OUR LEGACY FROM THE PAST - NCCUMC

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condition is wretched. Many that go there, desire to return to
slavery in America. Their tendency is to barbarism and that
rapidly. It requires the continual supervision of the white man to
hold him in check. The U.S. government has never recognized
them as a government, or entered into any treaty with them. The
emancipated slaves of the West Indian Islands very soon suffered
desolation to spread its dark pall over their once fertile and fruitful
lands. The West Indian Islands are now a monument of the
folly of the government of Great Britain in abolishing slavery
there.
The condition of the free Negroes in the North is much inferior
to that of the slaves in North Carolina and it is notorious that as a
class, the free colored population of the South is more degraded
and has fewer sources of comfort and happiness than the slaves
here.
3. The third reason is, The Bible gives directions for the
government of slavery; and thereby recogizes as lawful, the relation
of master and slave. Eph. 6:5-9 and Col. 3:22 and 4:11. We
never find the inspired writers giving directions for the government
of sin or that of necessity that leads to sin. Giving rules by
which slaves are to obey their masters; and by which masters are
to treat their slaves, God most assuredly recognized the relation
of master and slave as right, per se.
No rules are laid down by which two robbers are to govern
themselves or how we should govern ourselves in the commission
of sin. God never permits, never tolerates sin. His only word for it
is Woe! And the only attitude he bears to it is that of eternal hate
and inexorable vengeance.
While in the Law there is found no word that tolerates sins, in
any degree whatever, that gives direction for the government of
that which is sin-there is found direction for the government of
slavery. Need we refer to other portions of the Book of Books when
the decalogue, given under the most terrific circumstances the
world ever witnessed, recognizes it as lawful and gives rules concerning
it; and the New Testament takes up the theme in its inimitable
style and omnipotent authority and sets the seal of its
sanction upon it, showing it to be right, per se.