Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1851-11-08
Speech OF Samuel ]. May.

The following is the conclusion of the Speech
of Samuel J. May, a; the meeting of the citizens
of Syracuse, to express their indignation at tho
attempt to kidnap one of their citizens under the
authority of the fugitive law:
The citizens OF Syracuse and Of Onondaga.
county did not, on the lst of October, violate
law; they set at naught an unrightcous, cruel
edct; they trampled upon tyranny. Who
doubts, who docs not know, that if poor Jerry
had been arrested for some crime, OF only a
misdemeanor-for the violation Of property or
the disturbance Of the poace,-who does not
know, If that had been his case, that all the peo-
pie would have said Amen, so let it be- They
would not have interposcd on his behalf, even
If, in his struggles against the executive officers
he brought upon himself harsher usage than
his offence seemed to deserve.
But when the people saw a man dragged
through the streets; chained and held down in
cart by four or six others who were upon him;
treated as II he were the worst of fclons; and
learnt that it was only because he had assumed
to be, whit God made him to be, a man and not
a slape when this came to be known through
out these streets, there was mighty throbbing
of the public heart an all but unanimous up
rising against the outrage. There was no con-
cert of action excepting that, to which COM
mN humanity impellcd the people. Indigna-
ton flashed from every eye. Adherence Of the
Fugitive Slave Bill poured in burning words
from every tongue. The stones cried out
Persons who had never been known TO manifest
| the least interest in the cause of our enslaved
countrymen, were loud in their cries of shame
shame Quickened, reused, urged on by this
almost Universal denunciation of the outrage
upon freedom, some men, more ardent, less
patient or cautious than the rest, broke through
the slight partition between the victim and his
liberty; struck Oft the chains that bound him
and gave him ga God speed" to country,
where man hunters may not follow him. Then
such shout of sladness rose upon the air, as
never made this welkin ring before. II was not
my privilege to witness the release. / came Us
soon as my feet could bring me Qirom the Dill
lnyc Block to the scene and joined in the loud
acclaim. If that were sinful, then were there
few If any saints, in all our town that night. II
that were treason, then were there few patriots
here.
! And now there are men, $50 called honora-
bic men, going about to inAict heavy peeuniary
penalties, imprisonment, and il they can COM
pnss it, death upon those individuals, who may
be proved to have aided and abetted the rescue
Of a man from slavery; to punish as fcllons
those who mean tn obey God, and respect the
rights of their fellow beings Nay, but they
say, it is for violating law, We arc 10 be punished.
VIII they then-Amcricans as they are-will
they maintain, that government cannot enact
law so bad, that the people would be justified
in trampling it under foot If they take this
position, they condemn utterly The father Of the
reroi,aion. But if they stand upon American
doctrine, that "rcsistancc to tyrants is obcdi-
ence to God"-thcn l fain would have them
tell me, if they can, what law could be more ty-
rannieal than this, which some of our citizens
are accused Of having violatcdi For one can
not believe that the public sentiment of this ma
ton will sustain our rulers in their attempts 10
enforce obedience 10 this outrageous enact
ment,
But, fellow citizens, whatever may betide
any of US, for the aid we have given, or the
sympathy we have shown to hunted fellow
man, let us meet it firmly, in the spirit of chris
tlan fortitudc and long suffering Let there be
no violence offered or thought Of, towards tho
misguided men, who are attempting to execute
this great unrighteousncss. They cannot dis
pose of us by any summary proceeeding.-
They cannot deny us the :" due process
of Law. They cannot withhold from us ga
trial BY jury nor if VIC should need it, can
they forbid us a Writ of HabCas Corpus
We can venture to wait There is no dire
necessity upon us to resort 10 any violence, in
order to escape ourselves, or to rescue any of
our number from doom, which every man ae-
counts far worse than death. They cannot make
as slares. Our legalinod prosecutors may take
! from us our money; but they cannot rob US of
our respect for the rights Of man, and our con-
sciousness of good intention. They may incar-
ccratc our bodies, but they cannot imprison our
souls. They cannot conAne our thoughts or
the expression of them within dungeon. They