UNCLE TOM'S CABIN

210 KEY TO UNCLE TOM S CABIN.
sembly, in reference to this subject, would tend to The VirginiaTimes, in an article published
distract and divide our churches, and would
in this
probably in no wise promotethe benefit of those
very year of 1836,estimated
whose welfare is immediately contemplated in
the number of slaves
the
exportedfor sale
memorials in from that
question.
state alone,duringthe twelve
Therefore,Resolved,
months preceding, at fortythousand. The
1. That it is not expedient for the Assembly to Natchez (Miss.)Courier
take any
further order in relation to this says that in the
subject.
same
2. That as the notes which have been expunged year the Statesof Alabama,Missouri
from our publicformularies, and which some of and Arkansas,received two hundred and
the memorials referred to the committee requestfifty
thousand slaves from the more northern
to have restored, were introduced irregularly, states. If we deduct from these all who
never had the sanction of the church, and therefore
never possessedany authorityțhe General may be supposed to have emigratedwith
Assembly has no power, nor would theythink it their masters,stillwhat an immense trade
expedient, to assign them a placein the authorized is here indicated!
standards of the church.
The Rev. James H. Dickey,who moved
The minority of the committeețhe Rev. the resolutions above presented, had seen
Messrs. Dickey and Beman, reported as some sights which would naturally incline
him to wish the
follows :
Assembly to take some
action on the subject, as
appears
from the
Resolved,
1. That the buyingșelling, or holdinga human following account of a slave-coffle, from his
beingas property, is in the sight of God a heinous pen.
sin,and ought to subjectthe doer of it to the
In the summer of 1822, as I returned with my
censures of the church.
family
2. That it is the duty from of every one, and a visit to the Barrens of Kentucky, I
especially
witnessed a scene such as I never witnessed before,
of every Christian,who may be involved in
and such as I hope
this sin țo free himself from its entanglement
never to witness again.
HavingpassedthroughParis,in Bourbon county,
without delay.
Ky.,
3. That it is the duty of every one, especially
the sound of music (beyond a littlerising
ground)
of every Christian, in the meekness and attracted my attention. I looked forward,
firmness
of the gospelto plead the cause of the poor and
and saw the flag of my country waving.
Supposing
needy,by testifyingagainst the principle and
that I was about to meet a military
parade,
practice of slave-holding
I drove hastily to the side of the road;
; and to use his best endeavors
and, havinggainedthe ascent,I discovered (I suppose)
to deliver the church of God from the
evil ; and to bring about the emancipation of the
about fortyblack men all chained together
slaves in these United States,and throughout the
after the following manner : each of them was
handcuffed,and theywere arrangedin rank and
world.
file. A chain perhapsforty feet long,the size of
a fiftẖ horse-chain, was stretched between the two
The slave-holding delegates, to the number
ranks,to which short chains
of forty-eight, met apart, and were joined, which
Resolved, connected with the handcuffs. Behind them were,
I
That if the General Assemblyshall undertake suppose, about thirtywomen, in double rank,
the couplestied hand to hand. A solemn sadness
to exercise authorityon the subjectof slavery, so
as to make it an immorality,
shall in sat on every countenance, and the dismal silence
any way of this march of despair was interruptedonlyby
declare that Christians are criminal in holdingthe sound of two violins ; yes, as if to add insult
slaves țhat a declaration shall be presentedby to injury,
the Southern delegation declining theirjurisdiction
the foremost couplewere furnished with
a violin a-piece;
in the case, and our determination not to submit
the second couplewere ornamented
with cockades,while near the centre
to such decision.
waved the republicanflag, carried by a hand literally
in chains. I could not forbear exclaimingto
In view of these conflicting reportsțhe
the lordly driver who rode at his ease along-side,
follows Assemblyresolvedas :
"
Heaven will curse that man who engages in
such traffic, and the
Inasmuch as the constitutionof the Presbyterian
government that protects him
Church, in itspreliminary and fundamental in it!" I pursuedmy journey till evening,and.
principles, declares that no church put up for the
judicatories
night, when I mentioned the
oughtto pretend to make laws to bind the conscience
scene I had witnessed. "Ah!" cried my landlady,
"
that is
in virtue of their own authority ; and as
my brother !" From her I learned
that his name is Stone,of Bourbon
the urgency of the business of the
county,
Assembly,and
Kentucky,
the shortness of the time during which in
they
partnership with can
one Kinninghani, of
continue in session,render itimpossible to deliberate
Paris ; and that a few days before he had purchased
and decide judiciously on the subject a
of
negro-woman from a man in Nicholas
slavery in its relation to the church ; therefore,
county. She refused to go with him ; he attempted
ResolvedȚhat this whole subject be to compelher,but she defended herself.
indefinitely
Without further ceremony, he steppedback,and,
postponed.
by a blow on the side of her head with the butt
The amount of the slave-tradeat the of* his whip, broughther to the ground; he tied
time when the General Assembly refused her,and drove her off. I learned furtherțhat
to act upon the subject of besides
slavery at
the drove I had seen, there were about
all, thirty shut
may be inferredfrom the following items. up in the Paris prison for safe-keeping,
to be added to the company, and that they