is added, that these seven or eleven
elders, had as to part of them, distributed the sacramental elements,
to the abolitionist, the very Sabbath before, the day on which the
seven elders participated in this outrage. Now I say first, that if
this story were literally true, no man knows better than Mr. Thompson,
that no falsehood could be more glaring than to say or insinuate, that
the case would be a fair average specimen of what the leading men in
the American churches generally might be expected to do, in like
circumstances. Yet for this purpose, he has repeatedly used it! No man
could know better than he, that if the case were true in all its
parts, it would every where be accounted a violent and unprecedented
thing, which could happen at all only in most extraordinary
circumstances. Yet he has so stated it, over and over, as to force the
impression that it is a fair sample of American Christianity. But,
said Mr. B. I call in question all parts of the story, that implicate
any Christian. I do not believe the statements. Let me have proof. I
do not believe there were either seven or eleven elders in the church
in question. Record their names. If there were so many, it is next to
impossible, that every one of them, was on the comparatively small
committee that tried the abolitionist. Produce the proofs; and I
believe it will turn out, that if either of them was present, it was
to mitigate popular violence; and that his influence perhaps, saved
the life of him he is traduced for having oppressed. He did not mean
to stake his assertion against proof; but from his experience and
general knowledge of the parties, he had no hesitation in giving it as
his opinion, that the facts, when known, would not justify the
assertions of Mr. Thompson, even as to the particular case; and
believing this, I again challenge the production of his authority.
But, if it be true in all its parts, I repeat, it is every thing but
truth, to say that it affords a just specimen of the elders of the
Presbyterian Churches of America. Another case resembling the
preceding in its principle, is found in what Mr. Thompson has said of
the Baptists of the Southern States. There are, says he, above 157,000
members in upwards of 3000 Baptist Churches, in those States, "almost
all both ministers and members being slave holders." Allowing this
statement to be true, and that each slave holder has ten slaves on an
average, which is too small for the truth, there