Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1849-03-02
Petition for DiSuniOn.


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1t will be seen by the information contain
ed in another column that a petition has
been presented to the Ohio Legislature, ask
ing that body to call a State Convention TO
take measures for seeding from the Federal
Union and that after several efforts to other
wise dispose Of it, it was referred to a COM
mittee of one-Dr. Townshend.
The {" State Journal" remarking upon it,
says:
Matters Of this character, representing, as
we believe, the sentiments Of no political par
ty in the State, and being the mere produce
tons of minds disbalanced by the excessive
contemplation of one subject alone, are woT-
thy of little attention, and should not long
occupy the time of a Legislative Assembly.
They are perfectly harmless"
Suppose the petition does not represent the
sentiments of any political party, have no
other sentiments a right TO be presented to
the Legislature, and the request of those who
urge their adoption fully and deliberately con-
sidered, whether such consideration occupies
a longer or a shorter time! Is it political
parties only that have rights Are the petit
tons of all non-voters to be received with as
little consideration as possible, when they
ask for something for which politicians have
not asked =! We know this doctrine is prac-
tically adopted by many who are Influenced
far more by the number of voters who sign a
petition than the character of the thing asked
for; and we know, too, that such doctrine is
fagrantly unjust, though in perfect harmony
with the character of party politics.
The petition that was presented gave
twelve reasons why Ohio should secede from
the Union, and we should be glad if the
Journal " could, by some means, be pre-
vailed upon TO spread them before its readers.
But what sufficient indncement can be offer
ed it to do SO? The Disunionists are the ex-
ponents of no political party, they speak only
for Truth and Justice, and have no votes 10
dispose of; while the " Journal " is the State
organ of the Wings, and is SO much engaged
in building higher the party walls and repair
ing the recent breaches, it has no time to
come down and notice the "perfectly harm
less" propositions advanced in the petition.
" Harmless" as they are, the journal"
might find some difficulty in showing their
fallacy and were it not too much like a Da-
vid challenging a Goliah, we would invite it
to discuss any or all of the twelve PROPOSE
tons, promising to publish in our columns
all it can say against them.
The signers of that petition are citizens of
Ohio, and as deeply interested in the pros
perity of the State as any who can be found.
They desire that Ohio shall be free, not only
in name, but in fact. They would have her
more prosperous, more Intellectual, more mo-
raj and TO effect this, they would have her
withdraw from a Union which curses all
who enter into it. If their arguments are not
unanswerable, let them be answered-not
passed by with the epithet of " harmless"
or the more common one of Is reasonable"
Let them be answered, we repeat, not met
with Qualifications of the Union, or a threat
ened publication of Washington's Farewell
Address, as the Senate did two years since.
The day has gone by for such childish exhi-
billions, and they who have taken hold of this
D'SuhiOh liz llOt u De luIUBu lTOul
their purpose by aught except stern, i%rrefuta-
bic argument.
We wish it were the custom here, as in
Massachusetts, to grant all petitioners who
desire it, an opportunity of being heard be-
fore the committee TO whom their petitions
are referred. This would seem to be the
more just and democratic plan, especially
when, as in the present case, there is no mem
Der of the Legislature to act as their repre-
sentative. We are, however, well satisfied
with the committee to whom the petition is
referred. And if, in his examination of it,
DR.. Townshend should find himself on the
wrong side, we trust his views Of expedien-
cy, and his desire 10 do something politically,
will not stile his convictions of right and in
duce him to do evil with the hope that good
may come. We look with much interest for
the report, and hope to receive an early copy
of it.