Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1851-10-18

and knew not when to look for me, not nav
ing seen even SO much as the Bugle contain
ing nv appointments up TO Pulaske. Alter
waiting for him till the middle OF the next
dny-the I9th-l went back as Far as New
Bedford, some four miles towards Lowell
vile, and by the prompt and efhcienthe oi
a few good friends of our cause there, gath-
cred very respectfully numerous meeting
in the evening, at a large school-house, IN
the village, and found interest enough IN the
subject to secure a fixed attention TO a DIS
course of nearly two hours and half. The
next day, still hearing nothing from friend
Selby, | borrowed conveyance OF our
friends in New Bedford, having agreed to re-
turn and speak again in that place on the
2lst, after noon aud evening.
/ then rode to Mercer, about seven
teen miles distant, to lay out work for the
three remaining days of those assigned in
our plan to Mercer county. From Mercer
succeeded in sending word to Selby of my
being IN the region, and committed TO him
the arrangements for the ODD aud 9th, and,
leaving an appointment for a meeting at
Mercer Court House OH the evening of the
25th, returned on the 2lst to meet my en-
gagemcnt ut Bedford. We expected there
to have the house occupied by the Free Pres
byterians, majority of the Trustees having,
as I was told given us leave to use il. ln-
deed, they had, strictly speaking, no moral
right 10 refuse it, for nearly or quite half OF
it belongs to our friends. But when reach
ed the place, a short time before the appoint
ed hour, | was informed that we could not
have tie house the clergyman aud some OF
his leading men having signified their oppo-
siiion to the holding of such meetings as we
proposed, on 'tle Sabbath y and, in effect,
taken the responsibility OF shutting the door
against us, in violation of a clear right of
property. They have been, for four or FIVE
years, using us often as they pleased the pro-
perty which was as much Tor nearly sol our
| friends as theirs; but when we wished TO
use it for half an afternoon, (qfier he close of
their usual First day services,) and an eve
ming, we were denied our right, on the pre-
text of fear that something might be said
derogatory to the sanctity of the day.
This sort of tenderness of conscience
which, under pretense Of keeping holy the
Sabbath day, cnn deliberately rob men of
the use of their own property, and throw
| hinderances in the way of efforts TO abolish
system of oppression "the vilest that ever
saw the sum-" may seem TO your readers less
worthy of respect Than some other sort would
be; and they may almost be ready to con-
clude that the New Bedford Free Presbyte-
rians have not much freedom TO spare. |
must therefore, inform them, in order to pre-
vent mistakes, that these men are as much
opposed to slavery as anybody" if not lit
tie more so insomnch that they connot hold
religious fellowship with the common sort of
Presbytcrians, though they can aud do-if
am correctly informed, with men whom
their clergyman himself calls "swOrn kid
nappers," for that term, it is said he admits
to be justly applicable to every officer of the
Government, from the President to the Con-
stable.
Shut out of the Westinghouse, we repair
ed to the school-house in which our former
meeting was held, and there, nt four P. NJ,
and in the evening, spoke to a small as
sembly (nuch smaller doubtess than would
have gathered in the meeting-house, if that
had been opened to us,) aud endeavored TO
preach gospel which teaches the lawful
ness of doing good on the Sabbath days
know not whether any of the Free Pres
byterians were present, but may be allow
ed to guess that, il they were not, they were
no better employed than if they had been.
At Mercer, the next evening, our meeting
at the Court House was very well attended
considering the shortness Of the notice; 1
, talk oftwo and half hours did not seem tC
exhaust the patience of the audience. Here
also, had the pleasure of enconntering wha
struck me as very different type of Free
, Presbyterianisn, from that which bolled il
doors against me at Bedford. The Fre'
Presbyterian preacher aided in getting VI
the meeting, and, las did two or three othe
cergymen) gave notice of it from the pulpi
on First day and both he and the editor o
, the denominalional organ, welcomed me cor
I daily, expressed a lively sympathy with M!
: mission, n,-though dissenting frankly ffon
, my views on some points,-and entertained
me with kind aud hearty hospitality, as
felIow-laborer in the cause Of humanity AM
freedom.
Here, TOO, friend Selby met me, and on tn
I following day-the 23d-we went TO Mill
4 brook, where he resides; and on the eve
nings OF that day and Of the 24th, spok
: there in the Westinghouse belonging part
q ly to our friends, and partly to the Iru