bison, Warren, Tunstall, Hubbard, Claypool, and White, Ruling Elders-66.

Sundry protests were made.

Eders-128.

Messrs. Peden, Balch, and T. C. Stuart, non liquet. Mr. Hoyte was excused from voting.

THE MINORITY REPORT.

Gratefully acknowledging the distinguished bounty and care of Almighty God towards this favored land, and also recognising our obligations to submit to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake, this General Assembly adopt the following resolutions:

Resolved, 1. That in view of the present agitated and unhappy condition of this country, the first day of July next be hereby set apart as a day of prayer throughout our bounds; and that on this day ministers and people are called on humbly to confess and bewail our national sins; to offer our thanks to the Father of light for his abundant and underserved goodness towards us as a nation; to seek his guidance and blessing upon our rulers and their counsels, as well as on the Congress of the United States about to assemble; and to implore Him, in the name of Jesus Christ, the great High Priest of the Christian profession, to turn away Ilis anger from us, and speedily restore to us the blessings of an honorable peace.

Resolved, 2. That this General Assembly, in the spirit of that Christian patriotism which the Scriptures enjoin, and which has always characterized this Church, do hereby acknowledge and declare our obligations to promote and perpetuate, so far as in us lies, the integrity of these United States, and to strengthen, uphold, and encourage the Federal Government in the exercise of all its functions under our noble Constitution; and to this Constitution, in all its provisions, requirements, and principles, we profess our unabated loyalty.

And, to avoid all misconception, the Assembly declare that by the term "Federal Government," as here used, is not meant any particular administration, or the peculiar opinions of any particular party, but that central administration which, being at any time appointed and inaugurated according to the forms prescribed in the Constitution of the United States, is the visible representative of our national

existence.

Which was adopted-yeas 156, nays 66, as follows:

YEAS-Messrs. Wm. Clark, Kellogg, Bullions, Cochran, L. M. Miller, Westcott, Drake, Martin, Baldwin, Crane, Hubbard, Reeves, Studdiford, Barr, Snowden, Kehoo, Mackey, Schenck, Musgrave, Edwards, Latta, Farquhar, Jas. Williamson, Lawrence, Waller, Murray, Joseph Clark, McPherson, Jacobus, Hastings, Donaldson, Coulter, Critchlow, S. J. M. Eaton, Annan, Wm. Eaton, Maxwell, J. D. Smith, Kelly, Sackett, Semple, Pratt, Dubuar, Wm. Campbell, Badean, Eastman, Thomas, Monfort, Elliott, Long, Lee, T. M. Hopkins, Pelan, Irwin, Goodman, Forbes, Fisk, John A. Campbell, Laird, Newell, Bergen, Stone, Price, Crozier, Vaill, Hanson, Coon, Lord, Swan, Mathers, Hickman, Robertson, Thayer, Lyon, Barnett, Jones, Dodd, Conkey, McGuigan, Taylor, Stryker, Hamilton, Haines, Reaser, Wines, Slagle, and Anderson, Ministers. Messrs. Newland, Guest, Miller, Wilkin, Lowrie, Rankin, Beard, Osborne, Litle, Hutchinson, Fithian, Ryerson, Gulick, Humphreys, Cunningham, Barber of Burlington, Patterson, Dungan, Macalester, Henry, Martin, Kinkaid, Rea, Barber of Northumberland, Lawson, Linn, Ewing, John Johnson, Bailey, McConnell, Rodgers, Hamilton, Banks, Moore, Alexander, Lewis, Davy, Thomas Johnston, Price, Sheets, Graham, Stewart, II. K. Clarke, Hazeltine, Conn, Thomas, Frost, Neal, McChord, Kinnear, Fisher, Ilouston, J. L. Meredith, J. L. Williams, Seller, Neely, Waddel, Roynolds, Gregg, Rowland, Spring, Scates, Stirrat, Baldwin, Mason, Russell, Young, Windsor, and Caldwell, Ruling Elders-156.

NAYS-Messrs. Kennedy, J. T. Backus, Aitken, Lane, Hall. Lindsley, Imbrie, Childs. Wells, Hornblower, Hodge, Hamill, Watts, Happersett, McPhail, Gayley, Yeomans, Dickson, Murphy, Motzer, MeMichael, Stockton, Alrich, Mahaffey. Lloyd, Hunt, Layman, Scott, Mutchmore, Leighton, Mathes, II. II. Hopkins, Matthews, Frazer, Check, Condit, Hawthorne, Brown, Harrison, Ogden, Peden, Balch,

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF 1862, (OLD SCHOOL.) May 15-The body met in Columbus, Ohio.

May 19-Dr. R. J. Breckinridge having previously submitted a paper on the state of the country, it, after being slightly amended on his own motion, was adopted, as follows:

The General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America, now in session at Columbus, in the State of Ohio:

Considering the unhappy condition of the country in the midst of a bloody civil war, and of the Church agitated everywhere, divided in sentiment in many places, and operly assailed by schism in a large section of it; considering, also, the duty which this chief tribunal, met in the name and by the authority of the glorified Saviour of sinners, whos also the Sovereign Ruler of all things, owes to Him, our Head and Lord, and to His flock committed to our charge, and to the people whom we are commissioned to evangelize, and to the civil authorities who exist by His appointment; do hereby, in this deliverance, give utterance to our solemn convictions and our deliberate judgment, touching the mat ters herein set forth, that they may serve for the guidance of all over whom the Lord Christ has given us any office of instruction, or any power of government.

I. Peace is amongst the very highest temporal blessings of the Church, as well as of all mankind; and public crit is one of the first necessities of the spiritual as well as the civil commonwealth. Peace has been wickedly superseded by war, in its worst form, throughout the whole land; and public order has been wickedly superseded by rebellion, anarchy, and violence, in the whole Southern portion of the Union. All this has been brought to pass in a disloyal and traitorous attempt to overthrow the National Government by military force, and to divide the nation, contrary to the wishes of the immense majority of the people of the n tion, and without satisfactory evidence that the majorityd the people in whom the local sovereignty resided, even in the States which revolted, ever authorized any such pro ceeding, or ever approved the frand and violence by which this horrible treason has achieved whatever success it has had. This whole treason, rebellion, anarchy, frand, and violence, is utterly contrary to the dictates of natural reli gion and morality, and is plainly condemned by the revealed will of God. It is the clear and solemn duty of the Na tional Government to preserve, at whatever cost, the n tional Union and Constitution, to maintain the laws in their supremacy, to crush force by force, and to restore the reign of public order and peace to the entire nation, by whatever lawful means that are necessary thereunto. And it is the bounden duty of the people who compose this great nation, each one in his several place and degree, to upliold the Fed eral Government, and every State Government, and all per sons in authority, whether civil or military, in all their lawful and proper acts, unto the end herein before set forth.

II. The Church of Christ has no authority from him to make rebellion, or to counsel treason, or to favor anarchy in any case whatever. On the contrary, every follower of Christ has the personal liberty bestowed on him by Christ, to submit, for the sake of Christ, according to his own.com scientions sense of duty, to whatever government, however bad, under which his lot may be cast. But while pati.of suffering for Christ's sake can never be sinful, trenson, re bellion, and anarchy may be sinful-most generally, per haps, are sinful; and, probably, are always and necessarily sinful, in all free countries, where the power to change the government by voting, in the place of force, which existsan a common right, is constitutionally secured to the people, who are sovereign. If, in any case, treason, rebellion, anlar archy can possibly be sinful, they are so in the case pow desolating large portions of this nation, and laying waste great numbers of Christian congregations, and fatally e structing every good word and work in those regions. To

* Then editor of the New Orleans True Witness, which com

tained, April 27, 1861, this paragraph, quoted in Rev. Dr.

Stanton's Church and Rebellion:

"Maryland is kindling with Southern fire, while Buti more has stood at the font of baptismal blood, is covenant for the Confederate States; and Providence ondered that this thrilling deed, this seating ordinance, should be the anniversary of the battle of Lexington, Miss, the memorable 19th of April. Thus the same day twiel La first blood of '76 and of '61-fortunate omen of the resuit." regions, and who have been left of God to have any hand in bringing on these terrible calamities, we earnestly address words of exhortation and rebuke, as unto brethren who have sinned exceedingly, and whom God calls to repentance by fearful judgments. To those in like circumstances who are not chargeable with the sins which have brought such calamities upon the land, but who have chosen, in the exercise of their Christian liberty, to stand in their lot and suffer, we address words of affectionate sympathy, praying God to bring them off conquerors. To those in like circumstances, who have taken their lives in their hands, and ri-ked all for their country and for conscience' sake, we say, we love such with all our heart, and bless God such witnesses were found in the time of thick darkness. We fear, and we record it with great grief, that the Church of God, and the Christian people, to a great extent, and throughout all the revolted States, have done many things that ought not to have been done, and have left undone much that ought to have been done, in this time of trial, rebuke, and blasphemy; but concerning the wide schism which is reported to have occurred in many Southern Synods, this Assembly will take no action at this time. It declares, however, its fixed purpose, under all possible circumstances, to labor for the extension and the permanent maintenance of the Church under its care, in every part of the United States. Schism, so far as it may exist, we hope to see healed. If that cannot be, it will be disregarded.

III. We record our gratitude to God for the prevailing unity of sentiment and general internal peace, which have

characterized the Church in the States that have not revolted, embracing a great majority of the ministers, congregations, and people under our care. It may still be called, with emphasis, a loyal, orthodox, and pious Church; and all its acts and works indicate its right to a title so noble. Let it strive for divine grace to maintain that good report. In some respects, the interests of the Church of God are very different from those of all civil institutions.

Whatever may befall this, or any other nation, the Church

of Christ must abide on earth, triumphant even over the gates of hell. It is, therefore, of supreme importance that the Church should guard itself from internal alienationsand divisions, founded upon questions and interests that are external as to her, and which ought not by their necessary workings to cause her fate to depend on the fate of things less important and less enduring than herself. Disturbers of the Church ought not to be allowed: especially disturbers of the Church in States that never revolted, or that have been cleared of armed rebels: disturbers who, under many false pretexts, may promote discontent, disloyalty, and general alienation, tending to the unsettling of min isters, to local schisms, and to manifold trouble. Let a spirit of quietness, of mutual forbearance, and of ready obedience to authority, both civil and ecclesiastical, illustrate the loyalty, the orthodoxy, and the piety of the Church, It is more especially to ministers of the gospeland amongst them, particularly to any whose first impressions had been, on any account, favorable to the terrible military revolution which has been attempted, and which God's providence has hitherto so singularly rebuked, that these decisive considerations ought to be addressed. And in the name and by the authority of the Lord Jesus we carnestly exhort all who love God, or fear his wrath, to turn a deaf ear to all counsels and suggestions that tend towards a reaction favorable to disloyalty, schism, or disturbance either in the Church or in the country. There is hardly anything more inexcusable connected with the frightful conspiracy against which we testify than the conduct of those office-bearers and members of the Church who, although citizens of loyal States, and subject to the control of loyal Presbyteries and Synods, have been faithless to all authority, human and divine, to which they owed subjection. Nor should any to whom this deliverance may come fail to bear in mind that it is not only their outward conduct concerning which they onght to take heed; but it is also, and especially their heart, their temper, and their motives, in the sight of God,

and towards the freeand beneficent civil government which he has blessed us withal, and toward the spiritual commonwealth to which they are subject in the Lord. In all these respects, we must all give account to God in the great day. And it is in view of our own dread responsibility to the Judge of quick and dead that we now make this deliverance.

The vote was-yeas 206, nays 20, as follows: YEAS-Messrs. Robertson, Crocker, Lane, S. M. Campbell, Gardiner, Jones, Remington, Patton, Maclise, Lowrey, Heroy. McCauley, Davidson, Stevenson, Lowrie, Stoddard, Stead, Mc Dongall, Sheddan, Lockwood, Irving, Macdonald, Dale, Williamson, J. Y. Mitchell, Knighton, Van Wyck, Dewing, II. II. Welles, Chester, W. M. Wells, Juukin, Breed, Musgrave, Christian, Halsey, Belville, J. G. Ralston, Roberts, Smith, Zanizer, Shaifler, Doolittle, Grier, Brown, Niccolls, Tustin, Rosborough, Paxton, Marshall, Edgar, Cummins, Morgan, Coulter, R. Dickson, Dickey, McAboy,

Miller, W. M. Robinson, James Anderson, Beer, Kay, John McLean, Akey, Kost, Williams, Kemper, Reynolds, Cortelyou, McMillen, Telford, Matthews, Morton, Symmes, A. C. Allen, Abbott, Koutz, Killen, Donaldson, Palmer, Holliday, Wallace, McFarland, Dale, Marquis, Denny, R. Conover, Swan, Chase, Barr, Osmond, Thompson, Staples, Smiley, Monteith, S. Mitchell, J. A. McKee, Frothingham, Boggs, C. P. Taylor, Hughes, Caldwell, Bishop, Woodward, Coe, Mathes, James Cameron, R. A. Johnson, Hogue, Breckinridge, A. Scott, Boardman, Ministers. Messrs. Kinnicut, Pierce, Kelso, Cook, Curtis, McNair, Estabrook, Van Keuren, Joseph Banks, Huntting, Lord, Belknap, Belcher, McFarlane, Pierson, Woodruff, Demarest, Pruden, Ilinchman, Easton, Hulshizer, Young, Van Gelder, Collier, Sargent, Combs, Piper, Weir, J. B. Mitchell, Ramsay, E. J. Dickey, Gwin, M. C. Grier, Linn, Gallaher, Blair, Reed, Ailen, Burchfield, Hosack, Guthrie, S. G. Miller, Wilson, T. B. Wells, Culbertson, A. Cameron, Craig, Duncan, L. W. Ralston, S. Miller, D. Taylor, True, Burlingame, Shaw, Knowlton, Hays, Clark, Chapin, James Miller, J. Robinson, Leavitt, Joseph Anderson, Wade, Janvier, Karr, Inskeep, Pugh, Rainey, M. Wilson, Hills, Brooks, Patterson, Donnell, Rayburn, Bell, Wycoff, Crosby, Breeze, Candee, Cbute, Waters, Irwin, Rodgers, Elliott, E. McLean, Garth, Welch, Waring, Ruling Elders-206.

NAYS-B. R. Allen, Dumont, Backus, C. Dickson, McPheeters, Forman, S. Robinson, J. L. McKee, Caldwell, Tuck, Ministers. Messrs. Comfort, Canfield, Kirkpatrick, Poland, C. D. Campbell, Watt, Vredenburg, Gamble, Jacob Johnston, Tunstall, Ruling Elders-20.

Several protests were mado.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF 1863, (OLD SCHOOL.) May 21-The body met at Peoria, Illinois. June 1-Dr. Beatty, from the Committee on Bills and Overtures, reported:

Overture No. 16, being a request from the Presbytery of Saline that the General Assembly solemnly re-affirm the testimony of 1818, in regard to slavery the committee report:

The Assembly has, from the first, uttered its sentiments on the subject of slavery in substantially the same language. The action of 1918 was taken with more care, made more clear, full, and explict, and was adopted unanimously. It has since remained that true and scriptural deliverance on this important subject by which our church is determined to abide. It has never been repealed, amended, or modified, but has frequently been referred to, and reiterated in subsequent Assemblies. And when some persons fancied that the action of 1845 in some way interfered with it, the Assembly of 1846 declared with much unanimity, that the action of 1845 was not intended to deny or rescind the testimony on the subject, previously uttered by General Asssemblies; and by these deliverances we still abide.

Dr. Humphrey moved to insert the word "all" before the words, "these deliverances we still abide." Lost. His motion to table the report was lost; and it was then adopted without amendment.

May 27-Mr. T. H. Nevin moved for a committee of three to cause the national flag to be raised over the church edifice where the Assembly is met. A motion to table this was lost-yeas 93, nays 130, not voting, 1. Referred to a select committee: Drs. J. M. Lowrie, E. P. Humphrey, Loyal Young, and J. I. Brownson; and Messrs. H. H. Leavitt, H. K. Clarke, and R. Carter.

May 30-The committee reported.

June 1-Dr. Humphrey offered a substitute,

which was read.

The report of the committee was adoptedyeas 180, nays 19, not voting 1, as follows:

YEAS-Ministers-R. A. Delancey, II. F. Ilickok, J. Wood, M. S. Goodall, J. Cleland, W. D. McKinley, A. T. Rankin, I. Faries, A. R. Maconbrey, J. Lillie, T. M. Gray, J. Cory, E. E. Rankin, E. C. Wines, W. Pheaper, E. P. Benedict, G. F. Goodhue, J. J. A. Morgan, G. S. Plumley, S. S. Sheddan, A. D. White, R. S. Maming, E. P. Shiehls, G. S. Mott, W. II. Kirk, W. R. Glen, D. Cook, J. Osmond, M. J. Hickok. A. W. Sproull, W. Blackwood, A. Nevin, W. R. Work, J. Beggs, J. II. Life, J. Thomas, R. C. Galbraith, G.

wood, A. Nevin, W. R. Work, J. Beggs, J. H. M. Knox, J. C. Thompson. A. De Witt, C. W. Stewart, S M. Moore, D. H. Barron, W. Life, J. Thomas, R. C. Galbraith, G. P. Haye, W. C. Cattell, R. McCachren, F. T Brown, K. F. Wilson, W. B. Meilvalue, R. Lea, S. McFarren, J. S. Elder, G. W. Mechlin. L. Young. J. W. Johnston, W. M. Blackburn, L. L. Conrad, J. I Brownson, W. B. Keeling, C. C. Beatty, J. S. Marquis. W. R. Vincent, G. Carpenter, J. B. Blayney, 8 Winson, J. R. Duncan, J. E. Carson, A. J. McMillan, J. F. Jennison, V. Noyes, D. S. Anderson, J. A. Meeks, J Wiseman, E. B. Bower, T. E. Hughes. L. D. Potter, A. B. Gilliland. J. M. Cross, J. Crawford, D. B. Reed, L. G. Hay, J. W. McCluskey, J. L. Lover, J. M. Lowrie, T. Whallo, II. M. Corbett, J. Andrew. J. C. Hanna, J. Mack, G. W. Ash, J. Worrell, G. S. Inglis, R. Frame, R. Beer, J. Fleming, H. B.

Thayer. F. A. Pratt, G. Ainslie, W. Sper, A. S. Marshall, A. Caldwell, J. L Wilson, W. E. Westervelt, J. A. Caro hers, U. M. Giltner, J. M. McElroy, J. A. Quarles, J. Leighton. A. Muusнон, J. Р. МcMillan, R. Valentino, II. V. D. Nevius. E. P. Humphrey, S M. Bayless, II. M. Scudder, u. K. Jerkins, and A. Scott.

ourselves, and all others under our charge, both in public and private, in all duties we owe to God and man, to amend our lives, and each one to go before another in the example of a real reformation, that the Lord may turn away His wrath and heavy indignation, and establish the church and the land in truth and peace."

GRNERAL ASSEMBLY OF 1864, (OLD SCHOOL.)

May 19-The body met at Newark, N. J.

May 20-Hon. Stanley Matthews, of Cincinnati, from the Committee on Bills and Overtures-which consisted of Drs. W. L. Breckin

ridge, JM Krebs, J. Greenleaf, J. Kirkpatrick, J. V. Reynolds, A. S. MacMaster, JD. Paxton, and Rev. Messrs. J. J. Porter, J. A. Steele, and Ruing Elders R. Carter, T. Charlton Henry, A. G. McCandless, S. Matthew and J. Y. Allison-made a report, which was amended in a few particulars and adopted with almost entire unanimity, as follows:

Byles, T. II. Nevin, J. Vance, T. McKennan, T. S. Milligan,
G. B. Johnston, S. Sharp, J. W. Robinson, William Munro,
M. Scott, R. Kerr, J. Strine, A. G. Erown. H. K. Clarke, II.
B. Myer, W. B. Franklin, C. A. Phelps, II. H Leavitt, C.
Williams, W. Mixer, W. McCulloch, J. W. Sprowle, II. T.
Roseman, J. C. Burt, S. Vannuys, E. Wright, J. T. Eccles,
W. Redick, S. G. Malone, W. Munro, T. Candor, C. Crosby,
S. Howe, T. Voorhees, R S. Alexander, J. C. Walker, L.
Hoadley, B. P. Baldwin, J. Tate, W Risley, J. A. McAfee,
A. M. McPherson, J. G. Barrett, R. Miller, G. W. Lewis, E.
W. Ma: tin, and C. Hubbard-Ayes, 206.
NOES-Minister-E. S. Wilson, 1.
NON LIQUET-Minister-J. Rowland, 1.
TOTAL-Ayes, 206; noes, 1; non liquet, 1.

The paper of Dr. Humphrey was therefore adopted. It is as follows:

The General Assembly of 1861 adopted a minute on the state of the church and the country. The Assembly of 1862 uttered a more formal and comprehensive deliverance. In the meantime, a certain number, perhaps the larger portion of the Presbyteries and Synods, have expressed their judgments on the same subject. This General Assembly is persuaded that the office-bearers and members of this church, within the Presbyteries represented here, are, in a remarkable degree, united in a strict and true allegiance to the Constitution and Government of the United States; and that they are, as a body, loyal both to the church and the civil government as ordinances of God.

This General Assembly contents itself, on that part of the subject, by enjoining upon all the people of God, who acknowledge this church as their church, to uphold, according as God shall give them strength, the authority of the Constitution and laws of the land, in this time of supreme national peril. But this Assembly would most distinctly and solemnly inculcate upon all its people the duty of hum bly confessing before God the great unworthiness, and the many sins of the people of this land, and of acknowledging the holiness and justice of the Almighty in the present visitation. He is righteous in all His ways, and holy in ali His works. We exhort our brethren to seek the gift of the Holy Ghost, by prayer and confession and repentance, so that the anger of the Lord may be turned away from us, and that the spirit of piety may become not less predominant and vital in the churches than the spirit of an awakened patriotism.

And this Assembly, connecting the experience of our present trials with the remembrance of those through which the church has passed, does now recall and adopt the sentiments of our fathers in the Church of Scotland, as these are expressed for substance in the Solemu League and Covenant of 1043: "And because the people of this Land are guilty of many sins and provocations against God, and his Son Jesus Christ, as is manifest by our present distresses and dangers, the fruits thereof, we profess and declare before God and the world our unfeigned desire to be lambled for our own sins and the sins of the people, especially that we have not, as we ought, valued the inestimahle benefit of the gospel, nor laboured for the purity and power thereof; and that we have not, as we ought, endeavoured to receive Christ in our hearts, nor to walk worthy of him in our lives, which are the cause of other sins and transgressions so much abounding among us; and

The Committee on Bills and Overtures report:

Overturo No. 12, from the Presbytery of Newton, reciting the former deliverances of the General Assembly upon the subject of slavery in this country, and the duty of emanciaction as in their wisdom seems proper to meet the present aspects of human bondage in our country, and recommend the adoption of the following:

In the opinion of the General Assembly, the solemn and momentous crcumstances of our times, the state of our country, and the condition of our church, demand a plain declaration of its sentiments upon the question of slavery, in view of its present aspects in this country.

From the earliest period of our church, the General Assembly delivered unequivocal testimonies upon this subject, which it will be profitable now to re-affirm.

In the year 1787, the Synod of New York and Philadelphia, in view of movements then on foot looking to the abolition of slavery, and highly approving of them, declared that "innamuch as men introduced from a servile state to a participation of all the privileges of civil society, without a proper education, and without previous habits of industry, may be, in many respects, dangerous to the community, therefore they earnestly recommend to all the mombers belonging to their communion to give these persons, who are at present held in servitude, such good education as to prepare them for the better enjoyment of freedom." * "And finally, they recommend it to all their people to use the most prudent measures consistent with the interest and the state of civil society in the countries where they live to procure eventually the final abolition of slavery in America."

*

In 1795, the General Assembly "assured all the churches under their care, that they view with the deepest concern any vestiges of slavery which may exist in our country." In 1815 the following record was made: "The General Assembly have repeatedly declared their cordial approbation of those principles of civil liberty which appear to be recognized by the Federal and State Governments in these United States. They have expressed their regret that the slavery of the Africans and of their descendants still continues in so many places, and even among those within the pale of the church, and have urged the Presbyteries under their care to adopt such measures as will secure, at least to the rising generation of slaves, within the bounds of the church, a religious education, that they may be prepared for the exorciso and enjoyment of liberty when God in his providence may open a door for their emancipation."

The action of the General Assembly upon the subject of slavery in the year 1813 is unequivocal, and so well known that it need not be recited at length. The following extracts, however, we regard as applicable to our present circumstances, and proper now to be reiterated:

"We consider the voluntary enslaving of one portion of the human race by another as a gross violation of the most precious and sacred rights of human nature, as utterly inconsistent with the law of God, which requires us to love our neighbor as ourselves, and as totally irreconcilable with the spirit and principles of the gospel of Christ, which onjoins that 'all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them. Slavery creates a para dox in the moral system. It exhibits rational, moral, and accountable beings in such circumstances as scarcely to leave them the power of moral action. It exhibits them as dependent on the will of others, whether they shall receive religious instruction, whether they shall know and worship the true God, whether they shall enjoy the ordi