith, Rev. C. T . Torry, J. C. Jackson, Alvan Stuart, E. W. Goodwin, and other lecturers in New York, speak regularly on the Sabbath to large audiences on the Antislavery cause, Gerrit Snikh'e meeting at Morrieville wqs attendeu by fiom 2,000. to 2,500 pcoplc.

Article

Subjects
Signal of Liberty
Old News