Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1845-06-20
PUBLISHED WEEKLY BY THE
OHIO AMERICAN ANTISLAVERV SOCIETY.
AT dollar and fifty cents year in advance or two dol
lars ifnot paid within six months.
THE SUPERIORITY OF MORAL OVER 20
LlTlCAL POWER
By Adm BAnLou.

Adm BALLou.
What is moral pover? The power which ope.
rates on the affections passions season and moral
sediment Of mankind, and thereby controls them
without physical force 1t comprehends every de-
scrp'ioD OF influence, which, without applying OF
threatening TO eppy physical coercion, tends to de-
termine the will, conduct and character Of human
beings
What is political power? The power Of the State,
6odypoltc, or cir government, operating under tho
forms of law, and compelling threatening 10 com
pei subjecton TO its requirements by physical force
II comprehends every description Of Influence found.
cd on the authority Of the State which either applies
or threatens 10 apply physical coercion
Taking these t,co po,res, as they exist in this
country, and as they available to phlsn,hrop,se
aEd moral reiormere, let contrast them We Gf.
firm that moral power is superior.
l. In respects 10 their general objects.
Ii IL the object Of moral powoc to tegenerRtc pub.
lie seniimen--to superinduce right public opinion
and WILL in the great mass of the people. It is the
object Of political power TO ocerape and coerce by
penal idtDs, delinquent and refractory HdiridadlS-
Moral power the majority righteousness in
spite Of thousand difficulties. Political power ex.
presses the new public will 10 the forms Of lGw, and
by physical force, applied or Threatened, oversves
the minority and ooercee the unwilling few into ap
parent subieolion. Moral pover does ninsty nine
hundredths Of the work, and political power, in
its official robes, with half unsheethed sword at
ile side, follows after, claiming ell the credit. Which
is the superioFf
2. In respect to the number who exercise them
moral pon er is superior.
Moral power IS exercised by every hunlau being
ina greater less degree, and is reflected from eve
ry created thing. II is vested in the patriarch and
the new born babe; in the prince and the beggar; in
the phlosopberend ihe IDIOT, !. cerfog forth from
besst, bird, fish, insect trees, plants, flowers, fruits
wnds, fires floods, EARTH ses and skies. with all their
infnltude Of Startling. grand, pleasant end charming
objects. All these address themselves 10 the Gfec
tIo#s, passions, reason and moral sentiment of man
kind. They all tend TO determine his will, coEduc
and character Dseds words, signs, gestures, looks
tones, tears, sigts, animate and nanmate forms,-
yes, silence seIf-more expressive sometimes than
speech,--a concur in the result. The guilty fly al
the movement Of leaf and hesr heart.sesTchiDg
admsnitlons in the means of the passing wind. 4
falling apple suggested to great Newton the Law o
universal gravtation, and revoluonized astronomical
philosophy throughout the world. Poets have gath
cred inspiration amid the vast wonders and inimRble
beauties of nature and Gods chosen saints have been
wrspt in deeper alteration BY contemplating tho gran.
deur order, and loveliness Of creation. Moral power
is every where, in oil things. 1t exercised by or
at least reflected from, the innuuerabe hosts Of uni
versS nature.
But political power is exercised by only handful Of
human beings II is vested pomnslly, in the voting
citizens, and exercised By their chosen representa-
tives in the several departments Of government. And
who are voting citizens? Exclude all females all
minors under twenty one years Of sge all paupers
and persons under guardianship, all slaves, all on
aauralized foreigners, and many others for want o
the requisite property qualification Tho residue
vii. be voting citizens, amounting 10 less than ONE
FoURTII of the whole nation. Deduct from these the
sick, ,helpess, Indifferent, and scrupulcu.y conscicn
tious against voting, and the average proportion o
actual voters to the mass, will be as one to six OF
more likely, as one 10 ten. or these, there must be
ma jory, to determine any important issue. The
party constituting the majority furnishes nearly all
.hc offices Of government, and is itself managed iu
its principal doings by subtle few behind The cur
tain The whole political power in this country i.
virtually in the hands Of less than one fitch part o
the people. bashel Of wheat in mountGin o
straw and cbatf.
g. In respect TO the prominent details Of their OPP
Grafton, moral power is superior.
Moral power unites male and female in marriage
mutplies human beings, subdues the earih increases
wealth, forms nei ghborhoods, and builds cities Po
litical power takes the census, levies taxes, trains
soldiers to do It's fghtng, and assumes the Office o
protecting the people. Moral power oducaies the
people, intellectually, reigiously, morally, socially
and in6ustrially Political power iichcs their amb
ton, up their faculties, their substance
and punishes few Of their grosser crimes Mora
power is busy in the nursery, in the old school house
academy and college, in the laboratory, the library
the study, the hall of SCIENCE the meeting house, the
conference room, and the sick chamber Potca
power is busy managing causes, regulating t0wr
meetings, attending the legislature, holding cours
guarding prisoners, hanging murdeIers cropping Ant
branding counlereiters, whipping thieves, setting