Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1845-10-31
Delegation from the London Yearly Meeting.
EPISTLE OF ADVICE AND STATE
MENT OF FACTS, &c.

"a lo LIE VT ADNl1TB AMI 81 AL L.
MENT OF FACTS, &c.
At a special meeting of the Meeting for
Suferings of Antl-Slavery Friends, held at
Newport, la. 10th month 18th 1Si5.
The following document was produced by
a committee appointed for that purpose, and
read; and after due deliberation was united
with and adopted, and directed to the partic-
ular attention of all Anti-Slavery Friends.
DEAR FRIENDS:
AS a body set apart to rep
resent the Yearly Meeting during its recess,
we feel it to be a solemn duty, to address
you at the present time, on a subject which
we deem of vital importance to the p~rosperi-
ty of our religious society, and to the gener-
al interest of humanity and the credit of the
Christian religion. Our object is to exhort
you to faithfulness and steadfastness in the
maintenance of those principles, and religious
social relations whereunto we have been call
ed, and in which we have so often experien-
ced the solemnizing presence Of the Holy
Head of the church, covering our assemblies
as with a mantle, filling our hearts with love
to God and love to man, and confirming our
souls, without doubt, in the belief that the
Lord owned, and graciously condescended
to be with US in our religious meetings.
We are apprehensive that a time of trial
awaits US; and our earnest desire and PRAYER
Is, that all our members may dwell so deep
in the fountain of Divine love, and live so
near to the spring of life, keeping a single
eye to the pointings of truth, as to be pre-
served from being led away from the path of
rectitude by the influence Of man.
You are aware that the late Yearly Meet
ing in London appointed a committee to come
90 this country, in consequence of the divi-
Sim ttnt haJ tnlran ulaoa in InIi,n, N,,rIy
Meeting. And though we could not ascer-
tain, previous to their arrival, the precise ma
ture of their appointment, or the extent OF
their mission, yet we understood they were
TO bring over an address from their Yearly
Meeting, to us, and from various sources O,
information, we were led to belle We, at least
ITO hope, that they would examine into the
cause of the difficulty among us, see which
party, or whether both had errel, and offer
their ad vice, as friendly mediat0rs, to either
or both parties, and TINS endeayor to produce
a reconciliation upon the ground OF truth and
justice. With this view of the subject, we
r~reioiced in the prospect of their visit, and
looked forward with hope to the commence
,ment and fRai result of their labors.
We well remember that London Yearly
Meeting had repeatedly, in its o~pistles, earn
restly entreatel Friends in this country to in
creased activity in behalf OF the sllve. and
once, in its general epistle, lin 1890 advis-
ed Friends every where to take part with Their
fehOW countgA men, in this and other works OF
humanity. We knew that Friends in Eng
land were largely engaged in this cause, in
the same manner with ourselves, and that al
least two of the committee, (Josiah Forster
and George Stacy.) We're euinently conspic-
unus among the abolitionis.s of Great Bri-
tain; and we could not con;eiya that either
the Yearly Meeting Of London, or its com
mittee, would, when they fully understood
the matter, (and we hoped tho committee
would take measures to get ful! Information
on the subje y virtually uphold our opPoser;
in placing us out Of he unity aud haglYany
of religious society, AMI ellectually depriving
US of its blessed privile res,o OF that they would
unite in placing us under condemnation, TO
following the advice of that Y. Meeting anC
initiating the practice of its most conspicuous
members, and even Of the cammittee now a
mong us, when at home; particularly with,
out an impartial eN animation Of the merits o
the case. The committee may gay, as many
Of the members Of la, Yearly Meeting nav,
said, that they do not ceHsuro us for our an
ti-slavery course, hut fnr ss:iiag ~ separat
meetings. But it is all sophistry! The set
ting up Of sepifdle meetings was the natura
and Legitimate result qf the RFqscEippve mea
sures heaped upon MS for onE gnt.-slayFr
course; as tAeEe was no other possible wa
for us to enjoy the benefits If religious socI
city; and any censnre placed upon us Tor sci
ting up separate meetings, is ceAsurs for on
labors in the cause Of the slavf,
Ba, We nuSt ans3Fz t7 mako svas sevei