Slavery Ordained of God | Page 7

like bees--for Asia, Europe, America, Africa, and the islands
of the sea. Let him believe that slavery, although not a sin, is a
degraded condition,--the evil, the curse on the South,--yet having
blessings in its time to the South and to the Union. Let him know that

slavery is to pass away, in the fulness of Providence. Let the South
believe this, and prepare to obey the hand that moves their destiny.
Ham will be ever lower than Shem; Shem will be ever lower than
Japheth. All will rise in the Christian grandeur to be revealed. Ham will
be lower than Shem, because he was sent to Central Africa. Man south
of the Equator--in Asia, Australia, Oceanica, America, especially
Africa--is inferior to his Northern brother. The blessing was upon Shem
in his magnificent Asia. The greater blessing was upon Japheth in his
man-developing Europe. Both blessings will be combined, in America,
_north of the Zone_, in commingled light and life. I see it all in the first
symbolical altar of Noah on that mound at the base of Ararat. The
father of all living men bows before the incense of sacrifice, streaming
up and mingling with the rays of the rising sun. His noble family, and
all flesh saved, are grouped round about him. There is Ham, at the foot
of the green hillock, standing, in his antediluvian, rakish recklessness,
near the long-necked giraffe, type of his _Africa_,--his magnificent
wife, seated on the grass, her little feet nestling in the tame lion's mane,
her long black hair flowing over crimson drapery and covered with
gems from mines before the flood. Higher up is Shem, leaning his arm
over that mouse-colored horse,--his Arab steed. His wife, in pure white
linen, feeds the elephant, and plays with his lithe proboscis,--the
mother of Terah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, David, and Christ.
And yet she looks up, and bows in mild humility, to her of Japheth,
seated amid plumed birds, in robes like the sky. Her noble lord,
meanwhile, high above all, stands, with folded arms, following that
eagle which wheels up towards Ararat, displaying his breast glittering
with stars and stripes of scarlet and silver,--radiant heraldry, traced by
the hand of God. Now he purifies his eye in the sun, and now he
spreads his broad wings in symbolic flight to the _West_, until lost to
the prophetic eye of Japheth, under the bow of splendors set that day in
the cloud. God's covenant with man,--oh, may the bow of covenant
between us be here to-day, that the waters of this flood shall never
again threaten our beloved land!

Speech Delivered in the General Assembly New York, 1856.

The circumstances, under which this speech was delivered, are

sufficiently shown in the statement below.
It was not a hasty production. After being spoken, it was prepared for
the "Journal of Commerce," with the greatest care I could give to it:
most of it was written again and again. Unlike Pascal, who said, as to
his longest and inferior sixteenth letter, that he had not had time to
make it shorter, I had time; and I did condense in that one speech the
matured reflections of my whole life. I am calmly satisfied I am right. I
am sure God has said, and does say, "Well done."
The speech brings to view a wide range of thought, all belonging to the
subject of slavery, of immense importance. As introductory,--there is
the question of the abolition agitation the last thirty years; then, what is
right and wrong, and the foundation of moral obligation; then, the
definition of sin; next, the origin of human government, and the
relations, in which God has placed men under his rule of subjection;
finally, the word of God is brought to sustain all the positions taken.
The challenge to argue the question of slavery from the Bible was
thrown down on the floor of the Assembly, as stated. Presently I took
up the gauntlet, and made this argument. The challenger never claimed
his glove, then nor since; nor has anybody, so far as I know, attempted
to refute this speech. Nothing has come to my ears (save as to two
points, to be noticed hereafter) but reckless, bold denial of God's truth,
infidel affirmation without attempt at proof, and denunciations of
myself.
_Dr. Wisner_ having said that he would argue the question on the Bible
at a following time, Dr. Ross rose, when he took his seat, and, taking
his position on the platform near the Moderator's chair, said,--
"I accept the challenge given by Dr. Wisner, to argue the question of
slavery from the Scriptures."
_Dr. Wisner_.--Does the brother propose to go into it here?
_Dr. Ross_.--Yes, sir.
_Dr. Wisner_.--Well, I did not propose to go into it here.
_Dr.