The Anti-Slavery Examiner, Omnibus by American Anti-Slavery Society
page 33 of 3437 (00%)
page 33 of 3437 (00%)
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rape of a master who would destroy even life itself. Do we not rather
see in this, the _only_ law which protected masters, and was it not right that in case of the death of a servant, one or two days after chastisement was inflicted, to which other circumstances might have contributed, that the master should be protected when, in all probability, he never intended to produce so fatal a result? But the phrase "he is his money" has been adduced to show that Hebrew servants were regarded as mere _things_, "chattels personal;" if so, why were so many laws made to _secure their rights as men_, and to ensure their rising into equality and freedom? If they were mere _things_, why were they regarded as responsible beings, and one law made for them as well as for their masters? But I pass on now to the consideration of how the _female_ Jewish servants were protected by _law_. 1. If she please not her master, who hath betrothed her to himself, then shall he let her be redeemed: to sell her unto another nation he shall have no power, seeing he hath dealt deceitfully with her. 2. If he have betrothed her unto his son, he shall deal with her after the manner of daughters. 3. If he take him another wife, her food, her raiment, and her duty of marriage, shall he not diminish. 4. If he do not these three unto her, then shall she go out _free_ without money. On these laws I will give you Calmet's remarks; "A father could not sell his daughter as a slave, according to the Rabbins, until she was at the age of puberty, and unless he were reduced to the utmost indigence. |
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