Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1852-05-29
The New York Slave Trade.

Horace Preston has been purchased and re-
turned to New York. Busted, the hcartless
reptile, who played the part of witness and
lawyer in his capture and return to slavery,
was also the agent in collecting the funds and
restoring him to his family. The money was
contributed by che Journal of Commerce and
Union Committee men, and other kidnappcrs
in Now York. The,friends of freedom rightly
refusing to participate in slave buying The
buying being designed as direct encourage
mcnt to kidnapping.
Money is said to be flush in New York now,
but it is not sufficiently so to warrant their play
ing much at this game. Kidnapping fathers
and husbands for the sake of rcpurchasing them
after government has paid the price of their
return, wont pay sufficiently well TO permit it to
last long. The trick is too shallow to make it
worth the money paid even for Preston.
The New York Mirror says of these men,
"Thcy think it moro honorable to purchase
freedom than to steal negroes" These Union
men arc keen on the scent Of honor. They
kidnop man from his family and condemn
him to a life time of sorvitudc, that they may
have the honor of purchasing him from the
thraldom to which they have consigned him.
The following from tho Mobile Tribune shows
that their honorable" motives arc fully ap-
prcciatcd South as well as North. They arc
fast earning their true oppellation of fools, as
well as merccnary knaycs.
Whenever q fugitive slave is caught il
New York aud restored 10 his master, som,
of the merchants and others of that cit
make great stir, and, by tho most piteou
appeals, manage TO raise money enough 4
purchase the negro and set him at liberty
Sometimes thry do not succeed, but the,
generally make the attempt.
Now, it strikes us that the moral effect o.
this sort of business is decidedly bad; and
we are certain that it springs from motive
which, down hero is, not considered sound ol
esimnhle. In the first place, it induces UNI
observing Inen to believe that there is great
friendship for Southern Institutions in New
York aud thus they fall asleep in the notion
that we have only got 10 let our Northern
brethren manage this affair aud all will be
we'll.
Secondly: The custom prevails nowhere
else iIi the Free States; and it is suspected
ihul it obtains in New York simply for a mer-
camille purpose. II trade can he kept in old
channels by few men occasionally getting
together aud contributing each ten dollars or
so, why it is nh investment which is decided
ly profitable.
But we contend that it is calculated to in
crease in the North the odiousness of the
Fugitive Slave Law, and thus: Their pur-
chasing offugiiives(s s(somo three or four per an.
NUM- proceeds on the presumption that both
Slavery and the law are eyils-but the latter
being a law, mny not he evaded, except in
dire city, !. e., by paying to the master of the
fugitive the price of its evasion aud nullifi-
cation. II the property of n poor man be
seized in New York for debt, no subscription.
of this sort nre set on foot; and because
around him every one recognises the justice
Of the law by which he is subjected TO the
penalty. II the popular opinion in New
York were in condition 10 do in this case
what is done in the case of fugitive slaves
that opinion would soon he sufficiently
strong to work n change in the laws, and th'
poor mans property would then be exemple,
iron attachments. Tie precise effect vii
occur in the other case. These monied in
references of the law indicate that il is un
popular, aud only waits a convenient time Il
he sci inside. The whole business proceed
on dcep-seAted objections to Slavery and the
Law, which in the case of the latter arr
made sIbservient TO policy. A law whos'
stability rests on this slender foundation cal
have no durability.
Ii Slavery cannot be defended on the
grounds of abstract justice, il can have nc
defence at all worthy of note; and no gooc
man can give it defence. We, therefore, de-
test these eXpedents, which can only last un.
Ill power enough shall have been acquired to
getalong without them.