Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1846-11-06
HENRY II. HATCH.
Suggestion.

A Suggestion.
l think it is a clear case that for a few OF
the last years, there has been comparatively
little new ground brought into anti-slavery
cultivation. Our lecturers appear to come
along one after another, and plod around in
the old well-beaten track. Now friends, this
is not doing justice to the slave, and we must
quit it, and do better. l believe the fact of
this having been the case, has not been so
much the fault of those who have been lee
turing, as it has been of the local or resident
abolitionists. A great many of these are a
kind Of half and half kind of folks, half good,
half bad, half careless and Indifferent, yet
having the name of anii-slavery attached to
them, more from the fact that they never OPP
posed the cause, than for anything they have
done for it. The lecturing stranger perhaps
calls on them, and inquiries where a meeting
had better be held, &c. Well, they feel a
little curiosity just then to hear this man
once" to 'see whether he is as good a speak
or as that other man was and not wanting
to be at much trouble to get their curiosity
satisfied, the stranger is soon told that /" our
school house," or tour meeting house," can
always be had, and of course that settles the
question as to the proper place. So out goes
the notice and in comes a collection of those
who profess to be 'abolitionists," to hear the
address. The next day he inquiries which
1vay hn had hattor Uo and is dirocted in tho
old open track, Of course, to go and perform
the same useless thing of telling over his tale
of the slaves sufferings, and giving the argu-
ments to prove that we are responsible for
those suiferings, &C., TO a set Of dull hearers,
who have heard those things already until
they sound like an old story. / candidly be-
lieve that il is more difficuAt for the anti
slavery lecturer TO get meetings among the
people who need to hear the subject present.
ed now, than it was ten years ago-not that
folks are less willing 10 hear the truth in new
places than they were ten years ago, but now
there are just about enough Of our neighbor-
hoods, our school-houses and meetings to &C.
cupy the time of the speakers, and hinder
them from going into the places where they
should go, among those who are still slum-
bering on in the first old Fashioned apathy, or
who, Ignorant Of what they are doing, are
blindIy opposing our cause all they can. l
speak from experience. sometimes 60 out
on l%cturing tours myself, and my greatest eff
forts are to excite the sympathies and afec.
tons of the people in behalf of the slave. l
would rather address an audience of fifty per-
sons who had not heard the matter spoken
upon, than TO 60 into an old anti-slavery
neighborhood and have hundreds of abolition
lists 10 hear the address, because 81 CONT not
to call the righteous but sinners TO repent
ance."
wish here to call the especial attention of
every abolitionist whose eye may chance to
meet this article, to an important request
which | want each one to feel as made TO him
self, that is, Tor every one who is really hon
est in protesting 10 wish the slaves were free,
to engage diligently in searching for neigh
borhoods and for school-houses and other
buildings in neighborhoods where anti-slave.
ry meetings have net been held, but which
are now open for the discussion of the sub
ject, and report the success you meet with 10
the editors Of the BugIe, Tor some anti-slave-
ry paper,) and then the editors might keep a
kind of "price CURRENT" standing in one cor
ner of the paper, showing the demand for
anti-slavery labor in fields which promise
much for the cause. You should be p%articu-
lar always to give a brief but explicit descrip-
ton Of the whereabouts of such pieces of neto
ground as you get surveyed and staked of for
improving. Something of this kind ought TO
be gone into earnestly and Systematically, for
''the fields are white unto the harvest,'' in
many a place where labolers would willingly
go If the fields were pointed out to them.-
There are many able speakers who do not
follow l%ecturing and whom the public know
little or nothing about, yet W no are often pass
Ing about the country on other business, but
would delight to turn aside and spend a day
or two among the friends and give them a
good speech or two in behalf Of peace on
earth and good will to all mankind"
\ few words moro 10 fellow -Iaborer in