Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1848-10-06
Address,.

Believing as we do that righteousness ex-
aiteth a nation, but sin is a reproach to any
people, and that practices established by the
laws, or supported by the usages of a coiii-
munity, which are inconsistent with the laws
of universal righteousness, must bring down
upon such community the displeasure of AL
mighty God, who is no respecter Of persons,
but regards the lowly as well as the great,
and in whose hands are the destinies of ma
tons, as well as of individuals; we are in
duced from apprehensions of religious duty,
and a desire TO promote as far as we may be
enabled, the peace and prosperity of our COM
mon country, to solicit the serious attention
Of our fellow citizens TO the law now in force
in the State of Ohio bearing oppressively on
our colored population-usually termed the
black dlOS.
When we reflect that God hath made of
one blood all nations Of men, for 10 dwell on
the face of the earth, and that our blessed
Redeemer in his instructions TO his disciples
commanded them to teach, or proselyte all
nations, and thus declared his gracious de-
sign, that all, without distinction of nation or
color, should be brought within the sacred
enclosure of the universal church, it appears
impossible TO resist the conviction, that usages
or laws which measure the rights and privi-
leges of the African race by a lower standard
than that which we apply to our own, are
lrreconcilable with the manifested Will OF our
Great Creator, and with the imperative dec
~laration of our blessed Saviour, "all things
whatsoever We would that men should do to
you, do ye even so to them for this is the
law and the prophets"
But we apprehend the laws of Ohio, in re-
lation to the colored race, are not only in
compatible with the precepts and tenor OF the
gospel, (Which we profess to believe and TO
be governed by,) but with the spirit and
principles on which our government is osien-
sibly founded.
1t may be remembered that nearly sixty
years ago the Congress of the confederation
adopted an Ordinance declaring that in the
territory north west Of the Ohio, of which
the State of Ohio now constitutes a part
there should be neither Slavery, nor l%nvolun
tary Servitude, otherwise than in the punish
ment Of crimes, whereof the party shall hav'
been duly convicted and this Ordinance 81
proscriptive of slavery, had, as we under
stand, the unanimous sanction, through tn
votes of the delegates, not only Of Virginia
but of the Carolinas and Georgia.
Here this extensive territory, almost thel
unoccupied by civilized man, was solemn,
guarded from the intrusion of slavery. Her
we might have reasonably hoped, that tn
descendants of Africa, who in several Of tn
States were degraded below the common lie
vel of humanity, and held as the property o
their fellow man, in several Of the States
and treated rather as aliens and outlaws il
others, would find a country and a home
where they would be permitted and encour
aged to unite with !heir fairer compatrlots, Il
reducing the primeval forest under cultiva
ton, and where criminal designs would no
be necessarily inferred from the darkness o
the skin.
This Ordinance was not only adopted Il
it's fullest extent, in the Constitution of III
State, but it is laid down among the unsl
terable principles Of free government "tha
all men are born equally free and independ
ent, and have certain natural, inherent. ant
inalIenable rights, among which are the en-
joying and defending life and liberIyi &C
curing, possessing and protecting property
and pursuing and obtaining happiness AM
safety"