Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1850-11-16
SALEM, ONO, NOVEMBER le, 1850.
The Mass Indignation Meeting.

The proceedings of the mass meeting held in
Salem OH Friday Of last week to dcnounce the
Fugitive Law will be found in our columns to-
day. In spite of the bad travelling the attcn-
dance was numerous. The announcement that
Mr.. Giddings would be one of the speakers
was of itself sufficient to attract large assem-
bly,. But Mr.. Giddings did not come, and tho
people were sorcly disappointed in consequence.
The other speakers, however entertaining, could
not fill the place of that tried veteran in tho
cause of liberty and humanity. The spirit of
the meeting, as a whole, was excellent. The
feeling against the kidnapping law was strong
and earnest, rs the resolutions will show
Judge Wade was the principal speaker. His
denunciations of the law and of slavery were
uncquivocal and emphatic, but as an argument
his speech lacked cohercncy. Until near the
close he spoke more like Disunionist than a
Frccsoiler. He conceded that the Constitution
was defiled by compromises with slavery, and
yet declared that before he would yield any
thing to tho demands of the slave power he
would see the Union broken into fragments.--
Great as were the advantages of tho Union, he
would not purchase them at the price of any
mans liberty. How he could swear allegiance
to the Union with such views was a mystery
he did not explain. Having uttered himself
thus strongly in favor of the Higher Law he
took special pains to tell his audience that he
was no disunionist Speaking of the Southern
threats to dissolve the Union, he said they
were mere bravado, for tho South well knew that
ifthc compact with the North were broken, Sla-
rery could not lice month. lie seemed entire
ly unconscious that in saying this he was CIV
ing the strongest of all reasons for dissolution
Surely, if the Union is the grand agent where
by slavery is rendered secure, and tho Judge is
sincere in his declaration that he could not con.
sent to purchase it at the price of human liber-
ty, is he not bound to be disunionists How
on his own showing, can he be any thing else |;
Judge Newton spoke briefly but with much
carnestness. We hope he may be able to
breathe freely in the atmosphere of Washing
ton, but we fear his head is not clear enough
to enable him to cope successfully with the wi.
ly advocates and apologists of Slavery. He il
a kind-hcartcd man, and as honest doubtless q!
politician well be in these trying times
but he lacks the strength requisite for repre-.
sentative in Congress at this crisis.
Hartwell l.. Preston spoke with his usual
ability and fiucncy. Mr.. Vaughan, much to oul
regret, did not come.
Having said what truth demands in COM
mondation of the meeting, we must add that
the proceedings were not in all respects such as
VIC could have wished. The placing of Rev. J.
Montgomery in the chair, in the preliminary or
ganization, and his subsequent occupancy of the
same place as Vice President, were extreme
ly unfortunate. In the first place he had no
heart in the object of the meeting, and in the
next place he had not enough OF either mag
nanimity, or good sense, or even good manners,
TO save him from tho meanness of attempting &c
vent his personal spite upon un individual whC
happened to have rendered himself obnoxious
TO his clerical wrath in matter which had NJ
connection with the object of the meeting.
!, those who placed him in the chair had compre
: hcnded his character, or foreseen the cours
e which he would pursue. they would not hay
: put il in his power thus to reflect discredit NJ
v on the meeting.
:, We are constrained to say further that thci
I was an appearances of deiign on the part
> somo of our Freesol friends to make part
/, capital out of the meeting. Perhaps it WI
only forgctfulness, but some of them acted
s il they thought the meeting was their own c,
: elusive property, and that the Disunionists hi
q no right to voice in it. The committee
prepare resolutions, with the single exception
+ Judge Wade. (and he is hardly an exception
a were all Freosoilers. This. to say the least. d
a not look well. but wo do not say that there vi