Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1848-09-08
s%fituiion which constitutes one IF lis c0mpromi-
ses upon The subject IF slavery"

nominee of the Free Soil party. His views
may be sufficiently liberal and comprehen.
sive for that movement as it is really consti-
tuted, though it is possible a better man,
though probably not "a more available candi-
date might have been selected. We honor
the Wing and Democrat who leave their old
parties, sacrificing their long cherished pre-
delictions, and taking what is to them an adj
vance position; but the professed abolitionist,
who for availability supports Martin Van
Buren,, and to catch anti-slavery votes pre-
fe"ds that his candidate is anti-slavery, while
In his Utmost soul he knows that he is not if
he knows anything about him such, a one,
we say, is a betrayer Of the hondman's cause.
We thought it possible that when Liberty
party men so confidently asserted that Mar
tin Van Buren, was anti-slavery, that he might
have changed-that such might be the fact
but we challenge them to point to a single
principle in relation TO slavery which he now
holds, that he did not entertain when he &C.
cupied the Presidential chair. or a sinrle
measure which he now approves, that would
not then have received his hearty support.
with the single exception, perhaps of non.
extension, and this he would he the last 20
uphold if he believed it would be a reproach
to the South or be the means of her degrada-
ton. So far as we can read the spirit of the
man in the language Of his letter, there is
no act Cn relation to slavery in his admin
i~stration he condemns and should we assert
that he would refuse 10 sign a bill paying
the claimants OF the Amistad captivcs the
market value of their lost prey, it would be
solely because of our hope, and not because
we can draw such inference from his con-
demnation of past acts which were quite as
atrocious, and for which he has manifested no
repentance.
\ few words more and we conclude this
unavoidabIy long article. The corrupting in
duence of politics is visibly written upon the
history Of Liberty party for the last four
years. Had the members of that party been
asked in 1911 TO forsake James G.. Birney
and concentrate their votes upon one who &C.
cupied the position of the Free Soil nominee,
they would have regarded it as an insult and
treated it with contempt, or Perchance have
each replied as one Of old did "Is thy ser.
want a dog that he should do this thing ~
Since then they have made "Availability''
their watch word they have not been made
king over Syria, but they sought for power,
and 10 obtain it lowered their standard and
nominated John P. Hale. and to obtain We
more, they again lowered their standard and
forsood Hale for Van Buren,. They forsooE
their anti-slavery principles, gave the lie t
their anti-slavery professions in order to gail
votes, and where are they The scattered
remnant are lauding this letter of acceptanc,
as being a noble document, just what is nee
ded, just what was expected. They have s,
stultified themselves that their moral visiol
is darkened, so that they can neither see til,
force of a principle when it is presented, no
when it is absent realize the fact. 1t is tru,
there are at present some who are not alto
gether satisfied with Van Buren's letter, bu
they soon will be-or the most of them-fo
having once entered upon the downward roa,
of compromise they will continue to progress
therein, unless they change their entire char
acters and cease TO be politicians.
So far as The advocates of the Free Sol
movement claim that its primary object is t
prevent the extension of slavery and Incl
dentally do whatever other work the "pla,
form" declares is within its province, W
have no controversy with them, but on III
contrary, wish them all the success they de
serve; and such is the position of the grea
mass of the party. But we hare controver
sy with those who falsely pretend that til
movement is a genuine anti-slavery move
ment, and shall ever hold ourselves ready I
show the groundlessness of the claim set u
by these Liberty party boilers. The gam
they are now playing is not a new one.-
Two years since, in order to justify their a,
!, ton under the constitution, they endeavore
5 to prove that that document was anli-slaver'
! This answered their purpose for a time, b,
they have now abandoned that ground ar
identified themselves with the Free Soil pa
ty; TO justify this hovement-to prove III
they must necessarily be right, wherever tn,
are, they Justify proclaim that the Free Sc
movement is undiluted abolilionism, the We
-. quintessence of anti-slavery.
ANNIVERSARY OE THE WESTERN Pea,
e SocIETY.-It will be seen by a notice in a
IS other column that the annual meeting of t
l. Western Peace Society, will be held Il
h year at Richfeld. We trust the meetiI
will be large-we are confident it will pro
interesting.