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


cratic countenance Of your proposed Consti-
tuition. . = | would rather submit
myself to a tax to pay for every negro in the
United States, than saddle posterity with
such a Constitution" And the people have
understood, and yet understand that il is de-
signed in certain of its parts 10 protect slave
ry. Under it, fugitives have been, and are
yet, "delivered up"-a recognition of the
Shareholders right to property in human flesh
which the South never insisted Upon prior TO
the adoption Of the Constitution. Under 1t,
the North stands ready TO protect the South
against " domestic violence" from her chat
tel laborers-sn obligation never acknow-
led ged until the Constitution became the
law Of the land.
Here then is the position Of every voter
He stands pledged as a component part Of
the government to deliver up the fugitive
slave from Georgia 10 The man 10 whom,
under The iaps Of that Stale, he owes service
or labor; he stands pledged to resist every
attempt Of the bondman to regain his freedom
and rise from chattelism TO manhood and
he impiously calls Upon Almighty God TO
witness his sincerity in the promises he
makes. He may, it is true, endeavor to JUS
tify himself as an abolitionist, by striving TO
prove himself a perjured man, and asserting
that when he swore 10 do this wickedness.
he did not intend to do it. The man who
says he acts in bad faith TO the STAKEHOLDER,
promising to 10 that which he does not de-
sign TO do, may tell The truth 10 the slave
holder and lie to others-there is no know
ing when to believe him. He may plead ig-
norance of the character of the Constitution;
that ignorance is sinful, for he has no right
10 swear 10 do he knows not what. No at.
tempted justification, no fine spun sophistry
can alter the character Of the oath. 1t is
registered in heaven, it stands recorded as
an oath not TO elevate, but to degrade hu-
manity, not to scatter blessings, bnt to fasten
curses upon mankind and we put the ques-
ton seriously and pointedly to every voter
whose ear we may gain, Will the election
of Gen. Taylor, Gen. Cass, Martin Van
Buren, or Gerrit Smith, justify You in thus
becoming, whether in good or bad faith, the
pledged allies of slavery! The election Of
some one of these candidates 10 the Presi-
Dental chair may be very desirable; but is
it so desirable, that you, who profess 10 be
an abolitionist, may, to secure it, swear to
uphold slavery ! for in voting for Gen. Casa
you vote for the Constitution, in casting your
ballot for Taylor, you cast it in favor of the
Constitution, in laboring to secure the tri-
umph of Van Buren,, you perpetuate the Con-
stitution, in striving to make certain the
election of Gerrit Smith, you give strength
to the Constitution. Vote for whom you
will, you vote for the Constitution Of the
United States. You vote for chains, and
Whips, and thumbscrews, and branding irons,
and crushed hopes, and blighled affections,
and degraded intellect for the slave you vote
for enervating luxury, and vicious ind olence,
and sensual debasement,and gross immortality
and absolute despotism for the STAKEHOLDER
you vote for continued servility. and recrean.
cy TO principle, and sinful compromises, and
unnatural union with men-stealers for the
people Of the North. And this, no matte
whether Wing or Democrat, Free Soil o.
League, be your party designation I; for tn,
South has the game in her own hands, and
none may play i, with her, except upon tn,
prescribed terms as set forth in the compro
misses Of the Constitution. Remember this