Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1846-03-06
FREE PRODUCE.
FRIENDS EDiToRs:
Salem, 2nd mo. 25, 1916.

thLb hODO |
FRIENDS EDiToRs:
A communication appeared in the Buglc Of
the 18th ult., on the subject Of Free Pro-
duce," in reply to an article on the same sub
jcct by "L.," published January 4th.
. Your correspondent supposes that a mere
schoolboy could easily overthrow the arru-
ments by which l.. attempts to justify abo-
litionists in using the proceeds of slave labor.
VIII .tevcr may be thought Of the arguments
to which your correspondent objects, he, at
least, must have credit awarded him for great
~-,earness of vision; as he Gems, when he
looks into LIS communication, to have no diff
hculty in seeing " what IS not to be %seen," and
Of drawing differences from the positions taken,
which appear by no means evident or reason
able, to common minds.
In the article written by L., TIE position
was taken in the first place, that the receiver
of stolen goods is not, in all cases, as bad as
the thief-that on the contrary, he may, under
certain circumstances, be innocent, and even
prdiseworthy. Does your correspondent dis
SNih OH' ''io : IL ~ OtllCi ioSs obOith
property could never be rightfuiIy reclaimed.
The friends Of the individual who had been
robbed-nay, the plundcred man himself,
could not recover his property from the rob-
ber's hand, if the receiver is always n~ecessa-
rily as bad as the thief. II the receiver is ac-
tuated by the same consideration and motives
which governed the thief, or by any consi-
deralion Of a selfish nature-if he turns the
theft to his own advantage, he makes the
crime his own. If he secures the stolen pro-
perty, fully recognizing the owners claim,
and acts accordingly after receiving it, he is
innocent. | maintain then, thai there is no.
thing wrong in using the products Of slave
labor, with a proper motive. Whether we
can obtain these products from the slavehol'
der without increasing guilt, remains to be
decided.
1t was contcndel, in the article alluded tc
, above, that if the aboliionist incurs guilt, i
must be in the act of getting possession o
f the products of the slaves labor. If cannot
I as an abolitionist, use the fruits of the 81 We:
t toll, it must be for the reason that | canno
2 gel them without violating principle-it mus
t be that in giving the STAKEHOLDER the mean
S of subsistence, in return for these products,
put myself in the condition Of the robber, AM
/ become a partner in his guilt.
Here, it seems to me, is the point to be set
tied. The question to be decided is, can W,
r give money or produce to another, fof the pur
, pose of redeeming property, which he has &c
, quired by robbery, without becoming robber
/ ourselves, or acknowledging his right to sue
4 properlyl In other words, can we redeer
the fruits of r%obbing, by paying the price III
robber sets upon them, without necessaril
n mourning guilt! Few, ! suppose, will COZ
{ tend that we cannot under any circumstance
do this. Your correspondent will, | believe
admit that he often pays money to persons {
5 whom, OF right, il does not b~elong-lhat whe
:, he buys free labor produce, a large part Of tn
It price he pays, goes, not to the producer, BIT
to the Spectator; does the act, therefor,
o sanction oppression! II seems to me it doe
not necessarily sanction it. ] confess | al
not we'll acquainted with the arguments b
I which the advocates Of abstinence from III
: use of slave grown productions sustain thei
cause. / cannot decide from the article o
your correspondent, whether he abstains iron
+, motives of exPediency merely, or from prin
: ciple, or from both combined. l believe, how
ever, that in discussing the question, 1t will
be best to inquire, in the first place, Whethe
aboiitionisis can obtain ami use tire product
lie Of slave labor without a violation of NOR;
s. principle. If it is decided that they canno
ID the question is settled. If it is found IN,
they can, the question, Whether abstinenc
he from these products, as a means of cutting O
8. the resources Of tho Shareholders, could