OCR Text |
Show 18 THE MONTHLY OFFERING. degree of the guilt is not to be graduated by the at~·oc ity of the crime, but by the mtelhgence and feelings of h•m upon whom the outrage is committed. THIS WILL SUPERCEDE ALL BENEVOLENT ASSOCIATIONS. Let this system of benevolence be at once universally adopted, and 'never interfere with a community, if those 1\'ho compose it are but '' eontented and happy." Let the Missionary Societies call home their laborers from the whole world, as it is generally understood th•t the heathen are satisfied with their condition, and desire to walk m the footsteps of their fathers. Even the Hindoo widow, as she casts her body to bt consumed upon the burning pile of her deceased husband ; the mother, as she throws her snuling infant to be drowned in the waters of the Ganges, and the devotees to Juggernaut, as they prostrate themselves before its car, and are crushed, are all "contented and hap-n" . . . \Vhisper no rebuke Ill the ears of an webnate, or to the man who imports, manufactures or vends" the liquid fire," unless it c.an be perfectly shown that they are not "contenled and happy;" and finally never admonish your neighbor of the wretchedness that awaits him, as he is going down the broad road to e:ernal ruin, if he is so unconscious of his condition as to be" contented and happy." What a beautiful system! How admirably adapted to relieve mankind of all the ills flesh is heir to! If the cares of life oppress you, or misfortune crosses your path, -if poverty stares you in the face, ?r th~ irksome h~urs of day roll heavily along, the remedy IS plam. There IS " A sovereign balm for every wound,. A cordial for y·our fears." Put yourselves under the guardian care of Franklin & Armfield who will kindly provide you with a home for life, whe~e you can luxuriate under the driver's lash, and bask in a Georgia's sun, upon a rice swamp, cotton field, or sngar plant~tion. How. distressing it was, that the Illhabitants of this country d1d not understan~ th~ nature. of this universal Panacea, when war seemed mevttable wnh HE IS CONTENTED AND HAPPY. l9 France, on account of her unwillingness to acknowledge our claim to a few millions of her francs; and with Ena-land, too, because she laid claim to a few square leagues ol our territory, of little more value than so much blue sky. If they had known their best good, they would have prayed these governments to convert them into things, goods, and chattels personal, to all intents, purposes, and constructions, whatsoever-to rob them of all their rights,-in a word, to make them slaves, and then, this done, oh 1 how "contenled and happy" they would have been. HAPPINESS IN TilE SLAVE CONDEi\1NS TilE SYSTEM. But what is slavery? What is its influence upon the mind and soul? It is easy to conceive of many of the cruelties it inflic.ts upon the body of the slave; but as cruel, monstrous, anJ heart-rending as these may be, they are but as dust in the balance, to the wrong· it inflicts upon the mind. It has a darker feature. It aims at the annihilation of the sou l. Slavery endeavors to reduce the man, mentally, to the condition of the brute, and in proportion as it sllccecds in this, he rises in value. It aims to thrust its poisoned sting into the very centre of his heart,-to seal over the avenues to his understanding,-to annihilate all desires for improvement-to stand between hi" tonscience and his God. Man was created to be free, free to go and come at his pleasure,-to search after knowledge and to pry into all the mysteries of the Godhead,-to make, continually, new discoveries in scientific and religious iruth,-never to be satisfied with his present attainments. but to be always progressing. This principle is developed in every department of society, and strikingly exemplified in the school boy, as he desires to enter a class in advance of himself. To enter that class is the desire of his heart. Every thing is made subsidiary to that object. But no sooner is this purpose accomplished, than he reaches forward for higher attainments, and advancing thus, step by step, eventually becomes dissatisfied with any thing short of Newtonian science. Thus the mind will, throughout eternity, be approximating to the great Fountain of all know!- |