UNCLE TOM'S CABIN

254 KEY TO UNCLE TOM S CABIN.
ence, at the openingof the Christian dispensation,
with whose principles we are obliged to conflict.
was conditionedon prayer. The
If theysay all manner of evilagainst
mighty movement that began on the day of us, we must reflectthat Ave expose them to
Pentecost was precededby united,fervent, greattemptation to do so when we assailinstitutio
persevering prayer.
A similar spirit of
to which they are bound by a
prayer must precedethecoining of the divine thousand tiesof interest and early association,
Spirit, to effecta revolution so greatas that and to whose evils habit has made
at which we aim. The most powerful instrumentality
them in a
great degreeinsensible. The
which God has delegated to apostle givesus thisdirectionin cases where
man, and around which cluster all his glorious
we are called upon to deal with offending
promises,
prayer. All pastprejudices brethren, " Consider thyself, lestthou also
and animositieson this subject must be laid be tempted." We may applythis to our
aside, and the whole church unite as one own case, and consider that if we had been
man in earnest, fervent prayer. Have we exposed to the temptations which surround
forgotten the promise of the Holy Ghost? our friends at the South,and received the
Have we forgotten that He was to abide with same education,we might have felt and
us forever '? Have we forgotten that it is thought and acted as they do. But,while Ave
He who is to convince the world of sin,of cherish all these considerations, Ave must
righteousness and of judgment? 0, divine also remember that itis no love to the South
and Holy Comforter ! Thou promise of the to countenance and defend a pernicious system
Father ! Thou onlypowerful to enlighten, ; a system which is as injurious to the
convince and renew ! Return,we beseech master as to the slave;a system which turns
thee,and visitthisvine and thisvineyard of fruitfulfields to deserts ; a system ruinous
thyplanting ! With thee nothingisimpossible
to education, to morals, and to religion and
; and what we, in our weakness, can social progress ;
a system of which many of
scarcely conceive, thou canst accomplish ! the most intelligent and Araluable men at the
Another means for the abolitionof slaverySouth are Aveary,
and from which they desire
is ':
Love unfeigned."
to escape, and by emigration are yearly
In all moral conflicts, that party who can escaping. Neither must Ave concede the
preserve, throughevery degree of opposition rights of the slave ; for he is also our brother,
and persecution, a divine,unprovokable spirit and there is a reason Avhy Ave should speak
of love,must finally conquer. Such are the for him which does not exist in the case of
immutable laws of the moral world. Anger, his master. He is poor, uneducated and
wrath,selfishnessand jealousy, have all a ignorant, and cannot speakfor himself. We
certain degreeof vitality. They often produce
must,therefore, Avith greaterjealousy, guard
more show,more noise and temporary his rights Ẉhatever else Ave compromise,
results, than love. Still, all these passions Ave must not compromise the rights of the
have,in themselves, the seeds of weakness. helpless, nor the eternalprinciples of rectitude
Love,and love only, is immortal ; and when and morality.
all the grosser passions of the soul have We must never concede that it is an
spent themselves by their own force, love honorable thing to depriveworking men of
looks forthlike the unchanging star, with a their wages, though, like many
other abuses,
lighthat never dies.
it is customary, reputable, and popular, and
In undertaking this work, we must love though amiable men, under the influence
both the slave-holderand the slave. We of old prejudices, still continue to do it.
must never forget that both are our brethren. Never,not even for a moment, should Ave
We must expect to be misrepresented, to be admit the though that an heir of God and a
slandered,
to be hated. How can we joint heir of Jesus Christ may lawfully be
attack so powerfulan interest without it? sold upon the auction-block, thoughit be a
We must be satisfiedsimply with the pleasure common custom. We must repudiate, with
of being true friends, while Ave are treatedas determined severity, the blasphemous doctrine
bitterenemies.
of propertyin human beings.
This holycontroversymust be one of Some have supposed it an absurd refinement
principle, and not of sectional bitterness. to talk about separating principles and
We must not sufferit to degenerate, in our persons, or to admit that he Avho upholds a
hands,into a violent prejudice against the bad system can be a good man. All experience
South ; and,to this end,we must keep continually
proves the contrary. Systems most
before our minds the more amiable unjust and despotic have been defended
featuresand attractive qualities of those by men personally just and humane. It is