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                          STUDIES ON SLAVERY,
                            In Easy Lessons.

            COMPILED INTO EIGHT STUDIES, AND SUBDIVIDED INTO
                   SHORT LESSONS FOR THE CONVENIENCE
                              OF READERS.

                           BY JOHN FLETCHER,

                             OF LOUISIANA.

                             --------------

                            FIFTH THOUSAND.

                                NATCHEZ:
                      PUBLISHED BY JACKSON WARNER.

         CHARLESTON: McCARTER & ALLEN.—NEW ORLEANS: JOHN BALL.
                PHILADELPHIA: THOMAS, COWPERTHWAIT & CO.
                                 1852.

                        -----------------------

       ENTERED according to Act of Congress, in the year 1851, by
                            JACKSON WARNER,
 sin the Clerk’s Office of the District Court of the Southern District
                            of Mississippi.

                       PRINTED BY SMITH & PETERS,
       Franklin Buildings, Sixth Street below Arch, Philadelphia.

                             --------------




                          PUBLISHER’S PREFACE.


This is a legitimate topic of general interest, and it assumes a
preponderating importance to the people of the Southern American States,
when the fact is taken into consideration that a general league against
the institution of African slavery has been entered into and consummated
between most of the civilized nations of the earth, and public opinion
in many of the sister States of our own National Union has taken the
same direction. The result is, to have arraigned the slaveholding States
before the mighty bar of public opinion, on the charge of holding, as
property, more than ten hundred millions of dollars’ worth of what does
not belong to them, which is and never can be the property of man; and
this charge embraces, within its scope, the crimes of theft, robbery,
rapine, and cruelty.

The time has come when the South must enter her plea of defence, not
because the accusers are foreign nations, of which it may justly be
said, before their charges are entertained, “Physician, heal thyself,”
but because our accusers are among our own brethren, bound to us by
freedom’s holiest associations and religion’s most sacred ties.

The author of the “Studies on Slavery” has the double advantage of a
full comprehension of the subject both in its Northern and Southern
aspect. Born and educated in the former, and qualified by a long
residence in the latter section of our Union, he is amply qualified to
weigh the prejudices, the teachings, and the arguments of the one,
against the facts, the justifications, the religious and political
sanctions of the other.

Mr. Fletcher has not only marshalled into his line of impregnable
defence the mandates and sanctions of the Sacred Writings concerning the
slave institutions, but he has drawn powerful auxiliaries from the
sources of ancient history. His exegesis of biblical passages, in the
original languages in which they were communicated by inspiration to the
world, shows his sound scholarship, as well as his reverence of the
literal sense and specific meaning of God’s holy and unimpeachable
standard and rule of life and action.

The author has also analyzed the fountain of Moral Philosophy, and
detected the bitter waters of error so industriously infused by the
eloquent and magical pens of such writers as Dr. Samuel Johnson, Dr.
Paley, Dr. Channing, Dr. Wayland, Mr. Barnes, and others. He has
confined himself to the moral and ethical bearings of the question,
scarcely touching upon its political aspects,—a course calculated to
render the book far more useful to the dispassionate seekers after
truth, who may belong to different political sects.

Neither time nor labour has been spared in the authorship of the work;
and it is believed that, while it is written with candour and calmness,
it will be received by the people of the North as well as of the South
as a sincere and enlightened endeavour to seek for truth, and thus allay
the tumultuous and disorganizing fanaticism of those who have not had
opportunity to study the subject, and are incapable of acting upon it
with understanding and true decision.




                                PROEMIAL


Philosophy knows no obligation that binds one man to another without an
equivalent. If one man could be subjected to another, who is not bound
to render any thing in return, it would be subversive to good morals and
political justice. Such a relation cannot exist, only so far as to reach
the immediate death of the subjected. But it has been the error of some
good men to suppose that slavery presented such a case. It has been
their misfortune also to receive the following succedaneums as axioms in
the search for truth:—

  “All men are born equal.”

  “The rights of men are inalienable.”

  “No man has power to alienate a natural right.”

  “No man can become property.”

  “No man can own property in another.”

  “The conscience is a distinct mental faculty.”

  “The conscience infallibly distinguishes between right and wrong.”

  “No man is under any obligation to obey any law when his conscience
  dictates it to be wrong.”

  “The conscience empowers any man to nullify any law; because the
  conscience is a part and parcel of the Divine mind.”

  “Slavery is wholly founded on force.”

  “Slavery originates in the power of the strong over the weak.”

  “Slavery disqualifies a man to fulfil the great object of his being.”

  “The doctrines of the Bible forbid slavery.”

  “There is no word, either in the Old or the New Testament, which
  expresses the idea of slave or slavery.”

  “Slavery places its subjects beyond moral and legal obligation:
  therefore, it can never be a legal or moral relation.”

  “Slavery is inconsistent with the moral nature of man.”

  “To hold in slavery is inconsistent with the present state of morals
  and religion.”

  “Slavery is contrary to the will of God.”

  “No man can hold a slave, and be a Christian.”

Averments of this order are quite numerous. Fanatics receive them; and
some others do not distinguish them from truths.

At any age, and in any country, where such errors are generally adopted,
and become the rules of political action, morals and religion are always
in commotion, and in danger of shipwreck: for, although, where man has
only approached so far towards civilization that even the enlightened
can merely perceive them as rudimental, yet the great principles that
influence human life, morality and religion, are, everywhere, and always
have been the same.




                        -----------------------

                           TABLE OF CONTENTS.


                                STUDY I.

LESSON I.—Wayland’s definition of moral law, page 7 to 8; sin the
    antecedent of slavery, 9; the abuse of slavery a sin, 10.

LESSON II.—Wayland on the elements of consciousness, 10 to 11; the
    degeneracy of races, and slavery as the scriptural means of
    reclamation, 12; object of punishment, 13.

LESSON III.—Wayland on conscience as a distinct faculty, 14, 15;
    Channing, Barnes, and abolitionists generally on the same, 16, 17,
    18.

LESSON IV.—Wayland on conscience as an independent faculty derived from
    Shaftesbury, Hutchinson, and Reid, 18; combated by Archbishop
    Seeker, 19; argument that conscience is neither a distinct faculty
    nor infallible, 20 to 23.

LESSON V.—Wayland’s doctrine, that slavery sacrifices the slave’s
    eternal happiness to the master’s temporal, refuted, 23 to 25; the
    master’s interest and the slave’s moral improvement identical, 26,
    27.

LESSON VI.—Wayland’s argument, that slavery is at variance with the laws
    of God, examined, 27; its connection with productive labour and
    national wealth considered, 28 to 32; Sismondi’s theory of labour
    and capital, 32; Wayland on slavery as impoverishing soil refuted,
    33, 34.

LESSON VII.—Wayland’s doctrine, that the moral principles of the Bible
    are opposed to slavery, refuted, 34, 35; Secker’s authority, 36;
    Wayland on slavery as a prohibition of gospel privileges and
    matrimony controverted, 37 to 40; Luther and Melancthon quoted, 39;
    African practice in regard to matrimony, 40; interest of masters to
    promote permanent marriages among their slaves, 40 to 42.

LESSON VIII.—Wayland, Paley, Channing, and Barnes on the opinion that
    the sacred writers abstained from condemning slavery on motives of
    policy, 43 to 47.

LESSON IX.—Wayland’s doubts, caused by Prof. Taylor, 47 to 50; Wayland’s
    assertion, that the inculcation of the duties of slaves is no
    sanction of slavery, combated, 51, 52.

LESSON X.—Wayland’s assertion, that Scripture is opposed to slavery,
    contrasted with the declarations of the Bible, 53; slavery a
    desirable and ardently sought condition under certain
    circumstances—historical proofs, 54 to 57.

LESSON XI.—Dr. Paley on slavery and the laws of nature, 57 to 61.

LESSON XII.—Paley on cruelty as an argument against slavery, 62;
    Lander’s testimony respecting native cruelty in Africa, 63; Paley’s
    slander on Jesus Christ and Paul and Peter repelled, 65 to 67.

LESSON XIII.—Slavery in ancient Britain, 67; Dr. Samuel Johnson’s
    argument against <DW64> slavery analyzed, and overthrown by arguments
    drawn from the laws of nations and the laws of God, 68 to 82.


                               STUDY II.

LESSON I.—Relation of guardian and ward a Divine institution, 83 to 85.

LESSON II.—Slavery a Divine institution, and the reason why, 85 to 88.

LESSON III.—Slavery the school of adversity to reclaim wicked nations
    and individuals—Scripture proofs, 89 to 91.

LESSON IV.—Albert Barnes on the slavery of the Israelites in Egypt
    refuted, 92 to 96; his attempt by human reason to determine the will
    of God, 97 to 99.

LESSON V.—Barnes’s examination of the Scripture argument on slavery, and
    the scriptural account of slavery in the days of Abraham,
    contrasted, 99 to 109.

LESSON VI.—The smiles of God on the institution of slavery proved from
    the argument of Barnes against it, 110; ratio of slaves to whites,
    and the relative increase in the United States, 111, 112.

LESSON VII.—The interest of the master and the direct laws of God
    against the abuses of slavery coincident, 113, 114; Barnes’s cure
    for slavery, 115.

LESSON VIII.—Barnes’s denial that Christ ever came in contact with
    slavery compared with scriptural assertions, 116 to 119.

LESSON IX.—The admission of Barnes in regard to slaves escaping to the
    Hebrew country, 119; his assertion, that the Hebrews were not a
    nation of slaveholders, overthrown by Scripture testimony, 120, 121.

LESSON X.—Distribution by the Hebrews of captives taken in battle, 122,
    123; Greek custom in regard to captives made in war, 124;
    proof-texts from the Bible, 125.

LESSON XI.—The claim of Barnes to identity with the African race, 126;
    his views on Paul’s injunction to sympathize with those in bonds
    controverted, 127, 128.

LESSON XII.—Legend of Antioch, Margarita, and the Roman Præfect Olybius,
    128 to 133; song of the slaves, 131, 132; letter of Olybius to the
    Emperor Probus, manufactured from the language of Mr. Barnes, 133 to
    135.

LESSON #XIII.—Barnes’s admissions of the existence of Hebrew and Roman
    slavery, 136, 137.

LESSON XIV.—The denial of Barnes that slavery cannot be defended by
    Bible arguments, 138; its influence on agriculture, commerce, arts,
    and the African slave himself considered, _idem_; Sedgjo, the
    African slave in Louisiana, 139, 140; the Periplus of Hanno, 140,
    141; the testimony of the Landers on the depravity of native
    Africans, 142 to 144; the Landers made slaves, 145; various
    historical authorities on African and Moorish slavery, 145 to 155.

LESSON XV.—Authorities to prove African degradation continued, 155 to
    158; slavery subservient to the religious conversion of African
    slaves, 159, 160.

LESSON XVI.—Paul’s exhortations to slaves considered, 161, 162; God’s
    sentence of four hundred years of slavery upon the Hebrews, 163.

LESSON XVII.—The assertion of Barnes, that a slave bought with money had
    compensation commanded to be paid him by Scripture, controverted,
    163, 164; Barnes’s declaration of the cunning of the Apostles in not
    condemning slavery, 165, 166.

LESSON XVIII.—Argument that the injunctions of the Bible upon God’s
    ancient people are in force and equally binding upon Christians now,
    (Christians are the heirs of Abraham,) 160 to 169.

LESSON XIX.—Authorities quoted by Barnes, 169; numerous quotations from
    Barnes on slavery, 170 to 174.

LESSON XX.—Wayland’s assertion, that, if the New Testament authorized
    slavery, it would be the greatest of curses, adopted by Barnes, 174
    to 176.


                               STUDY III.

LESSON I.—Works of Rev. Dr. Channing—his opinion that the worst errors
    may arise from religious tendencies, 177, 178.

LESSON II.—Channing’s seven arguments, that a man cannot be held as
    property, examined, 178, 179; his doctrine of conscience and
    indestructible rights, 180 to 182.

LESSON III.—Examination of Channing’s seven arguments continued, 183 to
    188.

LESSON IV.—That slavery, disease, and death are necessary effects of sin
    proved by the chapter of curses, (Deut. xxviii.,) 188 to 193;
    Channing’s standard of feeling or sense of duty controverted, 194,
    195.

LESSON V.—Channing’s theory of man’s rights and his consciousness
    examined, 195, 196; argument that slavery is the best condition for
    the African race, 197 to 200; criticism on Channing’s use of the
    words nature, conscience, law of nature, &c., 200 to 204.

LESSON VI.—Channing’s position, that the debasement of African slavery
    arises from the enslavement of the race in America, controverted,
    204 to 206; its influence on the master race, 206, 207.

LESSON VII.—Channing’s views of slavery, as conducive to licentiousness
    and unrestrained cohabitation between masters and female slaves,
    examined, 207 to 211; his views of the quality and brotherhood of
    the races, 212 to 214.

LESSON VIII.—Channing on the relative productiveness of free and slave
    labour, 215; his opinion that the admission of slave territory was
    just cause for the dissolution of the Union, 217, 218; his deference
    to the opinion of Europe, 218; labour and capital, the political
    influence of slavery, 219 to 221.

LESSON IX.—Channing’s views of the scriptural argument in favour of
    slavery overthrown, by a parallel between slavery and polygamy, 222
    to 230.

LESSON X.—Channing adopting and endorsing Paley’s slander on the
    integrity of Paul, 230 to 232.

LESSON XI.—Channing’s plan of emancipation and inflammatory counsels to
    the free States, 232 to 235.

LESSON XII.—The zeal of abolitionism not according to knowledge, 235,
    236; Channing’s opinion that the <DW64> is one of the best races of
    the human family, 237; Channing on West India emancipation and
    Southern character, 237 to 239.

LESSON XIII.—Sympathy for those suffering punishment from God, for sin,
    considered, 239 to 241; the deterioration of sin the inevitable
    cause of slavery, 241 to 243.

LESSON XIV.—God’s government of the universe, and his declaration of the
    right of man’s property in man, 243 to 246; God’s blessing on the
    slave-owners, 247, 248.

LESSON XV.—Ham’s intermarriage with the race of Cain the cause of his
    doom and that of his seed to perpetual servitude, 248 to 250; God
    never entails a curse without sufficient cause, 250, 251; the mark
    on Cain, 252 to 255.

                               STUDY IV.

LESSON I.—Extracts from Bower, 256; the Treuga Dei, 257, 258; Bishop
    England quoted on the action and records of the Church