Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1845-08-15
From the New York Tribune.
First of August, 1916.

borrow what they fain would own, since their doing
So would increase, not lessen, the Joy and prosperity
of the present owner. II is a holiday, cot 10 be ceIe.
brated, as others are, with boast, and shout, and gay
procession, but Solemnlv, yet hopefully, in humiliation
and prayer for much i'll now exlsting-in faith that
the God Of good will not permit such i'll. to exist al
ways--in aspirations to become His instruments for
it's removal.
We borrow this holiday from England. We know
not that she could lend US another such. Her career
has been one O.! selfish aggra judgement. To carry
her flag every where where the waters flow, 10 leave
a strong mark of her foot print on every shore that
she might return and claim lis spolls, TO maintain 10
every way her own advantage, 10 and has been her
object as much as that of any nation on earth. The
%plundered HIndoo, the wronged l~rish--for ourselves
we must add the outraged Chinese (Ior wo look on all
that has been written as to the right Of that war as
mere sOphistry,) no less than Napoleon, walking up
aud down in his 'tarred green coa!'' 10 The unwhoIe
some Lodge at st. Helena-all can tell whether she
be righteous or generous in her conQuests. Nay! let
myrlads Of her own children say whether she will
abstain from sacrificing, mercilesslv, human free
dom, happiness, and the education of immortal souls,
for the sake Of gains in money! We speak Of Napo.
leon, for we must ever despIse, with most profound
contempt, the paIry Use she made of her power Oh
that occasion. She had been he chief means os ijb.
Grating ElroDe from his tyranny, and, though it was
Tor her own sake, we must commend and admire her
conduct and resolution thus far. But the unhand.
some, haso treatment; of her captive has never been
enough condemned. Any private gentleman, in chain
ing up the foe that had put himself in his power,
would at least have given him,lodslng, food and clothes
TO his liking, and a civil turnkey-and u great nation
could fail in this! Oh, it was shameful, if only for
the ~vulgarity of feeling evinced! All this we say
because we are sometimes impatient of England's
bTag on the subject OF Slavery. Freedom! Because
she has cone one good act, is she entitled to he angel.
ic privilege of being the Champion of Freedom2
And yet it is true that once, once she nobIy awoke
To a sense Of what was right and wise. II is true
that she al 80 acted out that sense; acted fully, decId.
eddy. She was willing to make sacrifices even of the
loved money. She has not let 20 The truth she then
laid to heart, and continues the resolute foe of mans
traffic IN men. We must bend low to her rs we Dor.
row this holy day, the anniversary Of the Emancipa.
ton of the Slaves in the Yves; Indies. We do not
feel that the extent of her practice ~iustifes the ertent
Of her preaching, yet we must feel her TO be-, in this
matter, an elder sister, entitled to cry Shame 10 us.
And, If her feelings be those of a sister indeed, how
must she mourn TO see her next Of kin pushing back
as far as in her lies The advance of this good cause,
binding those whom The old world had awakened from
It's sins enough to loose! But courage, sister. AL is
not yet lost. There is here a faithful band determIn,
ed TO eXpIaie The crimes that have been committed in
the name of Liberty. On this day they meet aud
vow themselves to The service, and, as they look IN
one anorher's glowing eyes, they read there assurance
shat The end is not yet, and that they, forced as they
are
"To keep in company with Pain
And Fear and Falsehood, miserable train.''
may
"Turn that necessity to glorious gain"
may
''Transmute them and subdue.'
Indeed we do not see that hey 'bate a lot of heart
or hope, and it is because they feel that the power OF
the Great Spirit and lis peculiar workings in The spir.
itof ,Ajc age are with them. There is action and re-.
action all he time, and though the main current is OBJ
vious, there are many little eddies and counter cur
rents. Mrs. Norton writes a poem on the sufferings
OF The poor, and ia 1t she, as episode, tuneully la.
ments he ~sufierings of the Emperor of all the Rus.
sias for the death of a beloved daughter. And i. waS
a deep grief yet ii dd not soften his heart, or make
it feel for man. The first Signs of his recovered spir.
its are in new efforts to crush out the heart of Poland,
and to make The Jews lay aside the hereditary marks
of their national existence, to them a sacrifice far
worse than death. But then-Count Apraxin is burnt
alive by his infuriate serls, and the life of a serf is
far more dog.Ilke or rather machine like than that
OF our slaves. SILL the serf can rise in vengeance,
caa admonish the Autocrat that humanity will yet
turn again and rend him. ,
So with us. Tae most shameful deed has been done
that ever ~dIsgraced a nation; because the most con.
trary TO consciousness of right. Other nations have
done ~wlckedly, but we have surpassed them all in
t%ranpllng under foot The principles that had been as
sumed as The basis Of ouE national existence and our
willingness 10 forfeit our honor in the face of the
world.
The following sianzas, written by a friend some
time since, on the Fourth of July, exhibit these con-
lrasts so %forcibly. that we cameo, do better Than in.
sert them here:- |