Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1853-01-29
7 Ii E B U G l. E
TO the Members of the Bible COnrrRt on,


Ma EDIToR: wish calmly TO say few
words TO The tnenbers of the Bible COuven-
zion, held IN Salem, Ohio, n few dUys since.
] have rend the rcsoluiious as published in
the Bngle, nnd feel constrained to dissent
from them ia very many particulars, aud do
most deeply regret that ever such u conven-
ton was called, or such resolutions present.
ed. You may thiuk should hold my peace,
not having attended the convention. ! in
tendSl to have been there, hut nt the time
was coufncd TO bed of illness, from which
had but iitIle hope OF recovering; my en-
srgies are now 50 prostratcd by long sick
cess, thst shall no, he able to write with
ths, precision that Otherwise should have
done. But wish to say few things, and
TO say them soon, and therefore now write.
shall not attempt to discuss the resolutions,
out shall cunline my remarks TO few things
shat seem to connect themselves with the
unhappy movement.
j think that great talents for the accom-.
plishment of good, aud also the sacred iute-
rests of bleeding humanity in the persons Of
millions, have all been sacrificed upon the
altar Of ambitious opposition 10 the Bible
You may think you can labor as efficiently
in the various branches of Reform, as though
you had not taken your present position.-
But think not. Two things at least, render
il impossible. Your position will excite
greater prejudice against oil, than any other
you could have taken, aud will utterly de-
pive you of access to the minds of the
In.sses of the people. No matter what
cause you may advocate, with this vast pref
udice against you, in the minds of the mul-
tifudes, you will not lie heard. Again,
whsrever you may 20, both in public aud in
private, your position will come uIi as bone
Of con,sution, und il being a very prominent
position, much OF your lime must necessarily
be spent in its support, and in reconciling
the people 10 il; while the great work of
Reform will marr in yOur hands, for the
want of the application of your powerful
talonts. But your friends say that the great
uliimatuni of reform is TO destroy from the
minds of the human family, their reverence
Of the Bible rs rule OF faith aud Practice
that slavery, war, aud every other crime
must continue 70 long as the Bible is recciv-
cd a. a standard. II this he true, you haye
ON your hands the work Of thousand Gses.
Hundreds OF millions of lle people now re-
csivo and revere the Billie, ia the main, US
~ 81 mill, 10. ,tasnn,laro
thousand to your one, with facilities beyond
computation, aud talents equally ponderous,
TO spread through ihe naliOnG OF the world
their doctrines. II this view Of the subject
he correct, the slave may clank his chains
in utter deopuir-the lllunders Of war may
rend tho heavens torever--tle drunkard may
wallow in his pollution until his funeral
dirge shall ring in his ears all the horrors of
a n,isspeut life, and every other device aud
Abominatiou OF crime will continue so long
ms the stars Of God shine upon any Of the
abodes of men. All the desponding classes
OF our race had claims upoE your energies
they were appealing 10 you for salvation
from thrall, but ia this movement you have
cast pail of darkness over lIlem-iIie heav-
gu of their hopes is overcast, aud not ray
of light beams upon their minds. True you
speak of the iniallible rule lnsianped on the
nature Of man to guide him in duty. But
does il guide him Have the nations who
have not had the Bible, been guided to any
considerable degree OF elevation and happi-
ness?
To study the physical, social, mental, aud
spiritual laws OF our bsiHg, is right, and 50
faras they in connection with philosophical
science constitute rule of action, lei US he
governed by it. Blu, TO live in harmony with
all tbs knowledge derived FROM this source,
does not require that we should reject the
Bible, and per consequence Christ ~ being
the saviour Of ,he world, in any peculiar or
special sense, and the system OF Christianity
10 an embodiment Of principles constituting
m everlasting kingdoms