Communications: For The Signal Of Liberty: A More Excellent...
In my preceding number3, I have nimcd lo exhibit, what I think a capital Ãüiátáfce'of our Abolition friends. My limita dü nut perrnit me to go mto specifications-, Foreign Mission, and Bible tiocieties. my remarks on churchea and ecclesiastical bodics apply equaily to these. Uncorvsciwtty, I believe, but really, witli one hand they grasp volitical actio7i, and with the otiicr ut ckurch ac lion. This is what makes their meetings, and discussions such a corapound of incompatibles. Such churches na they ivouW have, would really be polÃtico reügious churches, and a virtual vnion of lchnrch and Staf e.' Their creed is kú}] too long . Let Abolitionists confino themselves as such to their pohtical party, and to the wide field open before thcm for dUcuion and action. Let each denominatiun manage its own church aiFairs, without extraneous dicta lion. As last as the memlers get right, the churchc3 wil] be shaped rio bt. Tiiese are but the thermometer, whose range tolls you the state of%e Anti Slnvery atmósphere. AH this freiting k. complaining only serves to lower it. Bring us a good Southem breezt, and without oven4 wun jrom you, ït win nse, ana as ttie warnith increases, will ascend to the line of 8umrrer heat. Let the thermometer alone. A word ia reg-urd to the tone and spirit of Aboütionists. The cnrrent raprestion is, that there is too much acid in'their produelione I think it ia so. The tone of rebuke and denunciation assumed at the outsel, has bsen too much mainiained. It is of no use to cali us slaveholdera and manstealers, robbers and pirates. VVhat is -our object? To cominee and secure co-operetion. The man who would exert the greatest iufluence in his family or society, is not the one who uses epithets so harsh that some doubt their truth, - more their utilitjr, while niany are prejudjeed by them. It is the 'soft tongue breaketh the bone.' l hope and pray that the time may soon come, when, instead of lannchmg dennnciations against a distanï inst-tulion, we may go. on to the groiind and there discuss the moral and political evils of slavery. To "many, u"ith myself, this standing at a safe dietance and issuing bulls of excommunication against southern men, is neither a proof of wisdom, or trtie courage. We form no highopinión of th? blustering man, vvho takcs care to keep at a safe ciistance from his enemy.- I have been on ihe ground. I know the wrong-s of the slave. I know that southern raen are selfish, and yetthey have consciences. One great shield is, the violence of wurpj, exciled, zealous nortÃjern men. These, igaorant of the real difSeulties i the miiids of siaveholders, only irrÃtate them. Let us remember and apply the fable of Eoreas and Sul. A wager was luid beÃwcen them, which in the shortest time shouid bnnooff the cloak of a traveller. Bóreas whistÃed in his stormiest tnood. fie canght the cÃoalc with his brenth, and strove to whirl it away The traveller held on but the firmer, um drew it around him the closer. He failed. - Sol then tbrew out his warm rays. The traveler first loo?cned, and then t-browin off his cloak laid himselà down under the nearest shade. Novv I assure my Abolition friends that manya man - many a minister, who loves t!:o cause of JibcrU', throws liimself bevond your influence for reasoñs that I have named. You publish facts, - he does not read them, - youdeliver lectures, - he does nat hcar them, - you publish oppcals he eiïber does not kuoiv of, or disregards them. You cal! such men 'pro-skvery,' and Ãhey cali it slantler, - and tljey are right. It is so. The truth isyour attacks on churclies, nnd ministors, and socielies, have destroyed Uieir confideuce. They consider leadinrf Aboiiiionistscilhcr as Tecklcss, unsafe men, or Ilifidwq in diiguise. Wbrn you talk aboui' Slavery, they ure on the out foi denunciation.- Your iiifiuaice icitk them is less ihan nothittg. Their first care as they value their reputation and osefulness, is to keep cfëaf of Abolilionsm. I now use the word in its tèchnical sense,as incliulinr tvrlh anÃi slavcry aentinicnts, llie faulls upon whieh I have coinmenÃed. My limits perrnit me but to glance nt an objeciion tbat moy be rai?ed. It is ihis.- Churches wisli us not to inrermeddla vitli them. PúliÃical parlies ieel tiio same. Why not nedd!e vvitli iha one as well as thc other' Ireply, a pólitÃcal party is no oro-niz,d bony. It is simply the oggreg-atc ofÃnen wbo for the time b,eing act together. Any one is at liberty toact aJone - wiÃli a dozen or a miilion. - To act with other. or alone is a matter of experliency. Churched are organized for roligious purposes. To make a case anaiagous, you musà be on Abolition reJigious denomiuation. If tfiis s your object, wlïich I suppose it is not, - ihen lilse honest nien avoio it. W c will add you to ihe lut already existing, and put you on the same fbo'.in as ve do othcr secÃs. Then you like otlier sects will opérate tbrouh your own channels inste.id of" assuming the alütudñ of proselyters. This I suppose oà to bo Uue oÃ'cny portion of the Abulitionists.lnpiinciple I am with Abulilioniáts on the subject of Slavery, and u!l that pertains to its fu)l discussion. I Jiavc pointed out the things in vvhich wc differ. To me they tire not only offcnsive, buc si neer el ieliêve wrong and tsicked, lf in pointing them out I have beon too severo, I regret it. My aim is to convincc, not to irrÃtate or ofiend. I believe myselr' fairly to represent the views of thonsands in our country. TlÃe tone and spirit of passages such as I have uamcd vent their taking Aholilion periódica!:- IVere it not for this, your fucts, your argv menls tcould be read. You would tt ud mitttd into a field f rom whkh you now excludê yoursclves. I wiah the attitude of churches lijd Abolitionists towards each other to ba clinno-ed. Your pioneering the way by colIcting fncts aud argument is valuable. If ab!e to effect but littïe towards a mutual good undcrsïanding, I wish it may ot least be said that I 'have done vjÃiat 1 could.'
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Signal of Liberty