Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1849-09-01
The New Concord Free PrGsS-.The Bible.

The New Concord Free PrrSS..The Bible.
In the preceding column will be found the
reply Of the New Concord Free Press 10 our
remarks on the Bible and its relations 10 the
Anti-Slavery cause, in the Bugle of August
llth-remarks made in response 10 what
part of that journal, to wit: that AboIilionists
should either repudiate the Bible, or defend
it against the assaults Of the champions of
Slavery. The Editor Of the Free Press meets
the question in a courteous spirit, and with
a manliness which we shall endeavor to recip-
rocate. We ask the reader 10 look carefully
and candidly, first at the remarks of our CO.
temporary, and then at our rejoinder.
/. Our friend tells us that we 'lost sight
of the point at which he was aiming, which
was, that the .2nii-Slavery Standard, having
replied 10 all The other arguments of a South
ern defender of Slavery, was therefore
bound to reply to that urged from The Scrip
lures. This reasoning seems to us illogical.
We cannot perceive that in replying in part
to the arguments of an antagonist we incur
an obligation to answer him specifically upon
every point. He may raise unimportant or
irrelevant issues, or there may not be time
and room to meet all those which call for a
reply. We are not sure that ICE shall be able
10 answer the Free Press on evenys point, and
he certainly has not replied TO every thing
contained in our former article. We grant
that the failure TO reply to one of an oppo-
nent's arguments does sometimes indicate a
want of fairness,cr courage, or both, bu, not
always; and we do not think that the SIAN
ddrd, in the case referred TO, was obnoxious
TO such an imputation.
?. To our argument that il is not the appro-
pirate business Of Abolitionisis, in their orga-
nized capacity, to defend the Bible, the Free
Press replies, ir substance, : You discuss the
relations of The u. S. Constitution to Slavery,
and surely they are no more intimately con-
necicd with the Anti.Slavery Reform than
the Bible question: The cases are not par
allel. People do not go to the Constitution
TO defend the morality Of Slavery if they
did, we should answer them as we answer
those who resort to the Bible for the same
purpose: : If you prove that the Constitution
sanctions Slavery, you thereby show, not that
Slavery is right, but That your Constitution
is Of the Devil There would be no use in
that case in wasting words upon The proper
Interpretation and construction of the several
articles and sections, because the question is
one which, in The nature Of things, cannot be
settled by an appeal 10 any written document.
IL would be a mere farce TO enter your plea
and summon your witnesses before a lribuna'
whose competency you deny, and whose de.
cision you are determined to disregard, unless
it happens TO accord with your own iudp.
ment. But the people of the United States
do not resort TO the Constitution for any such
purpose. With the exception of Lysander
Spooner's omnibus load Of bats and owls
whose blindness TO truths and facts, which
every body else acknowledges, is only equal,
led by the facility with which they ssec
what is not TO be seen the whole BODY O
citizens, at The North as well as the South
admit that the Constitution is defled b,
compromises > in favor Of Slavery but her,
is not one among them all who ever goes 1,
that INSTRUMENT 10 show that the institution
is RIGHT. All our discussion Of the Consti
t%utional question is directed to This one point
to detach men from the support of an instru
Inent which they acknowledge to be one Of tn,
bulwarks Of an immoral institution. Tn,
Constitution %sustains a peculiar relation {,
Slavery, in that ii is a bond Of union-a swou
contract between Shareholders and non
shareholders, whereby The latter are involved
in guilt with ihe former. On his poin, the
AboliUonists psomuIgate no peculiar theory
they only apply 10 well known and almost
universally recognized facts the principles o.
common honesty and pure morality.
B. In what shape does the Bible question