Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1846-03-20
LETTER FROM FREDERICK DOUG
LASS.
REPLY TO AIR. C.. c.. THOMPSON.

REPLY TO AIR. c. c. THOMPSON.
IT. IN. Ehtor Of the Libcra.or.
DEAR FRiEND:-For the sake Of our righ-
seous cause, | was delighted to see by an ex-
tract copied into the Liberator of l2th Dec,
1918, from the Delaware Republican. that
MIR. A. G.. G. Thompson, No. l0l, Market
street, Wilmington, has undertaken to invali-
date my testimony against the shareholders,
whose names | have made prominent in the
narrative of my experience while in slavery.
Shareholders and slave-traders never be-
tray greater indlscretion, than when they ven-
lure to defend themselves, or their system of
plumber, in any other community than a slave
holding one. Slavery has its own standard Of
morality, humanity. justice, and Christianity.
Tried by that standard, it is a system of the
create st kindness to the slave-sanctioned by
the purcst morality-in perfect agreement
with justice-and, Of course, not inconsistent
with Christianity. But, tried by any other,
it is doomed to condemnation. The naked
relation of master and slave is one Of those
monsters of darkness, to whom the light of
truth is death The wise ones among the
shareholders know this, AMI they studiously
avoid doing anything, which, in their judy
ment. tends to elicit truth. They seem fully
to understand, that their safety is in their
silence. They may have learned this wis
dom from Junius, who counselled his oppo-
nent, Sir William Draper, when defending
Lord CRANKY. never to attract attention to a
character, which would only pass without
condemnation, when it passed without obser-
V ton.
am now almost too far away to answer
this attempted retutation by Mr.. Thompson.
I fear his article will be forgotten, before you
got my reply. |, however, think the whole
thing worth reviving, as it is seldom we have
SO good a case for dissection. In any coun-
try but the United States, | might hope to
get a hearing through the paper ip which !
was attacked. Bat this would be inconsist-
ent with American usage and magnanimity.
it would be folly TO expect such a hearing.
They might possibly ad yertise me as a runa-
way slave, al d share the reward Of my APP
prehension; but on no other condition would
they allow my reply a place in their columns.
In this, however, may Judge the 'Repub-
lican" harshly. 1t may be that, having ad-
mitted Mr.. Thompson's article, the editor will
think it but fdir-negro though | am-to al
low my reply an insertion.
In replying to Mr.. Thompson, | shall pro-
coed as | usually do in preaching the slave
holders sermon,-dividinI tine subject under
two general heads, as follows:-
LIST. The statement of Mr.. Thompson, in
confirmation of the truth of my narrative.
2ndly. His denials of its truthfulnes3.
Under the first, | beg Mr.. Thomson to ac-
cept my thanks for his full, free and unsoli-
cited testimony, in regard to my identity. =
There now need be no doubt on that point,
however much there ihight have been before.
Your testimony, Mr.. Thompson, has settled
the question forever. | give you the fullest
credit for the deed, saying nothing of the
motive. But for you, sir, the pro-slavery
people in the North might have persisted
with some show of reason, in representing
Inc as being IN impostor-a free negro who
had never been south of Mason e. Dixon's
line-one whom the abolitionists, acting on
the je%suitical principle, that the end ~justifes
the means, had educated and sent forth to at
tract attention to their faltering cause. | am
greatly indebted to you, sir, for s%ilenclng
those truly prejudicial insinuations. | wish
j could make You understand the amount Of
service you have done. You have complete
iy tripped up the heels of your pro-slayery
ffiends, and laid them flat at my feet. lor
have done a piece Of anti-slavery work, whlcl
no anti slavery man could do. Our cautious
and truth-loving people of New England
would never have believed this testimony, IL
proof of my identity, had 1t been borne by al
abolitionist. Not that they really think al
,abolitionist capable of bearing false witnes
Intentionally ; but such persons are though
,fanatieal, and 10 look at everything throug
adistorted medium. They will believe 20
they will belive a STAKEHOLDER. The
have; some how or other, imbibed { and
confess strangely enough } the idea that pc
sons such as yourself are dispassionate, In