Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1851-06-21
Southern Ohio.
CLERKS.

Z" Your correspondent who gives an account OF
! the Ant-Slavery Convention, docs injustice it
seems to me- to those Free Soilers who did not
attend, or did not take any active part in the
T meeting. 1t is truc there was some show of
; impartialty in the formation of the business
{ Committee, but the call Of tho Convention, sign
| cd by ladies, the organization, and leading
speeches, made it apparent enough that in its
spirit and tendency, it was Garrisonian, wo-
} mans Rights, voting convention. Whatever
may have been the intention of those who call
ed it, as to its being Union Convention, it was
to all practical purposes meeting of that class
of aJolitionists." know not who the cores
pondent alluded to is, nor what he has said,
which is supposed to be unjust, but l wish to
glance little at the state of facts disclosed by
this letter. The writer declares, "it was to all
practical purposes meeting OF that class OF
abolitionists,' and then very candidly goes on
to show how it came to be such. Certain pro-
mincnt FREQ solors, whom he names, men whose
talents and anti.savcry professions, give great
weight of influence to the direction in which
they move, every likely" "may have thought
it their duty to stay away. Had they taken an
active part, or countenanccd it in any way, they
would have been identified, whether justly or
not, it matters little, with views and measures
they do not approve" That tells the whole
story. II these persons had attended and par
ticipatcd, and had given this direction to their
influence with others, who docs not see that it
would have changed the whole aspect of the
Convention, and real Union meeting have
been the result; And yet their opologist coolly
turns round and assumes that, what he has
shown to be an effect of their own procuring,
shQll be considered justification Of their nom
attendance! But let us try these professod
Anti-Slayory mon, who arc too pure TO mix In
efforts for the slave, with Garrisonian, Wo-
mans Rights, Non-Noting," men and "with"
"womcn,' by their own rule. Do the persons
named and docs the class in community they
represent, refuse all ecclesiastical connection
with individuals, the whole of whose opinions
and actions they cannot endorse; DO they
stand wholly aloof from the churches of the
land, because ii they take an active part, or
countonance them in any way, they will become
identified, whether justly or not, with views
and measures in respect to slavery, which they
90 not approves: Is the political party, or arc
| the parties with which these gentlemen arc un-
dcrstood to cooperate, perfectly Immaculate,
without spot, or blcmish, in word or decd |
trow not. 1t is from the cause of the slave
alone, when the work OF his redemption is at. |
tempted, by those against whom they feel the |
bitterness Of fscctaran political prejudice, from
contact with whom they anticipate u soil to their
rcputation-that they stand aloof. No more |
pregnant dolineation do they need, than this |
their apologist has placed upon record. Let |
them answer SO far as they can to their own
conscenccs. We will admit, for their works
prove that they have degree of sympathy for
the suffering bondman but if they accept this
explanation of the occasion, for their absence
from the Convention, which has been volunteer
cd, they must acknowledge it has been shown
theif sympathy is entirely subservient to their
own self love, manifested in a superior regard
for reputation, or soctarian, or party association
Let justice be done though the heavens fall, is
no motto of theirs. But lot justice be done,
provided we can secure the emancipation of the
slave without co-labor, performed with "wo-
men, Garrsonians, and Wonan's Rights men,"
The picture is drawn by themselves.
believe it to be lamcntablc fact that in
Southern Ohio, the cause of Anti Slavery has
retrograded, rather than advanced, during the
past six years. The cause for this, believe
may be lcgitimatcly traced to the action of lead
ing men, part Of whom were named in the
letter of your correspondent, and originating in
the motives, in great measure which he has de- I
seribed as holding them aloof from the late
convention. The moral question has not been
kept before the people. The sense of the ex-
ceeding snfulness of slavery, and of the respon-
sibilty for its existence under which every {
American citizen is involved has rather faded,
than deeponcd in the minds of the people, The
tricks and stratagcms of parties, the subterfu-
ges of political action, with calculations of the {
chances of political success, in great degree, I
throughout this whole region have taken the
place OF those appeals to reason and to con- ,
science, which once gave vitality to Anti-Slavo-
ry feeling. Loving their sects and parties and t
personal and political reputation, more than they a
do the emancipation Of the slave. Hating what
they suppose to be the errors of " Garrisonism
Woman's Rights, and non-voting," more than j
they hate slavery. The individuals in question !,
solemnly believe, are ehargeable before the Z
world, and will be held responsible by God, r.
with arrestng in Southern Ohio the progress Of r.
Ant-Slavcry sentiment, and thereby with per- h
poriionably rctarding the era of Emancipation. a
rejoice that the remarks of your correspondent "
afford me the occasion to express my convic- y
tions, not out of unkind feelings towards any, i
but in the hope that somc at least, who are a. e
stray may be induced to examine carefully
whether these things be not so-Whethor the