Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1852-06-19


| hear not their voice there. have heard
all the Methodist preachers who came into
my ncighbourhood, but have never heard
one of Them speak against slavery. There
has been n large Convention at Cincinnati
lately. Convention based on Christian prin-
ciulcs too, which Methodsts could attend
without danger of being charged with inf-
deity; yet am greatly mistaken, If there
were many Methodist preachers voices
heard there. But what is the Use of the
voice, if the conduct contradict III
MIR. Tralton said he had suffered more for
his opposition to Slavery, than any one on
this platform. We ask, from whom? Not
| from us. Not from the world. Whence
| them? lie surely has not been prosecuted
| Inv an Anti.Slayery church. Ills own COM
munity cannot have prosecuted him, for that,
be saws, is Anti.Slavery. lie has bnzardcd
his life, he says, in his opposition TO Slavery.
| Who. then. threatened his life ? ! Imagine,
| if Mr.. Traiton were to explain HIMSELF he
would have to speak as follows: 'Our
| churches are very Anti Slavery; but they
do not like An,i-Slavery members aud min
isters. They like to do all the Anli-Slayery
work quietly, themselves, so that no one
may know; and they persecute men unto
death if they attempt TO take part in the
good work.
'Year after year. says Mr.. Trnhon, 'wc
pass resolutions and scud them forth against
Slavery Yes, hut they do something more
than pass resolutions when their members
refuse to pay their weekly and quarterly
subscription. They turn men out when
they practice economy, and keep them in
when they practice the sum of all vilanios.
But Mr. Traiion says they will abolish
gfI A ....1 l,s o. ,1I
does he mean? Docs he mean to say that
the Anti.Slavcry Society tries to hinder his
church from nbolisling Slavery? lie knows
they do not. Docs he mean that he aud
his brethren will not help tho oppressed, un-
less every body else is silent on the subject?
Then where is his love for the oppressed! =
For half n century aud more, the Methodist
Church tras let alone. What did it do
against Slavery then? Mr.. Traflon has told
us. 1t lowered It's doctrine, aud relaxed it's
discipline on the subject. II opened its
doors 10 shareholders, and admitted them TO
office and power in the body. 1t placed it.
self under the dominion of the Shareholders,
and submitted to be governed by their inhu-
nau laws aud ungodly usages. Ii began to
justify Slavery and TO pcrsccute those who
sought TO abolish il. Aud If the enemies
Of Slavery would continue TO let ii alone, il
would aid the enemies of freedom in polut-
ing the whole of the States with Slavery
Let us alone. Perhaps the thieves and mur-
dercrs would abolish theft aud murder, If
the government aud police would let them
alone. Perhaps the rum-sellers and wills
KEY disillers would abolish drunkenness, If
the temperance people would be quiet. 1t
will I've soon enough TO let the churches
alone, when they have begun to try TO abol-
| ish Slavery.
The truth is The churches have no intern
| ton to abolish Slavery. They do not con-
! slider il their business to do any such thing
| Mr.. Traiton himself told us that their bnsi-
ness is to preach Christ and not to medde
with politics. But Slavery is part of poll
| ties Il is established hy law, and upheld by
the Government, and the abolition of Slave
ry is as much political question MS the
! questions of banks aud tariffs. Mr.. Irallon
| aud his church tlen will abolish Slavery
without mcddling with it at all, if we will
let them alone. Their business is to preach
Christ, and not to meddle with politics.
Tint is, their business is to preach the Gospel
in such way ns TINT the Shareholders may
he able to hear it without offence and con-
tnuc the practice Of all vilauics without re-
morse or shame.
Mr.. Tralton said ,hnt the notorious slave
dealer, Hope ii. Slaughter, was not n mem
her of the Methodist Church, and would not
he G'io!rcd to he member. But why not,
Is Hope II. Slaughter guilty of something
worse Ilnn the sum Of all ralaRics. There
can be nothing worse than slaveholding, if
it he what Mr.. Traion says il is; and they
have thousands of shareholders in the
church. Then iphy not fellowship Hope II.
Slaughter? They fellowship the men who
deal with him. They fellowship the men
who sell him their sous and daughters; and
they fellowship the men who bluy and abuse
and murder his human wares; then why not
fellowship him? The explanation is this
1t is not yet quite SO respectable to deal in
. slaves, MS it is TO breed aud sell them; so
that 10 fellowship regular trader in souls
might injure the reputation of the church,
The church has no more objection TO the
! doings of Hope II. Slaughter than to the
doings of Henry Clay; but it is unwilling
TO share his reputation. 1t would he us glad
TO share his gains, MS the gains of those who
! sell to him their children, if it could share
them without bringing on itself fresh re.
proach: for even the church which ac-
knowledges that it ttlowships men who
practice daily and openly the sum of all
vilanicS, fancies that il has still some little
reputation TO lose.
But must draw TO close. The exhibi-
ton have Witnessed this day | can never
J forget. Never before did see in any man,
not even in n priest, such shamelessness,
, such recklessness of truth, such an utter
heartlessness, as Mr. Trufton exhibited this
afternoon on this platform. l cannot des-
cribe the feelings which rose within me.
while listened to his infamous speech, and
, marked the demoniac leer and the insoent
ailectation of smile while he delivered IL.
One thing felt, and Others must have felt
it too, that it was not the first time that that
man had lied for his church and priesthood,
nor the first time that he had pleaded the
cause of the stakeholder under pretenco of
hatred to slavery.