Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1854-05-06
FREE PRESBYTERIAN.


try, the Presbyterian is one Of the most thorough
and reliable on the question of freedom Mr. Cor
don is most sincere and ardent friend Of the
slave, andhe leaves no opportunity unimproved
to advocate and urge his claims. We wish the Pres
byterian abundant success in its new locality.
The Number of the paper before us contains an
article headed the Two Banners from which we
make some extracts. The editor as he has fire.
quently done before, is advocating higher Stand
ard for political anti-slayery, dissatisfied as We
think he has just occasion to be with the Free Soil
Standard.
Speaking of the platform for John G. Whittier's
League for Freedom, which we have heretofore
copied and commented on, Mr.. Gordon says
THE TWO BANNERS.
John @. Whittier, in the Natiouat Era, Of April
9Th, calls upon ''those who are willing to stand on
the question of Slavery where the fathers of the
Republic stoodP 10 unite, irrespective Of party
names, to form LEAGUE OF FREEDox--the nucleus
of q mighty organization throughout the country"
Upon the banner which is to float over this new
organization, be proposed to inscribe
"No slave territory.
No more slave States.
The General Government relieved from all re-
sponsibility for Slavery.
No interference by the General Government with
Slavery in the slave States.
No Nointerferenco with the right of jury trial. the
writ Of habeas corpus, and other guarantees Of
life, liberty, and the pursuit Of happiness, in the
free States.
Slavery left to itself in the States which cherish
IT, without any extrancous aid or comfort to recon-
clio itself it best may to the progress Of civza
tion and Christianity and to the liberal spirit of
the age"
This is simply few stripes taken from the old
FREQ Soil banner of 1913 aud 1852. In all essen
tal points, we think there is no advancement up
on thc.dOetrines of the Buffalo or Pittsburgh Con
vcntions. IL contains the same old spirit of com
promise and Cancellation that has taught the slave
holders themselves to dcspise us. We had fondly
hoped that the recent astounding developments OF
thc reckless audacity and unscrupulous dishonesty
of the Slave Power had served to open the eyes Of
the old Guard Of Liberty at least to the absurdity
Of attempting to maintain this hdif-lcdy position.
1t would seem strange that Anti-Slavery men had
boon able for so long n time 10 retain even their
self-resp,ct, while maintaining position con-
Trajectory and absurd. Butitwould not have been
strange II they had lost the respect and confidence
Of their opponents.
The first three planks of the above platform (if
we may be allowed to change the fgurc,) are sound
and should be retained. The fifth plank needs
little patching. We should strike out the words
'in the free States" The rights therein declared
urc as inalienabc, and should lc as in the free
States The fourth and sixth planks we would
toss overheard as rotten, worthless and unsea-
worthy.
1t is strange that wo should so long have been
accustomed to range the above principles side by
side, without preceiving their incongruousness
or that seeiug the inconsistency, we hal not blush
cd to maintain it. Let us take for example the
third aud fourth:
"The General Government reliered from all re-
sponsiJility, for Slavery"
"No interference by the General Government with
Slavery in the slave States"
Now, do not these two propositions involve
- u. al.
ornment be relieved from all responsibility for sIa-
fcry and yet not interfere with it in the slave
StatcsY To our mind the proposition is incontro-
troyertiblc that the General Gorernmem is respon-
ke for sidceyy tcheRcrer SldreTY ertsts icithia The
National domain, and for the simple reason that
she has ample power, in the Constitution, to
abolish it every where within those limits, and
failing to exercise that power, she becomes respon-
able for its continuation. And this responsibility
il the more pressing because the General Govern
ment alone has this power Tho states indyidu-
ally, have no p0wer TO interfere with the local mat
ters Of each other. F,', me, in this respect, is
an individual AM independent sovereignty. No
national rcmc' FOR slavery could therefore be pro
yidcd but hy the General Government itself.
We said some time since that the Independent
Democrats had committed radical error in ad-
hitting for the sake Of concilaton, that the Cen
eral Government had no power over Slavery in the
Slave States. We think so still. We have thus
been guilty of the great inconsistency of maintain
ing, all occasions, that the opponents OF slave
ry had Il controlling majority in the Convention
that framed the constitution that they rcsolutey
determined not to admit the sanction of slavery
into the Constitution and did not admit it, and yet
that they did admit it.
After an argument in favor of the anti-slavery
character of the Constitution, the Editor adds:
Now in view of all these facts, to say that sla-
very shall be eft to itself in the States that cher
ish il" that there shall be mo interference by the
General Government with slavery in the slave
States" and yet that "the General Government
shall be ''relicved from all responsibility for sayes
ry," is proposition so equivocal and absurd that
it never can become "the nucleus Of q mighty
organization throughout the country" for the
might of an organization consists not so much in
its numbers, as in the recttude of its principles
and the consistency with which they are adhered to-
We have had enough of compromising with slave
holders: and the platform proposed by Mr.Whittier
as we'll as that Of the Free Soil Conventions of IS4S
and 1852, have been nothing less than compro
misses We go for carrying the into
Africa" We claim the constitutional power to
abolish slavery eperychere within the national do
main, and shall insist that this power be activly
employed to that end. If this shall lead to dis
solution Of the Union, which we do not ANTICIPATED
we shall thank God for the ridance for q Union
that has to be maintained by tramplng down the
claims of justice and mercy and shelterng under
the mgis Of Republicanism, the fouest forms of
Despotism, is not worth the price that is paid
for it..
Tho Presbyterian closes by giving its approba-
tion of Goodels platform, rather than Whttier's
COMPROMISES. following we'll illustrates
the compromising history of this government:
We have compromised, and compromised and