Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1848-10-13
Reasons for Voting at The Presidential
Election.
Pub. .4genf.

Such is the caption Of a communication
from Josiah Wheel, which he requests us to
publish and as it extends only from lslly 10
Ably, we shall give il in paragraphs with a
running commentary.
"ist. 1t is my Lirthright. and I will moi,
like Esau, despise my birtlrigh,."
Suppose he had been born in a country
whose laws declared him king, would lie
have d~espiSed his birihright; or suppose lie
had been born a STAKEHOLDER, or slave, would
lie have ruled in the one case and served in
the other because it was his birthright so 10
del But voting is not a birthright, it is
merely a conventional right; and in Ohio it
depends upon the nativity or naturalization
Of the individual, the age, the sex, the collar,
and the fact that the claimant Of the right has
paid taxes.
"2nd. This privilege was dearly bought
by the BLOOD an Treasure Of my ancestors.
Three Of my fathers brothers served in the
revolutionary war. Thomas Wheel was kill
led al Bunker Hill battle Nathaniel Wheel
MHlC CINlIE u uGlVuGt w wv u lOu-
deroga, died Of a fever; Joseph Wheel ser
we'd through the war, and afterwards became
a Baptist Elder"
The birtbright of lstly, has in 2ndly he
come a p,iriiege dearly bought. The family
history here gwen is interesting as apiece Of
genealogy, but we are not able to understand
why a man who had three uncles who fought
in the revolutionary war, is any more bound
10 vote than one whose ancestors were moi
soldiers. And besides, there were many SOL
diers who fought at that period, that would
never have raised their band to defend such a
pro.slavery constitution as the people now
have.
"3rd. attn impelled TO vote for such
men as ! believe will carry out those %resolu-
lions passed by the Buffalo convention, on
the principle Of Phiianthrophy. Exclusive
OF Texas, : there still remains nearly 650,000
square miles of territory received from Next
co, an area sufficient 10 make fifteen States
as large as Ohio BY unitedly voting this
Fall, we may prevent this vast country from
becoming slave territory, and hereafter slave
States. And every true philanthrophlst vii
do all that he lawfully can 10 maintain free
soil and free labor in that territory"
A true phiianihropist might "hegGHy" vol
for Henry Clay, who, one Of The Free Sol
leaders afirms, has been-on this question
for four years where that party now stands
but it would be an immoral act nevertheless
Morality and Law are not by any means III
SAM thing /; and while the latter permits
qualified voter 10 cast his ballot under, an
swear allegiance 10 the United States CO.
stilution, the former emphatically forbids
Our correspondent afirms he is impelled
vote for Van Buren, and Adams on the pri
ciple of Philanthropy. II PhilanthroPt
leads him in that way, she is hoodwinke
and knows not what path she IS treadin
knows not that her course is over three mi
lions of slaves which she has no right
crush, even though il be TO check slavery e
tension.
18th. BY refusing to vote, my condu
will say to the Shareholders, do tDhdt 81
please in extending and perpetuaiing slar
ry.'"
As for perpetuating slavery, that is a mi
ter which the Free Soil movement is not d
signed TO interfere with and if The slavehr
ders understand a refusal, on the part Of d
unionists, to deliver up runaway slaves al
to protect the masters in the event of an
surrection, as more of sanction Of slaveh'
ding practice than a promise on the part
voters to do these things, they are even mo
stupid than they represent their boDdInen
be.