“’Ownership in man is not contrary to the will of God.  I also find it written that “Canaan shall be a servant.”  Hear these words of inspiration:  “Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren.  And he said, Blessed be the Lord God of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant.  God shall enlarge Japheth, and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant.”  As the Japhetic race is to dwell in the tents of Shem, for example, England occupying India, so I believe the black race is under the divine sentence of servitude.  Moreover, being perfectly convinced of the wrongfulness and the infinite mischief to all concerned of the forcible liberation of our slaves, I am assisted in settling, in my own mind, the question as to me right of individual slaves to escape from service, and our right to continue in this relationship, conforming ourselves in it always to the golden rule.

“’If it be the right of one, under ordinary circumstances, to depart, it is the right of all.  But the government under which they live, in this commonwealth, recognizes slavery.  The constitution and the general government protect us in maintaining it.  The right of our servants to leave us at pleasure, which could not of course be done without violence, on both sides, implies the right of insurrection.  It is impossible to define the cases in which insurrection is justifiable, but the general rule is that it is wrong.  Government is a divine ordinance; men cannot capriciously overthrow or change it, at every turn of affairs which proves burdensome or even oppressive.  God is jealous to maintain human government as an important element in his own administration.  Men justly in authority, or established in it by time, or by consent, or by necessity, or by expediency, may properly feel that they are God’s vicegerents.  He is on their side; a parent, a teacher, a commander,—­in short, he who rules, is, as it were, dispensing a law of the divine government, as truly as though he directed a force in nature.  Hence, to disturb existing government is, in the sight of God, a heinous offence, unless circumstances plainly justify a revolution; otherwise, one might as well think to interfere with impunity and change the equinoxes, or the laws of refraction.  It is well to consider what forms of government, and what forms of oppression under them, existed, when that divine word was written:  “Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers.  For there is no power but of God:  the powers that be are ordained of God.  Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God; and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.”  This was written in view of the throne of the Caesars.