scandalous crimes, "who shall advocate or speak in favor of such laws as have been, or may yet be enacted, for the purpose of keeping the slaves in ignorance, and preventing them from reading the word of God," Mr. Smylie utters the following sentiments. After stating that the legislators of Mississippi and Louisiana never passed laws to foster ignorance of the word of God, but that these states have "laws, accompanied with heavy penal sanctions, prohibiting the teaching of slaves to read, and meeting the religious part of the reflecting community," he states as follows:

"The passage of these laws, however hard their bearing on slaves, is a necessary effect, produced, as might have been foreseen, from an adequate cause. The laws preventing slaves from learning to read are a fruitful source of much ignorance and immorality among slaves. The printing, publishing, and circulating abolition and emancipating papers in those states, were the cause of the passage of the laws. The ignorance and immorality occasioned by the laws, must legitimately be saddled on the laws, as the effect must be saddled on the cause. But the laws themselves are an effect! Where, then, must they be saddled, with all the accumulated weight of guilt, but upon the cause? even upon the back of abolitionists and emancipators? Upon whom, now, will they saddle them legitimately? Upon such great and good men as John Wesley, Jonathan Edwards, Bishop Porteus, Paley, Horsley, Scott, Clarke, Wilberforce, Sharp, Clarkson, Fox, Johnson, Burke, and a host of as good, if not equally-great men, of later date." (P. 63.)

"The Legislatures, however, in view of the 'WEEPING, AND WAILING, AND GNASHING OF TEETH' of northern abolitionists, and in view of the antiscriptural doctrines, which they were publishing and circulating with a zeal worthy of a better cause, have enacted laws, with heavy penal sanctions, for the purpose, not, as basely represented, for

can rest. Slaveholders know that universal education must eventuate in universal emancipation. Hence their unjust laws, which take away the very key of knowledge.

It is true, there is a necessity laid on the master to keep the slave in ignorance, in order to continue him a slave. And what stronger argument can there be against slavery? How horrible must be the system, which, in the opinion of its strongest advocates, demands, as the necessary condition of its existence, that knowledge must be shut out of the minds of those who live under it, that they should be reduced as nearly as possible to the level of brutes or machines, and that the powers of their souls should be crushed! Slavery compels the master to degrade systematically the mind of the slave-to war against human intelligence. Can such a system be supported, or even tolerated, without deep criminality? Is it marvelous that the list of worthies, given by the Rev. Mr. Smylie, should be the opponents of so great a degradation of human nature?

10. It is objected, that almost every-where the laboring classes are doomed to ignorance; or, as Dr. Fuller has it, "the laboring population in all countries have but little taste or time for literature."

This is notably untrue of the free states, because the masses have not only a knowledge of reading and writing, but also of much useful knowledge, as history, geography, arithmetic, composition, etc., which is obtained in childhood and youth. And should these have even but little time, as Dr. Fuller states, this little, duly improved, will soon accumulate much useful knowledge. Who will compare with slaves the laborers, mechanics, and farmers of the free states, as to knowledge, without blushing? Indeed, from these same laboring classes of the free states, men of the greatest distinction in Church and state have arisen, to fill all the departments of life with usefulness and dignity. But Dr. Fuller adds, "But if our slaves were taught to

read." If they were, as was said before, they would soon learn their rights, so that the injustice and wrongs of slavery could not be practiced over them.

If the laboring classes of Europe are quoted, as they often are, to show the similarity of condition, in regard to intellectual improvement, the objection will not hold; because, 1. Many, indeed large portions, of the laboring classes of Europe receive the elements of common school education, and many of the most educated men were, in early life, of this class. 2. But it is derogatory to human nature, and truly worthy of slavery, to plead the remains of barbarism in Europe as the model for their imitation. All philanthropists and good men select the good examples after which to copy; but the defenders of slavery select degradation, and the lowest forms of degraded humanity, on which to form, as models, a half, or a large portion of the community in which they live. If there were no other argument, in or out of the Bible, than this, derived as it is from the depraved standard of ignorant and oppressed communities, this alone ought to sink it forever in the judgment of all Christians and philanthropic men; and it does thus sink it. Even Dr. Fuller is unable to deliver slavery from the weight of this millstone hung about its neck. He suddenly drops the objection, by waiving it, and passing to another topic. And so must every one else who pleads for the ignorance, and therefore the degradation, of their fellow-creatures.

11. Nor do the well-meant attempts recently made,. of communicating oral religious instruction, at all meet the wants of the human mind; because, 1. At best such instructions are very limited in their range. They are confined altogether to religious instruction, leaving the mind uninformed as to all other departments of knowledge. 2. Such instructions, too, are superficial, as they rarely enter into any discussions beyond the mere elements of religious truth;

and these in a very slight degree, as is manifest from the catechetical text-books prepared to aid the teacher, but never designed to be put into the hands of slaveholders. 3. Besides, the uncultivated minds of slaves are poorly prepared to receive the instruction thus communicated. 4. Add to all this, the few only are reached, while the many are utterly overlooked. Only a few of the slaveholders, where instruction is the most needed, will allow their slaves even this imperfect mode of teaching. Missionaries and

others who resort to this good work are watched with jealousy, and may at any time be prevented from prosecuting their good work. Nevertheless, even this oral instruction, if pure Gospel principles are inculcated, will do much good.

Yet, we fear most of the teaching is on one side of the question, whether catechetically communicated, or from the pulpit. The duties of slaves, falsely called servants, are urged with assiduity; while the duties of masters, especially slave-masters, are rarely touched, or in such a manner as to leave the grossest sins unreproved, much less actually corrected.

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CHAPTER III.

DEPRIVATION OF RIGHTS-RELIGIOUS PRIVILEGES.

1. ONE of the plainest dictates of the Christian religion is a regard for the well-being of our fellow-creatures. This is enforced as a duty, both in the Old and New Testaments. All true Christians believe that the knowledge of the precepts and promises of Christianity will promote the happiness of men, both here and hereafter. Negroes are endowed with reason, have immortal souls, and are accountable to God for the deeds done in the body. It is the inalienable right of every human being to worship God according to his own views of what is true.

2. This right is recognized in the Bible.

The authority of God in religion is superior to all other powers. "Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye. For we can not but speak the things which we have seen and heard," Acts iv, 19, 20. Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than man," Acts v, 29.

And all are required to learn and receive the truth. 'And now, Israel, what doth the Lord thy God require of thee but to fear the Lord thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul, to keep the commandments of the Lord, and his statutes, which I command thee this day for thy good?" Deut. x, 12, 13. "Ye shall walk after the Lord your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him, and cleave unto him," Deut. xiii, 4.

We are also to judge and prove all things-receive the good and reject the bad. "Prove all things; hold fast that which is good," 1 Thess. v, 21. Beloved, believe