Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1848-02-11

49, |h"'ReS' one owes II 10 herself TO de-
hounce, with proud scorn, the men who make
them.
Mat are the facts7
For the first step in the establishment of
slavery on this continent, the settlers were TO
blame. We seek to throw the odium upon
The BRUSH Government, and, as il had the
power to prohibit The trade in man, it should
bear It's share. But uho~ compelled mn one 10
purchase Siarcs? WIN ,uere Tie bayers? We
never could answer these questions without
admitting, that public opinion, in the early
settlement Of The country, was not concenlra-
ted against the traffic nay, thet it tolerated
and encouraged il. Had it not been so. IT
never could have been carried on. The ear
~ settlers therefore, were willing r%urchas-
ers OF slaves, and hence nust suffer the men.
ally which must ever this act
in the memory and Judgment Of all good
men.
But The second step was a bold, and united
endeavor, not SO much Of the North, as Of tina
South; 10 stop the slave traffic, and root ont
the Institution from the land. No excention
to this remark is to be found. The letters of
our fathers before the iev oluiion-thei speech.
es-all prore this, and the Qcts of the Deople
yet more than either, establish the fact
Georgia was as sound as Maryland. South
Carolina as decided as Virginia. In one and
all, among politicians and people, the great
purpose, Independent of the main end, was,
to prohibit the slave-trade, and DESTROY sla-
very.
In l71i-indeed, from 100 10 l715-not
a meeting Of a public character was held, in
which their object was not earnestly urped.
and tho only difficulty we have, is 10 select
from the testimony which establishes it.
June ia, the following counties, in the Old
Dominion, Prince George, Culpepper, Caro-
Inc, Nansemond, Surty, Fairfax, (Georre
Washington presiding,) Hanover, Princess
Anne, acted against the wicked, cruel, and
unnatural slave trade, and August 18th, a
full meeting Of the delegates of the different
counties, met at Williansburgh. and solemn
y resolved neither to import nor purchase"
slaves from any quarter. Nor was North
Carolina less decided. The provincial Con-
veniion met at Newborn, Aug. 81, l774, and
avowed the same purpose. Their resolve
"Ihat we will not import any slave or
or purchase any slave or sa YES impor-
ed or brought into this province by others,
rom any part Of the world, alter the first of
In this temper, the great body of the South
net the question Ct slavery. With oneness
| purpose, they resolved 10 crush the mon
ter vice, and be true to liberty. With stea-
y purpose, they affirmed in their primary as
emblIe9, that the slave-irade must cease, and,
nm II, that slavery should die out. 1t was
nder these circumstances, that the First Con-
mental Congress assembled at Philadelphia,
eleven out OF the thirteen colonies being re-
resented on the Sd Of Sept, IVA. Slave
' was a prominent topic. Ii was discussed
n all It's bearings. Its evils were depicted,
nd whatever good belonged to it was pre-
ented. But after a thorough and earnest in
'es'lgatlon, the Congress, 30th Oct, l77i,
the following article:
1--WE do for ourselves, and for the inhsbi.
ANTS of the several colonies whom we repre.
sent, firmly agree and associate, under the sa-
cred ties of Virtue, Honor and Love of our
as follows: = = That we
VIII neither import, nor purchase any slaves
imported. after the first day of December next.
Alter which we will wholly discontinue The
and will neither be concerned in.
It ourselves, nor will hire our vessels, nor sell
our commodities or manufactures to those who
are concerned in it,"
Every Slave State entered into this solemn
COVENANT, except Georgia and South Caroli-
These colonies were not represented.-
as soon after, MS could be, both ratified
The deed. January III, IVA, the provincial
Congress of South Carolina resolved
THAT this Congress do approve the Amer
lean association
Georgia followed suit. Darien, in prima-
ry assembly, led the way. The people there
Of declared their " adherence of the unnatu-
practice of slavery-a practice founded on
cruelty, and highly dangerous to
our liberties, las well as lives,) debasing part
of our fellow-creatures below men, and cor
rmpting the virtue and morals of the rest."-
They resolved, therefore, to stop the traffic,
and manumit their slaves. "Liberty," they
said, "could never be won or continued upon
any other basis" The Provincial Congress
of Georgia, at Savannah, on the 18th Of Jan.
uary, IT'S, for themselves, and their constit-
uents resolved
THAT we will neither import nor purchase
any slaves Imported, from Africa, or else
where, after the 18th day Of March next"
This was the spirit Of our revolutionary ia
theirs. And say not, that their action was
leyeled alone at the slave-trade. IL tcns in
tended TO reach slavery. They were resolved
to master that curse. They felt that the AL
mighty would not bless them, and that they
could not possess liberty while it existed
They said so. They applied to both the slave
trade and slavery the strongest epithets.-
: Debasing,' cruel UNNATURAL 'fendish,'
brutal debasing parl of our fellow-men,'
: %corrupting The rest &C., &c. And then
the year after, as if the world should not mis-
take, nor p%osteriiy misunderstood them, they
d sclared on the 4th of Jnly, l776;
.'We hold these truths to be seIEeyident:
tlAt all men are created equal that they are
endowed by their Creator with certain inalien-
able ig hts; that among these, are life, liberty,
and the pursuit OF happiness" -
Who shall dare say, with this array of ey-
idence, III at our fathers obtained their freedom,
and forme, cur Constitution, mainly TO pro.
tect or extend slavery! If there be such, let
all lovers of irutb-of the patriots of Tide
clare them ba. dSfamers Of good men, bold,