Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1845-09-05

lowing address,
To Tie Cti=ens Of Fayefte County and Cf!y
Of Lexington
AS my opponents, Notwithstanding my
sickness, will not wait to hear my plan Of
emancipation, and seem determined TO pre-
cipltate measures to extremity, without giv-
ing me a hearing, and as they insist upon
branding mt as an "Abolitionist,'' a name
full of unknown and strange tcrrors and
crimes, to the mass Of our people, | will
make a brief statement Of my plan of cman-
cipation. Although ! regard slavery as OPP
posed to natural right, | consider law and its
l~nviolate observance, IN all cases whatever,
as the only safeguard OF my own liberty and
the liberty of others. | therefore have not.
and will not, give my sanction to any mode
of freeing the slaves, which does not con
form strictly to the laws and constitution of
my state. And as | am satisfied that there
is no power, under the present constitution,
by which slavery can be reached, ] 90 for q
Convention. In a Convention, which is po-
litlcally omnipotcnt, | would say that every
female slave bora after a certain day and
year should be free Il; the age of twenty-one.
This, in course of time, would gradually,
and at last, make our stltc truly free. |
would further say that, after the expiration
of thirty years, more or less, the State should
provide Il fund, 'ithCr from her own resources,
or from her portion in the public lands, for
the purchase of the existing generation of
slaves, in order that the white laboring por-
ton of our community might be as soon as
possible freed from the %ruinous competition
of slave labor. The funds should be appli-
ed after this manner: Commissioner shall
be appointed in each county, who shall on
oath value all slaves that shall be voluntarily
presented to them for that purpose. To the
owners of these slaves shall be issued, by
the proper authorities, scrip bearing interest
ut the rate of six per cent, to the amount of
the value of their slaves, and to the redemp-
tlon of said scrip, principal and Interest,"
by this plan the present habits of our poo
pie would not be suddenly broken in upon,
whilst at the same time, we believe that it
would bring slavery to almost utter %cxtinc-
ton in our State within the next thirty wears.
With regard to the free blacks, | would
not 90 for forcible expulsion, but / would
encourage by all the pecuniary resources that
the State had to spare, a voluntary emigra-
ton to such countries and climates as nature
seems particularly to have designed them.
With regard to the political equality of
the blacks with the whites, | should oppose
in Convention their admission to the right
Of suffrage. As minors, women, foreigners,
denizens, and divers other classes of indi-
viduals are, in all well regulated govern
ments, forbidden the elective franchise, so |
see no good reason why the blacks, until
they become able u exercise the right Ia
vote with proper discretion, should be adj
mltted to the right Of suffrage. "SuGicient
for the day is the evil thereof" The time
might come with succeeding generations
when there would ne 10 objectioa on the
part of the whites, and none on account oil
disqualification Of the blacks to their being
admitted to the same political platforms; buI
let after generations act for themselves. The
idea of ~amalgamation and paid equality i,
proven to be untrue and absurd, 1t may bC
said by some, what right would a Conven.
ton have 10 liberatc the unborn! They whC
ask equity, the lawyers say, themselves mus
do the equity, and whilst the STAKEHOLDER,
have rights, they must remember tho black,
also have rights; and surely in the compro
mise we have proposed between the slav,
and the stakeholder, the STAKEHOLDER has thu
Lions share,
We have thus, in a very rambling and fee
Bile, unsatisfactory manner, given somcthin!
of an outline Of the plan which we had in
tended to present. 1t my be that my pape
has not been conducted in the most pacif
manner, hut is there not cause for mutual re
proach between myself and the public i
which | am placedl And those who no,
} most denouncc nc, should remember thu
my paper WAS denounced even in advance