Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1846-05-22
HArrersaunen, ohio, Anil a7th, ls4e.

known to you, but few numbers Of the Blu
gle. together with some recent conversation
and correspondence with brother Valentine
Nicholson, have left me with desire to be-
come, il possible, thoroughly acquainted with
your sentiments. Three years ago, | was a
Christian Democrat, in the popular accepta-
ton Of that term. l received my first politi-
cal impressions in Butler county, Ohio, and,
OF course, they were uncompromisingly Dem
~ocraiic. In an unguarded moment my preach
er threw into my hands Stephen S. Fosters
" Brotherhood of Thieves" commenced
its perosal, and each page, like a moving
thundetbolt of mighty Truth, dashed away
tho undcrpinning of the religious and political
institutions in which | had taken refuge, and
at the close, feeling their sandy foundations
giving way, | ran out just in time to save my
conscience, which l had placed there for
safe keepi, g /; and | saw written upon the
front of those institutions, in the flashing cha
raciers of truth, Anti NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
mOcr0ey. / took my stand in the Liberty
party, and became a pioneer in the wild
woods of Indiana, and, after laboring inces-
sanity what time | could spare, (for these
hands minister to my support, having no 9TH
er income,) and urging tho necessity of po-
litical action among those who embraced our
free principles-judge of my establishment
when | returned to my native State last fall,
to find Stephen S. Foster, Abby Kelley, aud
my old friend, Valentine Nicholson, welding
that same I" Brotherhood of Thieves" with
all its stern charges against my beloved Lii
berry party! J! / fastened to Harveysburgh
to enquire of brother Valentine if he was real
ly in earnest, for l had supposed that Carl
son, Foster, Miss Kelley, and Valentine,
with some of our ever advancing spirits, had
raised the cry of Disunion in order to feel the
pulse of our sickly patient at the South, with
out any real intention on their part to con-
summate the measure. l therefore frankly
charged brother Nicholson with being engag-
ed in a sham battle with his friends. But
when, with his usual honesty, he repealed
the charge, and avowed himself sincere, /
found it difficult to resist the impression that
he was insane. l was filled with grief and
disappointment 10 find disorder and confu-
sion prevailing in the little army of Liberty,
that l supposed had taken the field to move
in unbroken phalanx for the overthrow Of
Slavery.
I soon after reco1std a Kind letter from
brother Nicholson, requesting me to get up
some meetings for hun, which | succeeded
in doing, with the intention Of comparing
views upon the subject of Disunion, but was
more than ever astonished to find among nv
old Liberty friends a general shrinking from
investigation upon the subject. an COM
PEELED to speak this to our shame, for the
world is too far advanced to concede perfect
honesty of intention to any people who will
not submit their sentiments to the investipa-
ton of those who claim an honest difference
of opinion. | am not to be understood, how
ever, as conceding that Liberty men are dis
honest-not a word of il. attribute this fear
to other causes. The fact is, our prevailing
Anti-Slavery sentiments have whipped over
certain priests, who have Joined our party
with no higher motives than to maintain the
ascendency over their Gocks; and they are
e~ternally holding back those who would adj
vance beyond them by investigation. 1t is
di%verting to see with what alacrity those lead
ers of the people tack about when they find
themselves steering a wrong course.
But my object in writing this communica-
ton is to inquire what can be done TO secure
the united action of all our friends, and to
bring out and harmonize the clements of
Freedom throughout the nation. 1t is pain
iul to see those who have taken the field with
undaunted courage to battle for Liberty
strengthened by free principles-urged to tie
conflict by the imploring cries of our breth-
rem and sisters in chains strong in the liv-
lag principles of our martyred brethren, fall
out with each other by the way, as they ad-
vance towards the wounded foe. Under
the broad ensign Of certain victory, we
have turned our c~lashing weapons against
each other, whilst our encouraged foe, hav-
Ing formed into well disciplined order, is
moving on to the charge, closing up every ave-
nue. of the government, hanging like an in
cubus upon all our rights, while the bitter
wall Of our brethren and sisters almost stops