Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1852-05-15
VOL. T..
Letter from John ]. Janney,

DN'fNFN'NNt
Mr. Romxsox,--In the Buglc of April oath,
you publish letter Of Henry G. Wright's in
which he objects to my structures upon his
language relative to Kossuth. As stated be-
fore l had not then, nor have l now any desire
or intention to defend his course, and would
feel entirely willing to let your reason judge
between Mr. Wright and myself but that from
the tone of his letter he appears to expect mo
to answer.
First then, he puts forward as his first argu-
mcnt in justification of his language, a charge
that / used harsh words towards him. Is that
a legitimate mode of rcasoning'i A meets d
and says TO lin "Sir, you arc q thicf and rob-
bcr and pirate. You are cnslaving your fellow
beings, whom God made as free as you are"
to which he responds "Wcll suppose am,
You are too, for you do the same thing" and
thereafter sleeps quietly with conscience void
of offence. II he docs not, Mr.. Ws first Argu-
mont is not worth much.
l am asked "why did not friend Janney tell
just what did say y the reason IL that did
not think it necessary to repeat what the rcnd-
ors of the Buslc had so lately seen and would
no doubt remember, for 1 had no doubt but
your space was too small for what yon wish
to publish.
But am asked "docs your correspondent
doubt that "whon Kossuth knowing the
facts, calls this nation an asylum for tho OPP
pressed of all lands, he uttered deliberate,
intentional lie !" and "does not our friend
Janncy know that Kossuth is deliberate, will
ful liar when he says" "this is tho land of the
free, and an asylum for the oppressed of all
nations" to both OF which questions an
swcr most conscientiously and emphatcally
no l am just as FAR from believing it as am
from believing Henry G. Wright to be "wil-
iul deliberate liar" and l do not believe that
nor any thing like it. But do believe in tho
truth Of Dean Swifts remark that ii is folly to
undertake to reason man cut Of an opinion
he was never reasoned into, and will therefore
not undertake to convince Mr.. Wright of his
error.
"Will our friend answer hi, question. l. it
lie to say this is an asylum for the oppressed
Of all lands" What constitutes lie Is it
simply the uttcrancc Of that for truth which is
not true or is it the statement of that " hieh is
not true, for the truth, aud that for the purpose
of conveying false impression. The use OF
an expression that every person who hears un-
dcrstards, and all interpret alike, is not q lie,
even If that meaning is not the correct one
Docs kossuth or any ono else convey any false
imprt Ssion to you when he calls this ''an. asy-
INN fnr tho pt,t Il nr nv,
preston has definite meaning which every
body understands, aid suppose all will admit
it to be this that our system of government
secures the greatest freedom To the greatest
number Of any government On tic earth, tLcp-
fore it is an asyl lum for those oppressed by
Will even Mr.. Wright deny that the people OF
any other gorcrAarnt in the world would cnioy
more liberties here than in their own country.
even the inhabitants of Africa: or lie thinks
them an exception lie ought to favor colonial
lioh.) This is tho universal INTERPRETATION nut
upon The expires sion in question, and therefore
it is not lie to assert it, But while this is
true, to our shame and disgrace, and / fear
our ultimate destruction as u nation, VIC hold
in bondage, in opposition to our own prcccpts
and the good opinion of the world, three mil
lions of our fellow beings, This horrible in.
consistency can neither be justified nor cxplain-
cd, but we can only say "wc can hold them
and VIC triH" But certainly the justice of
Heaven will not permit it much longer. have
already occupied too much room, but permit mo
to add that those friends of the slave also
abuse kossuth, certainly have not observed that
the LynXeyed "soul- drivers have seen in him
something that has caused them to look upon
lin with suspicion, if rot of cnmity; and
as they have proclaimed on tho floor of
Congicss that his general principles strike at
their "pccular institution" as well as other
kinds of slavery. l most certainly believe
he has done great good to the anti.slavcry
cause. JOHN J. JANNEY.