The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1851-05-01
.vHE DUTY OF ANTI.SLAVERY VOTERS"


.THE DUTY OF ANTI-SBiVERY VOTERS"
The question Of questions with the readers
Tiers of the Era just now, is being dis
'l ..od under this caption. In terms very gene
ror answer it, lin your leader Of the 2Oth
r.h.rsrvl awe can fought to) vote our prln'
.Y.-into of6eep "Use the ballOt-box for the
t..h,;sbment Of free principles" In every
sbould take care to insure the election
0'l. 90; vsrvmen by using our cleo
tive franchise wisely"
' Tatsn together, your article is clear and une-
.,-o,.I mon the point Of dny. l read the SEN
t.nces Quoted with emphasis upon the words IN
.,-.o and ri,slv, and insist upon so enforcing ana
5;roctiog their significance. Duty gets diner
-..,sr,srt and drift when calculated from the
-.;,, ~ results, from what 1t receives when in
f,.rsd from general principles without any con-
sideratiOn Of results. In the one case, man may
i,stifv himself by doing no wrong, though at the
s,nsnse of doing nothing useful for the excellent
and in view in the other, he will make sure to
do right, and Whatever is practicable and expe-
dent also In the one, the man is intent upon
savipp his own soul and maintaining his consis-
teucy of principle, whatever becomes of the en-
tsrprse; in the other he throws his soul into 1t:
s,nally careful for both, under the conviction
that there must be some right way Of doing and
Getting the thing DONE If it be duty at all. The
ana NAV stop short with self-sacrifce and solemn
rrotest the other sets his heart earnestly upon
achievement The one is sublime in principle,
the other beneAcent in practice, with oil the pos
siNs difference that may be between abstract
truth and prOvidential usek
IN the interspace and Inference Of these two
.rDrebepsiOns Of duty, your word wisely mediates,
far e.pediency is the wisdom Of actual lifs-the
enlistment. every moment demanded, Of princi-
rIss IA affairs in order TO effect the greatest pos
sible GOOD in. the circumstances, without obscur-
inc. or wesAening, or offending against the truth
which rightfully rules the case. II must not be
forgotten, stner, mat SserfItory;w nicK1e SINUS
upder the dominion Of an honest discretion, is
also the DEVILS own ay-ground-a wilderness Of
temptation where he would turn stones into
bread to meet an exigency or avoid trial-a
nice pinuscle-point Of balance, hard to maintain,
from which he tempts world-menders to cast
themselves in headlong impatience-a grand pros
meet. offering glorious success in reward of de-
mon worship Heaven help us Besides being
honest we need to be wise as serpents, avoiding
their wckedness, or, for the worlds use, we might
as well not be at all.
am going to assume general assent to your
statement of our duty. By which | understand
explicitly, in the first place, that we must do
something secondly, that we must do 1t in truth
and righteousness and, thirdly, that we must DO
as much of it as possible, without shrinking from
the conditions in order to take care Of the rest Of
our goodness and wisdom which we cannot get
into immediate play. In this way and on these
terms, the world does get along-with some help
10 be sure from the impracticables who do the
preaching and protesting of the great principles
which Ouer-rule all, and will, in good time, rul'
IN all
But, in the mean time, what Of the method anC
policy Of our action in the premises2 This is tn
open question very full Of difficulty in ITSELF TO
ii involves the whole theory of reform, which
perhaps, nobody understands thoroughly; ant
is, besides, complicated by different opinions
sharply opposed to each other, and obscured, also
by much doubt and hopefulness, which demand
satisfaction before they can be srrayed into any
shape for service
One opinion would return, in effect, to the old
close-cOmmunion Liberty organization, pivoted
upon its one idea; another would go forward Ia
0oftn I'd
entious than that, for the sake Of scrupulousness
and logical perfectness; q third would organize q
reserve guard Of light troops, choose new and
brave spirits, capable of being wheeled into line
and brought to the charge wherever dash might
be made in the heat of conflict, with the whole
field of politics, and both sides of the battle for
range of action fourth, worn out in the old
service, and tired of drill will enlist nowhere,
and answer to no muster-roll, but will vote for
officers only who promise to fight for the right
aud perhaps another variety is ready for re-
absorption into their old parties, from which they
rose, in the notion that few drops Of fresh water
may sensibly abate the sadness Of the sea- And
there remains still another way, which you sug-
gest lin Era, No 2l9,) as the thought Of many
friends; and " if we are to have a mem national
organization" 1t has your appreciation, to wit
THE formation Of new party, taking the Dem
Ocratic principle as its central idea, and boldly
applying it to the solution Of all the political
questions now pressing upon the public mind"
Without charging myself with the orderly
treatment Of these propositions, will offer some
thoughts upon them, expecting the application
wherever IT is clear and correct in the readers
apprehension. political party cannot be built
upon sentiment which respects only the inter.
ests OF small or otherwise inconsiderable class
Of the people, very unlike in circumstances and
wants from the mass; because, the general bust
ness Of Government, and the rights of other
classes, are imperative because, the progress and
promise Of the established order must 70 forward
and because, one reform will not wait for another
less faVorably circumstance, or be postponed OF
excluded by it.
Nay, more: political party and policy cannot
De built upon a sentiment at all They mus,
grow out Of interests-aH the interests which
Government is concerned about A great idea
-"'y, inaeed' monopOlize the attention of a com.
'u''y lot time; perhaps one important specially
- auO'ner does exclusively command the public
u'Lu until 1t gets settled but whenever such
p4NOular sentiment or interest is really strong
snou 70 employ party, or form one, it is strong
s-Oasn 10 constrain an existing one. New or.
e'u'Iauons are not necessary to new movements,
,''S 'ney are revolutionary in their character
s -u4 mAnner Of working; neither can such sepa-
., '' organizations sustain themselves long enough
success, because they have their own partial.
~, 'uu effectiveness to answer for, as well as
'I'r proper antagOnism to meet in its fortified
places ''O
= moral reform, as such, is not the legitimate