Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1851-01-18
VOL. 6.

mcntaltics into the fcld." He.e he gave way
for the reading of the notice. At its conclu
sion he resumed. Last Sabbath evening this
this gentleman lccturcd at Hartford and we
thought it best to have our regular prayer
meeting. We did so, and tho Lord was witk
us to bless in a powerful manner, and have
no doubt he will he te-morow evening. Breth-
rem, come up to the meeting, come up to the
meeting" The next day l happened to fall in
with the gentleman at Mechanics Shop. We
soon got to know each other. lie assumed the
responsibility of setting aside Gods word in
regard to casting pearls before swine, which hc
quoted in justification of the position which he
soon assumed that he would not talk with me;
to say nothing of his own word being forfeited.
So that We talked till he was obliged to 10 to
his meeting OF course some things were said.
At first he was going to get over the fugitive
clause OF the Constitution on the score Of
mental reservation, at the time of taking the
oath but he soon abandoned that for the idea
that it was not so bad after all, especially IN
consideration of the provision for amendment.
referred him to his insinuatons the night
before in regard to the devils mstrumentalities
said that understood him to refer to the pro-
posed nnti-slavcry meeting, and if he did. 1
considered it base and eowardly. and ns de-
stroying the justice of all his claims to being
anti-slavory. lie said had rightly understood
him-ho believed it the work of the devil /
told him thought he gave to his orthodox dew
il nearly the attributes Of Deity himself, in that
he could thus operate on the heart of the color
cd man to come here at this time, he knowing
nothing of the meeting till he came. The Rev.
gentleman thought it all very rossiblo--it was
all within the faith. / asked when, in tho
nome Of God and of bleeding humanity, might
he come and not ho influenced thereto by Satan.
According to your own admission, he came to
Hartford when you had no special meeting, and
YOU "ehosc to attend your regular prayer
meeting" Ii those outside instrumontalities
arc of the devil, and Slavery be wrong, as you
say, when has the Chmch time to act lie
seemed to excuse himself on the score of tho
timc-holy Sabbath-and place, Gods house;
aud charged that "good CongregGtionslists
absolutely chccrcd and stamped at annuncis-
tons Of tho spoaker!" | told the gentleman
that nothing was, to my mind, more clear, than
that tho idea which the priesthood laboFsd 30
industTiously to instil into the popular mind.
that days and places were too sacred to be used
in promoting the reforms of the day, was tho
! great barrier to the success of those reforms,
and that man would never rise to his true posi-
ton till this superstitious notion gave way to
the idea that MAN was better than days or pls.
ces. lie thought this but another proof Of my
infdclity.
But must omit much that l would like TO
say, and come to the gcntlcman's position in
regard to Slavery, and the fugitive law, as
obtained it in writing from him. 1T would
be better to return the entire slave population,
under the provisions of the late fugitive slave
law, than TO suffer what consider to be the le-
gitimatc consequences of your principles-sn.
arehy, and confusion, and the destruction of oys
civil and religious privileges; acting, in the
mean time, under the constitution, FOR tho OBJ
struction of slavcry''!! Here is the positionof
ono who claims to be an cmbassador of Christ,
claims to believe that the great God has called
him to position where he may announce to
the PEOPLE those truths and principles which
shall be conducive to the best good of man here
and hereafter. What must we think of that
claim : 1t can nerer be conceded! Is slavery
the sum of all villanicss Yes. Then il is tho
right Of the slave TO abscond. Yes. Then tho
fugitive law, in attempting to return him, and
making you an active agent in the matter, ID
wrongi o ycs-n,ost Gerilish! Will you then
recognize its binding obhgatiOii--will you exc
cute it under any conceivable circumstances
o yes, "ra,hcr than suffer the destruction Of
our civil and religious privileges But l ask,
would not the fact that these privileges"
were to be enjoyed at the expense of pcrpetra-
ting so great an outrage on our brother man, bo
the strongest reason in the world why they
should be dcstroyedi What are privileges
that are bought or enjoyed at such an expense
as this Arc they not those which, if facccptcd.
would prove the most supreme selfshness on
our parti What right have to accept any
good il know must have it at the expense Of
the right of othcrsl "1he greatest good to the
greatest number shouts this Divine. clasp
my wife and children to my embrace in safety,
and can read the scriptures and pray with them
will leopard or forego these privileges, rather
than, as a "good citizen" not execute my le-
gal obligations, and so return, to keep in hope-
less bondage, one sixth of the people who are
deprived of all these rights; Aye, did not so
learn Christ when he called me to preach But
l am going to labor in the mean time, COM
stitutionally, for the removal of the evil" Yes,
and those to whom you direct your labors will
doubtless think you very sincere. and genuine
hater of their practices, while you are helping
them to pcrpetrate the inniquity for the sake Of
preserviI our "eivil and religious privilege
and wIi "a, at to you, "what shall do to be
saved" These, Mr. Editor, are the men who
taunt us with infdeity and claim to be the true
cxponents of Christianity, and sound morality.