Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1846-09-11
Milford, n. H., eth Aug, 'lG.

Liberty Party.
FRiEyDs or THE SLAyE-I have for some
weeks had some thoughts pressing upon me
for utterance. I know not that ! can clothe
them with words which will enable others to
see the importance which l feel in them, but
will try. | am fully persuaded that the cit
izen of a free state, (us we have been taught
10 call ours) who takes an oath recognizing
in any way the support of any portion of a
slayeholding Constitution or Government, is
more responsible for The sins prdcticed by
others under that Constitution, than the man
who actually owns his fellow man under the
same law. The Northern man is moved TO
the act either by hatred of his brother man,
and thus lends his aid to cypress and e%nslave
him, or by a blind devotion to pro-slavery
Constitutions and fixtures which are of hui
man origin, stronger Chan his love Of the great
laws of justice and equality, established by
the Lord of all the earth, whilst the southern
o,cner has the temptation Of binding inter-
est as an excuse. know we'll that the doc
tfine of NO union" in Sirrchoi3iHg is the
only doctrine for inc to preach. / long to
see the time when the citizens of the North
crn states will "Let the oppressed go free"
IN he South. | want to see every grade of
Anti-Slavcry folks moving up to the Disun-
ion platform, yet to denounCe the Liberty
party as being more pro-shvery than either
Of the others, and thus strive to drive them
rashly, or suddenly onto the Disunion ground,
! have ever thought had an injurious tenden-
ency Tor though It may appear clearly true,
to some, it will look like a (abe charge TO
others, and many, if not most Of the members
Of the Liberty party, will internally feel that
the charge is not applicable to themselves. !
have not forgotten how | felt when / was d
third party voter, and used to read such char
yes in the Eastern papers, made by the most
Jealous friends of the slave; and remember
ing those feelings of my own, enables me 10
have compassion upon those Of my bretheren
who yet remain in the party. The Apostle
Paul when trying TO do the best he could, for
the time being, toward instructing those who
differed much in the things upon which they
mainly depended, said But to him that
worketh not, bat believeth on him that justl-
fieth the uu5odIy, his faith is counted for
righteousness. (Romans 4th, chap. ,, 5lh W
And it may, in some degree, be the case now
to him that worketh not" for the dissolu-
luton Of the pro-slavery union, "but believ-
eth on him that ~iusliieih the ungodly com
pact, "hls faith" for aught know, may be
s'counted for righteousness" There are
many Anti-Slayery - babes in the Liberty
party who need a mildcr diet than to be told
square off that they are more pro-slavery than
slaveholding Wings, and man-selling Demo-
Gratis. Such severe charges rather repulse
and drive away, | think, and should seldom,
if ever, be made Of the mass Of the Liberty
friends.
The doctrine Of the American Anti-Slave-
~ Society has always been to correct public
sentiment, by moral action, holding, that
when public sentiment was brought right, the
laws would soon come right. Anti-Slavery
people in the West generally assented TO those
positions, yet did not expect the laws to come
right, without human agency; they have
supposed the formation of a political party to
be the means attendant upon this moral ac-
tion, which had convinced so many of them
of the necessity Of having all disgfacefA laws
removed from the statute books. they look
upon political action as the inevitable effect,
and result, Of moral action, and therefore
deem it right. | speak from former expert
ence, in common with others, who formed
the Liberty party in The West. | know l
was once honest in supposing the Liberty
party right, and essentially necessary and l.
have no doubt but there are hundreds Of
minds now engaged in trying to sustain the
party, from the purest and most benevolent
feelings towards the slave, and hence | plead
for lenity toward them. ! know that denouss-
cling the party never helped me to see the err
rors Of II, but rather reacted and got uPa kind
OF 'enaeity in me to cling to it rather than
otherwise. When calm, clear argument, and
persuasive appeals to nay better judgment
came, then followed confinement, and con-
%vicIion, 50 strong that ! had to leave the par
~; yet II pains me to hear my old comrades
IN pafty politics, charged with being pi rates,