The benefit of the slave-owner depends on a different principle, upon
the wisdom, propriety, and prudence with which he governs and manages
his slaves. If he neglect their morals, suffering them to become idle,
runaways, dissolute, thieves, robbers, and committers of crime, he is
made, to some extent, responsible; or if he neglect to supply suitable
clothing, food, and medicine, attention in sickness, and all other
necessary protection, he is liable to great loss; his profit may be
greatly diminished; or, if he abuse his slave with untoward cruelty, he
may render him less fit for labour,—may destroy him altogether; or the
law may set in, and compel the slave to be sold to a less cruel master.
_The interest of the master has become protection to the slave_; and
this principle holds good in all countries, in all ages, and among all
men. But it is yet said, that there are men who most outrageously abuse,
and sometimes kill their slaves. Very true and because some men do the
same to their wives, is it any argument against marriage? It proves that
there are men who are not fit to be slave-owners. And what is the
providence of God, as generally manifested, in these cases? That such
husband does not enjoy the full blessing designed by the institution of
marriage; or such marriage is, in some way, shortly set aside. That such
slave-owner does not enjoy the full benefit a different course would
insure to him; or, in some way, he is made to cease being a slave-owner.
Such instances are most direct and powerful manifestations against the
abuses,—not of the institution itself.
But God has not left his displeasure of the abuses of slavery to be
found out by our poor, dim, mortal eyes; by our weak view of his
manifestations. He made direct laws on the subject.
“But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God; _in it_ thou
shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy
_man-servant_ (עַבְדְּךָ _abeddeka_, _male slave_,) nor thy
_maid-servant_ (וַֽאֲמָֽתֶךָ _va amatheka_, _nor thy female slave_), nor
thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates.” _Exod._ xx. 10.
“But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God; in it thou
shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy
man-servant (וְעַבְדְּךָׄ _ve abeddeka_, _male slave_), nor thy
maid-servant (וַֽאֲמָחֶךָ _va amatheka_, _female slave_), nor thine ox,
nor thine ass, nor any of thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within
thy gates; that thy man-servant (עַבְדְּךָ _abeddeka_, _male slave_) and
thy maid-servant (וַֽאֲמָֽתֶךָ _va amatheka_, _female slave_) may rest
as well as thou.” _Deut._ v. 14.
But we find laws correcting abuses of quite a different nature; abuses
that grow out of the perverse nature of man towards his fellow-man of
equal grade, touching their mutual rights in property:
“Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house, thou shalt not covet thy
neighbour’s wife, nor his _man-servant_ (וְעַבְדּ֤וֹ _ve abeddo_, _male
slave_), nor his _maid-servant_ (וַֽאֲמָתוֹ _va amatho_, _female
slave_), nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy
neighbour’s.” _Exod._ xx. 17.
“Neither shalt thou desire thy neighbour’s wife, neither shalt thou
covet thy neighbour’s house, his field, or his _man-servant_
(וְעַבְדּ֤וֹ _ve abeddo_, _male slave_), or his _maid-servant_:
(וַאֲמָתוֹ _va amatho_, _female slave_), his ox, or his ass, or any
thing that is thy neighbour’s.” _Deut._ v. 21—the 18th of the Hebrew
text.
It does appear to us that these statutes speak volumes—portraying the
providences of God, and his design in regard to the institutions of
slavery. The word covet, as here used, as well as its original, implies
that action of the mind which reaches to the possession of the thing
ourselves, and to the depriving of our neighbour, without a glimpse at
the idea of payment, reciprocity, or compromise; consequently, it is the
exact action of mind, which, when cultivated into physical display,
makes a man a thief. The command forbids that the mind shall be thus
exercised, for the command only reaches to the exercise of the mind; an
exercise, which, from the very nature of it, must for ever draw us
deeper into crime. It is a command that well comes to us from Jehovah
direct, because it is a command that man could never enforce: the
individual, and Jehovah alone, can only and surely tell when it is
broken. But it may be broken in various ways; it may be broken by
writing books persuading others that it is no crime, that it is even
praiseworthy, by any other course of conduct, to weaken the tenure of
the proprietor in the property named.
“But fools do sometimes fearless tread,
Where angels dare not even look!”
We hold the doctrine good that, whenever we find that the providence of
God frowns upon the abuse of a thing, such abuse is contrary to his law.
So, also, the doctrine is indisputably true that all laws, all
providences against the abuse of a thing, necessarily become laws and
providences for the protection of the thing itself; consequently, it
always follows that they contemplate protection.
Mr. Barnes compares the slavery of the Hebrews in Egypt to the condition
of slavery in the United States, and complains of the harsh treatment of
the slaves in the latter country. See p. 92:
“Preventing the slaves from being taught to read and write; prohibiting,
as far as possible, all knowledge among themselves of their own numbers
and strength; forbidding all assemblages, even for worship, where there
might be danger of their becoming acquainted with their own strength,
and of forming plans for freedom; enacting laws of excessive severity
against those who run away from their masters; appointing severe and
disgraceful punishments, either with or without the process of law, for
those who are suspected of a design to inform the slaves that they are
men and that they have the rights of human beings; and solemnly
prohibiting the use of arms among the slaves, designed to prevent their
rising upon their masters, or ‘joining themselves to an enemy to fight
against their masters,’ and ‘getting up out of the land.’”
We did suppose from this passage that Mr. Barnes might desire us to lie
down, and _let the slaves kill or make slaves of us_. But he has
presented us with his cure for all these wrongs on pages 383, 384. He
says—
“Now here, I am persuaded, is a wise model for all other denominations
of Christian men, and the true idea of all successful efforts for the
removal of this great evil from the land. Let all the evangelical
denominations but follow the simple example of the Quakers in this
country, and slavery would soon come to an end. There is not power of
numbers and influence out of the church to sustain it. Let every
denomination in the land _detach itself_ from all connection with
slavery, without saying a word against others; let the time come when,
in all the mighty denominations of Christians, it can be assured that
the evil has ceased _with them_ FOR EVER; and let the voice, from each
denomination, be lifted up in kind, but firm and solemn, testimony
against the system; with no ‘mealy’ words; with no attempt at apology;
with no wish to blink it; with no effort to throw the sacred shield of
religion over so great an evil; and the work is done. There is no public
sentiment in this land, there could be none created, that would resist
the power of such testimony. There is no power _out_ of the church that
could sustain slavery an hour, if it were not sustained in it. Not a
blow need be struck. Not an unkind word need be uttered. No man’s motive
need be impugned. No man’s proper rights invaded. All that is needful is
for each Christian man, and every Christian church, to stand up in the
sacred majesty of such a solemn testimony; to free themselves from all
connection with the evil, and utter a calm and deliberate voice to the
world; and THE WORK WILL BE DONE!”
This looks very much like converting the church into an instrument of
political power. We might indulge in severe remarks. We might quote some
very cogent and rebuking passages of Scripture; but, since we believe
that where the spirit of Christ is, he will be there also, we do not
deem it necessary.
From the very considerable labour evidently bestowed in the preparation
of the _test_, apparently to be applied in his reasoning on this
subject, a feeling of disappointment rests upon the mind when we
discover how little use Mr. Barnes has made of it.
We have given a view of Mr. Barnes’s peroration; his complaints; the
wrongs that excite his sympathy; and his final conclusion of the whole
matter. We have attempted to reason by the same rule he has adopted,
and, so far as he has chosen to apply it, leave it to others to judge
whether it is not most fatal to the cause he advocates.
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