convicted, and, even if convicted, will almost always be sure to escape punishment. This is not theory, but history. The legal conviction and punishment of masters and mistresses, for illegal outrages on their slaves, very rarely occurs; and though hundreds of slaves have been murdered by their masters and mistresses, in the slave states, within the last thirty years, and the proofs of the murders unquestionable, yet the murderers, in all or most cases, have escaped the penalty of the law.

Indeed, the slave laws are a disgrace to human nature, especially when considered as the laws of a people glorying in their freedom, honor, and magnanimity. The system of slavery a system of implacable and unmitigated crueltyas set forth in the laws which authorize and protect it, belongs to the lowest stage of barbarism.

It is an established maxim, that no people are better than their laws are. In general this is true; yet there are exceptions in both extremes. Some are worse than their laws; others are better; but the body of the people must be of the same spirit and sentiment with their laws, except in the stages of transition from good to better, or from bad to worse.

The establishment of slavery by laws does not make the system right; because God's law, which is superior to all laws, condemns slavery as wrong; and God's laws can not be repealed by the laws of man. Is it right to steal human beings, or—what is the same-rob them of their liberty, convert them into property, treat them cruelly, because human laws allow or authorize this outrage? The history of human governments is a mere record of wrongs; and the progress of civilization consists principally of substituting just and humane for barbarous and oppressive laws. The authority of government, in ordaining slavery, as in ordaining other unjust things, is a reason for using all lawful means in correcting the evil. Besides, wrong done by

law or by society is amenable to the same retribution as wrong done by individuals.

The Scriptures frequently declare this truth. Thus, Psalm xciv, 20, "Shall the throne of iniquity have fellowship with thee, which frameth mischief by a law?" So, also, Isaiah x, 1-4, "Woe unto them who decree unrighteous decrees, and that write grievousness which they have prescribed; to turn aside the needy from judgment, and to take away the right from the poor of my people, that widows may be their prey, and that they may rob the fatherless! And what will ye do in the days of visitation, and in the desolation which shall come from far? to whom will ye flee for help? and where will ye leave your glory? Without me they shall bow down under the prisoners, and they shall fall under the slain. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still." Persecution for the sake of religious opinion is always perpetrated by law; but this in no manner affects its moral character. 6. There is a difference between the system of slavery and some who are slaveholders by law.

Some may, according to law, become slaveholders, without their knowledge, consent, or act. These are to be distinguished from those who voluntarily become slaveholders for gain or convenience. The one is guilty; the other is innocent. While the system of slavery, as it exists by law, is one of wrong, and necessarily involves sinfulness in connection with the system and inseparable from it, these two classes, equally slaveholders by law-the only way, in this country, by which a man can become a slaveholder-must be carefully distinguished.

Some may become the legal owners of slaves by will or inheritance. Others, though convinced of the sinfulness of the system, may not have it in their power to set their slaves free, for the present, and they hold them in order to do them the greatest good possible. Such, certainly, can

not be placed in the list of transgressors or sinners; otherwise, one person, by his act, can make another a sinner; or one can be made a sinner by the act of another; which is absurd. Such employ the mere legal tenure to emancipate the slave, and prevent him from becoming a slave for life, and his posterity after him; or he employs this legal tenure to do the slave all the good he can, although he can not set him free.

There are others who love slavery and the laws which authorize and protect it. They daily strive to render that law more stringent. They use their power over the slave for their own benefit, without regard to the rights of man or the law of God; and they resist the annulment of slave laws.

Here we have two classes of slaveholders, but of the most dissimilar character. The one class acknowledge the wrongs and sinfulness of slavery, and do all in their power to do them away. The other class allow no law, human or divine, to interfere with the exercise of their tyrannical and unjust course. Between these extremes, however, there are many gradations of guiltiness, which, perhaps, can not be clearly pointed out, till the Judge of all shall make known the true characters of men.

But the system of slavery, as established by law, is a sinful system. It is sinful in its origin, in its progress, and in its consequences. Like sin itself, it must be sinful, till the system is destroyed. If an individual would, by his own power and will, treat others as slaves, he must be a sinner of the worst class. When it is done by a state, the state is as chargeable with the sinfulness of the system as any individual can be who becomes a slaveholder by his own will and deed, and for his own sole benefit; and the very acts inseparable from the slave system, as the deprivation of rights-the infliction of wrongs-are acts of the most gross, immoral character.

The moral delinquency is not an accident or circumstance, but it is inherent in the system, and belongs to its very nature. It is not the abuse of slavery merely, but the very existence of it, that is wrong; and, consequently, there is only one way of dealing with it, and that is, not to correct or amend, but to extirpate it altogether, or, in other words, to destroy its very roots.

7. Most Christians consider slavery as wrong. The exceptions to this rule are very few when sophistry is stripped of its garb. Indeed, the most conscientious in all ages have viewed the system as one that is inconsistent with the principles of right, as well as contrary to the word of God. When slavery stands forth in its proper characters, few are found to palliate or justify it. To have an apologist at all, the true ground must be changed, and a false position assumed. For instance, few are hardy enough to contend for stealing men, making merchandise of the stolen property, or for using it as such when obtained. And yet the very same thing is done every day, in "stealing children as soon as they are born;" that is, making them slaves. For they might as well be stolen from Africa as seized at birth by law as soon as born, and made slaves. It amounts to the same thing in fact, depriving a free person of liberty, and no more than this was done, and is now every day doing, in the African slave-trade.

8. There are now, however, some who maintain that slavery is not wrong.

The present ground taken by the south is one of recent date. When the Constitution of the United States was adopted, there were few to plead for slavery. Now we find religious men-Presbyterians, Baptists, and Methodists-plead for the innocence of slavery, while politicians. are now loud and long in its praises.

We have many Presbyterians now pleading for the innocence of slavery. The presbyteries of Hopewell, Har

mony, and Charleston Union, in South Carolina, and the synod of Virginia, plead stoutly for the innocence of slavery. The following, from the Presbyterian Church in Petersburg, Va., 16th of November, 1838, may be quoted as a specimen of the general sentiment of southern Presbyte

rians:

"Whereas, the General Assembly did, in 1818, pass a law which contains provisions for slaves irreconcilable with our civil institutions, and solemnly declared slavery to be a sin against God—a law at once offensive and insulting to the whole southern community:

“Resolved, 1. That, as slaveholders, we can not consent longer to remain in connection with any Church where there exists a statute conferring a right upon slaves to arraign their masters before the judicatory of the Church, and that, too, for the act of selling them without their consent first had and obtained.

"2. That, as the great Head of the Church has recognized the relation of master and slave, we conscientiously believe that slavery is not a sin against God, as declared by the General Assembly."

The Rev. Mr. James Smylie, a Presbyterian minister of the Amite presbytery, Mississippi, in his answer to the Chilicothe presbytery, maintains that slavery is no sin. We select the following from his book:

"When the Scriptures teach me, or when any one will show me that the Scriptures do teach, that slavery, or the relation of master and slave, is sinful, then, as a minister, and as a Christian, I am pledged to forsake it,” p. 12. "If slavery be a sin, as you say, and if advertising and apprehending slaves, with a view to restore them to their master, is a direct violation of the Divine law; also, that the buying, selling, or holding a slave for the sake of gain is a heinous sin and scandal, then, verily, threefourths of all the Episcopalians, Methodists, Baptists, and