Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1849-12-01

al IL IN wrestling Hom US, WHO ulScuru unu ~
pudiate it, our money for its support-and then
turn round and tell us that we who have been
the unwilling victims Of their base exactions,
are as guiltyin the matter as themselves! As
well might the midnight robber declare, that
the man whom he had attacked and forced to
yield either his purse or his life, and who chose
to give up the former, was as deeply as himself
implicated in the crime of robbery.
We shall now pass to the third proposition
upon which great emphasis is laid by the lectu-
rer-indeed it seems in his estimationto befhe.
death blow to comeouterism. "K the Consti-
tuition and Government are as pro-slavery as
charged by comeoutcrs, yet christians may
r~ightfully and innocently remain in the govern
ment and give it their sanction"
This is embodying in bold and unmistakablet
language, the popular religious idea, that indi-
viduals are not responsible for the sins and
crimes of organizations. We presume the Rev.
Gentleman would deem it a crime of no COM
mon magnitude for an indiuiduai to enslave or
aid in enslaving his felow-man, or to xii or
rob on his own responsibility but when no
docs so in connection with a number of others,
it is right and he is guilty Of no crime. With
out wasting time to argue this monstrous pro-
position, we affirm that it always was, is and
always will be wrong to trample upon the rights
of others or to aid and countcnance those who
do. We also affirm that it is impossible by any
combination to destroy remove or lesson onrin-
dividual responsibility.
1t will be well however to spend a short
time in looking at the evidence brought in sup
port of this ~fearfully immoral doctrine. Theirs
never has been an outrage committed upon our
race, no matter how vile and ruinous but what
has claimed the divine sanction. War, slavery,
drunkenness, rape, incest, polygamy, fraud, ly-
, ing, have all in their time been supported, COM
handed and approved by God, if we arc to be-
lieve the men who claim to be ministers. Wo
arc sorry that Mr.. Smith has adopted the same
: course to prove that christians may inrocently'
, do wickedly.
1t is laid down as a principle, that every
thing We know about duty is derived from the
> Bible and then shown that the Bible is in favor
of the above proposition. We will not discuss
that question. But ask Mr.. Smith whether he
believes it possible that men can long vencrate
a book which according to the showing of those
claiming the right to expound it, is opposed to
! our W consciousness of right
Mr.. Smith appears very indignant at the doc
trine of inward light and rcpudiates the idea
that a mans reason was given him to judge all
things. 1t is time that this assumption of tho
priesthood should be boldly met and repudiated.
What good VIC ask would the Bible or any 9TH
> er Book do us, unless read, reasoned upon and
understood by us. Much as reason or 'inward
q light may be secuted in profession, it is tho
6 standard by which Mr.. Smith and every other
divine determines the meaning and character Of
q every thing with which they claim acquaintance.
For the sake of giving our readers a specimen
. of the reasoning of our friend, we refer them to
the following Without the Bible and by the
|, aid of inward light the Chinese arc material
ists-the Indian builds the car of Jaugernaut,
and pours out blood as water. The Hindoo
widow by the light within burns on her hus-
bands funeral pile SC.
q The object is to show that the above nations
II and individuals reject a written revelation and
c depend on inward light or reason, and that
we are in just the same p~redicament. But is tho
above truei certainly not. for the very deeds of
blood and cruelty referred to are the result, not of
a rejection, but a belief in a protested revelation
h or revelations from the Gods they worship, as
IF expounded by the authorized clergy. And if
there is any truth in the proposition, Christians
d would do right were they to aid the Chinese,
n Hindo or Indian Governments in their wicked
q ness, did they but reside within their jurisdic-
d ton. We appeal to you, would it be right to do
, CO Won Loa., - mould 80 VT NJ C-:.t.
say it might be done innocently. .r -, ss
The proof that christians may support a wick
ed government is on this wise, Daniel took of
IS flee in "a wicked government, much worse than
rs ours he did it voluntarily, Joseph and others
did the same. God approved their COURSE
They were good men, therefore we may do it
now and be innocent as were they. We might
write quito an article to show that these Gov
crnmcnts were utterly unlike that of the United
e States, that the parties sustained very different
relations, &c. But deem it entirely unnecessary.
IS What could not be proved in the same way and
by the same testimonyi Abraham was an OPP
&c ~prcsscr-denicd his wife-cxposing her to the
worst of consequences, had adulterous conncc-
@ ton with his servant maid, abused her after
e ward till she fed into the wilderness, then gayo
her up to a jealous cruel mistress to do as she
pleased with her, then cut off one son, and gave
all his property to the other, SC. Sill he ,ca,
o The friend Of God. Therefore we may hold
r slaves commit adultry, abuse our victims and
cut off one portion of our family in favor of the
e other and be innocent.
Jacob and his Mother deceived Isaac by direct
h falshood, and thus cheated Esaw ont of his