Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1850-02-23
Origin and End Of the Liberty Party.

Eighteen hundred and forty will be
remembered. by nbolitionists US the year
wlfich-s ,1ninated the existence of the lib
criy Party. Its rise decline aud fall stretch-
cs over n period of somewhat less tllnn ten
years, and its history is interesting aud in
structiye. Al its origin it was based, ostcn
sibly, ut lenst, on purely nnli-slavery princi-
plies, aud one of its fundamental laws re-
quired that all its candidates for Office should
be true abOlitionists. So stringent was II,
in this respect, that John Quincy Adams
and Joshua II. Giddings were not deemed
Worthy of IFS y6tcs." Sumo of the men WHO
called the party Into existence, aud sonlc
vino rallied around its Standard doubtless
regarded il as necessary and powerful III
srlllncntality in the work of ubOlislling sla-
very. They trusted in il ms their "stiif Of
Accomplishment" aud confidently believed
that il would work wonders which moral
power alone could never perform. At first,
It's votes We're litie else than recorded testi-
nonies ngninst slavery, for they were too
few even TO annoy the other political parties.
But the party gtiw iIi' numerical strength,
that sine d,ih n6t, ofTdliti.atsucccss, and the
prospect OF influencing the elections WIS
TOO tempting to he ioregouc they took les
SOUS oi Ihuir predecessors, and nlHtc "ayuil-
ability" All important consideration IN the
selerIion of their candidates. This wus tic
iiist downward step of the party. Having
verified, 10 their own satisfaction, the OF
proved assertion, fliat the power OF polli-'
cul party is in proportion 10 its numbers,
they made n still further concession OF their
fundamental principles, and descended by
one hong step rom the Libcrry 10 the Free
soil party' From this lower aud broader
1latiorIIl, n still further decline was reusona-
bly, anticipated, but the community was not
prepared for the event OF It's entire nbsorli-
ton into the Democratic party, wici llfey
have Witnessed during the past Year. Illus
has ended the effort to abolish slavery hy
means of a political organization based up.
on the Constitution OF tic UHiled States /;
thus has terminated systemallzed and en-
ergetc attempt 10 unite allegiance TO that
Constitution, with practical opposition 10
some OF its provisions. But tile future lis
t0riun of this purity will have occasion to
make honorable mention Of Iinny of It's
members, who, ut different stages OF its de-
| cline, shook off tie dust of their feet against
| il, refusing TO walk further with II on its
downward course. Some of these, IL is ho-
ped, lave returned 10 their first love and
their early iuitli, which taught llem TO rely
upon such measures Hs "tilc opposition of
/ lUOfUl lufHY 10. lllOrul cOllNIuOll, ullN NV
destruction of error by the potency Of truth"
This history is frauglt with instructive
! lessons TO us. Ii increases orr confidence in
weapons with which we are waging this
warfare il confirms Our filth in'tl6 efficacy
of that " ioolisbncss of preaching" at which
the statesman, the politician aud the world
ling sueer Its warning voice is ever ia our
ears, bidding MS beware how we put our
trust in an arm of flesh, and rely on physi-
cal force us II remedy for moral evil. Al
this stage of our enterprise, we should be il-
eXcilsible If our fai;I, our zeal, or our cOur-
age were 10 decline. All around us are the
evidences OF the success OF or labors, the
triumph 'of our principles. Never, since
the early period OF Christianity did so mighty
rctolm progress so rapidly. Faith in III
inherent principles taught us that everything
! which opposed it was doomed TO be van
quished in the conflict, but now our faith il
partly turned 10 sight. We have seen hov
one can chase a thousand, and TWO put TEL
thousand to Aight."-.4nnual Report Of PhiIO
Female a. S. Society.