GEORGE WASHINGTON

From the above we see that the lamb-like profession is still carried out, [in religious matters,] by the Constitution, which is professedly based on the Declaration of Independence. It seems from George Washington’s explanation that it was the design of the Constitution to grant free toleration to all religions, and protect all men in worshiping God according to the dictates of their own conscience. Well, I as a Christian profess to have my conscience in accordance with the Bible which says, “Thou shalt not deliver unto his master, the servant which is escaped from his master unto thee.” Deuteronomy 23:15. Now that is my conscience on that point. Will they regard my conscience as sacred? Let us see.TBUS 31.1

To fully elucidate the light on this point we will suppose a case-A slave at the South is favored with a master whose sons have been touched with the sufferings of the slaves, and have made free to converse with, and instruct them. On one fourth of July as all work is suspended on the plantation, and the master’s sons as usual are firing pistols and small fire-works, one favorite slave with the boys whom we will here name James, ventures to ask the boys what this is for. He comes up to master George, with -TBUS 31.2

“What for you make all de noise?”TBUS 32.1

“Why, Jim, don’t you know? this is independence day,” he replies.TBUS 32.2

“Massa George, tell me more bout um.”TBUS 32.3

George proceeds to explain in a simple way the oppression brought upon the settlers of the American Colonies, and their at last declaring themselves a free and independent people, and closes his short lesson by repeating the first clause of the Declaration of Independence, that “all men are created equal.”TBUS 32.4

James returns to his cabin, tells his wife and children the story, and that the Lord made them free, and equal to their master. A new idea has sprung up in his mind, that he ought to be free; but where can he go to be free?-is the question. The world is naught to him, his knowledge is confined to his master’s plantation. He is surrounded with slave-dealers who would not let him enjoy freedom if he should attempt to get it. With his little family he spends the day talking on this new revelation to him. As the sun is setting, he hears his master’s sons humming in a low tone the “fugitive slavesong:”TBUS 32.5

“I heard that queen Victoria said, if we would all forsakeTBUS 32.6

Our native land of slavery, and come across the lake;TBUS 32.7

That she was standing on the shore with arms extended wide,TBUS 32.8

To give us all a peaceful home beyond the rolling tide.”TBUS 32.9

If he was only there, he might enjoy his liberty. But where is that place?-is the next question. The next morning before they go into the cornfield he seeks an opportunity with George:TBUS 32.10

“Massa George, Whah is Queen Victorah dat rules de powah de Merikans left?”TBUS 33.1

George not supposing any evil, tells him about Great Britain across the great water, and their dominion North of us, across the lake. He’s got it! Just what he wanted to know! At night he returns to his cabin, talks over the new light of that day with his wife, and determines to strike for liberty. He views the dangers on the way, but concludes that liberty is sweeter than life. He prays the Lord to work, that his wife and children may follow him out of slavery. He commits all to the Lord and starts-for what? A country in which he can enjoy freedom. Yea, and he starts for that very lion power, from whose grasp, less than one century since our own nation extricated itself because of oppression. He plods his way, faint and fatigued, by day and night, until he reaches the northern boundary of the United States. He is about to take passage for the dominion of the Queen. He turns to give one long, last look at the boasted land of freedom, but whose soil he has found to be cursed with the damning sin of slavery. There he has left a companion and children-now he is laying plans by which he may perform the generous act of purchasing their freedom, and again enjoy their friendly society. While he is taking his last view of that weary road over which he has passed, a tear trickles down his cheek, and he bids slavery good bye forever. He turns to take his flight. Just then a ruthless hand taps him on the shoulder, and a gruff voice says, You are mine. Half bewildered he beholds that long-hated and much dreaded man, his master. Slavery with all its galling pains again stares him in the face. Again it occurs to him, liberty is sweeter than life. Every energy of his being is stirred. He gives a leap, and is beyond the reach of that cruel master. Perhaps you, Christian, are standing by, and behold this scene, desirous that the fugitive should escape. You now hear the call for, Help! Help! What? Help catch that slave! You are almost benumbed at the thought of aiding that cruel master. You see the slave step aboard of a steamer which quickly leaves the shore, and bears the happy fugitive away from the land of slavery. You have seen the slave get his freedom-all is over. Is it? The next day you find yourself pursued, summoned to appear before the bar, and answer for your transgression. What have you done? Stood still, and seen a slave get just what the Declaration of Independence of these United States says all men are entitled to-“Liberty”. And now for the offense you must pay $1000 fine. You plead, The constitution pledges me protection in matters of conscience; but it is of no avail. The fine is made out against you, you cannot pay it, and into prison you must go, and there lie until the claims of the law are satisfied. This, reader, is not merely a fancy sketch, but a reality justified by the fugitive slave act of these United States. But, says the reader, this is only the work of Republicans; Protestants do not, and would not, act thus. If Protestants are one horn of this beast, then they will act as marked in the Word; speak like a dragon. The great red dragon, [Revelation 12,] according to its profession, had no more right to condemn an innocent man, than these United States; yet when Christ was tried, Pilate said, “I have found no cause of death in him;” [Luke 23:22;] and with the next breath says, “Crucify him.” The Protestant says, The Bible is the only standard of faith for Protestants; and yet hundreds have been expelled from their fellowship for no other cause, than believing, and talking to others the Bible doctrine of the near, personal return of the Saviour. Protestants and Republicans, both unitedly and separately, speak as a dragon. We inquire, Who are Republicans? To a greater or less extent they are Protestants. Protestants aid in making and carrying out laws, that hold men in slavery.TBUS 33.2

Protestants also are slave-holders. It appears from the late census report that “660,563 slaves are owned in this country (United States) by ministers of the gospel and members of the different Protestant churches; viz., 217,563 Methodists, 77,000 Presbyterians, 125,000 Baptists, 87,000 Episcopalians, 101,000 Campbellites, and 53,000 other denominations.” If the church of the North does not hold slaves, she fellowships those of the South who do. It is true that in one of the churches above named, (the M. E. Church,) an attempt was made to free the northern branch from slavery, but as admitted by one of their ministers not long since, there are still many slave-holders in the Northern branch of that church.TBUS 35.1

The ministry of these churches South argue that there is no moral wrong in slavery; for it is a Patriarchal institution, and was sanctioned by the Lord in the ceremonial law. If they contend that it is morally right to hold slaves now because they were held in Patriarchal times, then it must be morally right to use them as they were used then. Then every one could go free at the jubilee every seventh year, unless he loved his master and wanted to abide with him. Let those who contend for Patriarchal slavery here, carry it out fully and give the slaves one jubilee, and what would be the result?TBUS 35.2

For an illustration of the acts of both Protestants and Republicans, we make the two following quotations from the New York Tribune, of Feb., 1854.TBUS 36.1

“Mrs. Douglas, a lady of Norfolk, was some time since accused, as our readers may remember, of the crime of teaching ‘little niggers’ to read. This case has been finally adjudged by the court at Norfolk. The teacher was found guilty, and sentenced to one month’s imprisonment, which sentence was immediately carried into effect, and the lady now lies in jail expiating her crime.”TBUS 36.2

“A slave burned to death.-A mob was collected together and a Lynch Court was held to determine what was best to be done with a negro who had the impudence to raise his hand against a white man. The Lynch Court decided that he should be burned at the stake.TBUS 36.3

“Nearly four thousand slaves were collected from the plantations in the neighborhood to witness this scene. Numerous speeches were made by the magistrates and ministers of religion, to the large concourse of slaves, warning them, and telling them that the same fate awaited them if they should prove rebellious to their owners.”TBUS 36.4

Here is a specimen of the scenes that are transpiring in the boasted land of liberty-“All men created free and equal”. Yet while one person is occupying a high station in society, another for opening a child’s mind to the channel of thought, that they too may aspire to the same position, must be hurled to the bars and grates. And as we see in the second quotation, “Ministers of the gospel,“ (Protestants,) warning slaves of a punishment more becoming a cannibal savage, than the citizens of a Christian land. How must such things appear in the sight of a holy God.TBUS 36.5

It may be clearly seen and cannot be doubted that our government answers the description of the two-horned beast, given in the prophecy. Lamb-like in profession; but dragon-like in its laws.TBUS 37.1

To elicit further light on this specification, however, we will introduce the testimony of Congressmen themselves concerning what they once called unconstitutional, and see how it will compare with their present acts.TBUS 37.2

The congressional committee on Post Offices and Post Roads, to whom were referred certain memorials for prohibiting the transportation of mails and the opening of Post Offices on Sunday, in the 43rd session of congress, A. D. 1830, reported unfavorably to the prayer of the memorialists. Their report was adopted, and printed by order of the Senate of the United States, and the committee was discharged from the further consideration of the subject. Of the constitution they say:TBUS 37.3

“We look in vain to that instrument for authority to say whether the first day, or seventh day, or whether any day has been made holy by the Almighty.”....TBUS 37.4

“The constitution regards the conscience of the Jew as sacred as that of the Christian, and gives no more authority to adopt a measure affecting the conscience of a solitary individual, than of a whole community. That representative who would violate this principle, would lose his delegated character, and forfeit the confidence of his constituents. If congress should declare the first day of the week holy, it would not convince the Jew nor the Sabbatarian. It would dissatisfy both, and consequently convert neither.“....”If a solemn act of legislation shall in one point define the law of God, or point out to the citizen one religious duty, it may with equal propriety define every part of revelation, and enforce every religious obligation, even to the forms and ceremonies of worship, the endowments of the church, and support of the clergy.”....TBUS 37.5

“The framers of the constitution recognized the eternal principle, that man’s relation to his God is above human legislation, and his right of conscience inalienable. Reasoning was not necessary to establish this truth: we are conscious of it in our own bosoms. It is this consciousness which, in defiance of human laws, has sustained so many martyrs in tortures and flames. They felt that their duty to God was superior to human enactments, and that man could exercise no authority over their consciences. It is an inborn principle, which nothing can eradicate.”....TBUS 38.1

“It is also a fact, that counter memorials, equally respectable, oppose the interference of congress, on the ground that it would be legislating upon a religious subject, and therefore unconstitutional.”TBUS 38.2

Let us sum up this testimony. It stands thus: Congress has no right to make a law respecting an establishment of religion. Hence the conclusion, that prohibiting labor on Sunday, would be legislating on a religious subject, and therefore unconstitutional. By George Washington’s letter also we learn that the import of that instrument is, that all men “should be protected in worshiping God according to the dictates of their own consciences.” And from the constitution itself, Art. 6, Sec. 2 and 3, we learn, that legislative bodies, judges, and all executive and judicial officers are bound by oath, or affirmation, to support the constitution, and that is to be their supreme law. This mild profession is but a sound of words. It is already transgressed in a large number of the States of this Union.TBUS 38.3

Read the following from Tract No.352, published by the American Tract Society:TBUS 38.4

Law of the state of new york.-“There shall be no shooting, hunting, fishing, sporting, playing, horse racing, gaming, frequenting of tippling-houses, or any unlawful exercises or pastimes, on the first day of the week, called Sunday; nor shall any person travel on that day, unless in cases of charity or necessity, or in going to or returning from some church or place of worship: nor shall there be any servile laboring or working on that day, excepting works of necessity and charity.”TBUS 39.1

Most, if not all the States in the Union have laws essentially agreeing with the above; and this protection of the Sabbath has obviously grown out of the conviction of all intelligent legislators, that a holy day of rest, and the public worship of God, “are,” as the statutes of Vermont well express, “in the highest degree promotive of the peace, happiness, and prosperity of a people.”TBUS 39.2

But how will this agree with the report of the congressional committee? It seems by comparing this testimony of the tract with the report of the committee, that “most, if not all the States in the Union” have violated the constitution of the United States, by legislating on a religious subject. Five States of the Union, to say the least, have laws that infringe on the rights of those who keep the seventh day, because they do not also keep the first. The conscience of those who keep the seventh day, being guided by the fourth commandment, would lead them to consider six days their laboring days, and the seventh, a day of rest. They consider it no harm to work on the first day; for God himself commenced the work of creation on that day. It is a fact also, that the conscience of the society called Friends, as well as a portion of professed Christians, is infringed upon by these Sunday laws: for they regard all days alike.TBUS 39.3

Eight Seventh-day Baptists, at one time, in Ephrata, Pennsylvania, were fined each four dollars, and if they refused to pay, the same were subject to imprisonment. The great crime alleged to them, was working on Sunday-obeying their own consciences. How shall we explain the acts of Pennsylvania, and other States of this Union, unless it be a fulfillment of the text, “And he spake as a dragon?” After the description of this power, John has a view ofTBUS 40.1