Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1846-03-20

THE BLOODY SOUTH.


John Hampden Pleasants saw the blight
ing influences of Slavery upon his native
State, and raised his voice in opposition to
it.. In consequence of this he fell a victim
to Slavery. He fell by the hands of those
who, vulture like, prey upon mankind and
fatten upon their miseries who maintain
their power over their victims by silencing
all opposition by the use of the Bowie knife,
the gun, the dirk, the lash, the thumbscrew
and the manacle. Those whom these tyrants
can enslave they whip into subsection; those
whom they cannot e~nslave, be they nominal
ly slave or free, they deprive of life. He
fell by the hands of those whose malignant,
fiend like hate is vented alike upon all who
raise their voices in opposition to their deeds
of rapine and blood.
A few years since, Gardner, of Norfolk,
took sides with the w%orkingman, and spoke
in opposition to the practice of having slaves
TO do the work of che u. S. Government in
the navy yard at that place, and paying those
who lived by plundering the laborer of his
labor, instead Of the men who performed the
work. For this he was sacrificed. But
Gardner was a Northern man, who had set
tied in Virginia and become an editor of a
Norfolk paper. John Hampden Peasants
was a native of the Old Dominion, the son
of a man who possessed the confidence of
the people and an unbounded popularity, and
who was for some time Governor of that
State.
The son possessed commanding talents,
and was probably, until his voice was heard
in opposition to slavery, the most influential
Wing editor south of the Potomac. But
neither his talents, his influence, his birth
place, his standing in society, or the popular
fly of his family, was sufficient to save him.
He fell a victim F; and that smothered anti
slavery sentiment existing in the bosoms of
Viiginians, and which had begun occasion
ally to fash forth, has, it is 10 be feared, been
silenced and inundated by striking down
the boldest, the most talented and influential
of Slavery's opponents there.
/ would ask what hopes have those who
wish to see Slavery abolished, from a contin.
uance of a union with these harpies2 VIVA,
can abolitionists expect to effect by the main.
tenance of that union with Shareholders who
sacrifice every one that is, or can be got in
their power, who arrays himself in opposition
to their hellish practices?
would say to those who are the support
srs and defenders of that union, that aside
from the guilt in which you are involved by
such a union, by such a copartnership, and
the consequent destruction of your influence
for good, you cannot reasonably hope or ex.
pect TO effect any thing for the emancipation
of the slave by any opposition you can array
against their dark deeds while you remain
members of that slaveholding confederacy
that copartnership in scoundrelism but while
you remain there, paralyzing on the one hant
your influence for good by participation in
deeds of darkness and crimes of the greatest
magnitude-on the other hand, whenever you
attempt to act against Slavery, you will be
crowded down by a fierce, bold, and guilty
band, which has heretofore, and will contin-
ne to overPower all opposition, and which
stops at no crimes in the accomplishment Of
its purposes.
Your only reasonable hope of effectinp
any thing for the slave, is to sever your con.
ncction and dissolve your copartne rship with
slaveholders. Your only reasonable hope is
10 refuse to remain in an association which
though called a free government, cushes tn,
slave, outrages the rights of man and the Di
vine Majesty. Your only hope of enamel
Pating the slave and yourselves from slavery
is 10 abandon a fraternity of 6end-like mon
stsrs, and to cease from aiding them, through
your inglorious connection, to perpetrate thei
horrible system of oppression. If no mai
who is among tho slaye-claimants, hoyevs