Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1848-12-08
Lynn Pioneer and Practical Christian.

Friend George Bradburn, Of tho Pioneer.
responds 10 our late hit al him for throwing
one Of the Nos. of this poor little paper under
his table, as follows:
1.-THE pRAcTIcAL CHRISTIAN, if it had
eyes, might see - that lie" in the expression
we designated as inducing US to throw one
of its papers under our table. We have
since, it having been some how repeatedly
thrust on our observation, read the whole ar
ticle, and find it full Of lies, though most Of
them are embodied in the single offensive
expression we before quoted. 1t very easy
TO say, Of the Constitution. sit is a pro-
slavery compact" just as easy and just as
impudent, as it is TO say, as thousands have
said, that the New Testament sanctions
slavery" And does the Practical Christian
believe that our denunciation of the latter as
sertion is a leland we have often, and we
dare say, with no little "c%ontemptuous i'm
patience so denounced it" betray an
apprehension that after all II Is a Futh, ralh-
eT than a lie 2"
The living article in question has now
come to us on a special slip, with the re-
quest, that we would insert it in the Pioneer.
Perhaps we will comply with that request;
for we are disposed TO give even error an
- open field and fair play" in the columns
of our paper.
The above was written some weeks ago,
but got left out. Though late, we have let
it 90 in, for we have too much respect for
the Practical Christian to withhold all res
ponse to its appeal. Adm Ballou is a strong
man, and a good one which w say, 10 pfe-
vent any misconstruction, not by him, bal
by others knowing neither Of us, OF 1.-THE
plain language" we have employed in
:. snapping out" at this perpetual 5elaboring
Of certain notions we chance to entertain, in
common with men as learned in the law as
we know Adm 10 be in the gospel"
We can afford to be pretty good natured
in this case. For we are cure we are in the
right, or, at any rate, that we sincerely de-
sire TO be set right. We have no interest
per sc, that we are aware of, in maintaining
that the Constitution is a PrO-siauery com
pact, or that it is any-thing but what 1t real
~ is. On The other hand, we should bt
much g~ratified TO know that it was meant t
be an ~.Anii-Slarery i istrument, and has onl,
been rendered otherwise in effect by a sue
cessful lraud on the people. But no man.
mere say so, however positively or frequent
j., ly reiterated, will make it an Anti-Slaver.
Constitution. And il would be OF no US
for us to say amen to the most learned mai
, III tht "OIlu, WHO snUulu pronounce W u
r so, if our own common sense said the contra
, ry.
; We are not totally ignorant Of the ingen
' ions iuris-prudential, pathological and gram
. matical arguments used to demonstrate tina
the Federal Constitution is purely Anti
Slavery. And we grant that if the docu
! ment had been taken from some vault in on
Of the Egyptian Pyramids, as having bee
5 the Constitution Of an ancient and unknow
= people, those arguments would be quite cor
elusive. There is no doubt that the Const
: tuition ought 10 have been Anti.Slavery
agree either with natural justice or the mi
jor part of itself. But is it SOL Was
:, meant to be so by its formers, or by its adoT
}, tiers, or by its early expounders4 Have il
e authorized expounders ever so interpreted !
Is it either the judgment or the will Of II
7 American people 10 regard it as such J.
k Grant that it can be so construed and int
preted, without absolutely violating the Law
Of language, or the principles of the CONNIE
law, does that make it really Anti-Slavery
1t only demonstrates that if the people c;
e be made willing 10 accept and act under