Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1846-06-12

my hand to take the oath of office, Then |
will attend to this plea.
W.,do you pretend that there arc no " com
promises" in the Constitution, in favor of
slavery! Do you deny that, in the language
OF Daniel Webster, the Constitution contains
solemn guarantees" in favor Of slavery Is
it not true that the Constitution pays a bonus
upon slavery, by granting TO every man three
votes for every five human beings he may
steal, rob and podute, that is, reduce to slave
ry! Is it not true that this advantage thus
gained over freemeH, gives the slave-power
the means of crushing every interest depend
Ing upon free laborl Is it not true that &c, 1000
ireemen, by virtue of the three-flth rule of
representation, have to take their seat in Con-
gress' in the person of their representative, by
the side of only 10000 There's, provided they
have so far succeeded in their work of depis,
as to bring 100000 human beings into their
living he'll? The truth is, every one of these
questions must be answered in favor of sA1re-
re-. Dare you deny it! Dare any one who
has a reputation to lose, risk it upon a denial
OF this fact! We may attempt to say many
things in extenuation of it, but its dark de-
iormity cannot be hid. Whoever votes or
takes office under the Constitution, must SUBJ
nit himself to all the damning degradation it
imposes. Example You are cast by shin
wreck upon one side of an island, the other
side OF which is inhabited. You do not like
~
the habits Of life, forms of government, &c.,
OF your new neighbors, and, in company with
your tellow-sutfererS, conclude to set up a
government for yourselves. 1t is done-mat-
tiers move on tremendously for a time, but at
length 1t appears that 50 the common defence
and general welfare would be promoted by
a confederation with your neighbor islanders.
Well, a union is formed on the condition that.
In your part Of the island, e ely male inhabi-
tant over twenty-one shall be allowed one
vote-on the other, every male inhabitant over
twonty-one shall be allowed one vote for him
self, three for every FIVE horses he may steal.
y GU know that such a government would not
only permit, but sanction and encourage the
sin Of horse-stealing. And if you, under
standing its nature, did not 90 come out" from
, it, you would be a horse-thief. But on the
, dissolution of such 4 government, "where is
the philanthropist who will not say that IL
berry, civil and. religious, has received a shock
that will be felt to the remotcst generation!"
Irony aside-I aver that such a case needs
only to be stated to receive the condemnation
-
that its damning %iniquity justly merits. Hour
much better is a man than u horse? Determine
r that, and you determine the strength Of the
demand made by justice and humanity, that
the American Union be dissolved, over the
8 demand for a dissolution of your horse-steal-
ing government. Yet you "abhor the prin-
ciple which for any cause that now exists
. would destroy our Constitution and form of
government"
But think that a justiiable principle which
f would destroy a government, the fundamen-
, tai law Of which sanctions, s%ustaius, and pays
f a bonus upon lying, theft, robbery, adultery
a theft, not Of things, but of men--a robbery
that renders every sixth mother childless,
= every sixth wife husbandless, every sixth
child an orphan, and every sixth woman a
S common prostitute that cuts of the slave
4 from all hope of happines on earth or in IIea-
ven; and if you do not regard such a princi.
pie as just, you must have other views Of
II morals than those which | possess.
h But ! am extending this part of my com.
munication much farther than ! had intend
c ed. will only say in this connection that
the Constitution pledges the whole military
? power of the nation against the slave, wcr,
he, in imitation of our Revolutionary fathers
10 re-atiirm the principles of the Declaration
of Independence, and strike for freedom.-
Were a Lafayette TO unfurl the banner Of Ii
| berty upon our Southern shores and offer tn
boon of Freedom 10 the three millions o
crushed Americans, every government bayo
net would be driven to his heart. You ant
| swear ourselves 10 do this every time W,
l. d~eposite a vote in the ballot box. So devot
ed is the government to the cause Of the man
e thief that if by chance one of his victimi
Of catches a glimpse of the north star, aud
prompted by the hope that it inspires, starts
from the ''land of the free and the home o
it the brave" for monarchical liberty, it lays il
at impious hand upon lis last lingering hope
j. and says "Ae shall not be discharged from