Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1851-01-25
What is our Method !

We do not cndeavor TO organize politi-
cal party, because we cannot take any exc
rhuve, Judicial, or Legislative office, either
sialc or national, without being obliged to
swear TO support the Constitution of the
| United SiUtcs, which IL M oath 10 give slave
! ~ material support. II Is wrong To swear
To support slavery to-dUy, even though we
hope thereby 10 he able To abolish II iu-nlor-
iow. II IL wrong 10 swear 10 support
wrong, IL we mean TO keep the oath; and
To olir wrong is added perjury, il we mean
not to krrpii.
We 40 hot orgalize Il party, because poll
ties Is II game ul cxpedlcncy aud coinpro-
mise, even IN moral questions aud our mot
10 is, "WHbUut compromise" Besides, by
acrlGg politically, We place ourselves, nppa-
rently at least, ~ an interested position. The
people lose confidence ia the purity aud dis
lnterestednets OF our motives. IL we propose
ourselves Ms candidates Tor office. We pre-
ler to belong To no party, hui To appeal to
men OF all parties, 10 net up To The highest
unti-slavery truth IlIey can appreciate.
We do not organize AN gntl-slavcry
church; not because such nn OrEanizhlloU
may not do very good service Ia lie cause,
but bccalise chuiciIcs, ns at present organlz-
cd eau be formed ouly by the adoption of
some creed, or other statement of religious
belief. The formation oi church involves
agreement among its members on mnny
points whilst, MS snti-slavery men and wo-
inen, we agree only in one, namely, tint
ssAyeholding Is always wrong; aud, being
50, immediate emancipation Is The duty OF
the master, aud the right OF the slave. Our
Object is the spreading OF this truth, and this
only; not the truths eOnccrnihg the trinity on
A
trihes of the church, though more or less ilii-
portant in themselves. On our platform, all
anl.slavery men are welcome, ho matter
what is their religious belici. u behalf OF
freedom, We will work with the Jew Or De-
isl, us uInicably as with the Christian. Win
us the Catholic or Churchman finds no
more favor than the Unitarian, unless by his
ieOrks hc showsa more lively faith.
We do not incite the slave TO rebel
though, according 10 the creed of our rcvo-
lutiolIury fathers, resistance TO t!rnts is obc-
dicnce to God because no moral question
can be settled 10y force.
We do not, as an association, engage in
running of" slaves. Not that such an
act is lot perfectly right, and strictly in ac-
cOrdance with the golden rule,--not that we
do not honor VIM. l.. Chaplin, who has
been willing 10 risk n prison Tor the sake of
hiding the opprcssed,-no but because such
method OF proceeding is extremely partial
aud limited III its operation, aud because II
cannOl tend TO produce immediate enlanci.
patton so efficiently ns other means.
We do not seek TO buy up the slaves
some OF us upon principle, rs being n recog-
milton of the right OF the masters, hut most
OF tIs because il would he impossible in this
way TO attain our object; and because for
every slave we buy we strengthen the hands
OF the stakeholder, and give him an addi-
tional stimulus 10 uphold slavery. But our
method is TO adopt every just and feasible
way OF regencrating public sentiment on
the subject oi slavery. We iorm anIisave-
ry societies, sustain urii-slavery presses ; we
publish aud scatter broadcast over the land,
documents showing the wrongs of slavery
we hold conventions, and public meetings OF
various kinds aud, in all these aud similar
ways, we endeavor 10 gain tho ear aud AT
tention of the people, aud To convince them
that slaveholding is always wrong and that,
therefore, immediate emancipation is the
right OF the slave, and duty Of the nuster.--
As our principle is based upon our common
manhood, we appeal 10 men, not as partisans
or sectarsns but simply uE men, who are
conscious that il is wrong tor any one TO en-
slave them.
Doubtless many will bring up the oit-re.
peated objection,-Thisi is to do nolhlngi alI
this moral agitation can effect nothing un-
less somebody rOtes unless somebody enaei'
ia.o en,ancpaiing the slave. Lei Us look al
this a moment; for no object is brought ior-
ward more frequently, more uiuniphah''yG
none which at first glance looks more V"Io'
aud none which, Notwithstanding, is really
weaker aud more unsubstnniial.
What is il that supports slavery The
law, you say. Very we'll; but who cnacts
the law? The Legislature! Whut deter
mines the character of the Legislature P
The votes of the people Aud whit de
the votes OF the people' Their
IDEAS! /, is the ideas of the people; the
public sentiment OF the people, then, and
not its laws, which supports slavery. Theo-
ogians tell lis that the world existed ideally
IN the mind of God before the creation, and
hat il was created as il was, necessarily, be-
cause of the prs-eIsting idOa. Asa was