[SLAVERY] [SCRAPBOOKS] Scrapbook comprising the newspaper coverage of the debate between the Reverend Henry J. Van Dyke and Professor Tayler Lewis on the topic of "The Bible and Slavery"

[VAN DYKE, Rev. Henry J. & Tayler LEWIS]

Published by [probably The New York World], [probably New York], 1861

About this Item

Cover bears the title: "The Bible and Slavery: A Discussion Between Revd. Henry J. Van Dyke and Prof. Tayler Lewis, 1861", 6 x 10 inches, 29 pages, bound in stiff brown paper, though the binding is rather loose. The newsprint is still in good condition, but the pages onto which they have been pasted are flaking on the edges; overall about good only. These newspaper clippings do not include the names of the newspapers wherein they appeared, but most likely they are from the New York World. The articles, alternatively, present two sides of the debate on the question of the abolition of slavery, and, judging by the two dated articles, they were published over a period of a few weeks. The booklet comprises the following articles: "Character and Influence of Abolitionism: A Sermon Preached in the First Presbyterian Church of Brooklyn, on Sabbath Evening, Dec. 9th, 1860, by Rev. Henry J. Van Dyke, before an immense audience." "Prof. Tayler Lewis Reply to Rev. H. J. Van Dyke s Sermon," in four parts: "The Patriarchal Servitude" "The Jewish Servitude," "The Jewish Servitude no Argument for Christian Slavery," and "Slavery and the New Testament." "Review of Professor Tayler Lewis s Reply to Rev. H. J. Van Dyke s Sermon," in three parts, "A Card from Professor Tayler Lewis," dated Jan. 30 [1861], and "Professor Tayler Lewis s Reply to Rev. Mr. Van Dyke." Many of the articles were later published in separate booklets to reach a wider audience, notably by D. Appleton and Co. of New York, which published J. Holmes Agnew s "Reply to Professor Tayler Lewis s Review of Rev. Henry J. Van Dyke s Sermon on Biblical Slavery …", which was made available to buyers in various quantities, a single copy for 10 cents, 100 copies for $6.00 and 500 copies for $25.00, suggesting the degree of public interest in the subject. Henry J. Van Dyke (1822-1891), not to be confused with his better-known son, Henry J. Van Dyke Jr., was the pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Brooklyn from 1853-1891, and a well-known anti-abolitionist i.e., pro-slavery speaker. Tayler Lewis (1802-1877) graduated from Union College, and later became a professor of Latin and Greek at City College of New York and Union College. He published many books, mostly on biblical themes, but also on social issues such as capital punishment and temperance. A common and cursory view of the division of opinion regarding the institution of slavery prior to the Civil War would have us believe that most Northerners of the time opposed slavery and most Southerners supported it, but the facts are more nuanced. In Colonial New York over a third of the households had slaves and although slavery in New York was entirely outlawed in 1827, many New Yorkers continued to support the institution, including then-Mayor Fernando Wood, who in 1860 proposed that the city secede from the Union. The City Council backed the resolution but rescinded it after the Battle of Fort Sumter. Consistent with the thinking of the times and the training of the two debaters, the arguments are for the most part biblical in nature. We might expect that such a discourse would be heated, yet Van Dyke and Lewis proceed with great decorum. At one point, Van Dyke complains about "men who can assail a Christian minister, in the honest attempt to discharge his duty, with such language and arguments as they have used against me," but recognizes that Lewis s approach was different: "Professor Lewis used the language of a scholar and a Christian gentleman. For this he has my sincere thanks." As an artifact of America at the time, the present handmade pamphlet, so carefully assembled, suggests how keenly and conscientiously Americans attended to the issue, which, so soon, would lead to Civil War on April 12, 1861.

Seller Inventory # 13273

Bibliographic Details

• Title: [SLAVERY] [SCRAPBOOKS] Scrapbook comprising the newspaper coverage of the debate between the Reverend Henry J. Van Dyke and Professor Tayler Lewis on the topic of "The Bible and Slavery"
• Publisher: [probably The New York World], [probably New York]
• Publication Date: 1861
• Condition: Good-
• Seller catalogs:
  • American History