Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1854-07-29

me, 70 secure such n prey.
Now, my friends. the reform we propose is, to
restore the constitution to its pristine purity, to
repeal the present fugitive slave law, and r%einstate
the law Of 1903. SO far as it goes, which. leaves the
master the liberty to come aud catch his slave, If
he can get him. A case in point occurred in Ohio.
A fugitive, learning that the slave hunters were
after him, came TO me and asked my advice rs to
the course he should pursue. and | advised him to
arm and defend himself. The next day, his pur-
suers came 10 me, also, for advice, and ] told them
that / was already engaged on the other side
They asked If | thought he would defend himself.
and / replied that l thought he would. | knew
what the constitution was. | have sworn to sup
port it, and | will support it against that infamous
Fugitive Slave bill, as long as | am able. 1t is
nonsense to talk about the constitutions making
us blood-hounds, to hunt down the poor fugitive !;
it is not SO. The day before muster, these same
slave catchers came to me, and asked il ] thought
he would be at the muster. | said, | thought he
would. lie had armed himself according to my
advice, ana so fully, that he was u perfect walking
arsenal. They inquired if he was armed, and
would defend himself. ! told them that he was,
aud would fight them, if he did not disappoint all
his friends; and 50 they left me. The next day,
at muster, this poor fellow was present, armed to
the teeth, ana the slave dealers came there with q
buggy and found him on the ground. They look
ed at him, and he looked at them, and then they
got into their buggy and trotted Oft in a Soulherly
direction, and for augtt l know, they are going
yet. Laughter.
We do know our rights, and We will maintain
them and among those rights, is the right to
teach the Ignorant, and we will teach him the use
Of pistols and bowie-knives, and how to defend
his life, although we havo no right to defend 1t
for him.
Here, we have n distinct and fair avowal Of
air. Giddings' view of his constitutional obligation
to the slave hunter. And an unequiyocal declara-
ton that lie intends to stand by it. With equal
cxplicitness, we have also stated his method Of
reform. The reform ire propose is, TO restore The
Constitution 10 its pristine pWity-to repeal the pres
ent Fagitre Stare Lar, and REINsTATE THE LAW OF
1893, so FAR AS IT GOES" docs it not go far enough p
WHICH LEAVES THE MASTER AT LIBERTY TO COME
AND CATCH HIS SLAVE If he CAN GET HIM.. Mr.. Gid
dings, then, is in favor of slave-catching, and the
reform he seeks is to have it done constitutionally
The great difference between Mr.. MGson's fugi-
tive slave bill and Mr.. Giddings' reform is, that the
former requires us to join in the chase, while the
latter only demands that we Surrender him up. and
teaches us that "wc hare no right 10 dqfeni IL This
life '..(or him" And this is all. Mr.. 0iddlngs has
taken fugitivcs into his house. The STAKEHOLDER
comes upon him with his demand in constitutional
form. The ~fugitivcs are pursued-a mother ind
her babe, both ignorant of the use of pistols and
bowie-kniyes. Mr.. Giddings most heroically main
tains his right TO teach these Ignorant" ones their
use, and then quietly looks on to see them defend
their lives and liberty. He "has no riyht' to in
%terfere for them. This is fulfilling a constitutions
obligation, according to Mr.. Giddings, on the 4th
of July, 1854. To the confiagration of such a
r Constitution, who Of our readers will not, with the
birmingham audience, say, amen"
Such are our rights under the Constitution, even
with the most favorable Interpretation. And de-
family does Mr.. Giddings say. We know our
rights, and we will maintain them What q brave
resolve!
We charged this portion of Mr.. Giddings' speech
with weakness and Inconsistency. What else can
be affirmed of his two positions, viz: That all men
arc created with equal right to life, liberty, and the
pursuitc CT happiness--and one of those equal men
has the right to take his brother back to slavery in
lany way he, can-and Mr.. Giddings is to look on
and give to the weak no aid, All these acts are
constitutional. The slave had the constitutional
right to pursue happiness Canada-ward. The mas
ter had the constitutional right to pursue him in
his flight, and arrest and return him to chains, and
Mr.. Giddings had the constitutional right to arm
tho SLAVE for resistance, and especially the glorious
right philosophically to fold his arms and witness.
unaidingly, the Unequal fight. IF this be not in
consistency and weakness, even from a strong man,
where shall! we find it? We said Mr.. Giddings'
position was false and wicked. viii our readers
will Mr.. Giddings, even, demand proof Of the
correctness of the CHARGE?
Mr.. Giddings is the stalwart advocate of the de-
naturalization of slavery-the divorce of the Fed
eral Government. from all support of slavery.
Henry Clay said the Federal Government gave
Congress no power lover slavery 'but direct taxa
ton and the return of fugitive slaves" II agree
rdh Henry C2ay." "To-day. my friends, I repeat
that doctrine"-says Mr.. Giddings. How the re-
enactment of the law of '93, which MIR. Giddings
approves, Is consistent with the divorce of the
Federal Government from slavery, he perhaps can
tell.
But we doubt whether the people of Ohio, whose
representative in Congress be is, can tell and we
trust his constitutional views of duty to the slave
hunter are not theirs.
Parker Pillsbury once said that the "highest
virtue of a Free Soiler was to commit perjury
Mr.. Giddings has very clearly illustrated the cor
reetness of the remark, if his constitutional view,
are those Of Free Sellers. lie tells us he has beer
seventeen years in Congress. Time and again
therefore, has he sworn to support the Constitution
Now he tells us what he means by that oath. 1T
violation is the assertion of, and obedience to
higher law" of which the oath is q Reputation
The shareholders, the other day, charged Mr.
Sumner with just this virtue. That he had sworr
to support the Constitution, and yet declared it
dogs business to support it. lie had the prudence
} to be silent, not attempting n defence of his weak
: position, but most adroitly made a vigorous and
successful onset upon the defenceless lines of his
3 enemies. Mr.. Giddings has the candor to state
0 tho shameful inconsistencies of his own posi-
ton. We earnestly pray that, for his own reputa-
ton, and the slaves deliyerance, he may
speedily add to this virtue Of cahdor the grace
of p%euitence and a hearty forsaking of his
| .nc;tin,