sation frequently had control of all his mas-
ter's goods, (Gen. 24: 10,) and, in default
of children, became his nominated heir, (Gen.
15: 3, and Prov. 17: 2,) and says, in a foot
note, "Our Saviour alludes to this in the
payable of the wicked servants, who slew the
son—the only heir—that the inheritance
might be theirs," And Mr. Cobb's argument
is conclusive.
In addition to all this, it is admitted on all
hands that all Hebrew slaves went out free, at
the year of jubilee. This virtually carries
with it the admission that the slaves bought
of the stranger went out free also. For it will
be remembered, that the Jewish law required
the naturalization—the circumcision of such
slaves. This circumcision, which was a cove-
nant sign and seal, brought them into the
condition of adopted Hebrews, and entitled
them to all the rights, privileges and immu-
nities of the covenant of grace, sworn to and
attested by the Almighty to Abraham. In
reference to the difficulty presented in the
declaration that these strangers were to serve
their masters forever, it has been claimed by
eminent authority, that this term had refer-
ence to the end of the period closed by the
inauguration of the year of jubilee, just as
the phrase—"end of the world"—in some
places in the New Testament manifestly re-
ferred to the end of the Jewish dispensation,
("and now, once, in the end of the world,
hath Christ appeared to put away sin, &c.,")
and that it is used to distinguish the period
of their service from that of Hebrew servants
who might, in certain cases, become tree be-
fore the above specified period.
I give that for what it is worth and no
more. It must be acknowledged that it has
some plausibility, though it is not conclu-
sive, I confess.
But suppose, Mr. President, absolute slavery
existed under the Jewish dispensation, does
this prove the divine right of the American
system? If it does, then reasoning upon the
same principle, I claim the divine right of
Brigham Young to have forty wives, or as
many as suits his convenience, up to at least
1,000; for Abraham and Jacob had each two,
David had several, and Solomon 700 wives
and 300 concubines, making the round num-
ber of 1,000!
But, says the objector, and now I come to
my friend from Prince George's (Mr. Berry,)
"slavery is recognized as a divine right in
the New Testament." Where? "Why, in
the regulations given for the government of
the relations of master and servant," and in
the further fact that Paul sent Onesimus back
to his master Philemon. In answer to this I
have to say, that Christ and his followers set
us a proper example of recognizing civil au-
thority and enactments so long as the statute
existed, an example which had it been fol-
lowed by those on whose behalf gentlemen on
the other side plead, would have saved the |
world and heaven the sad spectacle our country
this day presents. That they not only
made no open, violent attack on slavery, but
that they passed over in comparative silence
other relics of barbarism legalized by the
laws of the Roman empire. But they thus
acted, trusting and knowing that the princi-
ples inculcated in the religion which they
promulgated would, through their silent but
powerful influence, work the cure for all the
moral, social and political ills to which so-
ciety is subject.
As an evidence of the correctness of this
position, sir, I refer to the historical fact that
no sooner bad Christianity spread its blessed
influences over the Roman empire, at about
the close of the third century of its existence,
than slavery was swept from the land. This
fact in the history of slavery, in connection
with the early history of our religion, shows
most conclusively that slavery is at variance
with the pure influences of an Apostolic
Christianity; and that when these principles
and influences have free course allowed them,
they will inevitably operate to the destruction
of slavery.
Mr. BERRY, of Prince George's. Did not
St. Paul instruct the slave to be obedient to
his master?
Mr. TODD. I will come to that presently.
Why, sir, in our land, in the South espe-
cially, Christianity has never been allowed the
exercise of its full power. The utmost a min-
ister has dared to do has been to inculcate
the duty of masters to be humane to their
servants, and it depended upon whether he
was born on Southern soil if be were per-
mitted to venture even thus far.
I am stanching here to-day and uttering
sentiments which I have not dared to ut-
ter—I confess it with shame—as a minister
of the Gospel I have not dared to utter them
in any community where I have resided, I have
not dared to do it for the simple reason that I
believed my life would have paid the forfeit, or
if I had escaped with my life, I would have
been compelled lo leave the community.
The pulpit, Christian organizations, the
press, every arm of Christian power has been
sedulously watched; nothing has been free to
call in question the divine right of slavery.
Our church disciplines, religious papers, and
even the sacred ballads and hymns we have
been wont to sing around our firesides and in
our religious gatherings, have been declared
incendiary, and interdicted by legal enact-
ment. The whole, broad scowling frown of
society, rested with all its weight and black-
ness upon an individual or Christian society
that dared intimate that emancipation might
bedesirable; and, Mr. President, I once knew
a large part of a minister's congregation to
get up and leave the church, because he bad
the misfortune and the bad taste to announce
and read the hymn of jubilee, commencing—
" Blow ye the trumpet, blow," &c. |
