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leads the way in connection with a crowd of official dignitaries, and solicits attention whilst he reads a homily to prove that there is no malum in se in slavery. An electric flash goes through the crowd, and the editors of the New York Observer, Express, and Christian Intelligencer, frantic with delight, shout, "This our brother was dead, and is alive again; was lost, and is found." The Rev. Dr. Lord, of Dartmouth College, follows with another homily on the subject, to show that slavery is in accordance with natural and revealed religion, and the law of love. Professors Hoge of Princeton, and Stuart of Andover, thunder out the announcement that master and slave is a relationship of rightful authority, and that, after all the spouting on the subject, the Bible, which establishes that relationship, remains the same. The Rev. Van Dyke, of New York, with deepest and broadest emphasis avows that he finds slavery in nature and Providence. Dr. Nehemiah Adams declares that it is adapted to the beneficent workings of society, and regrets that he cannot introduce it into Boston. Dr. Blagden opens out his Bible and turns down. chapter and verse in its defence. Dr. Baron Stowe finds that his Bible does not allow him to deny any courtesy to a man because he is a "Christian slaveholder." The Rev. Henry T. Cheever says a man may be a slaveholder and yet a Christian-there is no doubt of it. Dr. Gardiner Spring says if one prayer would free every slave he would not be the man to offer that prayer. And Mrs. Stowe brings up the

rear in this crowd of worthies with a brand-new mantle of piety for her dear "lady pious slaveholder," Mrs. Shelby, large enough to cover both the mistress and her stolen property-the slave; and whilst she looks with defiant scorn, and carries a whirlwind in her track against the pirate who has stolen a chest of goods, because he covets a mantle of piety to cover up himself and his stolen goods, thinking, doubtlessly, that if stolen men were no bar to the enjoyment of such a privilege, stolen goods ought not. But, poor soul, he is mistaken. He has not been inducted into the mysteries of our special justificatory circumstances in America, and the granting of special indulgences to absolution which exempt these great transgressors from the ban of condemnation.

Next comes a Republican convention, that makes America a place of torture for the black man, holds out to him Liberia as a Paradise, decrees no more slave territory, and yet elects a man to the presidency who declares that "if any territory desires slavery, and seeks admission into the Union, although he would be sorry to do it, yet he would admit it."

The next scene gives us a view of the successive plagues of America, the softening of the president's heart in view of all circumstances, and the cornucopias which rain down flowers upon him for his grand achievements as a rail splitter, tavern keeper, navigator of a flat boat, farmer catching coons, lawyer learning the "specious arts" to deceive, political debater in which he adapted himself to men of all

political creeds and shades of opinions, making Abolitionists believe that he hated slavery as much as any of them, Republicans feel that he had no love to the negro as a man, was quite inflexible in their belief that America was the country for the white man, and the white man only; and Democrats quiescent under the assurance that if he could save the Union and slavery as well, he would do it; or save the Union and slavery in part, he would do that; but if he could not save the Union without destroying slavery he would do it; and as President of the United States he has been honoured with the achievements of a Moses, although he has not acquired the power of a Pharaoh to let the slaves go.

In the next scene, Secretary Chase makes his appearance with his financial goose under his arm, and goes through the operation of putting gold into its mouth, and receiving a hurricane of greenbacks at its tail to show the sudden increase of wealth in our glorious republic, and assures the astonished crowds that if he can only monopolise the trade, he can prevent the republic from coming to grief or tottering to its fall.

And to close these melo-dramatic scenes, the Marplots gather in great force; and amongst them we recognise the Rev. Henry Ward Beecher, armed with his knuckledusters, and bending his fists in the face of England amidst the wildest demonstrations of applause. There are also Cheever, Goodell, and Sloane, surrounded by torches of Greek fire, horns of powder,

percussive biscuits, and starvation shells, which, like so many Titans, they aspire to take up in the sling of mortal hate to hurl into the heart of the South, to start the slave population in revolt against their masters. Doolittle and Wadsworth claim that the thunderbolts of heaven will so avenge their cause that the South is sure to be turned into swamps for crocodiles if the southerners persist in their rebellion. Jim Lane, of Kansas notoriety, is so furious in the letting out of blood that he advocates the destruction of the Copperheads, or Democrats so called in the North, and certifies to a commencement of such a reign of terror in the state to which he belongs. Fred Douglas gives a significant look towards this country, administering at the same time a particular caution or warning that, if you interfere, Uncle Sam, though reduced to a skeleton with the scab, cancer, and barebones of slavery, will gather up the remnants of his Titanic power and "strike down the mailed hand of England." And Mrs. Stowe certifies that, on the bright roll of their war crusade, Garrisonians, and democrats, and republicans are all registered, and stand shoulder to shoulder, and with voice answering voice, and heart to heart, utter words of good cheer as they cry―

Draw your good sabres bright,
Gather your reins up tight,

Buglemen blow:

Now for the crimson fight,

Charge on the foe.

Man to man, horse to horse,
Hand to hand, force to force;
Oh, but they fiercely fight:
Give them your sabres bright,
Pistol them too.

And these deluges of blood are let out in the name of justice, equality, and liberty. How deluded and misguided, to allow a love of country to override their love of justice! And yet, according to Thomas Hughes, these men are the world's greatest noblemen! What a satire upon the human race! This is what we call in America "beating the devil at long chalks."

In my next I shall notice " American Substratums." -Yours, for truth as well as liberty,

32 Sun Street, May 4, 1863.

J. R. BALME,

1

An American Baptist Clergyman.

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