Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1849-02-23

hailed with joy. 1t is life, will give life,
and where there is life there is hope. A
living people is always a hopeful people,
and an advancing people. And, further,
a living community is a safe community.
The living, flowing stream never creates
miasma. In the siagnani pond are bred
corruption and death.
Cuba, with its moral and intellectual
stagnancy, is in danger; America, with
its life and freedom, is safe.
But admitting, for the sake of argument
that agitation is an evil, can measures ev-
or be taken for effecting emancipation
without causing agitation? As long rs
slavery exists, the very mention of its
cessation will produce excitement. Lei
the discussion be postponed fifty or a
hundred years, and then, no less THAI.
now, its commencement will be the be.
ginning OF an agitation, Il wide, general.
universal agitation, which will not sub.
side until the matter is settled, wisely, sat.
i%sfactorily and conclusively settled.
But the difficulties and dangers atten.
dant upon the discussion of emancipation.
instead ofbeing diminished by delay, will
we firmly believe, be greatly, immeasur.
ably increased. The longer slavery TX
lists, the more complicated are the inter
ests involved, the more intricate the prob
lem 10 be- solved. And be it remember.
ed hat at some time the solution must be
made. 1t is only a question Of time, for
whether deferred for a longer or shorter
period, the subject of emancipation must
be met, considered and decided.
The necessity is virtually admitted ev-
en- by those who now depreciate discus
sion, for they all speak of slavery as an
evil and a wrong, and all refer TO its flu.
ture extinction as inevitable.
The question is not, now or neuer, buI
now or hereqfer-and which is the wi.
ser course to meet it manfully now, or
wait till the difficulties are intellectually
increased ?
'But let it alone, and slavery will die"
This assertion is made very frequent
ly and with confidence, as if it were a
~sclf-evident truth. To us this is by no
means a self-evident truth, and we should
like TO have its correctness demonstrated.
When our fathers formed the Constitu.
ton of the United States, they sanguine-
ly hoped that slavery would soon de-
But what is the fact! Instead of dying,
it has continued 10 live, and, not only 10
live, but has diffused itself over terrific
ries which our ancestors never dreamed
would be blighted by its poisonous breath.
Surely this does not look like death.
"But slavery must die. II wiU Kill
Jco1fD Hom ca W. oopcoes ,bo, ,yo
do not understand the suicidal process by
which this desirable end is TO be accom-.
plished. Will slavery starve itself, OF
hang itself, or drown itself? And by
what motive will it be actuated in this
the only UNSUITABLE instance of self-mur.
der? By ~benevolence, malice, or des.
pair? Perhaps, you may think hat j
will die in very shame. Say you tina
such will be eventually the feeling o
the civilized world in regard to slavery
that the slaveholding States will be obi
ged, in self-defence, to give up the insli
tuition? Do you mean that the citizen
of the States, which above all others
pride themselves on their chivalry ant
independence, are TO be driven by sham
TO do what they would refuse to do on til.
ground Of right? We should be sorr,
! to believe that such an imputation is de
} served by our own State, or by her siste
, States of the South.
Or do you mean that hereafter the C
wills Of slavery will become so terrible
) its burden so heavy, that the State, in self
preservation, will be obliged 10 destro,
the Institution
Very probably this will be the result
t if action be continually deferred. Dan
r ger and suffering, may compel posterit,
to do the work Of emancipation, but tn,
l accomplishment of The work under sucl
circumstances, will be a fearful task
! The performance of the work in sue
circumstances. under the pressure ofsuc'
r motives, will be attended with an agita
E ton which might well blanch the chez.
OF h b%ravest, an agitation, which wi
a shake the beloved Commonwealth to il
i centre, fnot rend it asunder. Where
there a man whose heart has known on
throb ofgenerous emotion, who can calm
ly contemplate such a result? Benevc
lence, patriotism, religion, all high prime
1; Piles and noble feeling, prompt us /
Y make any sacrifice rather than impos
upon posterity such a necessity. w
: profess regret that our ancestors have be
queathed the legacy of slavery to US
Shall we prove the hollowness ofour pre-
t f~essions by entailing a greater curse W
. on those who are TO follow US?
e The truth is, as it seems TO us. that III
&. idea ofslavery killing itself is the mere
delusion, as baseless as The shadowy fal
rio ola dream. Slavery will cease whe
the people determine it shall cease. L
cessation will be the result, not ofchanc,
nor of the unconscious course of event
' but Of deliberate determination. An
that determination, whenever it shall
made, must be proceeded by discussio
and agitation.
Is it not, then, the wiser course TO me
the question at once Never was the
y a more ~propitious time for discussion
Let the subject then, be discussed, fairl,