Pictures of slavery and anti-slavery: advantages on Negro slavery and the benefits of Negro freedom; morally, socially, and politically considered

Preface

To the people of the United States and the Christian ministry ; especially those of them who seem to have forgotten the "prize of their high calling, 17 and have converted their pulpits into places of political, sectional strife, and rendezvous for recruiting in civil war.

I have written the following chapters on the relation between Christianity, civilization, the prosperity of the universe, and negro slavery. I have long feared a dissolution of this great and glorious Union would sooner or later occur in consequence of sectional, political questions being introduced into the pulpits of the Christian church, believing it to be as much infidelity to have introduced the slave question into the church, in the way it has mostly been done, as it would be to deny that the several Epistles of Paul were a part of the Gospel.

Had I not just grounds for fears when the General Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church divided in 1844 on the slave question, and a majority of that body deposed a bishop who stood high for his talents, zeal, and great moral worth, who had never owned a slave, though a Georgian by birth, education, and residence through his entire life, but had recently married a lady who, a short time before, fell heir to two or three little negro children, whom she had to raise up to maturity ? For marrying this lady, Bishop Andrews was suspended from his office as bishop. Since that

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IV PKEFACE.

day I have feared just what is now upon us, and at every fit opportunity since, I have tried to make jse who led that dangerous experiment (and all others -ho seemed to approve of the course of that General Conference) see the ruin they would plunge both church and State into, if they did not stop their denunciations of slavery from their pulpits, and treat the question as St. Paul did in his day.

I have often desired to write and publish my opinions to the world, but being without an education, and but little schooling, the Child's Primer, Webster's Speller, English Reader, and Bennett's Arithmetic, having been the only school books used in those days, where I was schooled, and any knowledge beyond the rudiments of these branches was thought ruinous to all scholars who should happen to pass those limits. An educated man or woman was thought very dangerous, therefore the

children were not allowed to cross those limits, consent '

quently I felt that I was incompetent to such a- duty. But when the John Brown raid was made in Virginia, I was satisfied something would have to be speedily done, or our end as a republic and a free people was near. Knowing there was no other sectional question besides the slave question, and that no other could jeopardize our national Union, I thought I would write a pamphlet of some twenty-five or thirty pages, contrasting slaves with free negroes, and slave negro labor with free negro labor, showing the superiority of one to the other, to which I have devoted Chapter III. of this book. But I soon found I had given myself too short a limit, and I have written some eight or nine hundred pages, 12mo., all of which was ready in the summer of 1861 ; but finding nearly all of my old friends so directly opposed to me, and being denounced with such bitterness

PKEFACE. • v

by some, and ridiculed by others, that I found my moral courage not equal to the task, so I was kept back in that way till other circumstances intervened, which stopped me until now, and now I only feel at liberty to publish half of the work.

A part of the second chapter was written for the New York Methodist in 1860, but was refused a place in that paper, for reasons the reader will see in the correspondence between my friend, the Reverend Mr. Crooks, and myself, at the end of the chapter ; it was returned to me in the following February ; after which time I enlarged it to its present size by discussing the points more extensively. The first and second chapters are on human slavery, as set forth in the Bible. The appendix and the other chapters fully sustain my position. Then I have copied two written addresses by ex-Senator Bigler of Pa., one on the Crittenden Compromise, the other on the only plan by which this Union can ever be restored.

I know I shall meet with bitter opposition and severe denunciations for my views, but knowing that with the overthrow of this Union will end all my hopes of peace and pleasure in this world, not only mine, but all others, and all future generations ; therefore I feel it to be my duty to publish this much of the original now, notwithstanding the severe chastisements that may be inflicted upon me. I appeal to Him who knoweth the secrets of all hearts, for my sincerity.

When I say I have no sympathy with secession or rebellion, I mean just what I say. I hope no one will pass sentence upon me until they have heard me through ; then, if I am found guilty, I must submit to the penalty.

I have written a chapter on the causes of the civil war in this beloved country, that will, perhaps, surprise

VI PREFACE.

the reader more than anything herein published ; when he comes to see the mass of evidences I have adduced, pointing out the sections, parties, and the very men, many will wonder how this great calamity was produced without their knowledge of the facts which were all around them. That, with thirteen other chapters, I intend to publish at a proper time.

I believe the Christian church could now restore peace and union to this entire country, if the Christian ministers in all the free States would speedily return to their legitimate calling ; for right will beget right, and as sure as God reigns in heaven, everything will beget its kind. If we want peace we must sow peace ; if we want war we must sow war, "for whatever we sow of that shall we also reap.' 11

I had arranged eight of the following chapters in a book of twenty-one chapters, which were the 6, 1, 9, 10, 13, It, 18, 19, therefore they will read somewhat awkwardly, as references are frequently made in those chapters to authors and chapters I have left to be published hereafter, though I altered them so as to chime in the best I could.

My Orthodox and Ilicksite Quaker friends must pardon me for the chapter I have written on their connection with the causes of this bloody civil war, now devastating this great and glorious empire. I felt it a duty, as I had alluded to them in the first chapter without fully explaining my views of their character. A large part of the book was put in type in my absence from the city ; therefore some awkward blunders may have occurred in consequence, the book having been compiled from the whole manuscript a little hasty. I hope Chapter III. will be read by all good men and women.

Ex-Senator Bigler's Letters on the Crittenden Compromise, and Plan for Settlement . . . 374-382

SLAVERY AND ANTI-SLAYERY.

Chapter I

The Moral Question of Slavery — Is Negro Slavery as it exists in the United States a Moral Evil?

This question has been discussed in the United States, pro and con, for nearly eighty-five years. I believe the Quakers were the first, as a Christian association, who took the idea that slavery was anti-christian. And, if I mistake not, their faith or moral notions on the subject was predicated upon a feeling that they would not (themselves) like to be slaves under negro masters. Therefore, they, as a religious society, abolished slavery among themselves in or about 1780. But the Orthodox or Foxites, as a religious association, has never interfered with other people's rights; that' is, they have not united in political associations to oppose the institution of slavery as a civil institution. They only opposed it among themselves as a religious society ; but left other people to do as they pleased. There was a split in the Society of Friends in 1827. Led by a certain man named Elias Hicks, who came out against the atonement of our Lord, and declared that his blood was 2 (13 )

of no more account than that of a bull or ram. He diffused his infidelity through the minds of very many of that most excellent and influential Christian union. All of these, religious, ignorant, aiti sceptical, followed Elias Hicks in his treason and secession, and formed another association, and called themselves Friends, or Quakers — commonly known as Hicksites. This latter organization are generally Abolitionists of the Garrisonian school, and have formed associations to interfere with the civil and moral rights of others, even against constitutional laws. They have united with associations to form underground railroads, to run off slaves from their masters. Through this sham society called Quakers, the true Quakers, or Foxites, have been compelled to endure much persecution. In all external appearance, the Quakers and secessionists are similar ; and the Orthodox or Foxites have been charged with all of their infidelity, for they call themselves the Society of Friends.

But the Hicksite Quakers are not the only class of men and women who have interfered with the legal institutions of other States. But every infidel association that has sprang into existence for the last fifty years has seized upon the negro slavery of the United States as a great and terrible moral evil. Men and women who were guilty of every kind of abomination, would seem to look upon the institution of negro slavery with horror, on account of the magnitude of its moral wickedness, and denounce Christian slaveholders as thieves, murderers, and robbers, and the Christian Church as the centre of all abominations, because slaveholders are admitted to their communions. Infidelity has assumed every shape and form known to skilful invention, through which they could bring the slightest influence to bear against Christianity. But no shape nor form of infidelity has yet been discovered that has answered their purposes so well as anti slavery ; therefore, all their associations have the antislavery link the most prominent. All, all of whom detest the Constitution, and the union of the United States. It would be impossible to enumerate the shapes and forms infidelity has taken within the last sixty or seventy years ; all of which have been antislavery and antiunion in this country. And all the isms invented in New England in the last fifty years have placed their antislavery and antiunion principles at the head of the list.

Many associations have been formed within the borders of the Christian Church who affiliate with infidelity in their opposition to negro slavery, and in very many cases in their treason against the Constitution and the union of the United States, whose 'only object, I believe, has been to overthrow the Union. Therefore they have raised the antislavery standard above all others, and have such standard, bearers as Wendell Phillips, Eev. H. W. Beecher, Rev. Dr. Cheever, Eev. Dr. Thompson, Rev. Dr. Furness, ¥m. Lloyd Garrison, Gerrett Smith, and many others who meet, shake hands, and call each other brother ; and all unite with one accord in the denunciation of the Constitution and the union of the United States.

English, infidelity has also denounced the Constitution and union of the United States with even greater venom than our native infidelity; and in every case the pretext has been a morbid sympathy for the poor slaves ; all of which is to enlist the malice of mankind against the revealed will of heaven. Those demon-begotten spirits have in many instances assumed a profession of Christianity, and made their way into the Christian ministry, and become great sensation preachers in the Church of God, when their object was to be only half Christian, and the other half infidel, with a double purpose, one to destroy the union of States, and the other to get the people to support them while they were at it.

Many of those who have this morbid sympathy for the poor slaves, have long since renounced and denounced the Bible as an infernal book, simply because they could not twist it far enough from the truth, to make it condemn slavery. Now, without the Bible there is no moral law or guide. It is the only constitutional guide of the Christian Church, and the only revealed will of God to mankind, or that ever will be in this world. Yet these pretenders have become so tender on the sinfulness of slavery, that they justify and recommend the extermination of the whole white population of the slave States, and all others who attempt to defend them in their lawful rights, that the negro slaves may be freed, and placed on a social and civil equality with We, the people!

I will now undertake to prove from the only moral law or guide that ever has or ever will be given in this world, that slavery is not a moral evil. The

Bible is Jehovah's only revealed wilf to mankind ; it contains all we ever have or ever shall have or know of the moral law, and he who attempts to teach from any other moral law, guide, or doctrines, "is a thief or robber." I will'refer the reader to the seal, of these truths, that he may be careful how he attempts to interfere with God's moral law and revealed will to mankind.

Rev. xxii. 18-19 : " For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book. And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book."

I presume no Christian, or even a pretending Christian, will attempt to deny that John, while exiled on the Isle of Patmos, wrote the above awful warning to the churches by inspiration. Yet we find many who profess to be called of God to preach his everlasting Gospel to a fallen world, and have been ordained and set apart for that holy and delicate cause, trying to darken counsel as revealed in the book of God, and preaching doctrines not revealed in that book, and denying others which are as clearly set forth, as that of profane swearing, lying, adultery, fornication, or drunkenness, is forbidden, and thereby thousands of the most ungodly and soul-destroying isms have been produced in the world — isms that have destroyed the sanctity of churches, ruined families, destroyed nations, and damned millions of souls. And none has been

2* more delusive, deceptive, and destructive to both church and state in our beloved country, than the doctrine that slavery is a moral evil, or sin against God. There is no doctrine more clearly set forth in that book than the lawfulness of human slavery, except those in the Decalogue, and slavery is even set forth in that edict, or in the ten commandments ; and the moral question is so clearly revealed, that no man who is fit to enter the sacred desk can possibly make a mistake, and be ignorant of such mistake on the moral question of slavery. Some ministers who have been ordained and set apart as expounders of God's holy law, for want of Scripture to condemn slavery as a moral evil, select passages entirely foreign, and apply them to slavery, such as oppression, when it is as clear that the relation of master and slave is not meant as it is that the relation of husband and wife, or parents and children are not meant. All are made precisely the same in morals, so far as the book of God teaches on the subject. But infidelity having but the one aim, and that is the overthrow of Christianity, they, like their great exemplar, the devil, are willing to give up this, the greatest boon ever bestowed on any nation (our independence) for the sake of overthrowing the book of God. I will now proceed with my proofs.

Genesis ix. 20 to 27 inclusive: "And Noah began to be an husbandman, and he planted a vineyard. And he drank of the wine, and was drunken; and he was uncovered within his tent. And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brethren without. And Shem and Japheth took a garment, and laid it upon both their shoulders, and went backward, and covered the nakedness of their father ; and their faces were backward, and they saw not their father's nakedness. And Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his younger son had done unto him. And he said, Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren. And he said, Blessed be the Lord God of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant. God shall enlarge Japheth and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem ; and Canaan shall be his servant."

Here we have. the first introduction of slavery into our world, after the flood, at least. Abolitionists say that the Bible reading is servant, and not slave, and therefore Canaan was only made a hired servant. That servant merely meant a hireling, but we are told by the best linguists who have ever blessed society, that the original meant slave or bondservant, and ought to have been so translated. But as the word servant is accommodating and will represent a hired, or a bondservant, or slave, therefore the word servant was used by the translator. But it is too clear for cavil, in both the Old and New Testament Scriptures, that bondservant and hired servant were two distinct conditions of labor, and the former was the curse that was put upon Canaan for bad treatment to his old grandfather while in an unfortunate condition. It is said that Noah "planted a vineyard, and he drank of the wine, and was drunken ;" it is believed that this was the first wine ever made, and Noah not knowing its intoxicating properties made himself drunken. It is the only account given of his ever being drunk. Some people ask, What power there could have been in the words of Noah as above quoted, upon Canaan and his posterity through all future time? I will answer, that what Noah said was merely prophetic, and that it was God who imposed the curse upon that unfortunate race. Therefore slavery is a divine institution, which I think I shall make clear to every sincere truth seeker.

Some ask why God should have been so cruel to that race of mankind. If I had lived before the Supreme Being, and above him, and could have looked forward to the end of all things like he did, I could, perhaps, tell why he did it ; as it is, I cannot. But no doubt it was done for the good of man. I will offer a few ideas on this point. Adam disobeyed God in one single (and it would seem an almost innocent) matter ; but yet he was expelled from Eclen, he and his entire posterity cursed with a thousand times more sickening and terrible curse than was Canaan and his posterity. Yet every true man will see that Ham's crime was a thousand times more flagitious. It is believed by most commentators that Ham's son Canaan was with him when he discovered his old and respected father in such an unfortunate condition, and joined him in telling it to all they met ; and, perhaps, that while Ham felt a deep vindictive contempt towards his old father, when he, as a dutiful son, should have pitied the good old patriarch, and hastened to have covered him from the public gaze, and cautioned his son Canaan not to tell it even to his best friend, that his father might not be disgraced before the public, and that future generations might not feel justified in drunkenness, because the old patriarch got drunk through ignorance, he run off and published it to his brethren,

I am asked why Canaan was cursed instead of his father Ham ? I will say that, perhaps, if Ham had been cursed, all his posterity would have felt the weight of the displeasure of Almighty Gocl, and the innocent would have suffered for the guilty. The whole human family have suffered from the foundation of the world, because of Adam's disobedience, and will suffer through all time, and unless they are saved through the atonement of our Lord, they will have to suffer through all eternity. The reason for believing that Canaan was with his father Ham, when he discovered his father Noah lying uncovered in his tent, we read from the 22d verse : "And Ham the father of Canaan saw," &c. If Canaan was not with his father, why should his name have been mentioned in that connection? Japheth and Shem had sons, no doubt, but no allusion was made to them whatever. I cannot see how any sincere truth seeker can doubt that idea, when taken in connection with the fact that the terrible sentence was passed upon Canaan, instead of his father. As I have already said, if Ham had been cursed, his whole posterity would have been slaves through all time, and that would have been unjust. And when we remember that God could not do an unjust act, and will not punish the innocent, we must believe that Canaan had something to do with that great disrespect to the old patriarch.

"And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father and told his two brethren without."

22 AFRICAX SLAVERY.

2 2d verse clearly demonstrates the duty of children to parents under every circumstance of this life, which moral law has never been revoked by any decree of heaven. Shem and Japheth had the blessing of their father bestowed upon them both, while Ham was left out in the cold ; without the warming influence of his father's blessing to cheer his drooping spirits at the grave of his sire. But Canaan was thus cursed with the most obnoxious judgment of any other physical stain ever inflicted upon man since the fall from Eden. A curse that is and will be unchangeable this side of the grave. No, "no Jewish type or sprinkling priest can ever wash the stain away." By the disobedience of Adam to his Jieavenly Father, all wickedness, all hardness, and all that afflicts the soul, body, or spirit, entered into the world, and fell upon the whole human family, yea, every unpleasant sensation, and all that disturbs union, peace, harmony, and tranquillity; even slavery and abolitionism are all, all the consequences of his disobedience to his Great Sire. Had he been obedient he would now live among us in all the vigor of youth and beauty that he possessed before the fall. So also if Ham and his son Canaan had been true to their father and grand-father, there would have been no slaves nor negroes in this world of ours.

24th verse says, "Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his younger son had done unto him," and pronounced the unchangeable judgment recorded in the 25th verse, which sentence was divine, as I shall show. How "Noah knew what Ham had done unto him," we are not informed by the inspired penman. Some commentators suppose he was informed by his two eldest sons. And others suppose he knew it by inspiration. How he got the facts, is immaterial ; he knew it in some way ; therefore the terrible sentence fell upon the right one. Ham was not exempt from the effects of ^li vine displeasure, nor was any of his family, or their posterity. But none was made slaves except Canaan and his descendants ; " a servant of servants." The reader will see that Canaan was not only a servant to his brethren, but a servant of their servants. It is, therefore, evident that he was placed far below hired servants. Dr. Hales says, " Ham signifies burnt, or black." Therefore his name was significant. Ham, nor his son was not cursed, because Noah pronounced those words against them. But because of the magnitude of their crime. The words of Noah being prophetic only, therefore what he said had no influence whatever upon the physical appearance, or character of those culprits, or their posterity. It was the just judgment of God for their crime against the old patriarch, who was their temporal parent. But Shem and Japheth took a garment, and covered the nakedness of their father, without looking upon him, as every good child would. Therefore a blessing was pronounced upon them. Now the declaration of Noah had no influence whatever upon the lives and characters of his two elder sons, or their posterity, but simply a prophecy, and just as sure as the prophecy was fulfilled in the latter, so it has

2i AFRICAN SLAVERY.

been in the former, and will continue to be until the end of time.

I do not say that the curse was a spiritual one pronounced against Canaan, for it was not; but was to affect his civil liberty, and his physical appearance, and that of his posterity for ever. None of the descendants of Ham had any permanent abiding place in tliis world, but were driven about at the pleasure of their brethren, the descendants of Shem and Japheth. Neither does it appear that Canaan was directly enslaved to his brethren ; but the process of preparation for bondage was commenced immediately on the pronunciation of the sentence for bondage, and went on through successive generations until they were completely prepared for the yoke. And then to be bond-servants was the greatest blessing that man could bestow upon them, and is so until this day, and will be so through all time to come. This bondage does not interfere with their spiritual liberty and salvation through the atonement, and no doubt millions of that race have embraced it. But that will not alter their relations in this world. There seems to be some hope for them in the Liberian Colony on the coast of Africa. Yet I fear it will prove a failure, though the climate is in their favor, as it naturally forbids the residence of the whites there, by a prohibitory law that is insurmountable, and perhaps unchangeable. But when the influence of the Anglo-saxon races shall be entirely withdrawn from the colonies, the great probability is they will sink into their original heathenism and barbarism. They are the only tribes on the earth that can be easily reduced to slavery, and who prosper and improve best under the yoke of bondage. But I do not wish to discourage the experiment being fully tried in Liberia, for if there is any degree of freedom for them in this world, it is there, and only there.

The Chinese are made slaves in the tropical regions, or the West India Islands, but two-thirds of them die off prematurely. The Cooleys are being brought in large numbers and sold into bondage on all those Islands for a term of about eight years, and perhaps the half of them die off before they are free, and those who live the eight years have not life enough left in them to enable them to procure a livelihood. But the Africans are greatly improved by the yoke of bondage in all parts of the world, and especially in the sunny climes of the torrid zones, and they become vigorous, strong, lively, happy, and long lived in the low hot climates. While those climates positively forbid constant labor in the sun by any other tribes or colors on the face of the globe, and as it is evident beyond all cavil, that the Africans are entirely useless in this world in any other capacity but slavery. And they are found to be the only persons among all the tribes of earth, who can labor constantly and improve in their moral and physical health by having good masters who hold them for life in those climes. I say they can toil in those climates without the least inconvenience, and with such great benefit to themselves, and such vast profit and advantage to the whole civilized world. I ask, would it be right under these circumstances for those climates to be abandoned that produce such blessings to the world, and be forever lost, both in Europe and America, as well as in Africa, when they have proved a blessing through African slavery, of such magnitude to the world, and to none more than the African laborer himself.

One of the most important points in this matter is, to show us that children must be respectful to their parents in and under all circumstances in this life. One of the commandments says, " Honor thy father and thy mother ; that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee." — Ex. xx. 12. Disobedience was the crime which produced all the afflictions known in this world since its creation, and turned a glorious paradise of order and beauty into one perpetual heap of corruption, confusion, and ruin. Therefore other laws equally strict become necessary for the government of this fallen world ; and the one above stands next in importance, and equal to the preceding ones of the ten commandments. And Ham and his descendants, especially those through the lineage of his son Canaan, are marks of the displeasure of the Divine Being towards the disobedience of children to their parents, and they are this day moving, living, hearing, and talking monuments of his displeasure towards disobedient children to parents. I am asked why I set the Africans down as the descendants of Ham ? It is evident from history, both sacred and profane, that they are the true descendants of Ham, through Canaan. I refer the reader to Drs. Clarke, Benson, Watson, and other divine commentators of the highest standing, and all the best authors who have written on the subject. The sacred text is too clear to be misunderstood on that point.