APPENDIX III.

toleavethemthepowerofmoralaction.ItexhibitsthemasdependentonthewillofotherswhethertheyshallreceivereligiousinstructionwhethertheyshallknowandworshipthetrueGodwhethertheyshallenjoytheordinancesoftheGospelwhethertheyshallperformthedutiesandcherishtheendearmentsofhusbandsandwives,parentsandchildren,neighborsandfriendswhethertheyshallpreservetheirchastityandpurity,orregardthedictatesofjusticeandhumanity.Sucharesomeoftheconsequencesofslavery,—consequencesnotimaginary,butwhichconnectthemselveswithitsveryexistence.Theevilstowhichtheslaveisalwaysexposedoftentakeplaceinfact,andintheirveryworstdegreeandformandwhereallofthemdonottakeplace,—aswerejoicetosaythatinmanyinstances,throughtheinfluenceoftheprinciplesofhumanityandreligiononthemindsofmasters,theydonot,—stilltheslaveisdeprivedofhisnaturalright,degradedasahumanbeing,andexposedtothedangerofpassingintothehandsofamasterwhomayinflictuponhimallthehardshipsandinjurieswhichinhumanityandavaricemaysuggest." Thislanguagewassurelydecided,anditwasunanimouslyadoptedbyslaveholdersandnon-slaveholders.Certainlyonemightthinkthetimeofredemptionwasdrawingnigh.Thedeclarationgoesontosay: "ItismanifestlythedutyofallChristianswhoenjoythelightofthepresentday,whentheinconsistencyofslaverybothwiththedictatesofhumanityandreligionhasbeendemonstrated,andisgenerallyseenandacknowledged,tousehonest,earnest,unweariedendeavorstocorrecttheerrorsofformertimes,andasspeedilyaspossibletoeffacethisblotonourholyreligion,andtoOBTAINTHECOMPLETEABOLITIONofslaverythroughoutChristendomandthroughouttheworld." HerewehavethePresbyterianChurch,slaveholdingandnon-slaveholding,virtuallyformedintoonegreatabolitionsociety,aswehaveseentheMethodistwas. TheAssemblythengoesontostatethattheslavesarenotatpresentpreparedtobefree,—thattheytenderlysympathizewiththeportionofthechurchandcountrythathashadthisevilentaileduponthem,where,astheysay,"agreatandthemostvirtuouspartofthecommunityABHORSLAVERY,andwishITSEXTERMINATION."Buttheyexhortthemtocommenceimmediatelytheworkofinstructingslaves,withaviewtopreparingthemforfreedom,andtoletnogreaterdelaytakeplacethan"aregardtopublicwelfareindispensablydemands""tobegovernedbynootherconsiderationsthananhonestandimpartialregardtothehappinessoftheinjuredparty,uninfluencedbytheexpenseandinconveniencewhichsuchregardmayinvolve."Itwarnsagainst"undulyextendingthispleaofnecessity,"—againstmakingitacoverfortheloveandpracticeofslavery.Itendsbyrecommendingthatanyonewhoshallsellafellow-Christianwithouthisconsentbeimmediatelydisciplinedandsuspended. Ifweconsiderthatthiswasunanimouslyadoptedbyslaveholdersandall,andgrant,aswecertainlydo,thatitwasadoptedinallhonestyandgoodfaith,weshallsurelyexpectsomethingfromit.WeshouldexpectforthwiththeorganizingofasetofcommonschoolsfortheslavechildrenforanefficientreligiousministrationforanentirediscontinuanceoftradinginChristianslavesforlawswhichmakethefamilyrelationssacred.Wasanysuchthingdoneorattempted?Alas!TwoyearsafterthiscametheadmissionofMissouri,andtheincreaseofdemandintheSouthernslave-market,andtheinternalslave-trade.Insteadofschool-teachers,theyhadslave-tradersinsteadofgatheringschools,theygatheredslave-coffles.Insteadofbuildingschoolhouses,theybuiltslave-pensandslave-prisons,jails,barracoons,factories,orwhateverthetradepleasestotermthemandsowenttheplanofgradualemancipation. In1834,sixteenyearsafter,acommitteeoftheSynodofKentucky,inwhichstateslaveryisgenerallysaidtoexistinitsmildestform,appointedtomakeareportontheconditionoftheslaves,gavethefollowingpictureoftheircondition.First,astotheirspiritualcondition,theysay: "Aftermakingallreasonableallowances,ourcoloredpopulationcanbeconsidered,atthemost,butsemi-heathen. "Brutalstripes,andallthevariouskindsofpersonalindignities,arenottheonlyspeciesofcrueltywhichslaverylicenses.Thelawdoesnotrecognizethefamilyrelationsoftheslave,andextendstohimnoprotectionintheenjoymentofdomesticendearments.Themembersofaslave-familymaybeforciblyseparated,sothattheyshallnevermoremeetuntilthefinaljudgment.Andcupidityofteninducesthemasterstopractisewhatthelawallows.Brothersandsisters,parentsandchildren,husbandsandwives,aretornasunder,andpermittedtoseeeachothernomore.Theseactsaredailyoccurringinthemidstofus.Theshrieksandtheagonyoftenwitnessedonsuchoccasionsproclaimwithatrumpet-tonguetheiniquityandcrueltyofoursystem.ThecriesofthesesufferersgouptotheearsoftheLordofSabaoth.Thereisnotaneighborhoodwheretheseheartrendingscenesarenotdisplayed.Thereisnotavillageorroadthatdoesnotbeholdthesadprocessionofmanacledoutcasts,whosechainsandmournfulcountenancestellthattheyareexiledbyforcefromallthattheirheartsholddear.Ourchurch,yearsago,raiseditsvoiceofsolemnwarningagainstthisflagrantviolationofeveryprincipleofmercy,justice,andhumanity.Yetweblushtoannouncetoyouandtotheworld,thatthiswarninghasbeenoftendisregarded,evenbythosewhoholdtoourcommunion.Caseshaveoccurred,inourowndenomination,whereprofessorsofthereligionofmercyhavetornthemotherfromherchildren,andsentherintoamercilessandreturnlessexile.Yetactsofdisciplinehaverarelyfollowedsuchconduct." Hon.JamesG.Birney,foryearsaresidentofKentucky,inhispamphlet,amendsthewordrarelybysubstitutingnever.WhatcouldshowmoreplainlytheutterinefficiencyofthepastactoftheAssembly,andthenecessityofadoptingsomemeasuresmoreefficient?In1835,therefore,thesubjectwasurgedupontheGeneralAssembly,entreatingthemtocarryouttheprinciplesanddesignstheyhadavowedin1818. Mr.Stuart,ofIllinois,inaspeechhemadeuponthesubject,said: "IhopethisAssemblyarepreparedtocomeoutfullyanddeclaretheirsentiments,thatslaveholdingisamostflagrantandheinousSIN.Letusnotpassitbyinthisindirectway,whilesomanythousandsandtensofthousandsofourfellow-creaturesarewrithingunderthelash,ofteninflicted,too,byministersandeldersofthePresbyterianchurch. ********** "Inthischurchamanmaytakeafree-bornchild,forceitawayfromitsparents,towhomGodgaveitincharge,saying,'Bringitupforme,'andsellitasabeast,orholditinperpetualbondage,andnotonlyescapecorporalpunishment,butreallybeesteemedanexcellentChristian.Nay,evenministersoftheGospelanddoctorsofdivinitymayengageinthisunholytraffic,andyetsustaintheirhighandholycalling. ********** "Elders,ministers,anddoctorsofdivinityare,withbothhands,engagedinthepractice." Onewouldhavethoughtfactslikethese,statedinabodyofChristians,wereenoughtowakethedeadbut,alas!wecanbecomeaccustomedtoveryawfulthings.Noactionwastakenupontheseremonstrances,excepttoreferthemtoacommittee,tobereportedonatthenextsession,in1836. ThemoderatoroftheAssemblyin1836wasaslaveholder,Dr.T.S.Witherspoon,thesamewhosaidtotheeditoroftheEmancipator,"IdrawmywarrantfromthescripturesoftheOldandNewTestamenttoholdmyslavesinbondage.Theprincipleofholdingthehe