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Progress Retrograde

Progress Retrograde image
Parent Issue
Day
9
Month
June
Year
1841
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

The following facts are extracted from a communication of II. C. WrigKt in ihe Liberator, giving an account of (he doings of'the General Assembly in referenco to slavery. In 1794, the Assembly say, (in a note on the commaml, 'Thou shalt not steal,') rl'he law was rnade for man-stealers. - This crime among the Jews, exposed ihe jerpetrators of it to capttol punishments; and the apostle classes them with sinners ofthe fïrsi rank. Stealers of men are all hose who bring off slaves of freemen,and eep, buy or sell them. To. steal a [caman is the highest kind oftheft. Thus, 47 years ago, the Presbyterian church and clergy declnred all slaveholders to be 'man-stealers.' 'Sinners ofthe first rank,' and guilty of the highest kind of hefc. In 1816 ihe Assembly passed the followng: Resolved, Thai in printing future cdiions of ihe Confession of this church, the note, in which the nature ofthe crime of man stealing and slavery is dilated upon, BE OMITTED!' (Digesr, p. 126.) Thus the Presbyterian church and clergy, in 1816, slruck from their Confession he dcclaraücn made in 1794, that slavery s 'the highest kind oftheft' - 'slaveholders, slave buyera, and slave sellers, manstealers,' and sinners of the first rank .' - Why? Had slavery become less ntrocious during these 22 years? Slaveholders ess kmah siealers?' 'Man-stealers' sinnerc of 'lower rank?' No. 'Mnn-stealers' were the same first rato sinneis; bui they had greatly inercased in ntriïrtre"r and influence among the members and ministers of the Presbyterian church. So at their dictation, solely, to please them anc preserve the peace and uriity (not purity] ol this brotherhoodj consented to strike ii out! In 1S35 the following was introduced. 'Resolved, That in the opinión of this General Assembly, holding our fellow-men as property is a higlily aggravated sin, and ought to beso regarded by all thejudicatories ofthe church.1 Rejecíed by a vast majority. In 1838 the Assembly had a slaveholding moderation - Witherspoon. Slavery was brought before the Assembly. Dr Hoge moved - 'Thnt the wholc subject be indefinitely posiponcd.' Carried, 150 to 84.. % In 1829, the New School General Assembly referred the whole matter to the Presbytcries. In 1840 the New School Assembly, having found that agreeablv to the vote of 1S39, some of the Presbyteries had acted on Siaver}', and voted to cxclude slavehold ers from their communion and pulpits, instructcd those Presbyterians to rescind such votes - i. e. to continue to fellowship slaveholders as christians and ministers. Then voted not to meet again for three years. The Old School acted not all. - Both gave efficiënt support to slavery - all slaveholders asked. They nek only to be st alone as their prototypes d'd.