Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1845-09-12

IS among Llletl. nut 4 CullllCl ltllhlhi ASiN 1
giving my view of its character. 1t is an
a~nti-slavery that will crush every aspiration
for freedom in their society; an anti-slavery
that prefers its own quiet to the liberties of
the bleeding millions of crushed and riven
slaves of our nation. o, shame, shame, on
such religion. 1t is in reality the rankest
species of Inidelity.
Yours in the cause of freedom,
CARVER TOMLINSON.
Friends Editors.-As the proceedings of
the lite Yearly Meeting held in this place,
owing to their action upon the Slavery ques-
ton, arc likely to be a topic of general COM
ment, among abolitionists, l desire TO lay be-
fore the readers of your paper some views Of
my own, touching the subject.
1t is a subject Of philanthropic regret and
a cause of humiliation to every religious mind,
that the idea should obtain among christian
professors that the most active benevolence
in behalf of the suffering is not called for, yea
imperiously demanded, by the very fact that
they lay claim to such a title.
1t was said with emphasis by a clergyman
of this place before a meeting called the 9TH
er evening to take measures to arrest the pro-
gress of in6delity among us, "If VIC, the
church Of Christ, do not take active measures
to stay inidelity who WiH do t?" Let me
also ask a question: if the church of Christ do
not take active measures to stay the progress
of crime and wickedness in the land who will
do it! If when the necls of three millions
of our brethren are bowed under the CALLING
yoke of interminable bondage, are driven like
beasts to the market and sold upon the auc-
ton block to the severing of all the ties of
| c~onsanpuinity and affection-when mental
| Il ,rtynosS coourrinr m pricnnrnppt and luct-
| full and brutal violence is their inevitable lot
If when half the nation is cursed with Sh-
pery, by which our brethren who are equally
| the objects of divine regard with ourselves,
are at the same time the subjects of every out
rage and wrong, zoe the church of Christ, do
| not take active measures in their behalf, UhO
! tUiU do IL? The answer is, that those who
do not follow u.s. as John said, will be
seen "casting out devils in thy name."-
Here, it appears to me, is the great error in
to which the Society of Friends, as well as
other denominations AVE to a great extent
become involved. There is a prevailing o.
pinion among the religious societies of the
day, that not only the moral reformers, but
that other religious societies, are laboring in
vain, because They follow not them, and they
are disposed to forbid them. These reform
associations, say they, are ''got up in the will
of man"-''yeg go without being sent"-"they
are not in the light"-"they lead to infdeli-
ty," &c. These conclusions appear to be ar
rived at by the same course Of reasoning by
which John was guided when he forbade 9TH
ers to cast out devils. Each society believes
its own measures to be the right ones, and
cannot therefore admit the correctness of any
other system of means for the accomplish
ment of an end.
TbnnnI, n n,il1ion e1o,roe bo,yo hoon Thor-
ated through the influence of associations,
lectures and periodicals devoted TO the sub
.iect-though ten thousand drunkards have
been reclaimed and a hundred thousand saw
ed from a drunkard's fate, and families innu-
merable been restored to comfort and happi-
ness from want and Observation-Disclosures of
lives saved, and virtue, intelligence and NOR
allty disseminate in proportion as these
means have been brought into requiSltlon, yet
we are much more frequently cautioned by
our respective religious societies to Shun these
benevolent organizations, than advised to
bear an uncompromising testimony against
the evils which it is the object of these or
CARNATIONS to destroy. For the proof of this
| need only refer TO the sermons and advices
put forth from the pulpit and gallery of al
most every ecclesiastical body in the land.
But sat down more particularly to advert
to some of the doings of the late Yearly
Meeting. This branch Of the Society of
Friends has for more than ten years been con-
siderabiy agitlted with the slavery subject,
and although the time was, when there were
but few active abolitionists in the yearly
meeting, they have now become very numer
Gus and those who oppose the anti-slavery
movements appear to constitute much the
smaller part; a very few indeed make much
opposition to it. The fact that the meeting
acted with perfect harmony in the adoption
of a memorial to the Ohio Legislature, in be-
half of our colored population, in the appoint
ment of a large standing committee on the
subject of Slavery, and recorded several anti
slavery sentiments as answers to its queries,
goes to prove its advancement on the great
question of human rights. 1t is true it did
not grant the use of the house for anti-siaveTy
meetings at the intervals of the sessions, but
| this about half the active abolition members
united with others in denying, and other rea-
sons than that of opposition to abolitionism
operated to prevent the grant of that request.
1t is also true the reading of the Green Plain
Epistle was disagreed to, and these two acts
will doubtless be, by many construed into
anti-abolition or pro-slavery acts.
Without taking time to select Terms which
in my opinion would represent in a proper
manner, the character of these acts, permit
me to give an explanation, without which a
great misapprehension may exist in the minds
of those unacquainted with Quaker principles
and usages, relative to the acts Of their meet
ing. Unlike most Ecclesiastical bodies or