penitentiary for no other offence than teach-
ing negro children to read in Sunday Schools.
Mr. BERRY, of Prince George's, The gen-
tleman knows nothing about the institution
of slavery. He knows nothing about the
laws passed by slaveowners in slave States
for their protection. He knows nothing
about the domestic control and management
of them and the attention paid to their relig-
ious instruction. He knows nothing about
the attachment of the slave to the master or
the master to the slave, and the sacredness
with which they are regarded as members of
his family. If his mind was more enlighten-
ed he would hold a better position here, and
other views more consonant with justice
equity, religion and government. Does the
gentleman know that in every slave State in
the Union, the very strictest attention is paid
to the moral and religious welfare of the
slaves? Does he know that in the far South
the large planters have churches built on
their plantations, and employ ministers at
asalary of $1,000 to $1,500 per year with
the sole view of instructing their slaves in the
wise teachings of the Bible? There the mas-
ter and slave in fulness or Bean worship the
same God under the same vine and fig tree.
Mr. SCOTT. That does not meet my objec-
tion, that they do not teach them to read.
They have the Scriptures expounded to them,
but they are not allowed to read fur them-
selves.
Mr. BERRY, of Prince George's. Is it in-
dispensable that a man should know how to
read, in order to understand the teachings of
the Bible and to be a Christian ?
Mr. SCOTT. That is my idea exactly.
Mr. BERRY, of Prince George's. I tell the
gentleman it is not indispensable. Does he
not know that religion is a thing of the
heart, and .virtue the promptings of the heart ?
When you teach one in the ways of religion,
no matter how ignorant be may be in the
rudiments of education, his mind will be-
come enlightened and embued with the prin-
ciples of religion and virtue which will
make him a good and Christian man.
They are not capable of self-government.
History shows that they will retrograde
rather than improve in a state of freedom.
They require a governing, a directing hand.
This is the experience of the past. When-
ever they have been put in a state of free-
dom they have become demoralized, and
there is not one instance where their condi-
tion has been improved.
Are they the equal of the white man? Do
gentlemen on this floor desire to make them
the equal of the white man in all the civil
and social relations. This equality was never
thought of until lately, under the new teach-
ing of miscegenation, I suppose the gentle-
men are for that. On, on, you go, step by
step. You recklessly go from one thing to
another. You first liberate them, then
44 |
give them the civil rights of citizens, and
then for intermarriage and the commingling
of the races.
Mr. SCOTT. I rise to a point of order,
which is this—Whether any gentleman has
a right to impute to others arguments which
they have never uttered and views which
they have never advocated ?
Mr. BERRY, of Prince George's. If the
gentleman had paid attention to my argu-
ment he would have found that I made no
personal application of my argument and
conclusions to any one gentleman here. I
simply suggested the result of this movement.
I suggested that it would end in this, and
betore my God I believe it will, if you go
on as you have commenced the work of
pulling down our State Government and' de-
stroying all the rights of the citizens.
They are not mentally the equal of the
white man; they are not physically the
equal of the white man, for their organiza-
tion is different, so intended by nature; a
distinctive mark was placed upon them, and
all the changes of time cannot efface it.
Then is it proper, is it right, is it wise? Are
you advantaging these people to make them
free?
It has been said here that holding slaves
is contrary to the teachings of the Bible.
Now, I want to show gentlemen, that in al-
most every book, from Genesis to Revela-
tions, slavery is clearly recognized in the
Bible. But, said the gentleman from Balti-
more city (Mr. Cushing) day before yester-
day, and the gentleman from Cecil (Mr.
Scott) night before the last, that they thought
we were driven to a dernier resort when we
went to the Bible in support of slavery.
What, Mr. President, to offer the evidence
of the Bible in support of an institution a
dernier resort; that book of all books, the
very fullness of every evidence, the fountain
of all our hopes, and from which alone we
can draw the motives to every action; the
teachings of all truth, virtue and religion.
Whit, sir, at this day of boasted civilization,
at this day of advanced religious sentiments,
to hold the Bible in so little respect, to pro-
claim such sentiments in an enlightened as-
semblage, must he revolting to every think-
ing mind, and I defy the gentlemen to offer
any evidence that will be superior to the
teachings of the Bible. Driven to extremity
because we refer to the Bible, the book from
which we draw our very life and breath;
the teachings of the great I AM, the ruler and
controller of all things. Driven to extremity
because we resort to the Bible. Do the gen-
tlemen believe in the Bible? Do they believe
in the teachings of our Saviour? Have their
consciences become so seared by the workings
of fanaticism that even the Bible contains no
teachings for them. If so, then God help
them.
Now, I propose to show from the Bible |
