The North Star (Rochester)/1848/01/14/Reverend Rascality
From the Liberator.
REVEREND RASCALITY.
All abolitionists who are old enough to remember the early days of the cause, recollect the Rev. Ezra Styles Ely, D.D., and his man Ambrose. If their memory extend a little farther back, and they had the good luck to have been brought up in an 'evangelical' school, (a training very necessary to the understanding of the ins and outs of the anti-slavery cause, especially about the days of the new organization,) they know that the said Doctor was a burning and a shining light, set in a golden candlestick of the church, a great revivalist and saver of souls by the wholesale. We remember that at Andover, where, after the most straitest sect of our religion we were brought up, it used to be said of him that he was in the habit of swearing, (whether in the pulpit or not we cannot say,) and justified himself by the example of Whitfield. However, we were then, and have been since, as long as we were addicted to the vice of going to meeting, in the habit of hearing so much more profane language in the meeting-house than in the street, that we think none the worse of him for that. Had he clothed himself in no worse garments than curses, it would have been the better for him, as well as for poor Ambrose and the orphan daughter of his friend, as shall he presently related.
The Doctor, among other eminent gifts and graces, possessed in a high degree one of the choicest elements of modern saintship,—to wit, he was, or was reputed to be, very rich. For, luckily, it is not in these days, as it was in the semi-barbarous ones, when it was said, that it was easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Indeed, the turnpikes and travelling expenses along the strait and narrow rood are so much greater now than they were then, that none but a tolerably warm man has much chance of getting there at all. But rich as he was, the Doctor had the humility to think that this was one of the graces of his Christian character, which might be increased to advantage, and so he plunged into the speculations of our South Sea days, in 1835–6. At that time Providence had cast his lot, (we believe we speak the language correctly,) for some wise purpose, in one of the slave States,—Tennessee, we believe. It did seem, at one time, as if the object Providence had in view, in this dispensation, was, to show that slaves could be held for their own good. For then it was that Dr. Ely bought his slave Ambrose, from pure motives of humanity, and to prevent him from falling into worse hands. The praise of the Doctor was in all the churches: for at that time the laboring point with the pro-slavery piety of the land was, to show that slaveholding was not sinful, because slaves might be held "for their own good." And here was a case in point. Happy Dr. Ely, who was raised up to settle this nice point in theology forever! Happier Ambrose, who was the chosen vessel of this great salvation!
But, unluckily for the peace of our pro-slavery Zion, the bubble burst, and the speculators found themselves in the suds. It broke, after leading the whole people a weary way, as it danced with its rainbow hues before them leaving nothing but the empty breath and foul water, of which it was composed. All King Biddle's puffing only increased its tenuity with its size, and made its bursting the worse, if not the sooner. It was in vain that he saw, "in clear dream and solemn vision," the Presidential chair before him, with a ladder of cotton bags leading up thereunto, and he himself placed therein as the saviour of the south, and so of the country. It was a lie and a delusion all. Ruin spread over the south as well as over the north, and the United States Bank broke like a rotten stick (as it was) when interposed to check its progress. Among the rest, Dr. Ely became bankrupt, in company with many better men, and perhaps, with some no worse than himself. His lands, hereditaments and personality, were dispersed under the hammer. Among his other chattels personal, household stuff, mules, asses, and farming utensils, poor Ambrose was sold to the highest bidder, and was despatched to be grown into cotton or ground into sugar, in Alabama, Louisiana, or the Lord knows where. And thus this beautiful demonstration of the curious problem of the holding of slaves for their own good was broken off in the middle! Truly, mysterious are the ways of Providence!
But it has lately evolved how it was that he got the means for carrying on these speculations. It appears, from a report of a decision in the Court of Common Pleas, in Philadelphia, that in 1822 Dr. Ely was made trustee under the will of Samuel Carswell, of an estate consisting of three hundred shares in the United States Bank, worth about $40,800. After a few months he transferred all this property from himself as trustee to himself individually. In 1835, he borrowed $50,000 on his own private account, of the Bank of the United States, pledging these three hundred shares, standing in his own name, but rightfully belonging to Miss Carswell, (of whom he was the guardian, as well as the trustee,) as collateral security. At the maturity of his indebtedness, in 1837, not being able to meet it, two hundred and fifty of the three hundred shares were sold to cover it. In 1843, Miss Carswell married, and her reverend guardian was called upon to render an account of his stewardship; whereupon, he proposes to pass over to her, for her property which had been sold, two hundred and fifty shares of the United States Bank, then worth about six dollars a share; they having been worth about $l30 a share when he hypothecated them. In other words, he offered to give his ward about $1500 for property for which he had himself received about $32,500. This modest proposal being declined, and the matter coming before the Orphan's court, a decree was entered against Dr. Ely for about $50,000, upon which he applies to the Common Pleas for the benefit of the Insolvent law. The fact of the embezzlement was not denied, but it was contended that it having been committed before the law, excepting such malefactors from the benefit of the Insolvent act, and subjecting them to condign punishment, was passed, he was not affected by it,—and, further, that a trustee is not a 'bailee, agent, or depositary,' mentioned in the act. The Court decided in the Doctor's favor, on the first ground. So that he is now white-washed, (a "whited sepulchre," we fear he always was,) and is in a condition to take charge of anybody else's money, that may be fool enough to trust him.
Now we are a little curious to know how this development will affect the standing of this holy man in the church. We should like to know, for instance if this reverend rascal, this solemn swindler, should come to Boston, as a minister of the gospel, whether there would be a single orthodox congregation or other evangelical pulpit closed against him on account of its dishonesty. We do not think that there would be. We are sure that there ought not to be; for we know that there is not one (at least of consequence enough to be seen,) that would shut its pulpit doors against him because he cheated poor Ambrose out of his body and soul, or if he had done it to five hundred like him. It was a serious thing, no doubt, to Dr. Ely's ward to find her portion devoured up by a dishonest guardian; but it was a much more serious thing to his slave to be himself devoured up bodily. But if the one should excite a transient feeling in the American church universal, the other will scarcely stir a holy muscle. There are hundreds and thousands of ministers who are continually guilty of greater and worst dishonesty than Dr. Ely in this instance, who are still welcome in all northern pulpits, and predominate in all national sectarian conventions, assemblies, and conferences;—worse and greater dishonesty, because they rob their victims not only of all that they possess or can acquire, but of themselves; and strip them of all hope, of all resistance, of all redress. We will not, then, be too severe on the Boston ministers, if, in the total confusion and dissolution of common morality which Slavery has produced, they should give to Dr. Ely, who comes to them, smacking his lips over the portion of the orphan committed to him, the same right hand of fellowship that they extend to the Reverend cannibals gorged with human flesh,—fed fat with "slaves and souls of men."—q.