Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1850-04-20
xTRAc ISL
Importance Of The Question.


A question so important to be decided sell
dom comes before any generation of men,
This age is full of great questions, but this of
Freedom is the chief-it is the same ques-
ton which in other forms comes up in Eu-
rope. This is presently TO be decided here
in the United States by the servants of the
people; for the people, if justly decided 4;
against them, it unjusiy. II it were to he
left Tomorrow to the naked votes of the ma
jority, should have no fear. But the public
servants OF the people may decide otherwise.
The political parties, as such, are not 20 pass
judgment. II is not u question between
Wings and Democrats; old party distinc-
tions, once so sacred and rigidly observed,
here vanish on; vi sight. The party of Sla-
very or the party of Freedom is to swallow
up all the other parties. Questions about
tariffs and banks eau hardly get hearing.
On the approach of battle men do not talk
of the weather.
-Four great men in the Senate of the Uni-
ted States have given us their decision the
four most eminent in the party politics ofthe
nation--two great Wings, two great Demo-
crats. The ShibLo!eih OF their party is forgot
ten by each; there is strange unaIIimity in
their decision. The Herod of free trade aud
the PLATE of protection are made friends,
when Freedom is TO be crucified. All four
decide adverse to freedom; in favor of slave
ry; against the people. Their decisions are
such as you might look for in the politicians
of Austria and Russia. Many smaller ones
have spoken on this side or on that. Last of
all, but greatest, the most illusirious of the
four-so far rs great gifts of the understand
ing are concerned--a'son of New England,
long known, and often and deservcdly hon
ored, has given his decision. We waited
long for his words; we held our peace in
his silence; we listened for his counsel-
Here il is; adverse To freedom beyond the
fears of his friends, and the hopes even of
his foes. lie has done wrong things before,
cowardly things more than once; but this,
the wrongest and most cowartlIy OF them all,
we did not look for it. No great man in A.
mericn las had his faults or his fallings so
leniently dealt with; private scandal we will
not credit, public shame we have tried 10 eX-
cuse, or, il inexcusable, TO forget. We have
oil of us been proud TO 90 forward and hon
or his noble deeds, his noble efforts, even his
noble words. ] wish we could take man
tie big aud black enough, and 60 backward
and cover up the shame of the great mun
who has fallen ia the midst of It's, aud hide
him till his honor and his conscience shall
return. But no, il cannot be; lis deed is
done in the face of the world, and nothing
can hide il.
Bidding for The Presidential Prize.
The lease of the Presidency is TO be dis
posed of for the next four years by sort of
auction. Ii is in the hands of certain poiti-
cal brokers, who 'operate' in presidential
and other political stock. The majority of
chose brokers are shareholders or pro-slavery
men they must he conclinted, or they will
'net understand the nod of the candldate-
mean, of the man who bids for the loase-
All the illustrious men in the national poll
fics have an eye on the transaction, but some
times the bid has been taken for persons
whose chance at the sale seemed very poor.
Gen. Cass made his bid some time ago.
think his offer is recorded in the famous
Nicholson Letter. He was Northern man,
and bid non-iiiterpention unconstitutional
ity Of any intervention Of SLAVERY il The nel9
territories. MIR. Clay made his bid, (ior old
Kentucky 'never tres,0 the same old bid
that he has often made--a compromise. Mr..
Calhoun did as he has always done. will
will not shy he made any bid at all he was
too sick for that, too sick for any thought of
the Presidency. Perhaps at this moment the
angel of death lis dealing with that famed and
remarkable man. Nay, he may already have
gone where the servant IL free from his mas
ter, and the weary are at rest = have gone
home 10 his God, who is the Father Of the
great politician and the ieeblest-minded slnve.
fit be so, let us follow him only with pity
for his errors, and the prayer that his soul
may be at rest. He has fought mantully in
an unmanly cause. He seemed sincerely in
the wrong, and spite Of the badness OF the
cause to which he devoted his best energies,
you cannot but respect the man.