Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1849-09-15
The Ordinance of l7S7, and the DOlngS Of
Free Sellers,
GOSHEN, Mahoning County, !
Sept. A, lS49.

FRIEND JOHNSON Some Free Sellers claim
that they are the only Anii-Slavery party in
the country that is doing any thing to free
the slaves. Among their doings, July 18th,
they gathered from all parts of the land, and
spent thousands of dollars to celebrate the
passage Of the Ordinance which they say ex-
cluded Slavery from this North Western Ter
ritory. / attended that Celebration al Cleve-
land, and heard the speeches and resolutions.
Among others, was one recommending an
annual Celebration of the passage of that Or
dinance. Probably not one in a hundred of
Free Sellers or of others ever saw it, or have
any idea of its contents and its consequences.
Here are its words. MARK THEM!
"There shall be neither SLAVERY nor invol-
untary servitude in said territory, otherwise
than in the punishment Of crimes, whereof
the party shall have been duly convicted
Provided always, that any person escaping
into the same, from 1chom labor or service is
hog(uhy claimed in any one Of the original
States, such fugitive may be lawfully re-
claimed aud conveyed to the person claiming
his or her labor or service as aforesaid"
There can be no mistake here. The Ordi-
nance refers 10 Slavery and to FHgiiire SlareS
- and slaves are described as I" persons from
whom labor or service is lawfully claimed"
Slavery, as an institution, was not allowed 10
exist there; persons could not be held and
worked as slaves by any laws of the States
to be formed out Of the territory {; but by the
special %proviso Of the Ordinance, persons re-
siding on the territory might be seized as
slaves, carried out of the territory as slaves,
and held and worked as slaves in other
States. Thus the famous Ordinance, whose
passage Free Sellers deem worthy the ex-
pense and trouble of an annual celebration,
~egaiized kidnapping, or slave-hunting and
slave-holding, (at least long enough to get the
victims out of the territory all over the vast
country now composing Ohio, Indiana, Hi
nois, Michigan and Wisconsin. Let it not
be forgotten that slave-hunting had never
been hgalized in any part of this territory be-
fore. 1t is tue a portion Of the territory be-
longed TO Virginia, a slave State, before; but
Virginia had never attempted 10 extend her
jurisdiction over it, TO legalize slave-hunting
or slave-holding. On the contrary, when
slaves escaped from Virginia TO said territory,
they did find protection among the Indians,
the French and Germans then living on it,
and Shareholders had never attempted TO re-
claim their fugitive slaves, So that, in fact,
that Ordinance converted more than 100000
square miles of territory, before legally and
in fact free soil, into a hunting ground for
shareholders. Previous TO the adoption Of
the Ordinance, when a slave crossed the Ohio
and set his foot on that territory, he was le-
gally and in fact free; ever since then, he
has been legally still a slave coming here
does not make him free. Previous 10 that
Ordinance The inhabitants living on the ter
ritory could, without violating any law, pro-
tect the runaway slave resist the efforts of
kidnappers TO reclaim him since that Ordi-
nance has been extended over it, they cannot
legally do this. That d~eprives them Of all
power 10 protect the fugitive slave, or TO re-
sist the slave-hunters. Such is the Ordi-
nance, drawn up by Nathan Dane, adopted
by the Congress of the Confederation, and
and whose passage Free Sellers deem wor-
thy of an annual celebration Behold the
Anli-Slavery spirit, principle and action of
Free Sellers! Their highest act of devotion
10 freedom is an annual celebration Of the
passage of an Ordinance that converted over
200 900 square miles of territory, before legal
ly and in fact free, into a legal hunting
ground for slaveholders! J! Free Sellers say
truly, "wE ACTS; we DO something"
Mark well the terms and intent of this Or
d~inance. "There shall be neither SLAVERY"
&c. Yet "any person from whom labor or
service is lawfully claimed in any of the orr
ginal States, may be lawfully reclaimed"
&c. The simple meaning, the only mean
ing, is, slavery shall not exist on said terri
tory, yet its inhabitants may be seized and
held as slaves Slavery shall not legally ex-
ist, and slavery may legally exist! The peo-
pie shall not be legally seized, held and used
as slaves; and the people may be legally
seized, held and used as slaves!! Beautiful
action this! Free Sellers not Only san it,
but act it. AS voters, and members Of this
Conlederacy, they say and they mean thai
slavery may exist in Ohio as men, they say
it shall not as voters, they mean that the
people of Ohio may be seized, held and used
as slaves; as men, they mean they shall not;
as voters, they swear that they will not pro.
-. =.
tect fugitive slaves as men, they swear tina
they Will; as voters, they pledge themselves
to their slave-breeding allies that they will
! never Fesist them in their efforts to reclaim
> fugitive slaves; then as men, they say tc
these same allies, attemptto reclaim the run
away slave under our protection, and we will
shoot youl! How worthily and efficient,