Vermont telegraph. [volume], March 07, 1838, Page 96, Image 4

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jj a A N T I-S L A V E B Y -: 1 v, '
T&e ETUe avgalaal tlvry,0mtlmma
OsjacTioif IV. - ? If thy brother that
dwtlUth by thee be waxen joor and be
' told unto thee, thou shall not compel him
;ta ttrtf at a 8 o n d-s x a v a r t
. UUed servant, ctu tf a sojourner shall
J Jiibe with thee, and shall serve thee unto
"th year of jubilee i XerVxxr. .39, ,40.
. From (he fact thnt coljr one class of the
-servants ii called AtW, it is tamely infer
tied that servants of-the other -class 'were
not p alitor lb tit labor. 'That is,' that
while God thundered anathemas against
- Itboae who used their neighbor's service
ieithoutwagetV he granted a special in
;.dalgenca ito his chosen 'people to seize
persons, force them to work, and rob them
of earnings, provided always, in selecting
'their victims, they spared 'lhe gentlemen
of property and standing,' "and pounced
nly upon the strangers and the tommon
people. ''Thenfererice that AlretTV is
rnonimbus with paid, and that those ser
'tanls not tolled " hired": were no paid
. for their labor; is a mere assumption..
The meaning of the; English verb to
Mre9 u, as every one knows, to procure
. -Jot a. temporal use at a certain price-to
engage a person, to temporary service for
wages. r"That is also the meaning of th
e
Hebrew word SaaAar.'1 r Temoorarw
, sr r rice, and generally for a' specific object,
k- - -h ' h taps ratye, from its-meaning. ft is
-prosed when the procurement of per'
i nent service, or a long period, is apo
.i oC : rfow, we ask. would permanent
-grants, those who constituted an integral
Yand stationary part of-the fimily.have
bcea'-desigoated by the same term that
raarks worarjr servants?. The every
day distinctions made on this subject, are
as hmiliar as table-talk. ; ,1a many farm
: lies,, the domestics perform only such labor,-
-is every diy brings along with it
? the regular work. JVhateyer is ceaticn
J raerelyyif the washing of a family; is
done by persons kind expressly .for the
. frflie.Vlrt,auch, families, the Utniliar
distinction between the tflro ebsses, is,
? -4Mservan-s,M or domestics! and hired
: -Jt rhelp,'.', (ooVj)ad.help.) Both clashes are
paid. - Oae is permanent the other Toc
casionil and temporary and therefore in
this case. called f hired. To suppose a
servant, robbri of, hiaearnin?s. becante
whej spokea bChe is act called, a Aired
servartWis profound induction 1 If I em
ploy a man at twelve dollars! a month to
wort ray CiTrpt, ho ii my hired' man;
but if, instead of, giving him so much a j
mont'p, J give Kin, suci a portion of the J
7t otia other .words, if he works my
farm fo shares he is no longer my'
rei marw Ertrry farmer . know that
designation isnot.applied to him. Yel he
work the same farm, 'in the same way, at
, the same times,-and with the same teams
and t66ls ;j artd'doea the same amount of
work in the yen r,' and perhapj cleara twen
ty dollars a mnth, instead of the twelve,
paid him while he; was my Airei laborer.
Kow,alhe technic hired1 is no longer
used to designate him.' and as he still, la
bors on my farm. suppose "my 'jieighbb'rs
gather in conclavcV and from: such ajipte
Iircmjses sagly infer, that: since he-is no
onger my, hired"- laborer, I roJhim of
his earnings 'and -with all the gravity of
owls; they jeeofd their decision, and ad
journ to hoot n abroad. Mrneighbors are
deep-divers ! Ukc some tneotogical pro
frssors, they not onty go to the bottom, bm
come up co Terra nun me tokens.
A variety of particulars are recorded in
ther Bible, v distinuishinjr Airei from
eirA servants; (I.) Hired servants were
paid duly at the close of their work. Lev
lis. 13 i DiuU xxiv.,14. 15 ; JobviL2;
. Mitt. xx. 8. ' Bought" servants were
jpaii in advance, (a renson tor their being
-called brv$ht,) and those that went out at
a the "seventh year received a gratuity at
i&e close or tneir.penoJ ol service. Deut
xt. 12, 13.J ,(2 ) The hired servant was
paid tn taaary the bought servant receiv
d his gratuity, .'at least; in grain, cattle,
V''r4 th? product of tha yinUffe. Deut. xiv.
v )7' . (3 ) Tbe Airei servant" lived by him-
ttlf m "own fimil The bought ser-
;vant was a." part of his master's family,
j 4.) The hired servant supported his Mm
. ily out of his wages the bought servant
en I his family, were supported by the mas
ter besides bis wages.
- Acarefal investigation of the condition
Of "hired" and of "boughC servants,
ahotys that the latter were, as a class, su
perior, to the. former -Ken' more .trust
worthy had "greater privileges, and oc
cupied in every respect (ofArr things be
1 ing eqaal) :t! higher ration in society.
( I.) They mere ' tntimatelv Aktohorat'ed
with the family of (hi master. They wcre
gues: ui xarniiy isiirais, an J social so
lcmnities,from which AirJ servants were
. 7 excludod. Lzr. xxii. 10; Exod. xii. 43,
45. (1) Th'ir interests were far more
idt.ttified teiih the general interest of
cir mim.1 ""wjii Asvmgni servants
were often actually, or prospectively, heirs
Of their master's estate. Witness tb case
xf EHezer.of Zihii of the sons of Bilhah,
. and Zilpah, & others. When there were
. fla sons la inherit the estate, or when, by
v - un worthiness, they he.d forfeited their title,
bright servants were made heirs. Prov.
yii. 2.' : We ni traces of this usage in
the New Testament. But wnen the hut-
lindmerl tiw him, they reasoned araon?
-i i nc . t .
inrmsirvy, ayin, ouuinr ncir9 rome
let us kill him. that .the inheritance. may
beours. Lake xx. 14; also Mark xit
7. In no instance on Bible record, does
a Alro servant inherit his master's estate.
(3.) MrrrUge't tool t ,!ace between ttrvanls
and WiV nastt ft daughters "ow Bhe-
eSiri had no sons, bur daughters r and
- CHf ihsa had a ' tercantr an Ejryptian;
yh:;3 naras was Jarhx. - 'And Shesha'n
riva Us din?hter"to Jarha, " his servant;
vytAfu 4 1 Chron. iL34.,55. There is
cb i.:.:aaee cf a Afrei servant forming
f-ith an ailiaai. ''.
(4.) Bought servants and their dttcini
dntt seta to have been regarded iHlh the
same affection arid respect, at the other
mtmbert of the family.9 .The treatmept
of Eliezer, and the other servants m the
family of Abraham. Gen. chap. 25 -the
intercourse betweerf Gideon ;and his ser
iram Phurib. Judges rii.T 10, 11 ;! and Saul
and his servant, in their interview with
Samuel,.' 1 Sam. ix. 5. 22; and Jonathan
and his servant, 1 Sam. xiv. 114 ; and
Elisha and hit servant Gehazi, are illus
trations. "No such tie seems to have ex
isted between hired servants and their
masters. Their untrustworthiness seems
to have been, proverbial. See John ix.
12. 13.-
,. None but the lowest class seem to have
engaged as hired servants. No instance
occurs in which they are assigned to busi
ness demanding much knowledge or skill,
yariourrassagea show the low repute and
trifling character of the class from which
they were hired. Judges ix. 4 ; 1 Sam.
ii. 5. ;
The superior condition and privileges
of bought servants, are manifesvd i i the
hightrurs confided to them, and in the
dignity and authority with which they
were clothed in their master's household.
But in no instance is a Airei servant thus
distinguished. In some cases, the bought
servant is manifestly the master's repre
sentative fn the family with plenipoten
tiary powers over adult childreneven ne
gotiating marriage for them. Abraham
besought Eliezer, bis servant, to take a
solemn oath, that he would not take a
wife for Isaac of the daughters of the Ca
naanites, but from Abraham's kindred.
The servant went accordingly, and Aiw
self selected the individual. Servants al
so exercised discretionary power in the
management of their master's estate.
'And the servant took ten cameli. of ih.
camels of his master, for all the goods of
m wwicj were unaer , ms nana." Uen.
Xxiv. 10. The reason assigned for taking
ihem, is not that such was Abraham's di
rection, but ibat the servant had discre
tionary control. Servants had also dijere
tionary power in the disposal ofpropertv.
See Gen. xxiv. 22, 23, 53. The condi
tion of Ziba in the house of Mephiboseth,
ii."80 " point- So is Prov. xrii. 2
Distinct traces of this estimation are to be
found in the New Testament. Math. xxir.
45 ; Luke xii. 42, 44. So in the parable
of.ihe talents; the roast r seems to have
set up itch of his servants in trade with
coosiderable.capiui. One of tbem could
not, have had less than eight thousand dol
lars. The parable of the unjust steward
is another illustration. Luke xvi. 4. 8.
He evidently was entrusted with large
discretionary power, was accused of
wasting his master's goods,' and mani
festly regulated with his master's debtors,
the terms of settlement. Such trusts were
never. reposed in hired servants.
The inferior condition of hired strvants,
is illustrated in the parable of the prodi
gal son. When the prodigal, perishing
with hunger among the swine and husks,
came , to himself, his proud heart broke ;
rl will arise," 4he "cried, "and zoxo mi
father." And then to assure his father of
his humility, resolved to add imploringly,
Make me as one of tby Are servants'."
Jt need not be remarked". tha if Aire ser
vants were the superior class ; to apply
for the situation, and press the suit, savor
ed liule of that sense of uhworthiness that
seeks the dust with hidden face, and cries
-uncleim. Unhumbled nature climbs ;
or if it fills, clings fast, where first it may.
Humility sinks of its own weight, and in
the lowest deep, digs lower. The dtsign
of the parable was 1o illustrate on the one
hand; the joy of God. as ho beholds afar
ou, the returning sinner "seeking an in
jured father's faje," who runs to clasn &
l i . ft .... Mr
oiess nim wnn an unchidmg welcome
and on the other, the contrition of the pen
itent, turning homeward with tears, from
his wanderings, his stricken spirit break
ing, with its ill-desert, he sobs aloud,
"The lowest place, the lowest place, I can
abide no other." Or in those inimitable
words, Father, 1 have sinned against
Heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more
worthy to be called thy son ; make me as
one of thy hired seveantsV The suppo
sition th i hiied servants were the highest
class, takes from the parable an element
of winning beauty and pathos. It is mnn
ifest to every care'ul student of the RiM
that one class of servants, was on terms of
equality with the children and other mem
bers ot. the family. (Hence the force of
Raul's declaration. Gal. tv. 1, ' Now I saH
unto you, that th heir, to long as he is a
Child, DIFTKRETII NOTHING FROM A SER
VANT, though he be lord ofall.nf If this
werr the Atrei class, the prodigal wa; a
sorry specimen of humility Would our
Lord, have put such languige into the
lips of one held un by himself, as a mnrfel
of gospel humility," to illustrate its lowli-
"f.3j, ns conscious uesinuuon ol all merit
and deep sense of ill desert? If this is hu-
mutiy, put it on Stilts, ana set it a strutting
twk:t i iii i p
" ti wc iokcs irsuu9, nnu oiunuers in
apeing rt.
Here let it be observed, that both Israel
ites; and , Strangers, belonsed iiidiscn'mm
aieiy jo ? each .class of the servants, the
.f . w .
WfAfand the hired;, .That those in the
lormer class, whether Jews or Strano-prs.
ciC in nigner estimation; and rose to hon
u7. "na "utnority in the family circle.
uwicn were not . con lerreJ on Airi ser
rams, nas been .already shown. ItshoaM
be added,, however, that in the enjoyment
ol rmleges, merely iicof and tion
al; the hired servants from thj Israelites
. .The foltoivins U tfalmol ides' MCfaonV fo
uhj conuu od oi in PuTDiMd wmnt. F. ik-
vnrenasea ftrvanr wno m an Israelite, or prot.
tuii mw uim mw;r. im vmter stull
not eat fii bread, rod his servant bread of b.ao.
Nor vet iibk ol l.wlo.andr've his errantBw
norileep on soft pittow; md bldihgj aoH hu
servaut on itraw. I sav tmto you,; that he that
Xrts ryrthvted servaut does well to jnake him
hi frierKl, or he will prove to his employer as
if he rt himsetf a waster Ifai vxxuAt. 1
tI!aM kUushi. Chspter 1st, See. t. '
V E It II O N T- T
we more favored than "eithertha hired,
or the bought servants from the Stran
gers. :No one from the Strangers, how
ever wealthy or highly endowed, was eli
gible to the highest office nor could e
own the "soil TTits last disability seems to
have oeen one reason foi the diflerent pe
riods Of service required of the two class
ea of fcought servants the Israelites and
the Strangers. The Israelite was to serve
six years the Stranger until the jubilee,
As the Strangers could n6town the soil,
nor-even houses, except within walled
towns, most of them would choose to at
tach themselves permanently to Israelitish
families. Those "Strangers who were
wealthy, or skilled in manufacturesin
stead of becoming servants themselves,
would need servants for their cwn use, and
as inducements for the Strangers to be
come servants to the Israelites, weTe great
er than persons of their own nation could
hold out to tbem, these wealthy Strangers
would naturally procure the poorer fasci
ites for servants. See Levit. xxv. 47. In
a word, such was the political condition of
the Strangers, the Jewish polity furnished
a strong motive to them, lo become ser
vants, thus incorporating themselves with
the nation, and procuring those social and
religious privileges already enumerated;
and for their children in the second gene
ration, a permanent inheritance. (This
last was a regulation of later date. Eze
kiel xlvii. 21 -23 ) Indeed, the structure
of the whole Mosaic polity, was a virtual
bounty offered to those who would become
permanent servants, and merge in the Jew
ish system their distinct nationality. None
but the monied aristocracy amonsr them,
would be likely to decline such offers.
For various reason?, this class, (;he
servants bought from the Strangers) would
prefer a long service. They would thus
more effectually become abso'rbed into the
national circulation, and identify their in
terests with those in whose gift were nil
thingsdesirable for themselves, and briTht
er prospects for their children. On "the
other.hand, the Israelites, owning all the
soil, and an inheritance of land being a
sort of sacred possession, to hold it free of
incumbiance, was, win every Israelite, a
delicate point, both of lamily honor and
personal character. 1 Kinps, xxi. 3.
Hence, to forego the possession of one's
inheritance, after the division of the pater
nal domain, or to be restrained from its
control, after having acceded to it, was a
burden grievous to be borne. To mitigate,
as much as possible, such a calamity, the
law. instead of requiring the Israelite to
coniinue a servant until the jubilee, re
leased him at the end of six year, t as,
during that time if.of the first class the
partition of the patrimonial land mirht
have taken place; or, if of the secondfe
nough money might have been earned to
disencumber his estate, and thus he miVht
assume his station as a lord of the soil
If these contingencies had not occurred,
then, at the end of another, six years, the
opportunity was apin offered, and in the
same manner ontil the jubilee. So while
strong motives urged the Israelite to dis
continue his service as soon asihe exigen
cy had passed, which induced him to be
come a servant, every consideration im
pelled the Stranger lo prolong his term of
rvice ; anu me same kindness which
dictated the law of six years' service for
the Israelite, assigned, as the general rule
a much longer period to the Gentile ser
vant who, instead of beinor tempted to a
brief service, had every inducement to
protract the term.
It is important to a clear understanding
of the whole subject, to keep in mind, that
adult Jews ordinarily became servants, on
ly as a temnorarv einpHioni ,i;
themselves from embarrassment, and ceas
ed to be such when that object was effect
ed. The poverty that forced them to it
was a calamity, and their service was ei
ther a means of relief, or a measure of
prevention. It was not pursued as a per
manent business, but resorted to on emer
gencies a sort of episode in the main
scope of their lives. Whereas with the
Grangers, it was a permanent emp'oymenL
r 7 . v ""r''y as a means oi otter
ing their own condition, and prospective
ly that of their posterity, but aleoT as an
end for its own sake, conferring on them
prmleges, and a social estimation not
otherwise attainable.
We see from the fore?oinrr, why
servants purchased from the heathen,
are called by way of distinction, the scr-
llll?0fTtnJ asour translators
have it ) ( I.) They followed it as a per
manent business. (2.) Their term of ser
vice was much longer than that of the
other class. (3.) As a class, they doubt
less greatly outnumbered the Israelitish
. i i . . uurrs
that
r...,l;.. ,. ioine
were trioulat
i . . .
j . J",nu 10 Pay an annual tri
, , o - v., timer in monev
or , public service, which ,vas caHed 'a
l tribute of bonds, rrir. . .t . ,,ea . a
oure io tne ?orpnimnn A;ii
.ii ,i ; (,. . "i wurrivnras.
all the Strangers wer a f - '
to the fsraeliuvand th KehTw
individ-
Tr J 1 mi
Both
mav trith
Imminent f, 9vtn the,
wheo basic year' service is rontraS wTth th.
bnr term f th. W1U1
propnefy be cJJeJ
-------- - BrviUlU
. f Another reason for protracting lhe
Ul the seventh rear. sJm. 5JV m
i .1 . "'"Knen'j, and provision
inseparable from u,e Jerh economy: Tn.Y J!
nod was a favurit one ia the MosaisWlem 'ifJ
wiBiarynrsponsibilrtiefc weLl relatfcSs & r2
era! internal mt.n'.- if . . . -
we taraeuira wno nee4tDe servant.
Ihroo-h poverfT. would not ..-U t W.r,!!T,n
eept aa a but resort. whn t!Al!!yjx"
i - . ro nuMite raeia.
Sd rVinu r !rV , ' ocs,?na,w national
17' z bron. viii. 79. ruv x . '
Sam. x19. IKings rx. 2, 20 i
Kings v. 21. Gen. xxvii. 23 t-.!
E Jt-G R A RB;
word is applied to the Israelites, when
they paid tribute to other nations. C See 2
Kings xvii.'3. Judges :iii. 8,v14Gen
Xlix. 15. Another distinction between the
Jewish & Gentile bought servants, claims
notice. : It was in the kinds of service as
signed lo each class. . The servants from
the Strangers, were, properly the domes
tics, or household servants, employed in
all family work, in offices of persona! at
tendance, and in such mechanical labor as
was constantly required in every family,
by increasing wants, and needed repairs.
iOn the others hand, the Jewish bought
servants seem to have been almost exclu
sively agricultural. Besides being bet
ter fitted for this by previous habits ag
riculture, and the tending of cattle, Were
regarded by the Israelites as the most hon
orable of all occupations; kings engaged
in them. After Saul was elected king,
and escorted to Gibeah, the next report of
him isj "And behold Saul came after the
herd out of the field." Sam. xi. 7.
Elisha "was plowin? with twelve voke
ofjoxen" when Elijah threw his mantle
upon him.- 1 Kings xix. 19. King Uz-
ztah -loved husbandry." 2 Chron.xxvi.
10. Gideon, the deliverer of Israel, was
tnrcMing wneat oy tne wine-press when
wucu io usiuioe nost against tne Altaian--
ites. Judges vi. 11. The superior hon-
orableness of agriculture, is shown by the
a.i, mm u ds froieciea ana sippor led
by the fundamental law of the theocracy:
God thus indicating it as the chief prop of
the government, and putting upon it pecu
liar honor. An inheritance of land seems
to have filled out an Israelite's idea of
worldly furnishment. They were like
permanent fixtures on their soil, so did
they clin? to it. To be agriculturists on
their own inheritances, wa?, in their no
tions, the basis of family consequence, and
the grand claim to honorable estimation.
Agriculture being pre-eminently a Jewish
employment, to assign a native Israelite to
other employments as a business, was to
break up his habits, do violence to cherish
ei predilections, and put him to a kind of
labor in which he had no skill, and which
he deemed degrading. In short, it was,
in the earlier ages of the Mosaic system,
practically to unjew him, a hardship and
rigor grievous to be borne, as it annihila
ted a visible distinction between the de
scend, mts of Abraham and theSt rangers '
a distinction vital to the system.'and glori
ed in by every Jew.
To guard this and another fundamen
tal distinction, God instituted the regula
tion contained in Leviticus xxv. 39, which
stands at the head of this branch of our in
quiry, "If thy brother that dwrlleth by
thee be waxen poor, and be sold unto thee,
thou shall not compel him io serve as a
bond-servant." In other words, thou shall
not put him to servants' work to the busi
ness, and into the condition of domestics.
In the Persian version it is translated
thus: Thou shall not assign to him the
work of servitude," (or menial labor ) In
the Septuagint thus: He shall not serve
thee with the service of a domestic or
household servant.'1 In the Syriac thus:
"Thou shalt not employ him after the man
ner of servants." In the Samaritan thus :
"Thou shalt not require him to serve in
the service of a servant." In the Targum
of Onkelos thus : "He shall not serve thee
with tbe service of a household servant."
In the Targum of Jonathan thus : Tbou
shalt not cause him to serve according to
the usiges of the servitude ol servants."
In fine, "thou shalt not compel him to
serve as a bond-servant," means thou shalt
not assign him to the same grade, nor put
mm to the same services, with permanent
domestics.
We pas3 to the remainder of the regula
tion in the 40th verse:
' But as an hired servant and as a so
journer shall he be with thee." Hired ser
vants were not incorporated into the fami
lies of their masters; they still retained
their own family organization, without the
surrender of any domestic privilege, hon
or, or authority; and this, even though
they resided under the same roof with
their master. While bought-servants were
associated with their master's families at
meals, at the Passover, and at other fami
ly festivals, hired servants and sojourners
were not. Exodus xii. 44, 45 ; Lev. xxii.
10 1 ! Not being merged in the family
of hi master, the hired servant was not
subject to his authority, (except in direc
tions abjut his labor,) in any such sense
as the master's wife, children, and bought
servants. Hence the only form of oppres
sing hired serrants spoken of in the Scrip
tures as practicable to masters, is that of
keeping back their wages.
To have taken away these privileges in
. , . jxwage unaer con
sideration, would. have b.-en pre-eminent
rigor; for the case described, is not that
of a servant born in the house of a mas
ter, nor that of a minor, whosa unexpired
minority had been sold bv the father, nei
ther was it the case of an Israelite, who
though of age, had not yet acceded lo his
inheritance; nor, finally, was it that of on
who hid received tbe assignment of his in-
heritance, bnt was. as a servant, working
off from it an incumbrance, before eriterin o
upon its possession and controlTf But Ft
was that of the head of a family, who had
uvea inaepenaently on his own inheri
tance, and long known better days, now
reduced to poverty, forced to relinquish
the loved inheritance of his fathers, with
the competence and respectful considera
tion its possession secured to him. and to
be indebted to a neighbor' for shelter, sus-
Jarcbi s cxmswntoa Thou shaltnot eampel
him to serve as a bond-eryant, is, the He-
Drew servant h not to n requ red to do any thin?
which is accounted dee-din--ur!r s all ffice4
personal artendance.
sboe-latehet, bhnginff him water tq n his feet
and Muds, waitme on hini at Ubler.n-ut-'
as- kKmnir h m-..v
caary iog fWnjrs to and fnm tbe bath; The He
brew servant is fo work with his mist- -
ot brother. Ja tbe buvdess of k! f, - .iZ . a
bbr. mm bU legtX release
. . .
tenance, and "empl6yment, both for him
self and his family. " Surely, so sad a re
verse, mjght-'well . claim sympathy; but
there remaineth.to hira.one oonsolation, &
it cheers' him in the house of his pilgrim
afre. He is an Jsraeliler Abraham it hit
Jathertz.ni nosv in his calamity he clings
r loser than ever to tne distinction confer
red by the immunities of hia birthright
To rob him of thisjvweretthf unindest
cut of all," To, have assigned; him . to a
grade of service, filled only by those whose
permanent , business was serving, would
have been lo rule over him with peculiar
rigor.
Finally, the former part of the regula
tion, Thou shah not compel him to
serve as a bond-servant," or more literal
ly, thou thaft not terce thyself with him,
with the service of a servant, guaranties
his political privileges, and s -cures tohim
a kind and grade of service, comporting
with his character and relations as a son
of Israel. And the remainder of the
verse, "But as a hired servant, and as a
j sojourner shall he be with thee." contin.
ues and secures to him his separate family
(organization, the respect and authority
due to his head, and the general consid-
j eration in society resulting from such
a
station.
i nougn in is lnuiviauai was a
bought 5frrflnt. thf rasp is nop nl.
TL- .L J . J : J I
Jewish
hr.and forms an exception to the General
class ot Jewish bought servants. B?ing
already in possession of his inheritance
ana tne head ot a household, the law so
arranged his relations, as a servant, as to
alleviate as much as possible the calamity
which had reduced him from independence
and authority, to penury and subjection.
Having gone so much into detail on
this point, comment on the command
which concludes this topic in the forty
third verse, would be superfluous. " Thou
shalt not rule over him with rigor, but
shall fear thy God." As if it bad been
saij, " In your administration you shall
not disregard those differences in previous
habits, station, authority, and national and
political privilege, upon which this reg
ulation is based ; for to exercise authority
over this class of servants, irrespective of
these distinctions, and annihilating them,
is to " rule with rigor." The .same com
mand is repeated in the forty-sixth verse,
and applied lo the distinction between the
servants ol Jewish, and those of Gentile
extraction, and forbids the overlooking of
distinctive Jewish peculiarities, so vital to
an Israelite as to make the violation of
them, rigorous in the extreme;, while to
the servants from the Strangers, whose
previous habits and associations differed
so widely from those of the Israelite,
these same things would be deemed slight
disabilities.
It may be remarked here, that the po
litical and other disabilities of the Strang
ers, which were the distinctions growing
out ol a different national descent, and
important to the preservation of national
characteristics, and to the purity of na
tional worship, do not seem to have ef
fected at all the social estimation, in which
this class of servants was held. Thev
were regarded according to their charac
ter and worth as persons, irrespective of
iueir loreign origin, employments, and
political condition.
The common construction put upon the
expression, ltruleioith rigor,' and an in
ference drawn from it, have an air so
oracular, as quite to overcharge risibles
of ordinary calibre, if such an effect were
not forestalled by its impiety. It is inter
preted to mean, - you shall not make him
I an article of property, you shall not force
unit iu uui, aim ivu ai i in oi nis earn
ings, you shall not make him a chattel,
and strip him of legal protection." So
much for the interpretation The infer
ence is like unto it, viz: Since the com
mand forbade such outrages upon the
Israelites, it permitted and commissioned
the infliction of them upon the Strangers.
Such impious and shallow smattering
captivates two classes of minds, the one
by its flippancy, the. other, by its blasnhe
my, and both, by the strong scent of its
M .- it. r I . n 4 L : 1 I
uijuiiviieu license, w nat Doots it to rea
son againft such rampant affinities !
In Exodos, chap. i. 13, 14, it is said
that the Egyptians ma(je lhe children of
y ...... nWI, -anu an tneir
service wherein thy made them serve
was w.th rigor." The rigor here spoken
of, 15 affirmed of the amount of labor
extorted from them, and the mode of the
exaction. This form of expression, "serve
with rigor," is never applied to the ser
vants either under 4he Patriarchal, or the
Mosaic systems. Nor is any other form
of expression ever used, either equivalent
to it, or at all similar. The nh
wtih
rigor.
useu 111 Licvuir.us xxv, 4j, 4tjf r40es not
prohihit unreasonable exactions of labor,
nor inflictions of personal cruelty. Such
were provided against otherwise. But it
forbids, confounding the distinctions be
tween a Jew and a btranger, by assign
ing the former to the same grade of spri
vice, for the same term of time. and undpr
I t IV . ..
me same nauonai ana pomicai disabilities
as tne latter
We are now prepared to Knrif
glance, the general condition of the dif
ferent classes of servants, with the modi-
ncauons peculiar to each class,.1 I In
the. possession pt alii fundamental rights
all classes of servants wer oni an Zbso
e equality, ail were quUyXprotected
persons, -character . prop
erty and sociaf . relations, Alf were C0A
ular labor nearly oe half nf Am.A.L '.
rAiiAvero re eased from it. - -
?r?n ; none.in either class were iu
Wnse -articles ' oeall were
SgM theirights. inter
cstvhopes aud destinies Mmen,' Initiese
respects the circumstsnV kr - -i
oTseryanU ampnthe Israelites, were not
only similar but identical
they formed but owe cLAbs. ' !
u- uirrianrr OLasass or axaxjrm
VTL. XiW.lyo. 24.
m', C u i r 7. ? Ul cls con.
sisted both oil Israelites and Strangers
Their employments ere, different. Th,
Israelite
ne otranger yttis ti domestic vini personal
e'nttmndin,soioei.nncweeAaicai
both were occasional, procured temporal
IVA.If .mrm - - --
ucireu were less loved. trusteJ hnnn-J -
uu pi vuiuiru man any other
2. Bought Servants. (inefvA;, t...l
iwl ma cJ ,
also,
was comnosea ootn of ic.-.i.-.
Strangers, .thesame general difference i
obtaining in iheir rkinds of employiuert
as was noticed before. Both were.
an
in advance, and neither was temporary
...v. .l., bshwii, iu mo3i m.
stances, was released after six years.
The freeholder continued until the jub;.
lee.) The .Stranger, was a permanent
servant, Continuing until the jubilee
Besides these distinctions between Jew i?h
and Gentile bought anrrjint. n mrij
isitnction obtained between diffcren;
classes of Jeioish bought servant Ov
dinarily, during their term of service,
they were merged in their master's (mi
ly, and, like the Wife and children . of the
master, subject to his authority; (and cf
course, like them, protected , by law from
its abuse.) But one class of the Jewish
bought servants was a marked exception.
The freeholder, obliged by poverty to
leave his possession, and sell himself as
I a servant, did not thereby affect his fnv;.
iy relations, or authority, nor subject him
self as an inferior to the control of his
master, though dependent upon him for
employment. In this respect, his condi
tion differed from that of th main kvk
........ ww 1
of Jewish bought servants, which seems
to nave consisted of thofce, who had no
yet come into possession of their inher
itance, or of those who were dislodging
from it an incumbrance.
Having dwtlt so much at Ungth on t':i
part of the subject, the reader's paiience
may well be spared further details. We
close it with a suggestion or two, which
may serve as a solvent of some minor
difficulties, if such remnin.
1. It should be kept in mind, that lotk
classes of servants, the Israelite and the
Stranger, not only enjoyed ecttaf natural
and religious rights, but all the cicil and
political privileges enjoyed by
their own people, who .vere nit servan i,
If Israelites, all rights belonging to W -raelites
were theirs. If from the Strd
ers, the same political privileges enjoyed
by those wealthy Strangers, who bough: ;
and held Israelitish servants, tcere theiu.
They also shared in common with the?,
the political disabilities which appertiiD!
to all Strangers, whether the servap-.se: ?
Jewish masters, or the masters of Jewish
servants. i
If. The disabilities of the servants fm,
the Strangers, were exclusively politud
uiiu ruuuncu.
1 . They, in common with all Stranrer!,
could not own the soil.
2. They wer ineligible to civil cfu;
3. They were assigned to employsiemi f
less honorable than those in which Israel ;
itish servants engaged, agriculture being
regarded as fundamental to the prosperity
and even to the existence of the sta'J, F
other employments were in far less re-1
pute, and deemed unjetcish, ;
Finally, the condition of the Stranger!, -I
whether servants or must was, ss it
respected political nriviWp m..-K lit-.
that of unnaturalized foreigners in foe
unite-a btates; no matter how great reir
wealth or intelligence, or moral miacv
pie, or love for our institutions, thev can
neither go to the ballot-box, or own tr-j
soil, nor be eligible to ofnVe. Let a m
tive American, who has always enjoved
these privileges, be suddenly berc t c.
tbem, and loadej with the disabilities ci
an alien, and what to the foreigner would
be a light matter, to him, would be tha
severity of rigor.
1 he recent condition of the Jews and
Catholics in England, is a still bette r il
lustration of the political condition of the
Strangers in Israel. Rothschild, tbe laic
English banker, though the richest Dfi-
vicu iii me world, and perhaps
master of scores of English servants, whe
sued for the smallest crumbs of hislavor,
was, as a subject of the government, in
rer.or to. the veriest scavenger amonj
Semu,- ?uP?ose aa Englishman, of the
Established Church, were by Jav depriv
ed of pou-er to own the soil, made ineli
gible toofficc, and deprived uncondition
al u. w.e electoral franchise, would E
lishmen think it a misappl
guage, if it were said, ,rTi
Katies wf-ia-r
TUe government
rules over that man with rigor?" And
yet his life, limbs, property, reputation.
conscience, all his social relations, the
disposal of his time, the right of locomo
tion at pleasure, and of natural liberty in
all respects, are just as much protected bv
law as the Lord Chancellor's. The same
was true of all "the strangers within the
gates among the Israelites. Whether
v ' tlrangers were the servants of Is
re,il8J rnasters, or the masters of Israe'
,Ushl; servants, whether sojourners,
bought servants, or born in the hou, or
hired, or neither all uere protected 'equal
ly with the descendants of Abraham.
The payment in ado anu, doubtless lesssnsd
cooeiderablr th pricw oi lhe purchje: lhe aw
vant thus having the use of the mooey from tN
beginning, and the master numu,g all tbe riiii
of life, and health for Ubor: at (be expiration ol
the six years' contract, the roaster having expe
rienced no Joss from the ri'k incurred at the nwt
in of it; was oblijrtd by law to release tbe ser
vant with a liberal gratuity. The reason anign
tr this is, "he hath ben worth a double hired
servant, unto rhee in serving the fia years,"
if it bad been said: he has sOw Served out h
time, and as too have experienced- a tnaa fro
the risks of life, and ability, to, tahar? which re
incurred io the purchase, and whiVh Jnd tb
price, and as, bv being your pennuiea: terrtf1
for six years, he has saved tou alJ the time
teouble of looking up and brinsr laborers on eo
geneies, thwefoiv t2)OU abalt furaUk aim lib-
au."ka
.1 -.-.T' - y-
fiT