Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1850-06-22
WHOLE NO. 249.

lands in any of our western Suites: yet,
there are many hardy Adventures who will
encounter the hardships of settling there
hut the gentleman from Missouri Mr.. Bow
uNl now proposes TO exclude from tho
benefits of this law the colored portion Of
our people.
He has assigned 10 reason whatever In
favor of his motion, but permits il to rest
entirely upon the presumed preiudices of
members. This is surely n novel PROPOSE
ton. We are now called on to say that wo
will not sell our lands in Oregon TO colored
people. They purchase our lands in Ohio,
and in all the western States of this Union.
They are permitted 10 settle, TO acquire
wealth, and become respectable in COM
munity. Why exclude them from Oregon'
In Louisiana, in Virginia, and, so far as ha
knew, in all the slave States, they hold lands,
are wealthy, and respectable; and why not
permit them to do the same ia the wild re-
gions of Oregon?
We brought them by violence and wrong
from their native country. We held them
in bondage and oppressed them for ages
When our Revolution broke out they enter
cd your army, fought your battles, shared in
the glory of that momentous struggle. Then,
sir, they were regarded as citizens, men,
Congress then adopted the following as a
part of one of the Articles of Confedera-
ton:
"Thc better to secure and porpctuatc mutual
| friendship and intercourse among the people OF
the different States in this Union, the free in
habitanis Of each Of these States, paupcrs, vaga-
bonds and fugtives from justice excepted, shall
be entitled to all privileges and immunitics OF
free ctizens in the several States; and the peo-
pie of each State shall have free ingrcss and
ogress to and from any other State, and shall
enjoy" sc.
This expressed the sentiment of the states
men of that day, and when, in l77S, South
Carolina moved to amend the Articles OF
Confederation by inserting the word irhte,
there were but tiro votes in favor OF the
amendment. How is il, (said hc,) will tho
statesmen of this day sustain the doctrines
of the patriots of that period?
At the adoption of the Constitution, the
colored people voted for delegates IN seven
of the thirteen States Yes, in North Caro-
lima, that patriotic old State, the colored
man was regarded as an elector, a num-
Such, too was the case in Pennsylvania, In
New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts,,
Rhode Island, and Delaware. Will gen.
tlemen now turn round and drive those cleo
tors or their children from the wild regions
OF Oregon, il tl,oy wish to SO there9 lie
trusted not.
: Ii the amendment had excluded the igno-
rant, those who are incapable of reading or
, ,rriting, il would have been based on reason.
But the attempt to fix distinction upon the
complexion of men or the crisp of their hnir,
is of all propositions the most preposterous,
; the most destitute of reason. The ignorant,
} the stupid and degraded are 10 be admitted
if they bear n pale face T; but the man OF in-
formation, of high moral worth, is TO be eX-
cluded if his complexion be of dusky hue.
Could any proposition be more inconsistent,
mere senseless, more unjust?
t But the proposed amendment is not only
destitute Of any good reason, but it is abso-
G lutely lorong. DO gentlemen know who are
the persons sought to be excluded by this
, amendment? In this city, it is said, and he
believed with truth, that several gland-chil-
dren of Mrs. Washington resided, who were
, called colored people. lie had seen those
who claimed relation TO the distinguished la
dy referred to. We are told that Thomas
Jefferson has many colored descendants in
different portions of Virginia. In Ohio is n
colored man claiming to be a grandson Of
Governor Mason. lie was of a dark color,
and one of the most powerful popular speak
ers to which he had ever listened; he was
regarded as fully equal TO his namesake and
reputed relative in the other end of the Cap
itol. five believe authority of the highest
character, much of the best blood of Virginia
flows in the veins of her colored people.
DO we owe nothing TO the descendants Of
those distinguished names referred to? Are
we to drive their descendants with rudeness
! from our territories? He saw gentlemen
smile. 1t was not usual to call names in
| connection with this subject. lie treated tho
subject with soemnity. lie regarded il in
that light Look TO our penitentiaries, and
you will find the pardoned and the dischar-
ged convicts of those receptacles of crime,
vending their way to Oregon. We receive
them with open arms, give them land. bur
| with contempt we are to spurn the descend
ants of Jefferson and of Mrs. Washington
and other patriots Of our Revolution.
Rynders and his white mobocrats of New
York city, low, vulgar, vicious and degraded,
the miserable scum and filth of society, col
lected from the Five Points of New York,
are by this amendment welcomed TO select
farms in Oregon while Frederick Douglass,
a man of high moral worth, of great intellec-
tual power, of unrivaled eloquence, possess
ing III an eminent degree all the qualities
which constitute moral excellence, is TO be
excluded, rudely driven from that region
The Reverend Mr.. Ward, of New York, a
man whose skin is said to be blacker than
Egyptian darkness, but whose power of elo-
quence is unrvalled, and who, as divine,
has perhaps no superior in the Union, is to
be discarded as unworthy of our favor lie
would ask, if that were the justice, the con-
sistency of the members of this body? VIII
history record this as an exhibition of the
narrow, the groveling prejudices which gov-
ern the American Congress? Is this to be a
specimen of our Legislation at this middle Of
the nineteenth century?
lie regretted that the Legislature of Ore
gon had attempted by law TO exclude color
ed people from that Territory. This was a
matter beyond their constitutional powers
they possess no such authority. The Com
stitution of the United States guarantees "'s
-