Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1845-10-17
CONCENTRATIONS.
LETTER FROM PHILADELPHIA
LIBERTY NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
PHILADELpHIA, Sept. 80, 1916.

am happy to say, and hoping to do still
better. We have passed through the conflict.
or at least the most unpleasant part of it,
which moral Anti-Slavery seems destined
everywhere to have with political party, and
have now a fair field in which 70 meet, ana
grdpple with the common enemy. We are
IN good spirits and are commencing our new
war with fresh resolutions to devote our
selves with a single heart to the great work
before us. Our Executive committee, which
is pretty much the same as W. had last year,
are OF one mind and seem determined to be
up ana doing, what their hands may find 10
do. Our expedition this year is, by the cir
culdtlon OF Antl-Sllvery papers, the distnbu-
tlon oil tracts O500 Of f.. NJ. Davis series
nave Just cone from the press,) the %eircula-
ton oil petitions, by lectures, by conventions,
and by local meetings, by the labors of regu-
ar agents and private individuals, ofmen and
women, In season and out of season, to keep
up such a moral agitltion, as cant help but
purify the atmosphere, and hasten the change
IN pubic sentiment, which it is our mission
to accomplish, and which runst be effected
before slavery can be abolished. Oar anti
slavery women In Philadelphia, and in some
neIghDorhoods of the country, are busy with
their needles, preparing for their Annual Fair.
They meet once a week from house to house,
10 sew, and plan and converse, and read and
sometimes, sing about abolition, thus stirring
up each others pure minds by way of remem-
brance, while they are f~ashioning the products,
the avdlls Of which are to 90 to the supporter
the cause.
The Liberty Party frieads are busy get
ting ready for the Election. They are nom
mating their candidates, appointing their viz
lance committees, printing their tickets,
calling thelr 'mass meetings." and plying
I'm a small way) all the usual machinery of
a political party. This all locks to me very
ridiculous, and | cannot but regret such a
waste of effort and miSapplication of talent.
Many of our Liberty Party men are genuine
clever fellowS-both in the English and Yan-
&ee sense Of that word--and are really labor
ing to promote the cause Of abolition. But
how much more eiIectually would they do
this, At they would only have filth in the suf-
hclency-the omnipotence of truth, and Civ
ing politics to the dogs, would be satisfied to
use the weapon which is sharper than a two
edged sword; and armed with which zone
can chase a thousand, and two put ten tha,l-
sand to Eight" =
by the way, siEee YOU left, Liberty Party
here has had quite an accession to its force
In the person OF Dr.. Ell Ter Of Pittsburg, who
has removed here with the intention ultimate
ly understand Of practising law. He has
been lecturing a good deal in and about the
city, and to pretty general acceptance. He
Is a nan of fine ~orltoricl Il powers and of more
liAerality of mind, than according to nv OBJ
serVation, Is generally Characteristic Of Lib
erty Party politicians. His speeches--it
least so FIR as hlve heard tham-savor very
little of the politician. They are generally
straight up and down, old fashioned. practic-
al, moril-suasion aRti-slaFery speeches. All
| regret is that he stands on the platform of
a polltictl party, and lends his support. t. a
scheme which however Gatterinp to some. its
promise my now be of usefulness, must in
the end prove delusjve. and frauqht with se4
rious mischief. For if experience has tauph,
anything plainly, it is that politics and morI
reform are incompatible, and that any ATTEMPT
10 promote the one, by the machinery of the
other, Is sure TO prove disastrous.
Antl-Masonry is an apt illustration of this,
La its inception Anti Masonry was a moral
movement. The pulpit the rostrum, and the
press were the main engines relied upon for
Its propagation. But either because it did
not advance fast enough. or for some other
reason 1t was dragged into politics and made
the basis OF a new party. This party was at
hrst to all appearance pure and disinterested,
and Tor a time, that is, while the good in it
mad the ascendancy, it did good. But soon
all sorts OF people, from all sorts of motives.
Hooked to its standard. 1t acquired power,
became corrupt, lost its moral force, and now
where is 1t! Sold itself to the whirs. and at
the last election was found-whit remained
oil lt-glvlng Its support to a Royal Arch Ma
son.
But says some one, not before its object
had been accomplished. Indeedl WouId
that 1t were SO. But never in all nv memo
ry, has Masonry been more rife in the eoun-
try than at this moment. Look at the Lodges
OF the Odd Fellows, how numerous and how
popular they arc! Odd Fellowship is only
another name for Free Masonry. In %princi-
pie, 1t Is the slme-susceptible of the SINE
abuse, and liable to the same Objections
Even Free Masonry proper, is agnin conf. n
iuto credit, and beginning to put on its tran.
pings. II was hut u shOGt time since hat I
saw a notice in one of the papers, IT, # there
was to be a general meeting and y lblic nro.
c~ession Of Fee Masons in one RI tho E,s,
ern cities-the first that has ! cen temnt
there Tor many years. Spch is the effect Of
Poilucs' Al anti-masonry had not been taken
into the bilghItIng embrace of political party.
secret societies would not now be 80 nooular
nor the community so much exposed to the
eYliS' social and political, of which they may
be so easily made the instrument. :
But tie limits of my sheet admoni.h me tc
stop If you can find any thing in this prosy
letter that you think will do for your 'Bugle'
dur are at liberty to us" il. We 81 adeor
interest IN your movements and are ~reioicel
to hear of the commotion you ara making il
the moral elements of Ohio. The good yor
are doing is not confined to the West, but i.
reflected hack upon US in the East, giving /,