446           JOURNAL OF PROCEEDINGS [Feb. 19,

ry as coeval with civilization itself—they then contend the in-
stitution has become obsolete, because forsooth, monarchical
England has seen fit to discard it. Aye, more: they contend
that what was right in the days of our Saviour and the Holy
Prophets, is not right now!

Arguing the mutability of God on this point, they thereby
uproot the sanctity and binding authority of all his other
moral, social, and civil ordinances. For we contend that the
duties of husband and wife, parent and child, and indeed, the
cardinal doctrines of our Holy Religion, are no more clearly
taught us in the Bible, than the existence of Slavery, and the
duties of Master and Slave. How awful, then, are such de-
lusions! How lamentable such heresies! The curse of God
is upon all who add to, or take from His Holy Word—Rev.
ch. xxii., 18, 19. It is manifest we can neither make the
Bible, change, alter, or amend it; but must accept it as the
standard arbiter on all questions involving moral and civil
ethics between God and man, or between man and his fellow
man. It stands the revealed will of God; and our only province
is to understand and it obey. When we do this, the appa-
rent diversities of condition in this life will be found in har-
mony with our mutual good, and consistent with the justice
and equity of Deity—and not before.

God forbid, that we should reproach the sincere followers
of Christ, no matter of what religious denomination he may
be; or throw odium upon the holy office, of a Herald of the
Cross. We cannot be so understood; our language is suffi-
ciently plain and descriminating to free us of that censure;
and yet, we palliate nothing herein contained towards those
who come within the true scope and sense of this memorial.

This is no fancy sketch of our condition in Maryland, and
we are persuaded that most of your your Honorable body are
familiar with those facts.

If, then, we have exposed the sources of our grievances, let
us now indicate the remedies.

OUR FREE NEGRO POPULATION.

Humanity and benevolence form a large part of the moral
attributes of mankind, and pervade the actions of a civilized
and Christian people in an eminent degree. Universal as
this law of our nature is acknowledged to be, its exercise is,
perhaps, more strikingly developed in a slaveholding com-
munity than any where else to be found. That the slave-
holder, who was reared with his own slaves, drew suck from
the same breast, passed his childhood with them, shared their
domestic sports, rejoiced, wept and sympathised with them
in all of their juvenile pastimes, disappointments and cha-