Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1849-09-08
Selection
From the Li6crator.
Wendell Phillips to James ~IIaughtOn Of
Dublin.
BosToN, August 20, 1919.

BOSTON,, august ~, lolJ.
JAMES HAUGHToN, ESQ, Dublin:
Dear Sir-You will have heard, before
this reaches you, of Father Mathews decis-
ion 10 be silent, while in this country, on the
subject Of slavery. The Abolitionists have
learned it with deep regret. Being all of us,
with hardly an exception, teelotaliers, mi.
'nutely acquainted ~ith and deeply interested
in Father Mathews labors, grateful for the
noble protest he sent here against slavery in
1912, and for the welcome I've has given to
American Abolitionists abroad-accustomed
ourselves to give a fair proportion Of our eli.
forts 10 the temperance cause, we hoped for a
cordial sympathy from the great teetotaller.
We did not expect, and you will observe we
did not ask, Father Mathew TO take any promi-
nent part, or give any great arnOunto Of time 10
the Anti-Slavery enterprise. We recognised,
with the rest of The world, the peculiar sphere
which Providence seems TO have marked out
for him, and approved, as well as admired,
hia profound desotians ossbis 8 one idea.
But no ore, much less no one upon whom
the eyes of millions are fixed, can be so ex-
.clusively a teetotaller, or any thug else, that
his opinions on other points will not be
known, and his influence coanted on. All
we asked Of Father Mathew was, that he
would embrace every suitable opportunity
TO bear a clear and unequivncal testimony,
both in public add private, against the en-
slavement of any portion of the human fami-
ly ! and again, = with no wish or design to
divert him from his great mission, we trusted
that he would occasionally find an opportuni-
ay TO admonish his countrymen TO be true 10
liberty
Must a traveller do dotEing but hatteri II
he may be excused from this; tten, surely,
the man who, on landing, had alluded, in ev-
cry speech, in glowing terms, TO the : free in
siituiions' of the soil ne lrod-and promised
10 carry back a faithful piciore Of the work
'ings Of our admirable moral, social, industri-
al AID educational establishments - who
could discuss, with his American admirers,
his relations with the British Government as
a pensioner, &C., &C., might, we thought,
find time, in some of his thousand speeches,
for, now and then, a word worthy of Chris
tian man, as 10 those bloody laws which
doom every sixth person in this land 10 worse
than death-on that 'sin against God and
man. Of whose horror degradation, OPP
pression.' and whitening curse he had spo-
ken TO the Irish here, eloquently, in 1912.
We ventured, it is true, to ask his presence,
If he had time 10 spare, at a celebration of the
great British Act Of Emancipation in 1884
.deeming that 10 be an occasion Of such uni.
versal interest, that a foreigner, and especl
ally an lrishman, might share in it.
Father Mathew replies that he shall no
commit himself on this subject while il
America. Perhaps we ought 10 have expect,
ed as much from one who, years ago, decla,
red that he would rather the temperance
cause were lost, than that Catholic orde
should be injured But we hoped bette
things. One thing we must praise-lht
prudent Fathers frankness. lie was no Je
emit than He CairIu conf,eoas that in bi
opinion, no one, however worldwide his re
ipute, can be of use in America, unless hi
consents TO be gagged on the subject of sla
very and he conlentedly puts the gag on
A poor compliment, TO be sure, 10 the land hi
visits, TO say, Your freedom is so nominal
Ahat no man, however fenced about by good
deeds and the worlds love, can be allowed
ito speak his mind But such is Father Ma
Hhew's declaration, in substance; and many
of our papers endorse and applaud him.
perhaps you will say, | Judge him to-
tharshly--that he sees the country divided in
10 two parties on this question, and choose
10 side with neither. Remember, then, tina
the question is, BONDAGE, worse thai
murder according to Coleridge-'the sun
of all yillanies,' according to Wesley tina
on its side are many millions-against it,
few thousands. A Christian sword woulC
leap from its scabbard in such a cause; anC
lips which God had touched could not forbea
speaking. 'On slavery said Father Ma
thew himself in lS42, no one ean be neutral
He who is not against it is for it, This ex
'cuse, therefore, does not avail.
Our opponents have sometimes charged US
you will remember, with exaggerating tn,
influence Of the slave system, and the servilt
corruption of public opinion on the subject
Judge, now, which party is right. FatheI
Mathew, a worlds wonder, almostsain;ed il