Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1849-10-06
A N G. SwISsHELM.
From Samuel May, I.
BosToN, Sept. H., 1916

My Dear Friend: / have received the kind
invitation, which you say you were instruct
ed to convey to me by the Committee of Ar
Engagements, to attend the Young Mems and
Women's Anti-Slavery Convention i'm Ohio,
to be held the 2lst of this month and follow
ing days. Though it is quite out of my pow
er to accept the invitation, and in bodily
presence be with that interesting assembly,
convened for so holy and unselfsh a prr-
pose, yet l sensibly feel the honor which
your invitation implies, and would gladly
convey to every anti-slavery heart in your
Convention the assurance of my sincerest
sympathy, and of my deepest interest in their
labors.
The Anti-Slavery Cause, like true Chris
tianity, requires the devotion, and is adapted
to enlist the sympathies of every person, of
whatever condition, and at whatever period
of life. 1t can dispense with the aid of no
honest and good heart, and furnishes ample
scope for the best powers of every such one.
Still, it seems peculiarly gratifying and pecu-
liarly encouraging when we see the youag
men and women of our land pledging the
freshness of their powers, the unhackneyed
impulses and convictions of their natures, to
this cause,-a cause which embodies in it
self, to an extent which none other does or
can in this land, the elements of the ~strictest
right, the soundest morality, and the purest
religion.
For l believe, my dear Sir, and it is a faith
which has been steadily gaining strength
within me for the past ten wears, that the
Christianity of this age-certainly so far as
the Nation is concerned-is in the Anti-Sla-
very cause. In this cause | recognize the
closest moral and spiritual identity with the
religion taught by Jesus, the Messiah of God,
and by his devoted disciples. Its principles
are the same,-its foundations in the eternal
principles OF righteousness and Justice, the
same,-the weapons with which it strives,
ana expects to conquer, the same,-the chief
opposition, the most desperate obstacles with
which 1t has to contend, the same, even sspir-
itual wickedness in hii,,. placOs,"-the tactics
ana missiles OF Its enemises, the same, mail
ice, envy, false-witness, deceit, treacherv, re-
venge. They who consecrate themselves to
this cause, and work in it without regard to
the favor or fear of man, read the Scriptures
o. the life and teachings of Jesus, Gods
weii-beloved Son, with amounted eyes, with
understanding hearts, with such faith, and
such vision of God, as the e~xpediency-led
ana popularity-hunting Christians of this day
Know nothing of. Jesus Christ stands before
this people in the Anti Slavery cause, and
says to them, as he points to the man fallen
among thieves, " masmuch as We do it not to
these my brethren, We do it not to ME-" The
prevailing sentiment of the people, social and
religious, joins itself with the priest and the
Levite and passes by on the other side, thus
proving its sympathy and identity with that
false religion of the Savior's day which ar
rayed itself against him, reviled him, perse-
cuted him, illuminated and crucifed him.
And tho rnInIcfnrC af eli, EI.- -
majority are the very image and counterpart
of those "Scribes and Pharisees' who bound
heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and
laid them on mems shoulders, themselves re-
fusing to touch them with one of their fin
gers, who shut up the kingdom of heaven
against men, going not in themselves, and
hindering those who would, who dcvoured
widows houses, and made long prayers for
a pretence, who were as whited sepulchres.
outwardly fair-seeming but full of all I'M
within, and whom Jesus denoun-
ced as hypocrtes, and blind guides, whom we
shall cease to follow, just SO soon us we wish
to escape the ditch into which they will in
evitably fall.
l do not mean to say, and you will not I'M
derstand me to say, that there is no other
subject, save that of Slavery, which demands
our service, on the score of right, Justice, and
truth. l hold no such narrow thought. In
deed there is nothing narrow, one-sided. or
limited in the true Anti Slavery idea. The
principles on which it is founded underl;e
all human action, all social being, all the re-
latlons of man to man, and are never faith
fully and fully received or understood by us
till we are prepared to apply them, in ali ca
ses, and to all men. Yet, my brother. Anti
Slavery, IN our day and country, is the true
touchstone which determines the character
OF every soul, for there is nothing else which
tries as by fire now. No one can neglect
this cause, or be cold towards it, and be
trusted to defend any other post, maintain
any other great principle, in a time of real
need. While a subject is popular, and it is
reputable and profitable to espouse it, adhe-
rents and advocates can be found i'm multi
tudes, but 1t is not at such n time, nor under
such circumstances that the true friend or
iaithiul servant can be known. If a man
VIII not come to the defence and rescue of "a
cause so preemlnently just, so overwhelm-
lngly important as that of the overthrow of
Slavery, the sum of all yillanies.n because
it is not prudent and popular 10 do so we
may be sure that the ties which bind him to
any other professedly good and religious OBJ
Ject are worthless, and will prove i'm the hour
of temptation as tow before the flame. The
Anti-Slavery cause is, in the thrilling words
of Lowell, "God's new Messiah" and tho
It be "despised and rejected of men +" afresb.
II is not less worthy of our love. our yenera,
ton, our unalterable devotion, nor will il the
less dignity and bless our lives. NAV the
young men and women of your great and
growing State, who meet with You as the
foes of Slavery, and the friends of God. right
y discern the high and holy work to which
they are called, and welcome right heartily
'he labor and the sacrifices, and sufferings,