Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1852-04-17
A Runaway Slave.

There is nothing like the practical opera
| ton of n statute to convince men of It's worth
or of its wickcdncss. It is an ensy matter
| to theorize aud talk coolly about the neces'
sites or virtues Of proposed or passed law
when il comes into use when II enters
| the village, the home, with all its stringent
! provisions, hcn comes the tcst-then men
! decide upon its merits or demerits.
Daniel Webster may tell us that we should
conquer our prcjudices; DIR. Dewey may
| give us the benefit of reflective con-
science" aud Congress may decide for us
what are the legal rights of the South accord
! ing TO the Constiluiion--mny force down
our tllroais a Fugitive Slave Law, and, look
! ing merely at the statute OIL paper, we may
so forget the terrible realities contemplated
by the law as to look calmly upon it. But
only let us see and feel its workings, aud
then We shall awake to the hideousness oi
the miscrcant nbomination."
4 few days ago, we had the glorious privl-
lege of breaking the nccursed Fugitive Slave
Law, and until that day when We saw The
painting fugitive OH his way TO British soil,
we had not realised the horrible features oil
the recent Fugitive Act. The slave before
seemed not so much "a brother" and more
ga chattcl;" but when we gazcd upon The
dark complexion of that image of God, aud
sac by his trembling fears .hat here in New
England he was not safe from the mnn-hun-
ter-then we realized the ntrociousness OF
the law which makes it penal to help such
an onc-even with n glass Of water or n
crust of bread lie had escaped FROM the
Algcrnes of the South, and-thnnk God !
wife aud children, too, were with him! llq
needed said and coml0rt"-and what IL
- SIN
ken Ant.Slnvcry words broke the law. Ex-
Founders of the Law and of the Gospel
helped him onward to Freedom and Cunddn.
One man, whose name is a host among the
friends of Freedom, took his coat from his
own back aud placed it upon that of the
slave. No--thcro was not among all the
npologisis of the Slave Law, we darc sny, Il
man who would have dared TO backen his
soul with crime so great, MS that of hetray-
ing the poor fugitive. New England is not
yet dcbased sufficiently TO tramplc under
foot G ods great command, ado unto others
as yo would that they should do unto you J"
The poor slave to be sure was bluck, but he
had flesh, muscles, aud II heart, an immortal
soul like all of us, and yet he was afraid
right here in old Connecticut! Afraid Of
what afraid of the mnn.c .cntchcrs-trcmb-
ling for his wife and children lest the wret-
chcs, whom Rev. Drs. Dewey aud Spring
applaud, should force him and his little lami
ly back To Slavery And we knew he was
not safe herc-he must fly to the protection
of Old England! We saw then how low
in the dust before the dark spirit Of Slave
ry" is New England. We have not freedom
here, however it may he elscwhcrc--ior we
stand culprits in the eyes of law for giving
to broihcr-a glass of wa,er yet ire talk
harshly of oppression in France and Austria
and Russia! Aud we have n population Of
three niiiORs who would make old earth
tremble with their shouts Of Joy, could they
only stand tomorrow OH the soil of Russia
The fugitive is now, we trust, man, on
the clicerless but free shores of Canada aud
we also trust, aye, know, that those WHO saw
linn aud helped him on at the risk of their
possessions, will Ecycr make n compromise
with such n statutG-as they value their
souls. Men may differ from US ns to the hest
means of removing Slavery, aud possibly be
good aud honest; but he who would refuse
10 give shelter and susicnance TO weary,
hunted human being, of whatever color or
cline, must he not simply unicelng, but n
positive miscreant. No man. no follower Of
ChIist, under such circumstances, would re-
fuse "uid and com!or."-iidriford RepuJ.