Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1846-12-18
speak now in yindicatlon Of my course, car.

OF all that had preceded My speech, then,
must have been very powerful; for l had
been preceded by yourself, and some ten or
twelve others, all powerful advocates Of the
Temperance cause, some Of them the most so
| of any | ever heard. But | half fear my
speech was not so powerful as you seem to
imagine. 1t is barely possible that you have
fallen into a mistake, quite common to per-
sons OF your turn OF mind-that of confound-
ing your W pride with the cause which you
may happen to plead. l think you will upon
reflection confess, that | have now hit upon
a happy solution of the difficulty. As look
back TO that occasion, ] remember certain
facts, which seem 10 confirm me in this view
of the case. You had eulogized in no mea-
sured or qualified terms, America andlAmeri-
can Temperance Societies; and in this, your
co-delegates were not a whit behind you.-
Is it not possible that the applause, following
each brilliant climax of your fulsome pane
gyric, made you feel the moral effect raised,
and the scene superb and glorious l am
not unaware of the effect of such demonstra-
tons; it is very intoxicating, very initiating.
Now, sir, | should be very sorry, and would
make any amends within my power, if l sup
posed | had really committed, the 'abomina-
hon of which you accuse me. The Tempe
rance cause is dear TO me. | love it for my
self, and for the black man, as well as for
the white man. l have labofed, both in Eng
land and America, TO promote the cause, and
am ready still to labor and | should grieve
to think of any act of mine, which would in
fict the slightest injury upon the cause. But
| am satisfied that no such injury was inflict-
ed. No, sir, il was not the poor bloaied
drunkard, who was : ruined by my speech,
but your own bloated pride, as l shall pre-
sently show-as l mean to take up your let
ter in the order in which it is written, and
reply to each part Of it.
You say / hugged in anti-slarery, or aJoAt-
lion. OF course, you meant by this to pro-
duce the impression, that introduced the sub
ject illegitimately. If such were your inten-
tion, it is an impression utterly at variance
with the truth. | said nothing, on the occa-
sion referred 10, which in fairness can be con-
strued into an outrage upon propriety, or some
thing foreign TO the Temperance platform
and especially a Worlds Temperance plat
FORM The meeting at Coyent Garden was
not a lchife Temperance meeting, such as are
{ held in the United States, but a Worlds
Temperance meeting,' embracing the black
as well as the white part Of the creation
practically carrying ont the scripiural declar-
alton, that God has made of one blood, all
nations of men, 10 dwell on all the face of the
r EARTH 1t was a meeting for promoting Tenn
. peIdUC6 throughout TIE WOIIu. All ndllOTS
r had a right TO be represented there and each
speaker mad a right to make known 10 that
body, the peculiar difficulties which Law in
the way of the temperance reformation, in his
own particular locality. In that Convention,
and upon that platforms, | was the recognized
representative of the colored population of the
United States; and to their cause | was bound
TO be faithful. 1t would have been quite easy
for me to have made a speech upon the gene
raj question of temperance, carefully eXclud-
ing all reference to my enslaved, neglected
and prosecuted brethren in America, and
thereby secured your applause-but to have
pursued such a course, would have been sell
ing my birthright for a mess of pottage-
would have been to play the part OF Judas, a
part which even you profess to loathe and de-
test. Sir, let me explain the motive which
animated me, in speaking as | did at Covent
Garden Theatre. AS | stood upon that plat
form, and surveyed the deep depression OF
the colored people of America, and the treat
ment uniformly adopted, by white temperance
societies, towards them - the impediments
and absolute barriers thrown in the way OF
their moral and social improvement, by Amer
lean slavery, and by an inveterate prejudice
: against them, on account of their color-and
4: beheld them in rags and wretchedness, in fet-
/, tiers and chains, left to be devoured by intern
perance and kindred vices-and slavery, like
a very demon, standing directly in the way
o of their reformation, as with a drawn sword
ready TO smite down any who might approach
/. for their deliverance-and found myself in a
: position where | could rebuke this evil spirit,
n where my words could be borne TO the shores
0 of America, upon the enthusiastic shouts Of
congregated thousands deemed it my duty
to embrace the opportunity. In the language
of John Knox, Il was in the place where
y was demanded of conscience to speak the
truth-and the truth did speak-impugn i
n who so list But, in so doing, l spoke per
a fectly in order, and in such a manner as nc
one, having a sincere interest in the cause o.
q Temperance, could take offence at-as | shall
show by reporting, in another part of thi:
letter my speech, as delivered on that coca
sion.
He was, no doubt, prompted 10 do it by
v some of the polite ones, who can use him Il
: do what they themselves would not ventur,
n to do in person. The right or wrong of obey
% ing the promptings of another depends upor
3 the character of the thing TO be done. If thu
IS thing be right, l should do it, no matter BY
whom prompted /; if wrong, | should refrail
II from it, no matter by whom commanded
In the present instance, | was prompted b.
I. no one-I acted entirely upon my own re
al sponsibility. If, therefore, blame is to fal
n anywhere, it should fall upon me.
a He is supposed to have been we'll paid 70
IN the abominaiion.' This, sir, is a coward
lie way of stating your own conjecture. | shoul
d be pleased 10 have you tell me, what haTI
he there is in being well paid! Is not the 1
Y, borer worthy of his hire2 Do you preac
ID without pay? Were you not paid by tho'
he who sent you to represent them in the World
Temperance Convention There is not II
slightest doubt that you were paid-and zoe
N paid. The only difference between us, in ii
D. matter of pay, is simply this-you were pait
d. and was not. ! can with a clear conscienc