Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1848-09-29


Neither did ii abolish the abominable TO-
reign slave trade, which was then in full ca
reer; but actually prohibited the abolition
thereof, even by amendment, for twenty years,
without giving the slightest pledge that after
the year 1903 the traffic should be suppress
ed. Thus it sanctioned aud pledged the ma
tional protection 10 unmitigated piracy against
humanity. 1t did all this without one soli-
tary expression Of shame, sorrow or COM
junction.
1t gave Shareholders a preponderating po-
litical weight in the election Of President
and Vice President, and in the lower branch
of the National Legislature, to the extent OF
three-ffhs of all their slaves /; whence has
resulted a slaveholding oligarchy in the CO.
vernment, and innuIEerable evils to the
country.
1t pledged all the citizens Of the United
States to deliver up fugitive slaves on de-
mand of persons claiming them under the
laws Of slaveholding State, just as If they
were actual felons, whereby thousands Of I'M
fortunate people have been subjected, not on
ly to recapture, but to all manner Of cruelties
for the innocent act of trying to obtain by
peaceful flight their natural and inalienable
rights.
1t pledged the whole national force Of
purse and arms to protect Shareholders against
domestic uioience, though naturally and wan
tonly provoked by outrage and inhumanity
under the system Of slavery. In this way
the u. S. Constitution clandestinely but eff
f~ectually endorsed the moral and republican
character of Shareholders, held out a bounty
of extra political power to the perpetrators OF
new and aggravated outrages on the rights OF
man, installed the slave-trade as the legiti-
mate branch Of national m for twenty
years, cut of the slaves from all hope of de-
liverance. either by flight or resistance, made
the Federal Government Jailer TO the slave
States, opened the door to a long series of
slavaocratic usurpations, and completely i'm
plicated the whole nation in the guilt of an
institution which aggregates and involves all
the wickedness that human beings can com
nit against one another or their Creator
All this is as clearly demonstrable as that
two and two make four.
Yet this Constitution was framed and
adopted by a people protesting unbounded
reverence for republican liberty and the natu-
raj rights of man. And it continues to be
supported on oath or affirmation ~ such a
people, thus far 10 the triumphant march,
extension and consolidation of slavery.
That it may be seen how jealously this
Constitution guards the liberty of Republi-
canism against the tyranny of Monarchy and
the insidious encroachments of foreign in
fuence, read the following article:
elf any citizen of the United States shall
accept, claim, receive or retain any title of
nobility or honor, or shall, without the con-
sent of Congress, accept and retain any pre-
sent, pension, Office or emolument of any
kind whatsoever, from any emperor, king,
prince, or foreign power. such person shall
cease to be a citizen of the United States,
and shall be incapable of holding any Office
of trust or profit under them, or either of
them"
Thus il appears that if a citizen Of the
United States, without a special act of in
diligence from Congress, should accept a
cane, or a tin medal, or a red ribbon, from
Queen Victoria, he would forfeit all the rights
and honors of citizenship. He could neither
vote or hold office. He would render him
self unworthy Of membership in the civil So
ciety of this liberty-loving Republic. But
he may hold a thousand slaves, not only
without reproach, but with additional politi-
cal influence, and with the solemn pledge of
the whole nation that if his slaves run away
from him, they shall be delivered up to him
on demand, and if they rebel against his ty-
ranny they shall be crushed by irresistible
force, at the public expense, into passive
submission. And these re publican monarchs
of the plantation, fat and sleek on the spells
of liberty, may be made Presidents, &C., &c.
made the special guardians of the very
liberty so jealousy guarded from The faint Of
a royal bride. To accept a royal ribbon dis
franchises and all but outlaws a citizen
To hold as slaves hundreds OF fellow crea
lures is meritorious. Who will swear tc
supper such an anti Christian Constitution
Let no man that names the name of Chris
blast his conscience by assuming such
f~earfully criminal responsibility.-Non-Re
sisiant and Practical Christian.