Slade, John, a minister of the Methodist Episco- pal Church, was born on Beech Branch, Beaufort Dis- trict, S. C, April 7, 1790. He joined the Church when about thirty years of age, and was licensed to preach in 1822. In 1823 he was admitted on trial in the Soutli Carolina Conference, and was received in fidl connection in 1825. In 1828 he was ordained elder; but his health having been impaired by excessive labors and exposure, he was made superannuated. In 1830 he was located, and held this relation until 1845. when upon the organi- zation of the Florida Conference he was readmitted into the travelling connection. He continued his ministe- rial labors until he was stricken with paralysis, which in a few da\-s resulted in death, June 25, 1854. Mr. Slade possessed an intellect of high order, and was endowed with great courage, both physical and moral. He was distinguished for his humility, his self-denial, his de- votedness to Christ, and his fidelity to all his Christian obligations. See Sprague, Annals of the, Avier. Pulpit, vii, 682.
Slafter, Coroden H., a Baptist missionary, was born in Norwich, Vt., Jan. 31, 1811. He removed with his parents to the town of Lawrence, St. Lawrence Co., N. Y., and remained there until 1831. Soon after his hopeful conversion, he felt it to be his duty to preach the Gospel. Like so many other young men whom God calls to be his servants in the ministry, he was poor, and saw no way by which he could obtain the funds necessary to procure an education. Trusting, however, in him who, he believed, had chosen him to enter upon what proved to be his life-work, he went to Hamilton, and entered the Baptist institution in that place. His frank statement of his feelings and wishes won the con- fidence of sympathizing friends, and, along with what he was able to earn by his own efforts, he was supplied with an amount of finids sufficient to carry him through his studies. On leaving the institution, he carried with him the sincere esteem of friends who had given him their love and their aid to fit him for the service upon which he purposed to enter. The cause of Christian missions had taken strong hold upon the mind of Mr. Slafter. It is related of him that "even before his con- version what he had heard and read on the subject had made a deep impression upon his mind, and while pur- suing his studies, on looking over the field, the condi- tion of the 'poor perishing heathen' presented a claim which he could not resist." Having decided what was the jiath of duty, he offered himself as a missionary, and was appointed to the Siam field. He sailed from Bos- ton in December, 1838, and arrived at Bangkok via Singapore Aug. 22, 1839. The hopes which had been raised with reference to Mr. Slafter's <iualifications for his work were not disappointed. Having acfpiired the language, he entered upon his missionary labors with characteristic zeal and energy. Having in his mind made a survey of the great field of his missionary opera- tions, he determined in person to see as much of it as it was possible for him to visit. In order that he might carry out his purpose, he procured and had fitted up a family boat, in which he and his companion made sev- eral excursions upon the River Meinaur, and the canals which connect this with the other principal rivers. He
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penetrated farther into the interior of the country than any other Protestant missionary has ever done. It was his earnest desire to do a work which no other one had done before him, and it was his delight to distribute tracts and such portions of the Bible as had been trans- lated into Siamese where the good news of salvation through Christ had never before been proclaimed. While thus engaged, the messenger of death came to him, and he was removed from the scene of his earthly toils April 17, 1841. It seemed a dark and mysterious Providence which thus early in his career brought to a termination so manj' cherished plans. But the cause was God's, not man's, and "he doeth all things well." See The Baptist Memorial, i, 82. (J. C. S.)
Slagiidr (or Finnr), in Norse mythology, was a prince of Finnish race, who was a great hero or singer, and whom the Valkj'ria Swanwit chose for her consort. She forsook him after eight years, and he now seeks her incessantly, but in vain. — Vollmer, Wofterb. d. Mythol. s. V.
Slander, according to Dr. Barrow, is uttering false speeches against our neighbor, to the prejudice of his fame, safety, welfare, and that out of malignity, vanity, raslniess, ill-nature, or bad design. The principal kinds of slander are these : (1) charging others with faidts they are not guilty of; (2) affixing' scandalous names and odious characters which they deserve not; (3) aspersing a man's actions with foul names, importing that they proceed from evil principles, or tend to bad ends, when it does not or cannot appear ; (4) perverting a man's words or acts disadvantageously by affected miscon- struction; (5) partial or lame representation of men's discourse or practice, suppressing some part of the truth or concealing some circumstances which ought to be explained; (6) instilling sly suggestions which create prejudice in the hearers; (7) magnifying and aggravat- ing the faults of others; (8) imputing to our neighbor's practice,judgment, or profession evil consequences which have no foundation in truth. — Buck, Theol. Diet. s. v.