slave code, and numerous others which might
be mentioned, are a species of viler oppres
sion than that exercised on the part of Eng
land, which led our revolutionary fathers to
rebel against Britain; and I hope and believe
the day is soon to dawn when the people will
rise in the might of their sovereignty, and
hurl the tyrant from his throne and trample
his unholy sceptre in the dust I [Applause.]
The sixth and last reason which I shall an
nounce as influencing my vote on this ques
tion of emancipation is:
Because, for the above and for other rea
sons, the system of slavery, in its aggregated
existence and influence, is in contravention
of the principles and teachings of Christi
anity—the purest law of right and morality
that has ever blessed the world.
This branch of the subject was very ably
discussed by the gentleman from Talbot (Mr
Valliant) who opened the debate upon this
subject. But I may be pardoned a brief ref-
erence to some of the points which have al-
ready been brought forth in the discussion,
I know that the apologists of the system
contend that American slavery was permitted
if not ordained by Providence, as a means of
civilizing and christianizing a savage race
Now, Providence permits, in one sense of the
word, everything that happens in the universe
He permits murder. Does that legalize it?
But they contend that it was ordained by
Providence.
Sir, an Apostle has said "shall we do evil
that good may come? God forbid," and I
take it for granted that what God prohibits
in his creatures, as morally wrong, he will
not sanction in his own conduct. I am will-
ing to admit, sir, that some good has accrued
to the African because of his advent to our
shore; that the picture is not all dark and
gloomy, unillumined by a single ray of relief
No, there are fugitive lights that flit athwart
this dark panorama revealing here and there
a Christian blossom, even in this sterile
thorny soil. 'Tis only this, sir, that has en-
abled Christian civilization to tolerate the
exhibition so long.
But to return to the point: while I deny
that God does evil that good may come, act-
ing upon 'the principle that the end justifies
the means, I do admit that "He maketh the
wrath of man to praise Him," and oftimes
brings good out of evil, and I contend further
that whatever good has accrued to the negro
from his residence in our land, has been
wrought by the Almighty upon this principle,
and in spite of the general principles and
legislation of slavery, which imposes restric-
tions upon the intellectual and religious cul-
tivation of the negro, which amount almost
to an absolute prohibition. Why, sir, a
meeting for prayer and religious instruction
cannot, by the laws of the State of Maryland
be held in our State by negroes, except un-
der restrictions, which I have known practi- |
cally to close their churches for months to-
gether. The last Legislature of Delaware,
among many other acts that a few years more
will consign lo immortal shame, exceeded
in this respect all former Southern Christian
patriotism and chivalry, and virtually turned
a whole Christian community out of church,
and, so far as they had the power, consigned
them to the tender mercies of the evil one.
And yet gentlemen plead for slavery because
of its civilizing and christianizing influence !
Why, sir, slavery has been exerting its boast-
ed and beautiful philanthrophy upon the poor
negro for about two centuries; the champion
heralds of this great work of Christian mercy
and redemption have sounded aloud the
trumpet through all the land proclaiming:
" The year of jubilee is come ;
Return ye ransomed sinners home !"
And the whole South unites with a voice
like the sound of many waters, in singing
the doxology over an Africa, redeemed by
slavery from intellectual and moral darkness;
and yet when we ask them to let the oppress-
ed go free, they answer: "O, no; they are
not prepared for freedom yet; let's civilize
them first." In the name of common sense,
what sort of a scheme of philanthrophy
is that which, when exerted on a race, in
all the profusion of its potency, through
about fifteen generations, fails to prepare
them for the enjoyment of the first and sim-
plest right which heaven bestows on man?
Mr. President, we must dismiss this moral
physician and call in another, who will
change the prescription, or the patient will
grow defunct with sheer old age, and the end
of time will find the poor negro where
slavery found him—ignorant, superstitious
and depraved.
I know, sir, it is held, and justly so, that
slavery was allowed under the Jewish the-
ocracy; but it was with many palliating cir-
cumstances which rendered it much milder
and more tolerable than the American system.
These palliating circumstances have been
largely referred to by my friend from Talbot
(Mr. Valliant.) But I may be pardoned for
introducing a few facts in this connection
which refer to the same point.
Mr. BERRY, of Prince George's. Is not
slavery also recognized in the New Testa-
ment?
Mr. TODD. I will come to that point pres-
ently.
They were permitted to hold property, as
will be seen from Dent. 25, 49 and I Sam. 9,
10. They were allowed, the free use of the
products of their masters' farms and vine-
yards. To them and to the indigent were
given by divine enactment, all the harvests
that grew every seventh or sabbatical year.
Mr. Cobb, of Georgia, tells us, in the intro-
duction to his great South side view work on
slavery, that the slave of the Jewish dispen- |
