Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1849-12-08
GfIttton6.
No Union with Shareholders.
BY WILLIAM l.. BowDITCH IL.


we viii extend to the STAKEHOLDER all the
courtesy he will allow. If he is hungry, We
will feed him if he is in want, both hands shall
be stretched out for his aid. We will give him
full cre3it for all the good that he does, and our
deep sympathy in all the temptations under
whose strength he falls. But to help him in his
sin, to remain partners with him i'll Tie slave
trade, is more than he has 4 right to ask
Uea3eN Phillips.
No wrong action can be rightfiilly DONE
No wrong can be iigbtilliy supported. We
can neither rightiully hold slaves nor support
others in s~ldveholding, because, as we have
seen, slavcholding is under all circumstGn-
COS wrong. Some of tho provisions Of the
Constitutions, as we have seen, were express
~ designed for the purpose of supporting
slavery, aud for over half a century have We
~ materially supported it. Consequently,
these provisions cannot be riCLttlliy obeycd
or supported. 1t is wrong 10 offer a bounty
on sidvc%holding,-to give the opprossor pow
or aud Influence in proportion US he tranlpies
on the rights OF his teilow-inan; it is wrong
TO return, or md in returning, d fugitive slave /;
1t is wong 10 aid in keeping the slave in his
letters. These things are wrong, and not all
the Constitutions and laws of the Universe
can make them right. We cannot, there
fore. rigttfGlly obey the pro-slayery clauses
vi the Constitution.
If we cannot rightfjlly obey them our
selves, we cannot rightuiiy, voluntarily, sup
port others III Ubcying them. Ii IL is wrong
for me to return Il fugitive slave, it is wrong
for me voluntarily to aid or support another
man in doing the act. Ii it is wrong for me
10 commit murder, it is no less wrong for me
to hand the pistol to the assassin. Whatever
ii is wrong Tor It's TO do ourselves, 1t is wrong
for us voluntarily to aid or support others in
doing. Consequently, it is wrong for us vol-
unfairly to aid or support others in obeying
the pro-slavery requirements OF the ConstItu-
ton.
If we canno rightfully obey them, it is
wrong for us to promise such obedience. If
it is wrong for us voluntarily to support 9th
ers in their obedience, it is wrong for us TO
promise any such support. If is wrong for
lis TO return a fugitive slave, 1t is wrong for
lis to promise TO return one. If it is wrong Tor
us voluntarily to aid the slave-hunter, 1t is
wrong for us to promise such aid. Whatev-
er it is wrong for us to do or aid others i'll
doing, il is wrong for us to promise TO do or
aid others in doing. Consequently, it is
wrong for us to promise to support these
constitutional provisions. We cannot, there
fore, accept any Office, either State or Ma
tional, which renders it necessary to support
these clauses, or 10 promise TO support them.
We cannot, therefore, rigltfully hold any eX-
ecutive or Judicial Office, either State or Ma
tional, or become a member of any State le-
g~isiatilre or of Congress; for all these Off
GERS are obliged solemnly to swear or affirm
that they will support the Constitution ;
and to support the Constitution is to support
all of its clauses, as well those which favor
slavery as those which do not. If we take
this oath, meaning not to keep il, we add TO
Our wrong, perjury for we mentally break
our oath at the very instant it passes our
lips.
Some good men seek to avoid the difficult
ty by saying, When | swear to support the
Constitution, l mean | will support the good
clauses IN it, and disobey the bad, and sub
nit 10 the penalty for such disobedience.'-
But such a course is not a compliance with
the terms of the oath. You have sworn 'to
support the Constitution that is, the whole
Constitutions its clauses,-the bad as sa-
credly as the good. Your oath is not in the
alternative, Il will support the clause requi-
ring the return of fugitive slaves, or pay five
hundred dollars fol every slave aid i'll esca-
ping;' but simply, without qualification, Il
will support the side of the oppressor.' II
you aid the fugitive slave to escape from his
master, you do not support the latter in reta-
king his property, merely by paying the legal
penalty for not giving such support, You
would not support a bad law, and yet you
say your OATH is not broken, because you
submit to the penalty for not supporting it,
The thief does not support the law of private
property, merely by submitting +" the legal
punishment of his crime. 70 support is to
be active: to submit is 10 be passive. You
swear TO be active, and you do not comply
with your oath by being merely passive. You
have sworn actively TO support the recapturC
of slaves. You break your oath, if you re-
fuse to do this, or do any thing less or differ
ent from this.
Others think to find a good excuse for ia
king the oath by adopting another alterna-