Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1848-10-20

lance TO the annexation Of Texas, after the
accession of Polk, the chiefest supporters Of
Clay declared that il was too late = and that
: resistance might be attended with bad re-
sultsn Who believes, now, that there was
any sincerity in the pretended opposition Of
Clay and his most prominent p~artisans TO the
Annexation Who would have laughed the
credulity Of the Abolitionisis to scorn more
loudly. or at least more heartily, than they,
had they succeeded in cajoling theml
Up to about the time of the contest between
Clay and Polk, the political action of aboli-
tionists was governed chiefly by a regard 10
the relations Of the candidates to slavery, and
they opposed them on the ground of the spe-
cial suit and service they had vowed to it, by
their words or by their actions. But about
that time they perceived that TIE relations of
all holders of office to slavery were, of neces-
sity, if maintained in good faith, those OF sup
port and comfort. They discerned that it
was of small moment who administered the
Constitution of the country, so long as that
Constitution makes, in the words of John
Quincy Adams, the preservation, propoga-
ton. and perpetuation of slavery the vital and
animating spirit of the National Government
They saw that as Abolitionists they could
not execute the pro-slavery commands of the
Constitution, and as honest men they could
not swear to perform them, with the delihe-
rate purE ose Of breaking their o%atlIs. And
what they might not do themselves, they
clearly could not appoint others, by their
votes, to do for them. The only political ac-
ton that lay open to them was to labor out
side of the Constitution, and not within ii,
for its overthrow. To convince the people
that their form of government was the great
est enemy of their safety, their prosperity and
their honor; that all their material prosperity
and local advantages were in spite, not be-
cause, OF their confederate Union and to per-
sudde them openly and honestly TO repudiate
the compromise by which they had delivered
themselves up, bound in political servitude,
to the tender mercies Of their natural enemies,
and TO erect a new government, free from the
disturbing and disgraceful element Of slave
ry, in which the experiment Of self-govein-
ment could be fairly tried.
Just at this point Of time, and when affairs
are in this posture, the Free Soil Party ap-
pears and claims The support of the Aboli-
%tionists, by virtue Of its superior Anti-Slave-
ry pretensions. Its pretensions are specious,
and, in fact, include about all that a political
party, intending TO maintain good faith to-
wards the Constitution, should offer. 1t pro-
poses to forbid the extension of Slavery in
the newly-stolen territories, to abolish il
wherever the Constitution will permit. and
TO confine it to its present Constitutional and
territorial limits. Time was when the Abo'
l~itionists would have been thankful for thus
much, and when, for maintaining thus much
they were mobted and hunted, whipped and
shot, a price set upon their heads, their name
cast out as evil, and they prosecuted unto
strange cities. But their long and hard ex.
L. 49,
phetic strain and they now plainly perceive
that what would have satisfied them in theii
days of ignorance, falls very far short of wha'
the necessity of the case demands. They
can take no part in a movement which con,
templates the recognition of the legal relation
Of master and slave, anywhere within the
Universe of God. They sPurn and spit upor
lie doctrine that any compact can be binding
which conditions for the return Of a fugitive
into the hell Of Slavery. and for the forclble
suppression Of an attempt on the part OF the
slaves TO vindicate their rights by an APP
peal TO arms and the God of Battles Thei
: sense OF personal honor forbids them to swea
TO supper such a compact, either PERSONAL
or by proxy. for the purpose of eXerting poll
tical power, even for the slave, with the in
tention of performing it-much more will
the intention of breaking it. They see in al
candidates for the Presidency, 10 whateve
party they may belong, on whatever platform
they may stand, by whatever name they ma,
be called, a~spirants for the office of Protecto
Of the Institutions of the South, of Nationa
Oversser of the American Slaves! Thes
are among the duties which Martin Van Blu
+, rem or Gerrit Smith must perform, if elected
, as well as Zachary Taylor or Lewis Cass, @
, be foresWorn.
p The ihthptation TO rOte is the strongest tina
! can be presented to the American mihd.-
, The American clings TO his ballot as the NOR
: arch to his sceptre. 1t is, consequently, tn
act of his life for the justification of which
s Is the most ingenious in finding excuses
n The Abolitionist does not cease TO be an 4
mefican when he becomes an Abolitionis
r The habits of his past life, the prejudices
if his education aud the pressure of public SCI
timent from without, all c~onspire to mal
!, him bow down and worship the bailot-bci
even though it stand for slavery, s~ustaine
h by the whole force Of the Nation. And v
d what an employment for an Abolitionist !
N Squabbling to make one man rather than a.
other Head-turnkey of the National Bastiit
n We admit a difference in the character an
position of the candidates. We will alloy
il you please, that Taylor and Cass are
much below Van Buren, as hell is lower thS
te the earth. But then the Abolitionists are
much above him as the heavens are high
Sc than the earth. If Slayery is to be maintai
,e ed forever by the National strength. with
the boundaries of the present Union, whiC
e. must be the contemplation of every hone
Constitutions party, we see no reason wi
v it should not spread oyer any extent Of o
s. territory. As to the strength it would add
r. the Slave Power, we should rejoice in il.
of a strong nation is base and mean enough
ID consent TO hold the chain of the Slave viii
ii his tyrant is robbing and torturing him,
can have no share in the degradation of
re victim that it will not deserve. From III
or mean, base, cowardly position the North,
the stronger party, can recover whenever