Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1849-07-28
'Fleas Of COnveptiOns.'

1t was Emerson, we believe, who desert
a bed the famous Abigail Folsom as tina, fe
. of Conventions Poor Abigail! Her hear
4, was full of philanthropy, but alas her hea,
was so bewildered on the subject of Ere,
Speech, that she constantly insisted, (and tn,
discipline of an Insane Asylum did not avail
to cure her of the singular hallucination,
that it was her right, in whatever Conven
ton she took her seat, 10 discuss any topic
that might happen at the moment 10 be up
permost in her confused brain, whether rela
ling to the reform of prisons and hospitals, tc
The expressions Of magistrates, the laws OIL
diet and health, or 10 her own connection
with the Methodist Church. A meeting call.
ed for a specific purpose, whether it were 10
abolish slavery or drunkenness, was, in her
estimation, an attack upon The indefeasible
right OF Free Discussions right of which
she deemed herself the prime defender.-
Hence, in Anti-Slavery meetings, she made
it a point to talk Of her experience in the In
sane Asylum, or upon some other topic equal
ly foreign 10 theis object; aad in other Con-
yentions, in which her presence was tolera-
ted, she pursued the same end by the same
means.
We fear that Abigail is not alone in her
claim TO the title awarded by Emerson. In
fact, so far as our experience goes, almost ev-
evry Convention has its fea,' or some other
equally noxious insect, bent upon the work
Of annoyance, and determined to blow every
thing sky high, unless those who have assem-
bled will pat aside their own strictly defined
business and give it chance TO buzz, buzz, by
the hour in the ears of the people in behalf
of some worn-out hobby, or some new-found
CROCHET, the adoption of which is perfectly
sure 10 destroy all the evils 10 which flesh
and spirit are heirs eas and bores, of
course, always excepted! Is a Society form
ed to abolish the use of intoxicating Liquors?
Your flea will insist upon boring you with
an essay upon tea, tobacco, or bran bread.
Call a Convention TO abolish chat,el Slavery,
being never so careful to explain your precise
object, and behold here again is your 'aea,'
who insists upon it that you are bound 10 seek
'he abolition ofaH other forms Of oppression al
the same time and through The same a~ssocia-
hon; and if you have the temerity 10 be so
free on your own platform as 10 remind The
intruder that he has no right 10 use your ears
without your consent for a purpose foreign 10
that for which the people were invited 10
come together, what a CHATTER you will hear
about : free discussion 'gag-law,' moboc.
racy,' &c., &c., to say nothing of billingsgate,
in the use of which your flea is apt to be
an adept. This class of insects, moreover,
are very selfcomplacent and o~racular. Theg
fancy that they were born TO whip all crea-
ton and something more, and of all the parts
of speech the perpendicular pronoun II is
in their estimation most important. Whoey-
er declines entering the lists with a champion
who thus plays the fool and the %braggart, and
virtually confesses himself incapable of dis.
eliminating between and a hawk a handsaw.
will Of course be denounced as a . coward ,,s
shrinking from an open encounter with one
whose artillery is capable of demolishing any
thing that cones in its way!
Perhaps, after all, there is some apolocv
for this species of ~animalcule. Some Of
them meant well originally, but have had
bad luck. Their worst fault ofien,imes ia
love for hearing their own voices which nm.
fortunately transcends the patience of the lis
tening public. If they appoint a mee,ipo on
their W account, for the purpose of exhibi.
ting their intellectual wares, The assemble i
apt to be thin; and hence they are compelIsd.
In utter desperation, TO commit a species Of
larceny not exactly defined in the books. hut
which may be called The larceny of an audi.
enee certainly, next to slavehold;no. ,ba
meaDest kind of theft. The man who iDs;s,.
ed that the steamer was bound to wait for b;s
hen 10 ray an egg was an example Of ra6oo.,.
ity composed with these depredator. p,on
the ears of the people.
Here endeth the first chapter upon ,bo
I'aeas Of Conventional