Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1846-12-04

at one OF It's annual meetings, adopted the
following resolution:
R%esolped, That secession from the present
United States government is the duty of ev-
cry abolitionist since no one can hold Office,
or throw a vote for another TO hold office, un-
der the United States Constitution, without
violating his anti-siavery principles, and rem
dering himself an abettor of the STAKEHOLDER
in his sin.
AT first, but few advocated the principle of
this resolution, but before many months had roll
ed around, a large proportion of the abolition
lists in America had planted themselves upon
the principle of d" no union with slavehol-
ders," and began assiduously TO urge upon
the people of the so called free States, the
duty of Withholding all support to that in
famous agreement with Shareholders called
the Constitution of the United States, Of
which the written document is only a tran
script, contending that il was unrighteous,
and wicked in the extreme, to continue, year
after year, to renew at the polls this agree
ment.
The Liberty men, who had SO far commit
ted themselves to the principle of not doing
evil, and determined to vote and act under the
Constitution, to maintain a Union with slave
holders, acknowledging them, by setting
down together 10 Legislative Halls, and agree
ing to be governed by laws which they might
mutually make, as fit to legislate, upon the
interests and destinies of the people, had to
adopt some expedient to meet the arguments
of the abolitionists, and stay that wave put
in motion by the cry of l." No union with
Shareholders ; y" a wave which continued to
rise higher and highor-a wave, which even
now, sweeps onward with the power of
truth. And by adopting that expedient, they
proved that they did not advocate the princi-
pie that tive must do no evil that good may
ONE of it" as a governing principle of their
own conduct, but merely as an expedient to
obtain votes. Hence, although we have
heard but little said of late, by those about
doing no evil that good may come of it, such
as determined 10 maintain the organization
of the third party, and vote and act under
the Constitution, were compelled either to
admit that we may do evil for the sake of
e%lfecting a good, or, as they would word it,
g do the best we can under the circumstan-
stances.' Or else to. square the Constitu-
ton to their code Of morals, maintaining
that an Anti-Slavery construction might be
placed upon it, or on the other hand, to re-
fuse to do evil by refusing 10 vote or act I'M
der that constitution. To make it appear
that the Constitution might have an Anti
Slavery construction given to it a system
of special pleading was adopted, which has
had a most debasing and baleful influence in
demoralizing the members of the party. As
evidence of its demoralizing influence, wit
ness the course Of the Judges of the cleo
ton at Oberlin, at the late election.
The article, however from the Herald and
Philanthropist, the leading Liberty party pa
per of the West, in reviewing the decision
of Judge Edmunds, as far as it goes by its
admission, completely overthrows the posi-
ton of its coadjutors, who maintain that the
constitution is Anti-Slavery. That paper
says "The Constitution of the United States
secures TO every person TO whom another may
owe labor or service, according to the laws
of his State, the right of having that person,
if he should escape from the State in which
it is owing, delivered to him, notwithstand ing
any laws in the state to which he may have
fled. Ii (the Constitution only operates as
a restriction upon the acknowledged sover.
eign rights Of Legislation possessed by the
States, and restricts it only so far as its exer.
else may tend to defeat the constitutions
right of the master to secure the services o.
a fugitive from labor or service due"
The Herald admits that the Constitution
sweeps away all State laws, which throw
around the fugitive slave any protection, o
which place distractions in the way of the
master dragging his wretched victim bacl
into Slavery. Hence, to support it, is TO d,
an evil, a wrong-to- support it, KNOWN!
the character of the act, is 10 commit a erin,
as black as hell itself. To appoint anothe
10 do this, as ones agent, is to involve hin
who confers this authority upon the agent, i
the same black, damning guilt.
The Liberty men of Cincinnati, we be
lieve, have never yet attempted to maintai
that the Constitution is Anti-Slavery, bu
they who have done this, have had to chang
their grounds, we believe, more than once
They aband oned right and adopted exped.
ents, hence they change as the Chameleon
Once they boosted that they doubled the.
number annually, but now driving alon
without principle, they are like Samson, shor
of his strength, or like Saul and Jonathan W
on the hills of Gilboah, forsaken of the Lord
S.
OF Publishers of Anti Slavery Standar
please send their paper to Orvile Joiner, Ga
retsville, Portage co. o., and to Orris NJ
Benton, Mecca, Trumbull co. o., for one yea