Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1846-05-15


%fuence, who would be up and doing some
thing for the cause of truth if the spell were
brokenf And when these young minds come
to the door and look out, here stands a Is. b.
Davis, welding the "pen of a ready writer
to frigh ten them back into the presidential at
mosphere of a pro-Sdrery and ,car-sustaining
church.
If the brother thinks I bring hard charges
against the Friends Society, | will here quote
testimony which may, to say the least, cost
him a blush before he can get it refutcd or
set aside. | have now in my possession a
letter dated at New Garden, Columbiana
county, Ohio, 9Th month, 22d, 1911, and
signed by b. b. Davis, and addressed to
William ii. Hills, from which | select the
following extracts:
''Thy letter alludes to Non-resistance, and
thou seems to suppose that | should be in ia
vor of that doctrine. Why so! / suppose it
was not because | am a member of Friends.
But is il not a lameniabl4 truth that our So
ciety, as such, stands opposed to non-resist-
nnce. Thu doctrine is too peaceable for them,
they are strangely endeavoring to occupy a
middle ground between peace and ,car, be-
tween the principles of universal love and
those of military tactics. There is just as
much ground to stand upon between the
States of Ohio and Indiana, between the
county Of Mercer in the former, and Jay in
the latter, without treading on the land in
either, as there is between these great antag-
onistic principles. The Society Of Friends, !
consider, began upon the right principles, so
far as the light of their day enabled them 10
see, and surrounding circumstances called
upon them to act. They espoused a new
cause, or established and maintained at the
hazard of life, property and reputation, GER
tain estlmoniesa against evils which had, ere
that time, been looked upon with indifference
and apathy. While they continued to labor
not only to advance those righteous testimo-
MES, but to divine new modes of resisting
newly invented schemes of vice and wicked
ness, they prospered. But when they began
to initiate their ancestors for the sake Of np-
pearing like them, when they endeavored to
escape the obloquy and persecution which it
was their lot to encounter, and cleave to all
the outward ceremonial forms of their ances-
try, truth began to recede from them, Justice
pinned under a drab coat, and humanity leap
ed from under the broad brimmed beaver,
and the outside only stood as a monument of
\ lcient virtue and benevolence. When in New
York, | obtained some informant n relative to
the obstacles which many, in high standing
there, are in the habit of throwing in the way
of moral reform, and | thought of the charge
brought against a certain class in old times
that they "were casting out devils through
Beelzebub." The Society of Friends, as
above stated, commenced certain labors of a
very benevolent character; they persevered
in them for a time, and when the people of
the world began to aid in the promotion of
these enterprises, the cry was raised
"They are doing it in their own will.'-
"They are the people of the world, keep
clear of them," &c.
My sheet is about full, and | have no more
room to quote from this appropriate docu-
ment. Oh Benjamin, Benjamin, if / had
room to comment, | know not what | should
have to say to thee, but have not, so leave
these extracts for the consideration of myself
and others, and subscribe myself the friend
of "Comeouterism,
VALENTINE NICHOLSON.
Harreysburg, dM month, 30h, 1916.