Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1853-10-08

We mako all these 0dmissons-and, yet, we
Justify our rescue of Jerry. On what ground p
Solely on the ground of doing unto others, we
would have others do unto us. Jerry wished to be
rescued. Were we kidnapped, should wish to
he rescued. Were our kidnappers kidnapped, they
would wish to be rescued. Were Marshal Allen
kidnapped, his heart would go out forever toward
the Jerry--the white Jerry, or the black Jerry
who should deliver him. Marshal Fitch fred pis-
tolls at the rescucrs Of Jerry. But had he been In
Jerry's place, the kisses of his love would have
imprinted and the tears Of his gratitude would
have wet, the cheeks of those rcscuers. Who is
there, in fine, that, were he kidnapped, would not
wish to be rescued? No one. There is no one
then who is competent to deny, that Jerry's wish
should have been greti6ed.
But 1t is said, that there was law against res
euing Jerry We answer, that there no law
Is no law-can be no law-against the duty Of do
ing unto others, as we would have others do unto
ns. We say this not only because the Great
Teacher and Lawgiver has couched this duty in n
commandment; nor because the heart Of universal
human nature owns that this commandment Is
holy and just and good" We say IL, moreover,
because in the nature Of things, this duty must be
hc reason and the soul Of every law for the regu:
lation Of the mutual conduct Of men. Is the
'" Statute Book in tho face of this duty? So far
then, the Statute Book is no law. Is the Consttu-
,ion in the face of this duty? So far, then, the
Constitution is no law,
There was no law against rcscuing Jerry, he.
there was no law for enslaying him. What.
ever the forms of law, under which he was held
they were entirely wanting in the spirit and sub
stance Of law. The law to do unto Others as we
bav 9th do n,No l. Ia
all human rights. But all human rights are cloyen
down by slavery. Every law must be law for the
protection of rights. law for the destruction of
rights is q solecsm and IN absurdity.
We said, that there was no law for ensaying
Jerry. That is not law for the human race, which
no human being can honestly enforce. To say, that
il is, is to mpcach the wisdom and purity Of the
Author of all law. But there lives not u hnman
being who would reverence, or know, slavery as
law were it to be turned against himself, and were
il to demand victim in himself There lives not
human being who, were he in slavery, would
not be deliyered-cycn though at the expense Of
trampling all the Statute Books and Constitu-
tions in the world, Hence there lives not human
being, who can honestly recognize law for en-
slaving any one :-and, hence, there can be no law
for enslaving any one
We go farther, and declare, that no person has
the right to law, or know as law, even that,
which is law-proyided, that, when it is applied to
himself, he rejects it as law. For instance, he who
resiss the collection of debt which he owes, has
no right to collect debt, to claim, that there is
law for collecting it. The resistance, in the one
CASE makes him dishonest in asserting the claim in
the other and, whether the thing which q man
does. is, in ITSELF right wrong, he nevertheless,
must not do it, If it can be dono by him, only dis
honestly. Happy is he. who condemneth not
himself in that thing, which he aoweth." So too
she man who let's his horse jump into his neghbor's
held, is not to inquire into the law Of the case
when, in turn, his neighbors horse jumps into his
field. His own lawlessness estops him from claim.
ing, that there is any law in the case. Such reas
onng, applied to slavery, justifes in saying that
the question, whether slavery is good or bad, right
or wrong is entirely immaterial to our argument
Though il were possible, that its elements could be
all fIom Heaven, instead Of being, as they are all
from He'll nevertheless no sane man could be al
lowed to claim that slavery is the subject Of law
of sanctioning and sanctifying law-for the simple
reason, that no sane man would consent to be q
slave.
We have said that the character of slavery is, in
sibe legalization of slavery. But we cannot for
bear the incidental remark that it is because every
man knows the character of slavery, that ever,
man shrinks from becoming a slave. Every mar
knows slavery to be a hell Of horrors. Every mar
would infinitely rather have all his children in tn,
grave than one Of them in that He'll.
In the light Of what has been said, we see wha
unparalleled hypocrtes arc the American people
The great mass of them for slavery and yet
not one of them would consent to be slave. Whn
hypocrites are their Divincs, who preach or apollo
giIe for slavery What hypocrites are thei
Churches, that they do not cast these goddess Divine
out Of the pulpit! What hypocrites are their leg
islators, who legislate for slavery! What hypo
crter the tribunals that recognize the law o
slavery few weeks ago, Judge Mclean did, il
the name Of law, send his innocent brother int
slavery. What if the law-making power in Obi
should doom the Judge to slavery would he no
sooner shed of blood than acknowledge,
the legality of his doom? lie would and tina
he would stamps him with the most guilty anC
frightful dishonesty What painful scene doe
Heaven witness this week in Canandaigual A
Judge is there-polluting and numbering his sou
by his recognition Of slavery as law. A Marsha
is there-doing likewise. SO are the Governmen
lawyers doing who are there. But not so, we trust
are the Jurors.
Judge Hall affects respect for proslayery enac
ments; and he is willing to send men into slavery
But, though ten thousand Legislatures had pre-
nounced his son a slave, he would sooner see
whole Court murdered than see it succeed in send
ing that son into slavery.
We spoke Of the Jurors. Happily, they nee
not concern themselves with the law of the case
They can acquit all the defendants on the facts il
the case The Government must fail to prove tina
Jerry was slave. Slavery, Fit must be remembered
does not consist in the involuntary service an
whippings, or in the other hardshps and suffering
Of its victims. These but the incidents of slG
very. Its essence consists solely in the assume