Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1847-01-15

plumbers, dnu put you a lew queslIuHS'
LIST. Do you not believe that it was settled
by The decision, III the year l772, of the high
est Court Of England, that there was not any
legal slavery in our American colonies!
ID. Do you not believe that there was no
legal slavery in any of the States Of this Ma
ton at the time tue Constitution was adopt
edl
Sd. Do you not believe that the Constitu-
ton created no slavery; and that ii Is not to
be held as even recognizing slavery provided
there was, at the time Of lis adoption, no le-
gal slavery in any Of the States?
4lh. Do you not believe that had the A
merican people adhered TO the letter and
spirit # the Constitution, chatlel slavery
would, ere this, have ceased to exist in the
kalionl
You will Of course, be constrained to an
swer all these questions in the affirmative
And | wish, that when you shall have an
swered them, you would also answer one
more--and that is the question whether, since
you are holly eager for The overthrow Of all
civil Governments-Ohey are not Govern
menls whose laws, if laws they may be call
ed, are without the sanctions of tUTce.) you
ought not to quad yourself most carefully
from seeking unjust occasions against them,
and from gratifying your hatred Of them, al
tie ergenSc of cdndOr and truth? An atheist
at heart is not unfre quPntly known to publish
his grief over what he (a%fl.cled soul) is pain
ed to be obliged 10 admit are blemishes upon
the Bible. His words are as il this blessed
book were ineXpreSSijly dear to him. Never
thpless, his inward and deep desire is that,
with or without the blrn,ishes he imputes 10
ii, the Bible may perish. Our non-resistanis
throw themselves into an agony before the
pubic eye, on account of the pro-slavery,
which they allpge idiu's the Constitution
But aside, in their confidential circles, their
language is, 'be the Constitution pro-Slavery
or antl-slaveTy, let 1t perish" Were the
Constitution uneAceptIouable to you on the
score Of slavery, YOU would, being a non-re-
sisiant. still hate 1t with unappeasable hatred.
Now, | put it TO you, my dear sir, whether
the non-resiStants, when they ask us to listen
10 their GiSintereNied arguments against the
anli-slavery character oil The Constitution, do
not show themselves 10 be somewhat Jrazen-
Jacedt ] say naught against your non-resist-
ancc. That / am not "a non.resiStant myself
that | still linger around the bloody and
hfe-taking doctrines in which was educat-
eds perhaps, only because have less hui
mainly aud plely Than yourself. Omen have
j tried 10 throw of this part Of my education:
and, that the Bible would not let me was,
perhaps, only my foolish and wicked fancy.
You ask ne to join you IN abandoning the
Constitution. My whole heart-my whole
sense OF duty 10 God and m1n-furbids my
doing so. la my own Judgment Of the case,
| could not do So without being guilty of the
most cowardIy and cruel lreachrry toward
my ensIaved cuuntrymen. The Constitution
has put weapons Into the hands of the Ameri-
can people entirely sufficient for Staying the
monster within whose bloody aud crushing
grasp are the three millions Of American
slaves. | have not failed to calculate the toil,
aud scit-denidl, and peril OF using those wea-
pons m%aniully and bravely-aEd yet for one,
] have determined, God helping me, thus 10
use them-and not sell-indLlgtntIy and base
~, to cast them away. IT the people of the
North should refuse 10 avail themselves of
their constitutional! power to eittctuate the
overthrow OF American slavery, on them must
Isl the guilty responsibility, and not on that
Power-Ior it Is ample. 10 give up thu Cen
s%rltutIOn i To give up the slave. His hope
OF ID peaceful drliverance is, under God, ON
tie application If the anti-slavery principle,
Of the Constitution.
No. cannot join you in abandoning the
Constitution I'D overthrow ing the Govern
mtni. | cannot join you, Notwithstanding
you tell me, that 10 do SO Is The only poIitl-
Cal action IN which IA man Of honor and self
resi- ect can engage in this country" Your
telling me- so Is but another proof of your in
tolerance and insolence-but another proof OF
the unhappy chang, wrought in your temper
and manners by The associations and pursuits
Of your latter years. Your telling me so car
ries no conviction TO my mind Of the truth Of
what you tell me. 1t is a mere assertion
and has. surely none The more likeness to an
argument 10y reason of the exceedingly often
slve terms IN which it is couched.
Since | began this letter, | have received
one from a couple Of colored men of the city
Of Alexandria. Never did | read a more elo-
qnent or h%eart-melllng letter. You reInem-
Der that Congress at lis last session, lett il TO
the vote Of the whites in that part Of the Dis
trict of Columbia south Of the Potomac,
whether that part OF the District should be
set back to Virginia, and colored people be-
subjected TO the murderous and diabolical
laws which that State has enacted against CO.
lored people, the free as well as the bond
The letter which have received, describes
the feelings Of our poor co!ored brethren, as
they saw themselves passing from under thu
> laws of the nation into the bloody grasp o
The laws Of a slave state. / will give you al
extract.
Il know that could you but see the poo
r coIored people of this city, who are the poor
est OF Gods poor. your benevolent heart woulC
melt at such an exhibition. Fancy, but TO
1 a moment, you could have seen them on tn,
day OF election, when The act OF Congress
relroceding them to Virginia, should be re
!, jected or confirmed. Whilst the citizens 0
. this city and county were voting, Gods hum
: BILE poor were standing III rows, on either sid,
Of The Court House, and as the voters wert
announced every quarter of an hour, The sup
2 pressed w~ailings and lamentations of the PEG
r pie of color were constantly ascending to noc
for help and succor, in This the hour of iheiI
= need. And whilst their cries and lamenta
5 lions were going up to the Lord of SabaoIh
|, the curses and shouts of the people, and tn,
sounds Of the wide-mouthed artillery, whiet