Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1846-04-10
|lREPoRTED o II BUGLE.1
SYNOPSIS OF THE
SPEECH OF S. S. FOSTER.

1T the First Session If the late a. s. meeting,
held in Salem, FirSt-day afternoon, the 29M
an.
Soon after the house became filled, Foster
arose and remarked that it was not their Gus
tom to open their meetings with formal pray
er-not because they were infdels but be-
cause they did not believe Christianity re-
quired it. If any one however deemed il
right to offer prayer on the occasion, it was
his privilege and his duty to do it.
After a short pause then offered for any one
so disposed to suPPlicate the Throne of Grace,
Foster proceeded. lie referred to the fact of
the contrariety of opinions upon the subject
which had called them together, as one Of
deep regret, and sid the necessity of our
repeated meetings in Salem and other places,
grew out of this want of unanimity upon the
subj ,ct. lie said that during all this conflict
between the professed friends of the cause
the poor bondman was pining in his chains.
He next referred to the practice of many
Individuals who attend these meetings, of
making false reports Of what was said.-
These reports were very diverse and contra
di";ory, and but one class Of them could be
tue, and perhaps none. There must then,
from the nature of things, be a great portion
if not all Of them, false-somc reported that
they preached anarchy, inidelity, and all that
was bad others said their doctrine was true,
and that upon its prevalence depended our
prosperity and happiness as a people. The
false reports were used by men Of influence,
by the priests and others to deter people from
coming cut TO hear. But said he, we preach
but one dcctrire these differences must all
be in the hearers. 1t will be recOllectcd
that l 500 years ago, when one stood up to
preach the everlasting gospel, no matter from
what nation, tongue or kindred the nearer
came, no heard the gospel in his own tongue.
SO it is here to-day, every man hears us
speak in his own tongue. If he be an inf
del, he hears infdelity; if a Christian, he
hears Christianity, &c. Foster went on to
show that the STAKEHOLDER, he who would sell
wonen and children at public cutlery, would
be the first to denounce us as anarchists and
infidels. Now my friends, said he, why is
this so9 1t all grows out of his W state
of heart-the opinions men form depends
on their own state of heart. Did not Jesus
Christ furnish food for the %caviler, and The
r%eviler! His own language was taken, ant
used 10 misrepresent him, and vilify him.
HWhcsoever hateth not father and mother ht
cannot be my disciple" Is here not foo'
for the caviller! The same opportunity 70
cavil is afforded by the writings of Isaiah
Ezekiel, jeremiah, &C.; And he would tel
those who came here this afternoon, tina
they would be furnished with a supply o
material, if they came here for such a pun
pose. 1t was his purpose to endeavor to FIRE
the mind from prejudice. He desired fc
himself always to maintain that state Of min
which would enable him to say, "Lord whi
wilt thou have me TO dol' 1t was the onl
safe and true spirit and if instead of comm
here for the purpose of misrepresentation an
perversion, a single desire to arrive at tru'
was the actuating motive, all could join
with one heart and one mind in the gre
work of the slaves redemption. If the o
iect was to build up this sect or that SEE
instead Of determining to follow the leadin
of truth, we could never arrive at the right