Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1850-03-16

now exists. IL Is her duty to dcciarc that
she will under no consideration he party
TO any further inhumanity and injustice
Then the path will be plain and straight
The path of Duty, though steep one, and
often toilsome, is always straight and plain.
Those are the labyrinthine roads, which
winding through sloughs and thickets, or inn
bosked and dark, seek to find way around
the rocks and sleeps, and come to the gate
of success, without climbing the hill of Diff
ficulty.
If the compromises Of the Constitution in
clude requistions which violate Humanity,
will not be bound by them. Not even
the Constitution shall make me unjust Ii
my patriotic sires confederated in my be-
hulf that l should maintain that instrument,
so will, TO the utmost bounds of right
But who, with power which even God de-
MES to Himself, shall by compact fore-or-
dain me TO the commission of inhumanity
aud injustice? dsown the act. j repu-
diate the obligation. Never while have
breath will | help any official miscreant i'm
his base errand of recapturing fellow man
for bondage. And may my foot palsy, and
my right hand forget her cunning, if ever
become so untrue to mercy and religion
as not, by all the means in my power, to give
and and succor TO every man whose courage
Gus flight tells me that he is worthy of liber-
| ty II asked, what then becomes of the
Constitution, i reply by asking what be-
comes of Gods Constitution of Humanity,
IT you give back slave to the remorseless
nav OF servtude? l put Constitution
against Constitution-God's against MANS |
Where they agree they are doubly sacred-
Where they differ my reply to ali question
crs-but especially to ali timid Christian
scruples, is in the language of Peter:-
Whether it be right, in the sight of God, to
heerken unto you, mere than unto God,
judge ye.
Ought not Christians, by all means in
their power, to preserve the Union? Yes,
by all means that are right! But, dear as
the Union is, and ought to be, whenever it
comes between Christian people and their
Christian integrity it becomes n snare. The
very value of our Union is to be found in
those principles of justice, liberty and hu-
manity which inspire it. But if by any in
fernal juggle these principles must be yield
ed up TO preserve the Union, then a corpse
only will be left in our arms, dehoured,
lifeless, worthless. A Union maintained by
giving way TO Injustice Union perpetual
ted by obedience TO the desires of Slavery
is bur compact of violence. We empha-
size these things because the long-continued
cries of politicians have produced among
undis turbed conviction that no evil can be
so great as the dissolution of our Union.-
There are many evils infinitely greater
The loss of national conscience is greater. |
The loss of public humanity is greater An
Indifference TO the condition of millions of
CT eatures, whose degradation, vi
ces, ignorance and animalism plead with our q
conscience in their behalf; this would he an I
greater evil. So long as we
can maintain the Union on terms which al I
low us TO act with free conscience, with l
humanity unviolated, we shall count no sac y
rifice dear to maintain it, But religion and j
are price too dear to pay even /
for the Union.
Our Southern brethren often complain Y
that we don't understand their condition or
with their real difficulties !
Even SO, too, we complain that they do not 7
understand our situation and sympathize L
with our difficulties. There are hundreds G
Of thousands of men TO whom conscience is .
A lava law Notwithstanding the sneers of '
hose who flout at the idea of a conscience S
Daiy But there is a conscience party -
There is stern and growing feeling in the =
Free States, not yet expressed by any dis
lnctive organization, that the time has come !
Tor n stand against any further national in
We can bear much, but we q
cannot and will not bear the guilt of Slavery. 8
we regard II as epitomizing every offence .
which man can commit against man. Ii
axes liberty from those TO whom God gave u
I as the right of all rights. IL forbids all u
ood either for the understanding or the
leart. 1t takes all honesty from the con- 8
science. 1t takes its defence from virture, u
md gives all authority into the hands of j
ustfhl or pecuniary cupidity. 1t scorns Q
ha n,,1 & |
'r the want of money prevail, with the same c
,oolness with which drover singles out a q
refer, or butcher strikes down bullock. u
These are not the accidents of Slavery
They are its legitimate fruits. They are its D
'itality. n
Now we declare that into a fellowship u
With these monstrous evils, whose perpe-
ration around our whole Southern coast is u
nOugh to pre-occupy the heavenly tribunal u
II mercy, and TO exhaust its patience on on e.
y this form of all the worldwide human y
differing, we have been drawn unwittingly. tc
We did not know, or did not think that to 81
wear fealty TO the Constitution was to n
wear preservation TO Slavery. We had al u
Ways understood that the compromises of v
he Constitution were agreed upon in the ci
sorth, only that time might be given for
Slavery to die om. But it another construc-
ion be made, and becomes the settled read sy
ng of that instrument; if the North is to N
ave the guilt and the South the profits of p,
slavery; if we are hencelorth TO understand +
hat Slavery is federal and national, recog- ia
lied in the all-embracing Constitution, q
hen but one course is left us. No earthly N
consideration shall make us partners in this pt
We most soemnly declare, r.
y our belief in humanity, by our hopes in OF
eligion, by our faith in Christ, that we will -
ut every cord of oppression whose force is in
erived from us. And if in so doing men In
hoose to interpose the Constitution, upon "
leir heads be the blame. Palsied be that ca
and, and blasted those lips which shall OF