Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1850-11-16


bands of slave-catchers roaming through the
country, insulting and terrifying our citi-
zens, and picking up negroes at pleasure
for you will recollcct, they may be seizeo
either with or without warrant. Leave,
beseech YOU, the pistol and the bowie kuife
TO Southern rufiiuns and their Northern Der'
cennries That this law will lead to blood
she'd take il for granted; but let i be tho
blood of the innocent, not of the guilty. j
ANYTHING can rouse the torpid conscience o
the North, il will he our streets stained
with human blood, shed by the slave-catch
| ers.
Most deeply do feel and dcplore tn
wrongs inflicted upon your race, bond ant
! free, by people protesting to be Christian
| and republicans, nnd greatly do ! fear tia
a righteous Providence will make thos'
wrongs the instruments of his vengeance
by means of the moral leprosy they ar'
| spreading through our country. This very
! slave e-catching law has direct and power
! fll tendency to beget ia our people reck.
less contempt of the rights of individuals,
a disregard for the usual conservatory forms
of legal and judicial proceedings, and a
selfish indifference for the claims of hu-
manity.
For years, most strenuous efforts, prompt
ed by commercial and political views, were
made by lawcss violence, to deprive the OPP
ponents of slavery of their constitutional
privileges. The right of petition was sus-
pended-the freedom of debate interrupted
the sanctity of the post-oftce violated
public meetings -printing-presses
destroyed-iurious mobs excited-churches
sacked-private houses gutted, and even
murder perpeirated All this violation OF
rights was regarded with compaeency by
many who had much at stake, SO long as nb-
Olitonists alone were the victims. But the
spirit of aggression thus raised and fostered,
is seeking new subjects on which TO exer-
else its power. "Gentemen of property and
standing" are noc beginning to feel alarmed
about socialism, anti-rentism, agrarianisni,
etc. Hence, of late, we hear much of the
importance of conservatism, as il is called
The political movements of the last few
months seem 10 indicate that our landlords
and cotton-Iorls, aud merchant-p princes, re-
gard an alliance with the nristocracy of the
South, as at least in some degree a security
against the violations Of vested rights, Sc.
questration of rents, oppressive taxation un.
equal laws, &c., &c. To the influence o.
gentlemen of this class, the late slave law
owes its passngc.
Aud is il indeed believed, that the right.
of the rich will be protected by familarizinl
the populace with the practice of injustice
mud cruelty towards the poor? Will the sigh
OF iunoceut men seized in our streets, anf
/ sent in fetters TO I'LL the irond fields OF grcu
landowners, increase the reverence felt fol
land titles Is il wise 10 give the people
practical lessons in the demolition of all the
barriers raised by the common law for the
protection of the weak against the strong
Is il true conservatism 10 obliterate, in the
masses, the sense of justice, tie feelings oi
humanity, the distinction between right and
wrong? No man looks with more loathing
than do, on the destructive and disorganiz-
ing theories of the day but l have no idea
of counteractng them by the extension OF
human bondage, and the example of fero-
cious injustice in hunting innocent men and
robbing them of all the rights of humanity
The only conservatism to which i look fol
the protection of my rights and of my pro
perty is the inculcation of that HIGHER
LAw," which, with the authority of Deity
and the sanctions Of the invisible world
says TO each individual, high or low, rich o.
poor, DO JUSTICE, LOVE MERcY-Do UNTO
OTHERS AS you WOULD THEY SHOULD DC
TO you.
whose all depends upon its observance
The vindcations of property in MAN, whicl
are poured forth from the pulpit, the forum
and the press-the maintenance of caste il
the churcl-the apathy with which the op
preston of three millions of countrymen j
viewed-the permission given TO INTRODUCES
slavery into our new territories, with
pledge to receive them as Slave States-th
broken faith of many of those by whom th
permission and pledge were given-the con
Tempt expressed for the scruples of con
science, and the horrible iniquity of the fl
gitive law-are all combining TO bl eok dow
those barriers of justice, humanity, and III
fear of God, which, under our popular iorr
of government, can alone stay the flood {
spoliation and anarchy. Well may we tren
Bile, lest God should apply TO or nation III
maxim of his moral government towards IN
dividuals-" Whatsoever man soweth, thu
shall he also reap"
Yours respectfully
WILLIAM JAY.