Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1853-08-27
FRIENDS IN MICHIGAN.

NPsILANTI, Mich, 9Th mo-, 9th, 1895.
FRIEND MAmus: Although personally stranger
10 thee yet being somewhat acquainted with the
little trumpet of which thou hast charge, | take
the freedom to send few lines for thy disposal
Thou hast already published to thy readers an ac-
count of the doors of the Friends Meeting House
Mt Adrian, being barred against me last winter, by
direction of some of the leaders, when wished to
meet with them and discuss the subject of slayery
although there was not the first dissenting voice
raised against it in the meeting where the request
was made. And they have since barred their
hearts against me in organized capacity, ON the
nnti-slaycry question.
A few weeks since l attended our quarterly
meeting held in the same house. On the second
day of the meeting in the discharge Of what | felt
aud humbly trust was my duty, spoke, suppose
twenty or thirty minutes, mostly on the high pro-
fcssions Of the popular christian churches of the
land, and showed their awful apostacy from what
they profcssed, even to the buying and selling and
making merchandise of the image of God, in the
presence Of his children, in barering away their
own church members, and often their own children,
for money, and with that money buying Bibles to
scnd to the hcathcn abroad; &c. | thea came to
our own society, with its high professions, even
higher than the others; and when put the query,
How do we stand, when contrasting our practice
with our profession? there seemed to be some un-
cnsneSs among those who Hre stationed rs watch
men for the organization; and when | began to
bring the acts of the yearly meeting into account,
the uneasness was not any the less manifest. But
when | referred to document issued by our yearly
meeting of last year, purportng to be aR'i-siar-
ey address to the professors Of christianity in the
United States in which it is said, lit is true that
slavery is confined to a section Of the country and
is not under the control of the national govern
ment" there was disposition manifest among
those occupying the high seats, that showed they
would much rather | should take my scat Nor is
this to be wondered at; for who is there among Us
that likes to have faults exposed; and it was surely
trying for me to have to do it, feeling as l did SC
incompetent for the task, and reluctant to wound
the feelings Of my friends, many of whom in thai
meeting were very near and dear to me.
But duty requires that should be plain, so MS t
he understood So when began to contrast thi'
language of our leaders with the actual state o.
things, showing that there was not foot of ground
over which the Aag of the nation waved, that was
not dedicated to the slave SYSTEM and that this ac
cursed system is guarded and protected by the ma
tional power, and therefore it could not be true
that the national government had no control over
it, David Steer, 1.-THE friend who strongly oppos
ed my former mecting,) in an apparently very
friendly way, informed me that this was not an
ant-slavery meeting, and they did not want al
abolition lecture there. l told him | would bC
through in u few minutes. But he persisted, con
trary to our written rule to interrupt by telling
me to take my seat. At this point other members
joined him in opposing me, and interruptng thu
order of the meeting, which till now had beer
quite attentive and solemn.
This interruption was all done in the face of on
written discipline; but it was an elder that spoke
and he must be obeyed, let discipline go may
Well there was, and according to law and gospc
had right to proceed; but saw ii would lead t
more outbreaks of disorder from the high seai'
and closed by saying that | would leave the ma