Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1846-03-06
UNIVERSALISU.

Our readers viii remember that, in Sep
TENDER last, the Universi dist Convention at
Boston appointed a committee to prepare a
Protest against American Slavery, and re-
que st all their ministers to sign it, or give a
reason for their refusal. w have never seen
a copy Of the Protest, and had heard nothing
in relation to it, until a friend sent us a No.
Of the Ohio Universalist, containing a letter
of refusal from one of their clergy. As the
writer has made his letter public property,
we shall use it as such, and give it to our
readers as a specimen of the pious do-nothing
Policy, which is not by any means peculiar
to the Universalists, but will be found in a
greater or less degree among all sects.
REASONS FOR NOT SIGNING THE
PROTEST..
Raueza1, o., Jan. 25, 1916.
DRs. III. Bacon, S. STREErER, s.. CoBB, l..
r. PAIGE, f. H.. CHAPLIN:
Dear Brettren being absent from home
when your circular continuing a Protest
against American Slavery came into the Post
Office, aud not returning home till a short
time since, could not well give you an ear
lIer reply. | respectfully decline signing the
Protest, because | ain convinced that | car
do more good without, and that the Pfotes'
itself will do more injury than good for
cannot see any good that will resuI. 20 The
pool slaves or their masters, or 10 ourselyes. |,
| have had some time and opportunity to ma
ture my decision on this important subject
having Tor a number of years been intimate
ly acquainted with the feelings and situation
OF our fellow citizens in the slaveholdinc
States, having spent a part Of Two season:
among them. (2)
think the Protest is as unexccptionabl,
in its language and spirit as any dorumen
Of the. kind | have ever seen, and even NOR,
so; yet | apprehcnd at this time, when pc
t lltical abolitionism is highly exciting theme
traught with SO many e-Ntfavdgances, in con
I%cction with so much abuse, slande: an,
fdlSehood, in reference to our Southern citl
zens, that even this mild and reasonable Pro
test will create alarming divisions in tn
peaceable ranks of our own denomination
and increase the already ~high-wrought pref
: udice and hatred of the southern peopl
against the northern, without doing them
us any good, but enhance the evil TO both. ca
For they will look upon MS as drawing u
ourselves in hostile array toward them, an
4 bid us defiance. They will consider US q
Joining in a crusade against them, a, d henc,
e while we maintain such a position, we Ca
do them no good by argument, persuasion
, reason. (l) And ii all our clergy should sic
this Protest we should b. looked upon as p
5 LilicaL abOHtiOnistS, both at the South and I'll
North. Nor would it avail us any thing
declare it TO be merely a moral and religion
movement, and not a political one. 90
n 1t may then be said, as slavery is an ev
c totally Incompatible with the genius of OF
free Institutions, what ought we TO do, or VIII
can We do to remedy the evil With no d
> sign TO dictate to any one, / will answe
S Let those who cIloose,(6) 60 to the slavehol'
n eTs as friends and not as enemies, actuated b
v philanthropy and good will, without the fee
= ings or appearance of hostility, armed onl
= with the weapons of truth, goodness an
T love cautiously avoiding all censoriousne
f and angry controversy, and they may be al
, sured OF a candid hearing and then the
might proceed to show the Shareholders clea
ly the superior advantages to the masters
well as to the slaves, of the permanent e
| adjustment of freedom and equal rights
r all. If This course would not prove ~effeclua
| cannot conceive of any that would, in II
: present arrangement of southern society. {
Il II 70 are to subdue an enemy, It is the be
policy to 20 where he is, and not attempt
fight him at SO great a distance that our sho
, can do little or no execution. How maj
> there are here at The north who can fight me
u courageously when they are beyond the rea
Ie Of danger, but whom they 90 into tho slaN