Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1848-09-01
From the UrJanna Citizen g. Gazette.
The Free soil Movement not Abolition
ism.

]. SAxToN, Esqr,-SIR We noticed in
the Citizen and Gazette of August 5th., a
paper published by you in this place, and OF
which you are Editor and proprietor; that you
| rake a call upon some of your Free Soil,
xnS ition friends, las you are pleased to style
them) for information, whether they sub
scribe to the sentiments, expressed in the
following paragraph. which you allege TO be
copied from the Anti-Slavery Bugle; which
you say, is Free Soil paper, published at
Salem Coiumbiana county, Ohio. If we do
not, you think it is time we should pause
and reflect. The alleged paragraph, as we
find it copied in your paper, is as follows
1.-The Constitution does not deserve a.
mending-no honest man ought 70 touch it,
nor can he without being defled. II is a far
greater tyrant than was Louis Philippe, and
If the men Of France were justified in over
turning the throne by violence, the men of
America would be justified in destroying the
Constitution by the same means. 1t is a
hoary headed despot that has ruled over them
for seventy years, and it is more than time it
was hurled from its place, and the sceptre of
its dominion broken. In the name of God
and Liberty, down with the Constitution"
Now sir, we the undersigned, as Com
mittee of the Free Soil and Free Territory
Association in the town Of Urbana, for our
selves, and in behalf of The Association. feel
1t 10 be our duty, as serious and candid men
AS men who have "paused and reflected"
and mean to act, candidly, honestly, and in
all good conscience, TO respond to your call,
though addressed as Free Soil Abolitionists,
while our distinctive character, is that of the
free Soil and Free Territory party; and this
we presume is well known to YOU. Never
theiess, as we presume your call is made up
on the party, known as the Free Soil and
Free Territory party, while the word ABoLI-
TIoN, is only tackled on, or dragged in gratu-
ltously, as a kind of slur or species of bunk
UNI, for political effect, or because you think
to prejudice the minds of those who may not
be fully apprised Of the principles for which
we contend; we will so far as we may be
able, briefly and candidly reply as follows.
FIRST, however, to arrest any prejudice that
may be entertained against US by your read
ers, from the fact Of seeing the name of Alb
olltlon connected with our true name, we say
mat This question has nothing to do with the
merits or dement's of Abolitionism: nor has
our party anything to do with the principles
oil the abolltionlsts, father than in common
with them and almost the entire North we
hold TO the prohibition of slavery in the new
ly acquired territories. On this principle we
suppose the Abolitionists will generally vote
with us. And we are glad that our views
harmonlze upon principles of so much i'm
porlance, and OF such vast and abiding in
teIest TO the rights of man. But sir, it is
idle to harbor for a moment the thought, that
one-twentieth part Of the Free Soil and Free
Territory party ever belonged to the Adolf
ton party. You might with equal p~ropriety
call on the Free Soil Democratic Wing par
ty, or even the Free Soil Quaker party, for
we expect this highly intelligent class Of our
fellow citizens will vote with us, upon the
broad principle named above. And you will
not undertake to deny, that many Of the most
gifted and purest men Of our nation are with
US. And we fondly hope that you may live
to know, what we firmly before, that thou
sands OF the good, the virtuous, and the wise
OF all parties, will vote with US, both fofs the
sxesi.ency Of or csGso and the purity Of our
principles.