Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1849-05-25
WHOLE NO. I96.

w Ip'h W u q hdIpJ Oiu aye, Knen na
may rejoice in their success and participate
in their prosperity. One of the highest sour.
ces OF parental enjoyment is cut off from his
existence. The development of his moral
nature is INSTRUCTED and the great end of exs
lstence impaired. Intellectual improvement
is considered incompatible with slavery, IL
is even forbidden by the laws Of Virginia Ia
assemble colored persons (whether bond o.
lree) for the purpose of teaching them to read
or write.
This is a refinement Of cruelty-a wanton.
ness OF despotlsm-that has seldom been e.
qualled in any country, and could hardly BIS
excused in an age Of barbarism.
Not content with subieciing the body and
eXacting its labor without reward-ihe sys.
tenn OF American slavery seeks TO crush tho
intelIeci--lo shut out the beams of knowledge
from the darkened mind-and TO repress all
the nobler instincts of tho soul. The wick.
edness Of this system is thus happily illus
traled In an eloquent speech of Horace Mann,
Twenty years ago a sharp sensation ran
through The nerves Of the civilized world, az
The story OF a young man named Casper
l%lauser, found in the city of Nuremburg in
Bavaria. Tho, gh I6 or II years old hs
could not walk nor talk. lie heard without
understanding he saw without perceiving, he
moved without definite purpose. was the
soul Of an infant in the body of an adult,
"After he had learned TO speak he related
that from his earliest recollection, he had ais
ways been kept in a hole co small that he
could not stretch out his limbs, where he saw
no light, heard no sound, nor even witnessed
The face Of The attendant who brought him hia
scanty food. For many years conjectures
were rife concerning his history, and all Gers
many was searched to discover his origin.
AFTER a long period Of frujtless inquiry
t and speculation, public opinion settled down
into the belief that he was the victim Of
= some great unnatural crime that he vas tho
d heir 10 some throne, and had been sequesters
X ed by ambition; or the inheritor Of vast
wealth, and had been hidden away by cupi-
e 'diiy or the offspring of criminal Indulgence;
S and had been buried alive 10 avoid exposure
and shame. A German, Won Fensrbach,
! published an account Of Casper, entitled
e 1.-The example Of a crime on the life of the
1 soul."
S But why go 10 Europe 10 be thrilled with
y the pathos of a Human being shrouded from
E the light Of nature and cnt of from a know
= ledge Of duty and of God To-day, in this
r boosted land Of light and liberty, there are
three million Casper Hauser's and as if this
were not enough it is proposed TO multiply
their number tenfold, and TO ill up The west.
ern world with these proofs of human avarice
and guilt.
In estimating the responsibility Of non.
Shareholders, we must bear in mind the very
large proportion of this class who reside in
some OF the slave States, 1t is difficult to
estimate with accuracy the number of slave:
holders in a State, but allowing an average
Of ten slaves y all ages, Cor two adult male
slaves to each owner, the number in Nir.
ginia was by the last census something less
than lorty-iye thousand.
At the same time the number Of free white
males over 30 years Of age was upwards of
one hundred and siXty-four thousand, show.
ing that only 81 per cent were Shareholders,
and 10 per cent non-slaveholdeTs. Ii is evis
dent that nearly three-fouTtbs of those who
+ ought TO enjoy the elective franchise in Vir.
Ginia are non-slaveholders In MARYLAND tho
, proportion Of Shareholders is, by the sams
data, about One-ninth, and in Kentucky ones
seventh of the white males ever 90 years of
age. Now, when we reflect that the slaves
are held in subsection by the strong arm of
the law, and MAT they could not be held a
y single hour without the aid Of the non-slave.
holders, who may be said to stand as a guard
to enforce their obedience, we see at once
y the heavy responsibility that devolves on
these. When we consider, moreover, that
it the invariable effect Of slavery is 10 degrade
labor, paradise industry, DISTRICT education,
reduce the value Of real estate, and retard
" commerce and manufactures it must be aps
parent TO every one that The non.slaveholders
:, in slave States are sustaining an immense is
" jury from this ruinous system. In the strong
, language of John Randolph, slavery was
" described as a cancer on the face of the body
" polite, which destroys its beauty and threas
:, tened its destruction.
D Leaving ont of view the inhumanity and
! injustice Of slavery, is it reasonable or right
that three -fourths or seven-eights of The whits
} population should suffer the evils it in1icts
- upon a community in order that a few may
" enjoy an exemption from labor, that is alike
injurious to themselves and their country.
In ny view the non-slayeholder who &C,
\ duiesces in this state Of things is less excuv
= sable than the owner of slaves, because no
: can have no reasonable motive for his apa-
: thy. II he loves his children or his couny
y Try, let him arouse himself from this state of
, inaclion, and make use of proper and judis
" cious means to remove an incubus that dess
troys the energies of the people. 1t is moi
Z my purpose in this treatise 10 suggest any
plan for the extension Of slavery, but am
= persuaded the difficulties will vanish when
y we come to look them steadily in the face.
70 What has been done in other States and
nations may certainly be done here.-"lt theTe
was a will lhtre would be a way.'
If mere neglect Of duty makes US respnny
/ s;bIe what shall we say Of those non-slaves
holders who are continually making apolos
re oies for slavery, and especially Of those pros
Is fessed ministers Of the Gospel who sIooE
re from their high calling, and pervert the sa-
cred scriptures to uphold this stnpendoua
evil Can any language OF Teprobation ba
Is too strong for such conductl
There is another class Of non-slaveholdsIS
% who do not in dnect terms defend slavery