Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1851-12-27
Notes from the leclurlng Field,
Nrw LYME, Dec. II, 1851.

you very Dflet uccounL Oh q lew OF the meet
ings held by myself within the last few weeks.
Former letters have given an account Of the
meetings hold in Dorset, in this county, and
the shameful treatment Of the people by few
misguided but devoted mpn, After the cxhibi.
ton manifested on the visit Of Mess. Pilsbury
and the Grlhngs, il was thought best to settle
the right of speech in that place as speedily as
possible. Accordingly, held another meeting
there a short time subsequent to the above
The meeting was appointed in another part Of
the town, and threats of the most violent kind
made, if VIC should attempt to speak. One
good lady becoming so jealous in the cause as
to offer her best feather bed, If it could be used
for certain rather ugly purposes. But the meet
ing convened, and although the men, who had
done so much to disturb and threaten, were
standing near the door, not u word was spo-
ken or an act done to mar the peace and success
Of the meeting. It was peaceful triumph of
right over wrong, and the friends left strength
cncd and encouraged.
might just mention that both Justices of the
Peace in Dorset have resigned their commits
sions -onc of them certainly on tho ground that
he could not obey the Constitution.
A series Of meetings were appointed in Gcau-
ga county, and as far MS the all but impossible
state of the roads would permit, were filed
The meeting at Iuntsburgh tho first held in
the town, was deeply interesting, especially on
the second evening, when a minister, then on
visit, undertook in the most gcrtcmanly man.
ncr, and with what appeared to me to be the
very best Of spirit, defence of Slavery and the
Fugitive Law. lie seemed to be pretty much
Of piece with Moses Stuart in his "Conscicncc
and the Constitution" and was as far as Joseph
Barker wcnt-just of his mind about the Bible,
and Jesus, and the Apostles; only this minister
inferred that because Jesus, &C., did so and so,
therefore we arc bound to do the same.
The chief grounds of our ministerial friend
were first, That the Old Testament evidently
allowed some kind of slavery, the buying and
selling of human beings to be held and used as
property
That this was under the immediate lcgisla-
,icn of God himself that tho parties, many of
them sustaining the relation of STAKEHOLDER,
were the especial lavoutcs of Heaven, and there
fore were not sinners.
Second, That slavery of very bad type cx-
istcd throughout the Roman Empire at the
time of the existence of Christ and the Apos-
ties; that it was impossible to find a single di-
rect saving which Jesus ever uttered against it,
and if the Apostles said or wrote anything at
ALL it was to teach the slave obedience: to love
and honor their rightful masters, and to teach
tho master to be kind and merclul.
lie gave it as his decided opinion that if Jc-
sus lived to-day amid the three millions Of A
merican chattcls, and saw the operations of the
Fugitive Bill, he would utter no word Of rcbukc
to either.
/ told him l had two answers to his proposi-
tons One. that differed somewhat with him
about the teachings Of the Old and New Tcsta-
mcnts, and also about the character Of Jesus. l
did not believe that either God or Christ were
the characters represented. had better opin.
ion of both. But my other answer was, that j
christ ,eas the man he represented him to be, his
character was very deficient, and he certainly
did not do his duty. That If he lived n0'r, and
could pass the millions of his countrymcn in
chains-could witness unmovcd the terrible
man hunts of this nation, then he was only
worthy of place in the category of Stewarts,
Dcweys, Rogers and other pro-slavery teachers
of the times. Still our friend thought he was
right, and said he thought every person in the
audience except myself thought so too. Well,
we'll try it, said l. SO it was put to the vote,
when not a soul voted our brothers views Of
Jesus correct. while the vote of opposition was
| loud and strong. Our friends visit was very
opportune, and am sure the people saw that
nothing could stand only as il stood on the side
of Liberty and Justice, and upheld the princi
pies of eternal right.
My next meeting was at Montvllc, and woe
have been largely attended had it not been fol
the inccssant rain that fell during the Who'll,
time of the meeting. As it was, quite goodl!
number attended, and evidently were quite in
terostcd. The meetings were held in the Yves
leyan Church, and the Rev. Mr.. Ilodchkiss, th
minister, treated us very kindly. This was th'
first visit Of Comeouter to this place, and o
course the minds of the people were filed will
awful apprehonsions. But at the close, boil
minister and people asked that the same Gospe
might bo preached to them again at an carl!
day. Step by step We passed along, unfolding
the glorious principles of our Gospel, taking tn
people with US till not an objection seemed lei
in existence.
Geauga county is promising field of labor
and hope it may not be neglected as it ha
been. l ought not to pass without making men
ton of tho name of George Waters and lady
who made our stay so comfortable while there