Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1853-09-17
JERRY RESCUE CELEBRATION,

GTREIT SNITu has been invited to preside at this
celebration. Here is his letter of acceptance. We
copy from the Carson League.
PErERBoRo, Sept. 5, 1853
w: Z. Crandal, Thomas G. White, James Fuller,
Ehya filkins, Lydia p. Savage, Joseph Savage,
FfaLow-CiTIzESs;- letter is, this hour
presented to me- and, this hour, will give you my
knswer.
had the honor to preside at the FIRST celebration
Of the Rescue Of jerry. The honor of presiding
nt the second should have been conferred ON an
other. But will not decline it. Life and health
assured me, shall be in Syracuse the morning Of
the glorious First of October.
do not forget that the trials Of persons charged
with rescung jerry, will he going on in the L. $.
Court at Canandaigua, at the sametmc that we are
celebrating his e:--and do not forget that
am expected TO attend them, But lattcnded them
in Albany, last winter; and learned then, that
need not attend them again. The part assigned to
me was to argue the uneonstitutiunality Of the Fu
gitive Slave Act. | attempted to perform it but
20 my surprise and grief, the judge stopped me. |
had no apprehension that Jury would convict my
client, were allowed to characterize that Infamous
Act in fitting terms, in their hearing. The same
Judge is TO preside in Canandaigua; and, as there
Is no other part in those trials that wish to take,
or feel competent to take and as the Judge would,
doubtless, bc as determined against my performing
IL in Canandaigua as he was against my performing
it in Albany, 50 it is unnecessary for me to go to
Canandaigua.
There is no moro ruineus error among men than
their regarding law what is not law, and what
cannot possibly, bc law. No event of our times is
30 influential, the Rescue of JERRY, to convince
of this errOrS aut hence, il should he celebrated
us long any share of the American People CON
tinuo to be so foolish and insane, as to recognize
Slavery TO be law The Rescue of JERRY taught
lesson in law to be forgotten. II is a lesson
far important to create and maintain the true
idea Of law, and to inspire, and widcn and pcrpet-
Nate respect for law, than all the Judicial decisions
which have been pronounced, and all the law-books
which have been written, in the present are
We are never 10 be mObocrats. We are never to-
I've anarchists. We are, always, to be aw-abiding.
Understanding, and law-honoring men. Tob such,
we must, on occasions, trample upon human enact
ments. The Jerry affair was one of these occasions.
The thousands who crowded the streets of Syracuse
on the First day of October, 1851, were plain and
nnsophisticated men. They had read law very little
in law books but they had read it much in their
own hearts and, in al that heart-law, they had
never found one line for Slavery. OF conventional
law they knew but little, because they knew but
little of books. of real law, they knew much, be
cause they knew much Of their own nature. Such
were the men who deliver JERRY. They delivered
him, in the name of true law, and in contempt and
defiance of sham law. They foresaw that they
would be stigmatized ms mobocrats but thev know
that they were acting the part Of loyal citizens, and
that the mobOcrats were the misguided ministers Of
Government, who were striving to plunge an limo
cent fcllow-man into the pit of Slavery.
In truth there is no who believes that SLAYER,
can be embodied in Law. All know that there i
law against conspiracy; and they know that Their
is no law for conspiracy-least of ALL for Slavery
which is the most guilty and horrible Of all consp
racies That Slavery can be egalized, is big Ii
the biggest Of all big lies. The American Pee
pie know, in their souls that il is such and, vel
they arc continually acting it out. Congress act
out this lie in all its pro-slavery enactnents. tn
President acts il out, in his enforcement of them
Whlstwe shall be celebrating the Rescue of Jerry
Judge Hall will be administering this lie.
No man can be tested, otherwise than by bringin
the test home to himself Thus tested, how quic
Judge Hall would scout the idea of Law for Sla
very Come TO his dwelling for the noiarious pur
pose of enslaying him, or his wife, or child-and
though you shall come in the name of the imposing
authorities of earth, he will rather shed the bloot
Of a thousand Of you than suffer you to prevail
Judge Hall would not permit an enactment fo
murder-not even an enactment for so COMPARE
lively small an outrage as murder--to be execute
upon member Of his family. And yet, when h
IL administering the law, or more properly the Ii
Of Slavery, he is conscious that he would rathC
have all his family in the grave than only one men
ber of it under the yoke of slavery. Judge lla
would die n thousand deaths sooner than consent
have the wife of his bosom exposed on the auctio
block to the ustful looks of the greedy competito
for her person.
] said that no man believes in the possible lega
ization of Slavery add, that there is no man wi
Is notan abolitionist-a thorough aboltionist. Ma
the greatest stakeholder is the greatest abotions
for he witnesses, most largely of the horrors
Slavery and, therefore, when the hour arrives f
testing his heart on Slavery, he will struggle har
est to keep himself out of that hell, into which |
has east so many. Their anguish and writhing
which he beheld with composure he will rememb
with unspeakable horror, when their fate is to b
como his fate.
repeat it--thc American People are liars, The
Churches and Church Ministers, their Polite,
Parties and Politicians are liars. They are tn
cruelest and meanest Of liars. They solemnly dc
clare, in their Halls of Legislation in their Court
OF Justice, and in their Sanctuaries Of Religion
that Slavery is right whilst there is not one of thcI
who docs not know that it is the heaviest and bi
terest wrong. They call it crime to run ava
from slavery, when they know that they would spi
blood like water 10 escape from it themselves An
yet the American people claim to be Democrats +
nay, even ChFistiansl Amazing impudcnce U
paraelled hypocrisy!
But must stop. your messenger TO me is
haste for my reply. Your friend
GERRIr SMITH.