Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1852-10-09
T H E B U G L E .
Slavery has no Legal Existence in the Gov.
erDmCnt--The Constitution an Anti.
Slavery Document.

SlaVery Document.
FRIEND ROBINSON: As there is diversity
of fopinion,n relation TO the pro-slavery char
meter Of the Constitution, and as much de-
pends upon this decision-so much that
many nre deprived of a "voice, or vote in the
Government, for conscience sake;" | will
with your permission offer n few remarks
upon it,-and shall cndcavor to be as brief
us possible 10 make myself understood.
II has been we u nigh universally held that
the Constitution is pro-slavery instrument,
that it wOs framed "to compromise the in
interests Of the people," 4" and favor the slave
interests of the South" Old, aud precon-
ceived opinions, have always been well nigh
irresistably in the way of the PRONUNCIATION
oftruth. For this reason, rcformcrs in every
nge, have been cradled in storms of inycctive
ridiculc, abuse, SANDER, and persecution
Calico, Cnpernicus, aud Newton, were
prosecuted for their pretending to have dis
covered that tho Earth revoked around on
its axis, once in 81 hours,producng the pho
nomena of day and night. Because, iorsooih
"the garden wns always found on the same
side Of the house," aud "men were no, found
standing OH their heads, 12 hours ont of 81 "
Nevertheless, the Earth did conlinuo to per-
form its daily revolutions, and the Sun to he
the grand centre of attraction, at least ever
since Joshua commanded it 10 stand STILL
Men can only arrive at true conclusions, tbro'
The light Of reason, uubiased 10y preiucice.-
But to the subject. The first thing that
strikes our attention in reviewing this subject.
is the fact of its slavery having no legal
existence in the Government. First to be
understood, Slavery is incapable of egaliza-
ton aud no paper however authoritative,
can legnlize il or sanction its legality, or pro-
fect its existence. Law is for the protection,
not the destruction ofrights. "Tell me not"
says Henry Brougham, "of the possibility Of
legaizing Slavery. Tell me not of rights.
Talk not of the property of the planter in
his slaves. deny the right. ! acknowledge
not the property. The principles, the feel
ings of our common nature rise in rebellion
against it. There IL law above all enact
mcnts of human codes; and by that law,
Interchangeable and eternal, while men de-
spiso fraud, loO,h rnpine and nbhor blood
they shall reject with indignation, the wild
aud guilty fantasy, that man can hare pro-
perty in man.
Slavery received its final sentence in Eng
land, in l772 aud rs we were subject 10 laws
of England at that time, surely as the Colonial
Charters all forbade that the laws of The Col
onies, should be repugnant to the laws Of
the mother country, the fell sentence of
Lord Mansfield, that "man could not hold
property in man." was us binding in this
country ne in England. II that decision
freed the slaves in England, then il freed
every slave within the jurisdiction of the
common law, which was made the ground
of that decision. need not nsk for law
passed since that time ensloving anybody in
this counlry then may certainly claim'
that Slnvery has no legal existence in this
Government. ] admit, that the Slave States
have made laws regulating the system, but
they assumed thnt Slavery had already a
righiGil, legal existence. The difference be-
tween law legalzng, and law regulating
a system supposed 10 be legal, is very differ
ent. Then in the name of common sense,
ask, where is to be found the legal existence
of Slavery in this country'
Next in order,is the Declaration ofIndepen-
dence. That declaration of principles, more
fully, probably, than any other, uttered the
heart of the American People. That paper,
so long as the Nation endurcs, for some pur-
poses, will be the highest constitutional au-
thorily in the Nation. That paper, as If to
verify the immortal decision of Mansfield
and TO settle forever the blessings of liberty
upon this people, not only reiterates " that
man cannot hold property in man," but thai
"aH men are created free and equal, endO'oed 5I
their Creator pith certain inGlienaJle rights
that among these are life liberty and The pursw