Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1847-06-11
WHOLE no. 81.

the eye Of Jove. But this is not the doctrine
OF the present day; 'OUR COUNTRY. Rteur
or WRONG" No longer ago Than within The
last fortnight, a Rev. DR.. Putnam. Of M,ssa-
chusetls, preached a sermon launched against,
the motto Of this Society, mo Union wtru
SHAREHOLDERS" simply upon the ground that
an Individual is not responsible for the acts
OF his Government.
Let me vindicate the plan Of this Society.
We do not presume 10 be wiser than he
Gospel. We do not presume To be wiser
than The Greater. We think that a man was
6orn a man before an American. We repu.
dldie the motto OF the Nenelians; ''Pria We
nezianal' poi Christiani,' "6rst a Venitian,
then a Christian" And looking at ourselves
in that capacity, we ask such one himself, as
an individual, can you uphold the Coustiiu-
ton of the Uulled States? Can YOU return
the fugitive slave TO his master Do YOU
stand ready to buckle on your knaps tcks,
with Edward Everett, TO put down a slave
instruction DO you stand ready with Dam
lei Webster, 10 affirm that everything the
Constitution guaranteed in favour of Slavery.
shall find in you a ready supporter? NO.
ibis is the rottenneSs Of American character.
the arrant cOrruptlon, the shameless want Of
delicacy which is afraid to uphold and fol-
low to their legitimate results The requirements
of 'he American Constitution. (Chccrs and
hisses.) Now, ] say that, unless those men
that express, r~ernacudariy, their disapproba-
ton, had had the misfortune 10 be born first
.3mer1canS and after that DIen,-had had the
misfortune to become citizens first, and after
wards Christians, Of those very men who
have expressed their dlsapprobation, not one
would stand up here, to-day, and be ready
10 return a slave to his master. | will 90 into
that assembly Of clergy men who are skulking
from the Indignation Of Christendom some
where in this city, and | will ask that Rev.
DR.. Cox, or that Rev. Mr.. Kirk, whose holy
horror would think that | was uttering trea-
son when | said that | would rather that my
right hand withcred than be raised to swear
an oath in support Of the Constitution of the
United States; | will ask these very men
whether, if the fugitive slave knocked at
their door, and his master, with his blood
hounds and chains, was behind him, if they
would do their DUTY under That Constitution.
by returning the slave to his master! and
they would not dare to answer me Yes
That very George Putnam, who saws that =;
man is not responsible for acts performed i
obedience to the commands of his Govern
ment," would see every one of his childreI
Stiili'h nc w Z DOll HdIu SlIIthG
off, before he would lift a little finger to Dc
his DUTY 10 that Constitution; and u,
they blame us for seeking its OuerihrOw. Now
this is the rollenness Of the American charac
ter, that 1t dare mi and ccnnot cayry OUT, ant
Is contented in not carrying out, IT'S OWN
PRINCIPLES. Ask that very .God-like'
StatesmaD,-who makes his quadriennia
progress through the South TO gather up the
votes of South Carolina and Virginil,-ask
him if | may inscribe side by side on the
tablet Of history with the name which he
iondly hopes will go down to postcrity,-
"Ilere lies the man who was willing to as
sist the slave-hunter, who was ready 10 give
the gigantic strength with which God en-.
lowed him, 10 aid in thrusting back into
Hell the painting fugitive whom The sight o
his happiness had tempted 10 leave ill' ant
he will not answer, Yes.
Such is the rottenness of the America 7
character, that it dare not be Judged by it:
own principles. There is not a paper, lher,
is not a Statesman, there is not a Divine, il
the FREE States Of America, who, at the same
time that they believe it is e%njo:ned in tn,
Constitution of the United States, woul,
dare to actively aid in the return OF the Fu
gitive, and yet they blame us for not being
willing 10 swear TO do il. | will swear TO d,
anything that | intend 10 do, but God forbic
ttat | should swear to do anything | mere
mean to do. (Cheers.)
This rottenness of the American characte
results from Slavery. Those men who wen
t 10 London! Do you suppose that the educa
lion, and the experience, through which the,
+ have passed, does not enable them TO per
ceiye that Slavery is wrong, and that, il III
, Church has any duty whatever 10 perform
its duty is 10 put down this, the sum of a
evils! Has DR.. Cox forgot the twiligl
dawn of that principle which broke in upo
his mind in the riot days of this city! An
is Daniel Webster so blind that he, too, doe
not see that a man has the highest title
himselfl No! But, shall we say that the,
men are more wicked than any that were ev,
known? No, again. They are but the tyr
Of this American character, and swallowe
up in the gigantic melstrorm of circumsta
ces which has drunk in the best hearts az
the best men that Providence has ever give
us. Do not suppose that God has not give
us clear-sighted men, and, as far as polite
tests go, honest-minded men in the MAN,
Ellsworth, and Strong, and Rufus King, al
| even Daniel Webster himself, are q fair tyr
: Of pOifical men. They are, doubtless, a
7 good as the Foxes, the Pitts, the Burkes, an
the others that gathered al the side of WI
=, berforce when he raised the first note Of Al
ti-Slavery reform. But circumstances alte
cases. The sec;s of the country canno
spread their nets from Main to Georgia
without they compromise the question 0
Slavery. They have always at heart, thougl
perhaps unconscious Of ii, The question
allow far may | serve God, and not sacrifice
the woTldl"
1t is not worth our while to %critcise tn,
character Of individuals. They are The atomt
on the great surface of this mighty curren
that is b bearing us down the tide of time, ant
the men are forgotten, in being bit the strdIO
that show which way the stream is flowing
have no care, therefore, 10 discuss, TO crill
else, 10 denounce individuals.
Mr.. President, know that fifty years ag
there was virtue enough in this nation I
have made US true to tho principles wi,
,rh,.b ,Ua ,r4od Ix,nu- 1T non, tbata ,