Description:

"New York Observer" Reports on Slaves' Rights to Read the Bible

An issue of the "New York Observer" with an article on slaves' rights to own a Bible. 4pp, measuring 22" x 27.75", New York, dated March 14, 1846. An issue of "New York Observer", Volume XXIV, No. 11, Whole No. 1192. Printed by Sidney E. Morse & Company, Editors. The newspaper has flattened folds and creasing throughout, along with tears, chipping, and small areas of paper loss at the edges and cross folds. The left edge is rough from removal from a larger volume. Light edge toning. Very good overall.

Featuring an article titled "Right of the Slave to the Bible", written by "Philanthropos", which outlines the "inalienable right" that enslaved persons had to read and possess a Bible. The issue also includes articles on marriage, the religious history of Wabash College, the teaching of deaf patients to speak, and much more. 

Highlights from the "Right of the Slave to the Bible" article are as follows:
"(1) The slave, as an immortal and accountable being, has an inalienable right to all the means of instruction necessary to a competent knowledge of Divine truth. God has seen proper to embody all his permanent revelations to man in a book. Free access to its pages is the only effectual preservative against superstition and fatal error…(2) God intended the Scriptures for universal perusal. If this is not true, the right to peruse the Bible, and consequently to interpret it, was confided to some particular class or classes of men. Those to whom the reading of the Bible is denied must necessarily receive the knowledge of its contents, and the interpretation of those contents from others. However small this excluded class may be, the universal right of private judgement is destroyed, and the foundations of Protestantism overthrown. Those who practice upon the principle, that oral instruction is sufficient for the slave and withhold from him all means of testing the accuracy of their teachings by a personal examination of the Bible assume the prerogative of interpreting it for them, and stand between them and the direct communication of God's truth. The poison of Romanism thus circulates in the veins of slavery and subjects it to condemnation with the Man of Sin…The Bible condemns slavery, because it cannot be perpetuated without disobedience to its precepts."

Fearing that black literacy would prove a threat to a slave system that relied on slaves' dependence on masters, early colonies (later states) instituted laws forbidding slaves to learn to read or write and making it a crime for others to teach them. As a result, it was also not uncommon for white slave masters to selectively teach things in the Bible that would justify what they were doing and would even fabricate passages to read to the slaves.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

WE PROVIDE IN-HOUSE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE!

Accepted Forms of Payment:

American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Paypal, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

Unless otherwise indicated, we do our own in-house worldwide shipping!

Applicable shipping and handling charges will be added to the invoice. We offer several shipping options, and remain one of the few auction houses who proudly provides professional in-house shipping as an option to our clients. All items will ship with signature required, and full insurance. Most items are sent via Federal Express, with P. O. Box addresses being sent through USPS. We insure through Berkley Asset Protection with rates of $.70 per $100 of value, among the lowest insurance rates in the industry. Our shipping department cameras document every package, both outgoing and incoming, for maximum security. In addition, we compare our shipping and handling rates against those of other auction houses, to ensure that our charges are among the lowest in the trade.

Upon winning your item(s), you will receive an invoice with our in-house shipping and handling fees included. ***We will ship to the address as it appears on your invoice. If any changes to the shipping address need to be made, you must inform us immediately.***

International shipments: In order to comply with our insurance provider, all international shipments will be sent via Fed Ex and customs paperwork will show a value of $1.00. International buyers should contact our office directly with any questions regarding this policy.

Third Party Shipping Option: If a third party shipper is preferred, the buyer is responsible for contacting them directly to make shipping arrangements. For your convenience, we have provided some recommended shippers. For your protection, we will require a signed release from you, confirming your authorization for us to release your lots to your specified third party Please copy and paste this following link into your browser: http://universityarchives.com/UserFiles/ShippingInfo.pdf. At that point, our responsibility and insurance coverage for your item(s) ceases. Items picked up by third party shippers are required to pay Connecticut sales tax. Items requiring third party shipping due to being oversized, fragile or bulky will be denoted in the item description.

Please see our full terms and conditions for names of suggested third party shippers.

After payment has been made in full, University Archives will ship your purchase within 10 business days following receipt of full payment for item.

Please remember that the buyer is responsible for all shipping costs from University Archives' offices in Wilton, CT to the buyer's door. Please see full Terms and Conditions of Sale.

January 10, 2024 10:30 AM EST
Wilton, CT, US

University Archives

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 25% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $299 $20
$300 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $2,999 $200
$3,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 + $5,000