Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1850-12-07
On, Clergyman Selling Another


Crosse, regularly licensed local preacher Of
the Methodist Episcopal Church and aars,
from Mason County, KY, would preach in the
evening at the Methodist Chapel, and solicit
help from the audience to enable him 20 make
himself tho owner of his own body For once
Parson Montgomery was not ashamed to be
seen in the street with black man, and tho
.alacrity' with which he assisted in mailing UP
the handbills, set off as it was by most conde-
scending smirk, seemed to say, There ! won
der what those intdcl abolitionists will say now!
viii they ever dare to call me pro-slavery again
IIav'n't demonstrated before the people Of Sa-
lcm the gcnuinencss of my love for the slavei
How fortunate, though, that 1 have found
chance to do it without in tho least identifying
myself with the abolidonists That such
were actually the thoughts of the Rev. gentle
man we do not affirm-wc only say that such
was the apparent language of his acts, such the
Interpretation Of the smiik aforesaid by some
who were so fortunate as to catch a glimpse of
his peculiarly clerical phiz in the rather dull
light which that smirk impaired.
The opportunity OF hearing the gospel ex-
pounded by 'chettel is not often enjoyed in
thi, bcnightcd part of the country, though It
would be ungratcful to deny that much Of the
preaching with which VIC are blessed is thor
oughly lcavencd with the chattel principle. We
had some curiosity TO sec how clergyman
would look begging money of the people to put
in the pocket of another clergyman, of tho
same Church with himself, that he might there
by become the owner of his own body; and so
VIC went with our friend Heaton to tho Metho-
dist Chapel at the tmo appointed. We saw in
the pulpit with Parson Montgomery stalwart
black man, who, whatever might be his qualid-
cations for preaching, certainly looked as If he
were capablc of taking care Of himself without
the aid of master. Mr.. Montgomery was cx-
cccdingly gracious and patronizing, but such
uncarthly and unnatural groans as came from
him while the black man was praying, we have
rarely heard. We like well enough an amen
or any other form of response when it follows
some stirring sentiment and comes spontaneous
ly from the heart; but when responses issue
from tho lungs as if they were forced out at
regular intervals by tho turn of crank, without
any intelligent relation to tho sentiment Of the
speaker, they are more annoying than tho scream
of an old fashioned cidcr.mill. II Mr.. Mont
gomcry thought his groans would produce an
impression that he was under the inauenoo of
strong religious emotion, we can assure him that
he was never more mistaken. They shocked
the nerves of his hearers, but they touched no
body's hear: how could they; They were
too hollow and mechanical for that. The chat
tel took for his text the words of Jesus !" Go
yc into all the world and preach tho gospel to
cvery creature" lie was rather illtcratc. and
his theological instructors had evidently taprkt
him that noise was indispensable in preach
hut he uttered q good deal Of Wholesome tr.S
notwithstanding, and proved himself mWil of
good natural endowments. He made frequent
illusions to his condition as a slave, and every
one must have felt indignant that such a nun
was in the eye of the law only working AMI
nal but for some reason he was not at all
communicative in relation to his experience un-
der the peculiar institution. Mr.. Montgomery
took the entire control of the meeting, and very
careful was he that no one should have oppor-
tunity to ask any questions. Whether he had
advised the slave to conceal from the audience
the name and the occupation of his master, it is
not for us to say; we only know that they were
not communicated. His credentials were read
in due form, and the audience were told that ho
had come to Ohio to raise S400, tho price at
which his master had consented to part with
him. ri.a
Now who was the man that claimed this min
lister is his property, and who was to pocket the
cash which he was trying to collect: Was he
an infidel-a disciple of Tom Paine and Fanny
Wright No--hc was member and MINIS
TER OF the Northern Methodist Church He
was Parson Montgomery's : dear brother in the
Lord Rev. JAMES SAVAGE, of Mason
County, Ky. Yes, this minister of the Mctho-
dist Episcopal Church is permitted by that
Church to claim his brother minister as q chat
tel, and to extort from his utter poverty the
sum of S4OO as the price of that liberty which
God has conferred alike upon every human be
ing. The Church which throws tllc shield Of it:
protection over vilany like this is that TO which
tho Methodists of Salem are attached. They
arc responsible for it, for they baptze it in thu
name Of Christ and fellowship those who prac.
ticc il. ..sJ
Now we do not blame tho colorcd mnp fol
making an effort to free himself from the fang
of the Rev. James Savage, but we do think
the Methodists, if they were not oblivious tc
shame, would scorn to ask or even permit the
Abolitionists, whom they constantly donouncc
as in6dels, to pay ono penny of the ransom
money. For their own credit, if nothing else they
should have raised tho amount among them
selves. Above all it was superlatively mean in
Parson Montgomery to conceal from the audi
encc tho fact that he was begging for money,
not alone to free the slave, but to put it in the
pocket of his man-stealing brother. lie no
c only did this. but after friend Hcaton and our
n self had retired from tho meeting tho was no
manly enough to do IL Whilo we xNero nrescnt