Leander Ker

“ What a changing of grounds—what a veiling of purposes—and what a winding and counterwinding of designs—and, in order to allay the fears and vigilance of the south, what a shrinking from, and a denial of, the sentiments of their doctrine; so that no man in their ranks, who is in office or desires one, will avow himself an abolitionist. And as some men—their agents and lecturers, are handsomely paid, for their incendiary labors, they may, and do—no uncommon mistake—“suppose that gain is godliness.” ”

“ And the enemies of liberty in Europe, and especially in England, acting on this principle, transform themselves into angels of benevolence and mercy, in order to sow the seeds of discord and disunion among us, and, if possible, divide our Union.
While utterly indifferent to the wretched condition of their slaves of tyranny and cruelty, their generous hearts are ever flowing with compassion for ours, whose condition is a hundred fold better than theirs. ”

“ We know—for such is the history of our race—that men have violated every precept in the Christian religion, and all for religion; and every principle of humanity, for humanity: and that the demon of malignity on the altar of benevolence, has ever held his richest and sweetest banquets: and we know also, that even honesty and conscience, when not guided by truth and knowledge, are as terrible and desolating in their career, as the worst passions of the human heart. ”

“ Never be led away by first appearances; nor let the magic words “benevolence, philanthropy and religion,” charm you into every ephemeral excitement and movement of the day. “In your patience, possess ye your souls.” “Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.”
In our country, where freedom of opinion is every man’s right and privilege, there will be all kinds of opinions expressed, and all kinds of movements and excitements got up: but their existence will, and must be, transient. “A breath can make them, and a breath unmake.” ”

“ This is called the “age of benevolence,” and some persons appear to have gone mad with the love of benevolence, at least they are mad with every body who will not be as benevolent as themselves; and, by abuse, scurrility and persecution prove how benevolent they are. They can talk of nothing but “benevolence.” This is the “Shibboleth” of the age, and of all sects and parties. A world of charms and enchantments dwells in this single word. And justice, judgment, truth, righteousness, yea, and humanity itself, are often sacrificed on the altar of this popular deity. ”

“ There are hundreds of abolitionists—I quote their own language—who are so benevolent, that they could see every slave owner butchered in cold blood by his slaves, his family ruined and beggared, and the entire south turned into a waste howling wilderness. And the parliament of England was so benevolent of late as to wring twenty millions sterling from her oppressed, starving and over-wrought population at home, to emancipate her slaves in the West Indies, which slaves labored less, and were better fed, clothed and lodged, than half the operatives of England ”

“ And believing, or affecting to believe, more firmly all the absurd fictions and sickly sentiment contained in “Uncle Tom’s Cabin,” than they do in the Bible, their joy and rejoicing are unbounded; for they seem to think that from that “Cabin” they can get a club by which they will be able to dash out the brains of the young Western Lion of Liberty, scatter our institutions to the winds; divide our rich inheritance among themselves, and establish in our country the blessings of monarchy—that prefers white slaves to black. ”

“ And when Christianity has finished her work—when she has enlightened all—subdued all, and sanctified all—then Ham shall no longer envy Japheth, and Japheth shall no longer vex or oppress Ham. The head shall not say to the foot I have no need of thee, nor the foot say to the head I have no need of thee. The four quarters of the world—the east and the west, the north and the far distant south—must all become the dominions of Japheth. The signs of the times, the stirring events of the day, all tend rapidly to this consummation. ”

“ I should prove recreant, indeed, in duty to God, my country and liberty, were I to write a book of a purely political, moral or religious character, which would, at this time, receive the flattering commendation of the aristocracy and monarchists of Europe, where religion is a mockery or a farce, or at best, an engine of State, in an unholy alliance with cruelty and oppression, where virtue is shamed into retirement and obscurity, and where morality is among the discarded relics of an obsolete age. ”

“ Now, I can truly say, that, during several years’ residence in the South, I have lived in families owning hundreds of negroes, and never saw any unnecessary severity, or wanton cruelty; but, on the contrary, ever saw the slaves treated with kindness and humanity, indeed, often with more than was judicious. And here I would inform the abolitionists that they are depriving the slaves of many privileges and advantages, by their incendiary doings. They are the worst enemy the slave now has. ”

“ How do they live? Your cellars, your corn houses, your poultry yards can answer that question. And go to New York, and there, in her negro population, you will see the utmost limits of moral degradation, and physical destitution. And emancipate the slaves of the south, and the result would be, that while a few would resort to voluntary labor, the great mass of them would become idle and profligate, and, allured by that mistaken philanthropy which set them free, they would bend their steps northward. ”

“ But, say the abolitionists, by construction and expediency we can make abolitionism constitutional and right.
The doctrine of construction and expediency, when adopted as the rule of interpretation and action, will destroy any constitution that ever was framed by God or man, and has done it. It is one of the most patent and convenient powers in the world, for il will give you any thing you please, how you please, when you please, and where you please. It is the genteel, the patriotic and religious mode of gratifying pride, ambition, or any other unsanctified passion of the human mind. ”

“ And I say nothing of the downright immodesty of woman teaching, by her example, the first practical lessons of amalgamation. But I forbear, and by forbearance respect them more than they respect themselves. It is only by keeping inside the domestic circle, that woman’s powers and influence can be preserved and felt. Stepping beyond this, she leaves them all behind: and the decrease of her influence, her love and respect will ever be, just in proportion to the extent of her aberrations from the domestic sanctuary. ”

“ His will is that man should keep his commandments and love one another, which is not always done; and his pleasure is that all men should be saved through his son, who has tasted death for every man, and who offers pardon, life and heaven to all—for all are under condemnation; and yet many will go away into everlasting perdition. ”

“ The Bible is very far from being the only rule of faith and practice, even among Protestants; else why so many different faiths? so many antagonistical systems of theology? So many contradictory forms of church policy? and last, but not least, so much wrath, contention, strife and rangling, all about words—which discussion only darkens, and explanations mystify? and the church of Christ, that should be the focus of peace, holiness and love, resembles the arena of vulgar politics.
To the “law and the testimony” we will go, and from them take nothing by example and precept. ”

“ I found to my surprise that the slaves of the South—and this I solemnly affirm—are better fed and better lodged than the free negroes of the North; and these slaves are far happier than the others. See them where you will, in the field, or in their quarters, you see them happy, merry and contented ”

“ We have disposed of the moral division of this question on biblical grounds, and we will now look at its legal and political aspect. Slaves, as property, are as much legitimated by legislative enactments and safeguards, as any species of property in our country, in lawful possession; and, therefore, it is the height of presumption and injustice to ask the slave-holder to surrender up this species of property—which gives to his other property whatever value it may possess. It is the insolent demand of rank agrarianism. On what principle, then, can the abolitionists rest this demand? ”

“ Christianity has no hostility to, or quarrel with, this constitution of society, and this distinction of classes, as many of her ignorant professors and teachers imagine and affirm; nor is it her purpose to destroy or level these distinctions; nor could she do it, if she would, for the causes producing these things, are beyond her reach, lying in the constitution of mind which God has given to man. The object of Christianity is to improve all, and make all happy by making them contented with whatever station or lot Providence has assigned them. ”

“ That war is an evil of the highest magnitude, is true—that it is contrary to the letter and spirit of the gospel, is equally true—and that the spirit of the gospel will eventually exterminate war by exterminating the evil passions of men, that generate war, is no less true. But until the spirit of the gospel becomes the spirit of the nations, and the principles of the gospel the laws of nations, wars, sometimes, will be unavoidable, and armies will be necessary: I mean defensive wars, for aggressive wars are always wrong, and never justifiable. ”

“ Slavery, then, instead of being prohibited by Christianity and her first teachers, was actually sanctioned by her and them—and, therefore, Abolitionism is anti-scriptural and anti-Christian. Nor was the right and Christian propriety of holding slaves ever called in question until modern times—in which men have discovered more than God ever revealed, and have imposed more upon the church and the world than ever God enjoined—while they have erected other standards and tests of Christian character than what the son of God has furnished. ”

“ And it is humiliating to the pride, and painful to the heart of every true American patriot, who loves his country and glories in her institutions, to witness the abject and servile sycophancy of some in our land, who, incapable of appreciating the blessings they enjoy, or despising them, will crawl to the feet of gilded despotism ”