Political Duties of Christians.
THE EXTIRPATION OF SLAVERY FROM THE WORLD.
Civil government is necessary to the preservation, prosperity and
safety of society. In some important sense, "the powers that be, are
ordained of God." It does not appear that the Creator has established
any specific _form_ of government, but the genius of christianity is
evidently democratic. The leading _objects_ of government are defined
to be "the punishment of evil doers and the praise of them that do
well." When a government fails to protect and encourage the good and to
punish evil doers,--when it becomes a mighty engine of oppression, the
object of its institution is frustrated.
In the United States the voters are responsible for the character
of the government. The people are the sovereign rulers. The ballot
box controls legislation. If our country is badly governed it is the
people's fault.
The free white people of America are responsible for the existence
of American slavery. They could at the ballot box break every yoke.
They have the power to release more than three millions of slaves and
thereby make heaven and earth rejoice!
A weighty responsibility, therefore, rests upon voters in relation to
slavery. If it continue, it will be because they shall will it, and
express that will at the ballot box. He who votes for a representative
that is pledged to sustain slavery, becomes responsible for that
representative's acts on the slavery question. The responsibility
cannot be shifted or dodged. Representatives consult the will of
their constituents and act as they wish them to act. They are only the
people's agents, the echo of the people's voice.
In the light of these facts how can a christian vote for a slaveholder
or a friend of slavery? How can he, by his vote, say that slavery
shall be perpetual? Every pulsation of a christian's heart beats in
harmony with liberty; he could not have slaves in his own hands. How
then can he, how dare he, by his vote, chain them and deliver them over
to the slave driver? It is mean and wicked for a strong man to beat
a weak one, but it is equally as mean and wicked to _hold_ the weak
man so that the strong one may beat him at his leisure and with ease.
So it is bad to own a slave and tax his sinews, sweat and blood, to
beat and bruise him, but it is equally wrong to hold the slave while
the southern slaveholder does the same thing. Hence, he who votes for
pro-slavery representatives, votes for slavery and all its swarms of
evils, and is indirectly a slaveholder himself.
Let it be distinctly understood, then, that political power has been
entrusted to the christian people of America by the God of nations,
who holds them responsible for its proper exercise; and that acting
politically is a serious business, affecting the interests directly,
in this country, of twenty millions of freemen, and more than three
millions of slaves; and also affecting indirectly, the interests of the
whole human family.
If the supporters of slavery continue to control the policy of the
American government; to trample under foot the "higher law;" to render
the Declaration of Independence a nullity; to denationalize liberty;
to nationalize slavery and perpetuate and extend it; and thus to belie
all our professions of Democracy, and render this government a Godless
tyrant, delighting in crushed hopes and hearts--then the whole human
race may weep. That our government has been progressing toward this
terrible consummation for the last thirty years is but too evident.
The Declaration of Independence is a sound anti-slavery document. It
does not regard the right of all men to liberty as an unsettled opinion
or a question to be proved by abstruse argument, but pronounces it a
"SELF EVIDENT TRUTH."
The Constitution in _form_ if not in fact, pretty fully embodies the
sentiments of the Declaration. The word slave is not found in it, and
it was kept out not accidentally, but purposely. The framers of the
Constitution carefully guarded that instrument against any endorsement
of slavery. In the convention which formed the Constitution, Gov.
Morris of Pennsylvania said, "He never would concur in upholding
domestic slavery. It was a nefarious institution." Mr. Getry, of
Massachusetts, in the same convention said, "we had nothing to do with
the conduct of the States as to slavery, _but we ought to be very
careful not to give any sanction to it_." The idea that there _could_
be property in man was carefully excluded from the Constitution. It was
about to be foisted into that instrument by the adoption of a report of
a committee fixing a tax on importations. But Mr. _Sherman_ was against
"_acknowledging men to be property_, by taxing them as such under
the character of slaves." _Madison "thought it wrong to admit in the
constitution the idea that there could be property in man."_ But if the
idea of property in man was carefully excluded from the Constitution,
then it is clear that chattel slavery is not in form recognized, much
less established by that instrument.
It is evident that the framers of the Constitution expected the speedy
abolition of slavery; and hence, while providing in fact though not
in form, for its continuance under the constitution, by virtue of
_local_ State laws, they so framed that instrument that it would not
countenance slavery or deny the glorious doctrines of the immortal
Declaration, which contained what Mr. Sumner calls "the national heart,
the national soul, the national will, and the national voice."[23]
_Washington_ said "That it was among his _first wishes_ to see some
plan adopted, by which slavery may be _abolished_ by law."
_Adams_ regarded slavery as "a sacrilegious breach of trust."
_Hamilton_ considered slaves, "though free by the law of God, held in
slavery by the laws of men."
_Jefferson_ said that the "abolition of domestic slavery was the
greatest object of desire."
_Patrick Henry_ said--"I will not, I cannot justify it."
_Benj. Franklin_, when 84 years of age, came up before Congress with
a petition from the "Abolition Society of Pennsylvania, praying that
body to countenance the restoration of liberty to those unhappy men,
who alone, in this land of freedom are degraded into perpetual bondage,
and who, amidst the general joy of surrounding freemen are groaning in
servile subjection." This petition besought Congress to "step to the
VERY VERGE of the power vested in them for _discouraging_ every species
of traffic in the persons of our fellow men."
These facts afford conclusive evidence, that the founders of the
American Republic did not intend to fasten upon the object of their
toils, perils and sacrifices, a monster which would speedily eat out
its virtue, destroy its vitality and overthrow it forever.
But the policy of the government has been reversed. Millions of
acres of territory have been purchased and annexed to make room for
slavery, which has become a great national pet--the god before whom
aspiring politicians must kneel and worship as a condition of political
elevation.
The President of the United States and his Cabinet, the Supreme
Court, and both Houses of Congress are all under the control of the
Slaveocracy. No man can be a President of the United States unless he
bows the knee and swears upon the altar of this modern Baal. Zeal for
the infamous Fugitive Slave Law is now a particular test of political
orthodoxy. A Congressman who advocates the principles of Washington,
Franklin and Jefferson is considered as standing outside of any
"healthy organization" and is not deemed worthy of a place on the
most insignificant Congressional committee. Our government has been
thoroughly changed from an anti-slavery to a pro-slavery government.
In view of these facts how important that the concentrated moral and
political power of every American christian be brought to the rescue of
our great Republic from the sin and shame of its present position.
Christians, in the States where slavery exists, are under obligations
to use their whole political and moral power to bring about the speedy
repeal of the entire slave code. That code is a miserable barbarism and
should be swept away forever from the statutes of Christian States.
My christian brethren in Virginia, Kentucky and Missouri, are you
prepared to use all the power, moral and political, with which you
are entrusted, as you shall answer to God, for the emancipation of
your suffering fellow citizens? Your political influence must tell
somewhere! Remember _that_.
Christians in the free States are obliged to do what is in their
power for the repeal of all laws which bear upon the colored man
because he is a _colored_ man. The word "white" ought to be erased
from the statutes of all christian States. All "black laws" are
anti-democratic, anti-christian, and not only insult and annoy, but
discourage the colored man and obstruct his progress in the path of
improvement.--Christian brethren of the free States, you have not done
your duty toward your colored brother. You have sustained laws which
gall his neck as a heavy yoke. You have treated him as an alien and an
enemy. Will you henceforth do him justice, as you shall answer to God?
Christian citizens of all the States are directly responsible for the
existence of slavery in the District of Columbia, and they should not
be content until that foul pollution is wiped away from the Capital of
our country. Slavery at Washington is especially a national disgrace, a
blistering shame, a satire upon our professions.
When the foreign minister or visitor comes to our country, and goes
to Washington, he sees in the streets, at the hotels, and everywhere,
a poor, stupid, oppressed people, whose very speech and looks betray
their ignorance and servility. Ah! Is this American freedom? Equality?
Republicanism? Upon inquiry, he finds that one-seventh of all the
people are in this state of servile wretchedness.
And when a member of Congress from a free State goes to the proud
Capital of his country, he beholds passing by the tall and splendid
buildings of the government, droves of men, women and children, chained
together,--some sullenly indifferent to their fate--others weeping as
if their hearts would break.--Who are these? American citizens!
Men, as white as some members of Congress, and women as fair as their
wives and as virtuous as their daughters, are cried off at auction to
the highest bidder, in Washington!
There our senators and representatives sit and legislate, in sight
of the slave prison, and slave market--in hearing of the clanking of
chains, and coffles,--and of the wail of slave mothers, weeping for
their children, because they are
"Gone, gone, sold and gone."
They are also responsible for the extension of slavery into territory
now free. If they go not to the utmost verge of their power to save
the Lord's free earth from the overspreading and blighting curse of
slavery, they cannot but be execrated by an enlightened posterity.
But more than all this. A christian is a citizen of the world, and
hence is required to employ the whole force of his moral and political
power for the extirpation of slavery from every State in the Union,
and from every country on the globe. The influence of an intelligent,
active christian citizen is worldwide. He cannot be the dupe or tool
of any party; he is never shackled by party organizations; he does not
commit the keeping of his conscience to political leaders. He sincerely
loves God, believes the Bible, and loves his fellow-men, because
they are men. Prejudice, caste, and all other relics of barbarism,
he has thrown away. He talks, votes and prays for universal liberty
and righteousness. In the pulpit, in the shop, on the farm, anywhere,
everywhere the whole weight of his influence is thrown against slavery
in the territories, in the District of Columbia, in the States, and
against it wherever it exists in the world. As he seeks for the
physical, intellectual and moral improvement and happiness of all men,
he must desire intensely the speedy extirpation of slavery from the
earth.
Christian voter, when you approach the ballot box, think of the three
millions of bondmen who are holding up their hands "all manacled and
bleeding," pleading to you for deliverance!