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■■■■i ii ... 11 ■■■!'■>
From the Kentucky Christian Journal.
The Philosophy of Slavery as Identified
with the Philosophy of Human Happiness:
An address, by President Shannon to
the Franklin Society of Bacon College,
delivered in the College Chapel, on the
27 th of June, 1844, and published by
request of the Society.
Young Gentlemen —Members of the
Franklin society :
Having been honored by your partiality
with the privilege of addressing you on
the present occasion, permit me to offer
vou a few thoughts on the philosophy of
slavery as identified with the philosophy
of human happiness.
It will hardly be doubted by any sane
mind, that happiness is the end and aim
of our being. All men are impelled at
all times, and hv every principle of their
nature, to seek this invaluable treasure,
without which all things else, would be
utterly valueless, and even life itself an
intolerable burden. Nay, more; —l main
tain. that notralional, or even sentient
being, ever did. or ever could voluntarily
undergo a single pang of misery lor its
own sake. Many, in all ages, have no
doubt subjected themselves, of their own
free will, to privation and unhappiness in
various forms, with the hope of avoiding
thereby a greater evil, or of securing a
greater good. But, that any human
being could possibly be regardless of hap
piness, and alike insensible to pleasure
or pain, or that he could be capable of
voluntary action in such a state of insen
sibility, will be credited by no person,
who understands the philosophy of the
human mind, or the principles, that actu
ate human conduct. By the very neces
sity of our organization, we seek happi
ness in all that we do. The Bible itself
never, in a single instance, contravenes,
but. on the contrary, harmonizes in all
respects with these principles. Hence,
in order to attain to the highest virtue,
we are required, and even obliged so pur
sue the path, that leads directly and in
fallibly to the greatest enjoyment. And,
it may safely be affirmed, that every pre
cept and prohibition of Christianity, from
first to last, tends no less to increase the
happiness of him, who fears God, and
keeps his commandments, than it does to
promote his virtue, and secure the Divine
favor.
But, though all men are unceasingly
engaged in the pursuit of happiness, no
person can have failed to observe, that all
are not equally successful; and that
none is perfectly successful at all times.
Now, ifit be asked, why so few obtain,
in any considerable degree, that which
all seek with untiring ardor, the answer
is at hand. They seek it in a wrong
way. A few reflections will make this
apparent. All man’s faculties, whether
physical, intellectual, or moral, are de
signed, and have a natural tendency,
when properly exercised, to promote the
happiness of their possessor; but, when
misapplied or perverted, they have an
equal tendency to render him happy.
As an illustration of this sentiment, we
may take the appetite for food. On a
moment’s reflection it will be seen, that
this appetite is designed by Infinite Wis
dom and Benevolence for the production
of our happiness. But, to attain this de
sirable end, we must gratify it in harmo
ny with all the laws of our nature. If
these laws be violated in its gratification,
there necessarily results a measure of un
happiness proportioned to the gaagnitude
of the transgression ; in some instances
involving the most excrutiating misery,
apcleven thaloss of life. The same prin
ciple is applicable to all our faculties,
whether animal, intellectual, or moral.
Each is productive of happiness or mise
ry, just so far, and only so far, as it is
exercised in harmony with the lawsof our
nature, or in violation of those laws ;
that is to say, in harmony with, or in op
position to, the will of God.
If these sentiments be true, (and true
they most undoubtedly are,) then it fol
low's, of necessity, that all the untold j
sufferings of the human family originate
in the perversion of their faculties, and j
in the transgression of those laws, the
observance of which was designed and
calculated to render them happy.
AUGUSTA WASHINGTONIAN.
A WEEKLY PAPER: DEVOTED TO TEMPERANCE, AGRICULTURE, & MISCELLANEOUS READINGS.
VoL III.]
Nor does this doctrine conflict with the 1
unquestionable fact, that we inherit a 1
i vitiated organization, which exposes us to (
suffering, independently of any violation 1
of the laws of nature on our part. For. ; <
trace the disorder as far back as you i
please, you must ultimately arrive at a <
transgression of law, which is the original
and sole cause of this disorder, and of all >
I the misery consequent thereon., In con
; formation of this view, it must be mani- ;
fest to every reflecting mind, that the , i
healthy and legitimate action of every :
faculty pertaining to the human race
tends only to happiness, and, consequent- ;
ly, that all the unhappiness, that is in the
world, must have resulted, either imme
diately or remotely, from violated law, 1
and the disorder produced thereby.
Now, if these principles be correct, it
is manifest, that a course of conduct, in
perfect harmony with all the laws, under
which we are placed by the Author of
| our existence, would necessarily result in
the production of the highest happiness I
!of which we are capable. But such a
j course of conduct of necessity involves a
; knowledge of those laws, and a dispo
sition to regulate all our actions in ac
j cordance w ith that knowledge,
i Hence, the main, and the only insu
j perable barriers to human happiness, are
i ignorance of law, and insubordination to
j its authority. It is hardly necessary to j
add, that such is the Bible method of ex
plaining the origin of human suffering. j
j And it may be fearlessly asserted, that
,i every other method of explaining it, is in
i the highest degree unphilosophical and
j absurd.
It must be remembered, that we are
not inquiring here, what provision is ne
i cessary to justify the Moral Governor of
i the Universe in pardoning those, who ■
have rebelled against his authority. That j
would be to view the subject, as a theolo
gian, and not as a philosopher, in which :
latter capacity alone do I now desire lo ;
, consider it.
The case, then, as disclosed in the Bi
ble, and confirmed by philosophy, stands
simply thus:—
, When man first came out of the hands
iof his Maker, he was perfectly happy;
but was nevertheless so organized, that
the continuance of his happiness was
made absolutely to depend on his contin
. ued observance of all the laws, under
; whjch he was placed. lie violated those
laws, and became miserable. And, from
this'first violation, and other similar vio
,, lations of law, has originated all the un
. happiness, that has ever been in the
I j world. Nor is it possible, that man can
ever be restored to that happiness, from
which he has fallen, except in harmony
l with these principles. For, as it is mani
i fest, that self-will, and insubordination to i
i law, have produced all the misery that
exists on earth, it is obvious, that the re
moval of those fruitful sources of mis
| chief is indispensable to the happiness of
men, even in this world. Hence the des
truction of self-will, and the cultivation
of a law-abiding spirit, involves our great
est good, and is identified with human
i; salvation, both in time, and in eternity.
These preliminary considerations may
assist us, in understanding what might
otherwise appear dark in the moral gov
ernment of God; whilst they prepare us
; for an intelligent discussion of our sub
ject, viz:
The philosophy of slavery as identified j
with the philosophy of human happiness.
We have already seen that all the
misery on earth originated in self-will,
prompting to the violation of law: and
that the salvation of men, both in time, ,
jand in eternity, is absolutely identified!
I with the destruction of this lawless spirit.
Hence those circumstances, and thatdis- ,
icipline, are best for each individual,
which are best calculated to subdue self- ;
will, and cultivate a spirit of subordina- i
tion to lawfull authority. ;
In accordance with these view's, so :
soon as our first parents, yielding to the | i
; impulse of passion and self-will, disobey- j
ed the laws of their Creator, that All-wise i
and Infinitely-good Being benevolently | i
■ instituted various grades of bondage, not i
more for the punishment than, for the ]
cure of sin, and the icmoval of its sad i
; consequences. The woman, being first ! <
in the transgression, and having beguiled j i
the man, is put in bondage to his autho-; (
rity. She refused to hold her desires in j
subjection to the will of God, and, there- i
fore, Jehovah decreed, “ Thy desire shall j
|be subject to thy husband, and he shall <
rule over thee.” Gen. 3: 16. The i
New Testament confirms this decree. 1<
*• Wives, submit yourselves unto your own j l
AUGUSTA, GA. OCTOBER 5, 1844.
husbands, as unto the Lord. For the j
husband is the head of the wife, even as
Christ is the head of the Church; and!
he is the Savior of the body. Therefore,j
as the Church is subject unto Christ, so ;
let the irises be unto their own husbands j
in every fning.” (Eph. 5: 22—24.) .
But, as there was no created being on
earth, to which man could be made sub- j
ject, he was put in bondage to nature. |
and to the stern and unbinding necessity i
of the circumstances, by which he was
surrounded. And, tor the purpose of
rendering that bondage the more intense j
and effective, the earth was cursed with
sterillity for his sake, with the intent, 1
that he might be compelled, in conform- j
ity with his sentence of condemnation,
to eat his bread in the sweat of his face, j
and under the lash of an imperious and \
inexorable necessity.
In pursuance of the same benevolent
purpose to arrest the ruinous tendency of
ignorance and self-will, children were
placed in bondage to their parents ; and
it was enacted by the law of Moses, that
the stubborn and rebellious son, who
w ould not obey the voice of his father,
or the voice of his mother, should be
stoned to death. (Deut. 21 : 18—21.
Christianity is no less explicit in enjoin
ing filial obedience, although under dif
i I'erent sanctions. And Paul assures us,
; "that the heir, as long ns he is a minor,
differs nothing from a bond-man ,” (for so
! doulos, the word used in the original un
doubtedly imports, and so McKnight
translates it.) “though he be lord of all;
but is under tutors and governors until
the time appointed of the father.” Gal.
4: 1,2. All nations in all age®, (not
| even excepting Mahometans and Pagans)
have w ith one united testimony confirm
led the wisdom and benevolence of this
I decree, which places children in subjec
tion to the discretionary physical control
■ of parents or guardians during the period
lof their minority. If the reason of this
universal agreement be inquired into, it
will no doubt be found in the universal con
viction, that, during the period of minori
; ty, as a general rule, the animal propensi
ties are too strong, and the intellect and
moral sentiments too feebly developed, to
render it safe or prurient to trust youth
with the reins of self-government. Thus
far, then, at least, we have the universal
consent of mankind, in harmony with
the word of God, that some are incapable
of making a proper use of freedom ; and,
that, for all such, bondage is a blessing,
and freedom an unmitigated calamity.
There is another point, which it is im
portant to notice before leaving this part
of the subject. Under the law of Moses,
iby the express statute of Jehovah, the
j Gentiles residing in the land of Judea
were permitted to sell their children to
| the Hebrews, to be the bond-men of them,
and of their children after them, forever.
Lev. 25 : 44—4 G.
YY hether domestic servitude, as it is
found among us, existed before the flood,
we are not informed. Certain it is, how
ever, that it existed very soon after that
event. The earliest authentic account
that we have of the institution, is found
in the curse pronounced on Canaan and
his posterity, on account of the wicked
ness of his father, Ham. “Cursed be
Canaan; a servant of servants shall he
be unto his brethren.” Gen. 9 : 25.
That this curse took immediate effect
in the establishment of domestic slavery,
and that the institution spread with great
rapidity is incontestiblv proved by the
following well-authenticated historical
fact. YY hen the war of the nine Kings
occurred in the vale of Siddim, there were
found among Abram’s servants, born in
his house, no less than 318 men capable
of bearing arms. Gen. 14 : 14. From
this fact we may reasonably infer, that
all the servants of Abram, including old
men, women and children, amounted in
all probability to not less than 1500 or
2000. Now Abram was born 292 years
after the Flood; and as this war took
place somewhere between his departure
from Haran, when he was 75 years old,
and the birth oi Ishmael, when he was 86,
it must have occurred between the two
periods of 367, and 378 years after the
Deluge; so rapidly had the institution
of domestic servitude grown up, not
merely with the approbation of God, but
even by his positive decree.
The next time, that domestic slavery
is mentioned in the Bible, it is accom
panied with a most manifest recognition
of the Divine favor. Abram, the
father of the faithful, and the friend of
God, was" 99 years old, (391 years after
the Flood.) God changed his name to
Abraham, made a covenant with him, |
and engrossed slavery on that covenant,
bv incorporating it with the ordinance
!of circumcision. Be silent, and hearken
!to the voice of God. “He that is horn
j in thy house, and he that is bought with
: thv money, must needs be circumcised : j
and my covenant shall be in your llesh i
i for an everlasting covenant .” Gen. 17 :
13. “And God said unto Abraham,
Thou shalt keep my covenant therefore,
thou, and thy seed after thee in their
generations.”
About 430 years after this occurrence, I
when God was about to lead the Israe
lites out of the land of Egypt and make
j them a great nation, he gave them the
j ordinance of the Passover, and engraved
the institution of domestic slavery on that
also, as he had previously done on the
| ordinance of circumcision. “And the
Loud said unto Moses, and Aaron, This
is the ordinance of the passover. There
shall no stranger eat thereof. But every
man’s servant, that is bought for money,
when thou hast circumcised him, then
shall he eat thereof. A foreigner, and a
hired servant shall not eat thereof.”
Exodus, 12: 43—45.
Thus did Jehovah stereotype his ap
probation of domestic slavery by incor
iPoralingit with the institutions of the
! Jewish religion, the only religion on earth
i that had the Divine sanction from the
1 ! calling of Abraham, 367 years after the
| Flood, till the introduction of Christiani
ty. The following statutes respecting
slavery are worthy of serious considera
- 1; tion. “If thou buy an Hebrew servant,
! six years he shall serve; and in the
| seventh he shall go out free for nothing.
1 If he came in by himself, he shall go out
ibv himself. If he were married, then his
j wite shall go out with him. But if his
| master have given him a wife, and she
i have borne him sons and daughters, the
wife and her children shall be her mas
-1 ter’s, and he shall go out by himself,
i Arid if the servant shall plainly say, I
love my master, my wife, and my chil
dren ; I will not go out free: Then his
master shall bring him unto the judgos;
! he shall also bring him to the door, or
1 unto the door-post; and his master shall
1 bore his ear through with an awl; and he
1 shall serve him forever.” Exod. 21: 2
—6.
1 “If a man smite his servant or his
maid, with a rod, and he die under his
' hand; he shall be surely punished. Not
> withstanding, if he continue a day or two,
he shall not be punished, for he is his
money.” Ex. 21 : 20,21.
The Jew might not hold the Jew in
, bondage, unless it were voluntary as
i above specified, longer than till the year
i of Jubilee. (Sec Lev. 25: 39—41.)
i Not so, however, with respect to the Gen
tiles. “Both thy bondmen, and thy
. bondmaids, which thou shalt hnve, shall
he of the heathen, that are round about
. you : of them shall ye buy bond-men and
bond-maids. Moreover of the children
'of the strangers, that do sojourn among
you, of them shall ye buy, and of their
families, that are with you, which they
begat in your land; and they shall be
vour possession. And ye shall take them
as an inheritance for your children after
you, to inherit them for a possession;
, they shall be your bondmen forever : but
| over your brethren, the children of Israel,
ye shall not rule one over another with
!ri<ior.” Lev. 25. 44—40.
But whilst the Jew was thus permitted j
to buy a Gentile into perpetual bondage,
he was prohibited from delivering up to a
heathen master a slave, that might have
escaped, and come unto him. (Deut.
13: 15,16.) In these apparently con
flicting statutes, there was manifestly the
’ same benevolent regard to the moral and
religious improvement of the heathen,
whether delivered into perpetual bond
age, as in the one case, or escaped there
from as in the other. Among the He
brews alone, had they an opportunity of
being taught the only true religion.—
Better be slaves among them, than enjoy
freedom amidst the darkness of heathen
idolatry. How similar the case of domes
tic slavery, as it exists in these United
States. By it multitudes have been
saved from heathenish idolatry and super
stition, thousands and tens of thousands
have been turned from darkness to light,
and from the power of Satan to God ;
and, at the same time, their temporal
condition has been greatly improved.
I shall bai'ely notice another provision of |
the Jew ish religion on the subject of Sla
' very. Whilst the Jew, as we have already
seen, v.as permitted by express statute,
to buy a Jew into bondage for a limited
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[No. 12
j time, and a Gentile into bondage forever >
i and whilst he was prohibited from deliv
ering up to a heathen master the servant,
that had fled to him for refuge—never
theless if a Jew should steal another Jew,
and sell him into slavery, he was to bo
I put to death. See Deut. 4. 7.
The foregoing is an epitome of the Di
vine legislation on the subject of bondage
generally, from the time, when man of
his own free will made himself the bond
: slave of Satan in the Garden of Eden, till
i the introduction of Christianity. During
j the whole of this period it is obvious,
that by express statute of Jehovah, vari
ous grades of bondage existed, domestic,
slavery included, as a penal consequence
of sin, and yet benevolently designed to
cooperate with a remedial economy in
effecting its cure. I unhesitatingly call
the design benevolent. For, as the
bondage of Satan and self-will is infinite
ly the most galling in its nature, and fear
ful in its tendencies, that can possibly ho
conceived—both wisdom and benevolence
would decide, that a smaller evil, regard
ed as a remedy for one infinitely greater,
should in that view be esteemed ns a pos
itive blessing. Hence, if the Bible be
true, to denounce slavery as being es
sentially criminal, is to blaspheme God
by pronouncing sentence of condemna
tion on his statutes, and making him tho
author of sin. Nay, more—The reason
ing of all such is manifestly ns unphiloso
phicai, as it is directly opposed to the
word of God. As well might you argue,
that labor, and all the varied afflictions of
this present iife, aud all the restraints and
penalties of human government, so ne
cessary to the well being of fallen man,
are opposed to the will of God, because
they are primarily a curse for sin;’and
because that, to sinless beings, they could
only serve as an unmitigated calamity.
Let us now inquire, how the New Tes
tament disposes of this subject.
When Messiah made his appearance on
earth, he found slavery in existence, not
merely with the sanction, hut also by vir
tue of the statutes of Heaven. Did he
abolish the institution? Or, did his
Apostles, by his authority interfere with
the relation subsisting between masters
and servants in any other way than to
teach both parties their respective duties ?
All, who art intelligent and candid on
this subject, must admit, that, wholly un
like modern abolitionists, neither Christ,
nor his Apostles ever commanded mas
ters to free their slaves, nor permitted
slaves to free themselves from the yoke of
their masters. On the contrary, Paul
writing to the Corinthians on this very
subject, commands Christian slaves not
to be anxious to obtain their freedom.
“Let every man abide in the sarno call
ing, (or state,) wherein he was called.
Art thou called being a bond-man, ( doulos ,
slave.) Care not for it; but if thou
mayst be made free, use it rather.”—
1 Cor. 7: 20, 21.
Writing to Timothy, he says, “ Let as
many servants, (douloi , slaves,) as aro
under the yoke, count their own masters
worthy of all honor, that tho name of
God, and his doctrine he not blasphemed.
And they that have believing masters, let
them not despise thorn, because they are
brethren ; but rather do them service,
because they are faithful and beloved,
partakers of the benefit. These things
teach, and exhort.’ 1 Tim. 6 : 1,2. If
any man teach differently, Paul most
j explicitely affirms, that he is proud, and
j so profoundly ignorant of the principles
I of Christianity, as to know nothing at all
j about them correctly. My hearers, do
! you not think it at least highly probable,
I that an inspired Apostle told the truth?
If he did, the seal of Heaven’s disappro
bation is stamped on the fore-head of
abolitionism, in characters, than which
none could possibly be plainer, or more
easily understood. In short, neither
Jesus Christ, nor any of his Apostles eve
interfered with the institution of slavery
in any other way, than to condemn and
rebuke abolitionism, and to exhort both
masters and slaves to perform faithfully
their respective duties.
It is well known, that Paul sent back
to his master a runaway slave, who had
: been converted to Christianity by his
preaching. Had the Apostle been an
abolitionist, even in feeling, here was an
occasion, that could not have failed to
draw out his sentiments. But how stands
i the case ? He sends the Christian slave
, back to his Christian master with a let
! ter entreating the master to forgive him
for the injury he had done him in leaving
his service. And, to give additional weight
[Concluded cn 4 lh page.]