Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1848-08-25
The Anniversary.

OF tne annual mtetInR NhlS year dhu must
therefore depend partially upon the report of
others in regard 10 its %unfagging interest
from beginning 10 end. The big tent was
not on hand as expected, but this, which was
at first felt to be a sore disappointment, be-
cause of the late hour at which the fact was
made known, did not interfere materially
with the comfort of the audience, as a plea
SAINT grove, a short distance from the village,
belonging to Benjamin Hawley, was cheer
fully granted for the use Of the Society,"
Seats were speedily arranged, and a platform
erected, over which loated a flag, belonging
to our Leesville friends, and bearing the mot
to "No UNION WITH sLAvEHoLDERs IN CHURCH
OR STATE"
Crowds soon began TO throng the place of
meeting the seats were filled a Gordon Of
carriages occupied either by abolitionists or
those who desired to hear anti-slavery truth,
enclosed them and the platform. The sky
was CLEAR, the air balmy, and a gentle breeze
swayed the overarching branches to and fro;
and there, in Natures grand and glorious
temple, where everything save man ard mans
devices tell of Natures freedom, those who
wo r~shipped Liberty knelt at her altar.
The gathering was very large, numbering,
we should judge, not less than four thousand.
The subjects brought before the Society for
discussion were important, yet there were
;tapoe sc I,o;o. ..:,I IL ..-.
which ought to have received a greater share
of attention than they did. The Annual
Meeting of Society should not be regarded
as an ordinary convention, called for the dis
%cussion of principles; it is necessary that a
Society should devise ways and means to
carry out its prlnciples-should adop. mea-
sures 10 make its influence felt, so that it
shall live not only in name but in deeds
So far as eloquent and impressive speaking
was concerned, keen logic and pathetic APP
peal, we have heard but one opinion express
ed in regard to the claim of the meeting 10
these characteristics but we confess it did
not give as much attention as we thought ne
cessary TO the machinery of its organization,
to the many little items Of business which
are less pleasant than eloquent speeches, but
quite as indispensable to continuous health
full agitation of the public mind.
The past year has been to the Society one of
financial embarrassment; a heavy debt hung
over it in the comm encement, and owing to
the peculiar circumstances in which they
have been placed, the Executive Committee
were unable to liquidate it, and at the same
time keep in operation those agencies which
they believed indispensable to a proper agi-
tation of the question Of anti-slavery hence
debts to the amount of $500 are speedily to
be paid, debts incurred with the expectation
that the abolitionists at this meeting would
not only take measures to liquidate them, but
furnish sufficient means for the operations OF
the coming year. We regret to say that this
has not been done; and the Committee mus,
now depend upon individual effort made by
abolitionists at home. We wish some o.
the friends would purchase shares in the Blu
gle press, for the Committee have been OBJ
liged to appropriate between three and four
hundred dollars to redeem $25 shares helc
by various persons and though there is pro
baby not less than five hundred dollars du'
from subscribers TO the Bugle, it cannot b,
collected at present. With the hope tina
abolitionists may do at home what SHOULD
have been more fully done at the Annua
Meeting, the Committee have continued al
the agencies the Society had the past yeal
! and will depend upon the active co-operatio
4 of their friends to furnish them with %suficier
3. means to continue so to do.
But to return 10 the meeting, whose init
d rest was greatly increased by the presenc
and labor of our friends Burleigh and Wrigh
The clear logic of the one, and the deep ca
n~estness of the other, did much to ~illustraI
e the truth, and beauty, and efficiency of II
n principles embraced by the Society, and
h deepen the conviction in the hearts of Di
unionists, that it would be a shameful recr
sncy to principle, for any intelligent believ
in the sinfulness of tha Federal Union,
become a party to that governmental cor
pact, even for the sake of immediate, unive
sal emancipation, TO say nothing of the
lower aim of the Free Soil party. The a
vocates of that movement had, however,
fair opportunity to present its claims all Il
arguments that could be urged in its supPo
were attentively listened to, and successful
,s met. Though all admitted that the positit
of that party was infinitely in advance Of t
,e former Wing and Democratic parties, Di
n u~nionists were unable to see in this fact,
reason whv thew should lower their standaF