Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1853-03-12


erstood by me, then expressed hope that
10 would not interrupt me any run.
HER and the whole episode shows that,
having comprehendcd Mr.. Sutherland's ques-
ion, my object was to husband my hour. Yet
Mr. Phillips construes this into the assertions
that practised 'concealment,' saw my 'dilem-
ma avoided it by silence, and asked not to
be interrupted
This whole paragraph in Mr.. Phillips speech
evinces such confusion Of ideas, and contains
such misstatements of facts, with such imputa-
ton of bad motives, as to render it hard to be-
licve that any man, at once intelligent and
honest, could ever have uttered It. l surely
never had occasion, then, or at any time, to
prove any conflict between the Higher Law
and the Constitution but only between the
Higher Law and the Fugitive Slave Law
And as to tho alternative question, put by Mr..
Phillips, how 1 could justify myself in swear
ing to support that instrument the Constitu-
tion,-'a question: which, as he says, 'our
Free Soil friends are slow to mcet,'-I never
saw any difficulty or dilemma in IL; never
practise,l any 'concoalmon; about it and
never avoided it by silence l know of no
Free Soiler who has ever felt any trouble on
that score, or ever been SOW TO meet the qucs-
ton And this, fer the simple reason, that
we swear to support tho Constitution of the
United States, because, with our Interpretation
of it, it requires us to do nothing in violation
of the Higher Law of God.
The next paragraph is also a tissue of mis-
presentations. 1t charges mo with asserting
that the Free Soilers have no wish to interfere
with slavery in the Statcs and that they
'conscnt to let slavery remain where Il is,' sc.
Now know of no Free Soilcr who has not
tho strongest desire to arrest the wrongs of sla-
very by all the legitimate means within his
power; or who consents to let slavery remain
where it is in any other sense than as he con-
scnts to the suhjugation of Hungary, or to the
usurpalon of Louis apoleon-becauso he
can't help il. never ntimatcd any thing to
the contrary of this; and let me ask, docs not
Mr. Phillips consent in the same wayi
But adds Mr.. T.. III he means that he, Hor-
ace Mann, as Politician and party man, con-
sents TO that, but elsewhere and otherwise, will
do his best to abolish this all-comprehending
Of slavery. he should have
said So Haven't said so, a thousand times
Nay, according to the best of my ability, and
with oil the strength God gave me-, haven't done
'os What othor overmastering motive had l
% cntcr political life Why have devoted 30
argo portion Of my time to the advocacy Of
human freedom Why did set myself right
,cross the path Of that intellectual giant. Dam
el Webster, and contest, hand to hand, every
step of his pro-slavcry coursei Why did refuse
to follow the political party with which had act
cd,and take the sharpest edge of their weapons,
instead of their rewards, Why did 1 do and
suffer these things, if it was not because was
opposed to slavery, not only elsewhere and
otherwise but everywhere and in oil ways
in every Gbre and pulse of my being And.
after all this, is there, do not say any justice,
but is there any decency in Mr.. Phillips saying,
that if Mr.. Mann wished to oppose the all
wlckcdncss of slavery, then
he should have plainly said so - and then, as.
Stunning did not say so, insinuate that was
guilty of an unworthy trck'i
As to the general argument Of Mr.. Phillips
speech. that the Free Soiers havo taken oil
their weapons from the armory of the abolition.
ists' others must answer for themselves. 1 have
only to say for one, that have never been con.
scious of committing plagiarism in this respect;
but whencesoever we may derive our argu-
ments' hope VIC may never initiate the spirit
that arrogates where it cannot create, dcnoun-
ces where it cannot argue, and flies in the face
Of all the best friends of the cause it processes
to cherish, dealing out to them defamation in
stead OF encouragement.
Will Mr.. Garrison please publish this com.
munication in his next paper, as part rcpara,ion
for the injury he has. trust unwittingly, done
mo by the publication of Mr. Phillips speech.
Yours very truly.
HORACE MANN.
p. S. I request the editors of those papers
who have published Mr.. P's speech, to publish
this answer.