Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1854-09-02
ANTI-SLAVERY BUGLE.
ABOLISH THE FUGITIVE SLAVE LAW
SPEECH OF JOSIAH QUINCY.


to count them, the President said:
GENTLEMEN: have to ask of you the favor Of
perfect silence and attention to some remarks that
will be made to you by the venerable josiah Quincy,
Senior. Applause. We cannot show zoo much
reverence aud respect to the aged Whig who is now
about to address you.
Mr. QUiNcY then came forward and spoke rs
follows:
l came to this meeting Jy iarii1iion as n citzcn-
not rs partisan; with no intention to gOiaRtccy
word on the occasion, but with fixed purpose to
respond il called upon, as became individual
who has in this world now little to hope. and
thank GOd nothing to fear who has behind him
only the memory Of the past and before him the
opening grave in which he must soon be deposited.
From such an individual you have right to expect
words Of truth, duty and sobcrness. | come not
here to utter vtuperatve demonstrations against
the Shareholders of the South. They have used
the powers vested in them by the Constitution for
their own interests, as every other selfish assoca-
tion Of raea would have done under the same cir
cunlsthaccs, with tho same powers and under the
same temptations. In every step OF t,c progress
of the slave power, they have had members Of the
free States half workers. If the free States
would regain their influence they must cuitirdte
higher STANDARD of political morality among them
selves they must disgrace the doctrine that all is
right in politics." and regard him who has nctor-
ously sold himself for place for Office as a trat0e
to principle and to his country. The Nebraska
act of II series of aggreSsons on the free States
which shareholders have pcactised for more than
fifty years. in no OF which could they have
been successful except through the divisions and
coTruptiuns Of the free States Themselves So far
rom complaining of the Nebraska perlily rejoice
i. it. 1t is said it is "tho last straw that breaks
the camels back" trust in heaven that this Ne
braska perdy will soon prove to be the Last straw
which will excite the camel Of the North to rise in
his strength and toss from his back one at least Of
~, L.
Nebraska fraud is not that burden ON which in
tend now to speak. There is one NEARER home,
more Immediately present'and more nSupportahc.
Of what that burden is shall s~eak plainly.
The obligation incumbent upon the free States to
deliver up fugitive slaves is that Lurdcn-uld il
must be oJiHnutcd from That Constitution al cre,3
hazard. And such 0bliteration can be demonstrated
TO be much the interest of the South as it is OF
the North. The circumstances in icdtch the pcople
of Massachusetts arc placed in consequence Of thai
burden undeniable, and they are also undcni
ably insupportable What has been seen? wha
has been felt? by every man, woman and child il
metropolis and i'll this community, and virtual,
by every man, woman and child in Massachusetts
We have seen our Court-lIouse in chains, tlco Jat
talions ot dragooas eigH companies Of artillery
tcetoe companies Of i3ttHf'y, the whoie c0nstabuly
force Of tie city boiice tie entire diSD0saIIc naria
Qf the United States, ,sih Tie aytHteyy loqded ,to
action, all marcting in support ?f P,rctoran band
consisting Of one hWi5ed and ttcsHty fiieHdS aI,,
associates Of Lh3 lajc} SUITES Mlyshal riM loaIcl
pistols and drc1cn stcoJd' and IN mHta,y c25,Hm
and Grrdy.t6r ,chdf purpose? To LsCo3T AND cos
Duct A POOR TREMBLING SLAVE FROM BusToN CoUR1
HOUSE TO THE FETTERs AyD LASH OF HIS MASTER
This display of military force the .Nugor Of THU
city officially declared to be nccesacry the occa
sion. Nay more, at a public festival he openl,
TOOK to himself the glory Of this display declaring
that by it life and liberty had been saved and tht
honor of Boston vindicatcd! make no comments
state fuctS rs the ground out Of which spring th,
duties of the people of Massachusetts. | statt
another fact still more conclusive and illustrative o
those duties. This scene, (thus awful, thus detcst
able,) every inhabitant OF this metropolis, nay
more every inhabtant of this Commonwealth ma
be compelled again to witness at any and ever,
day of the year, At tho will of the meancst au(
basest stakeholder Of the South. This also is un
denablo. Now, is there man in Massachusetts,
with a spirit so low, so debased, so corrupted b,
his fears or his fortune that he is prepared to say
this is condition Of WiayS TO be eR2uTc3 in perpe
tuity by us, and that this is an inheritance to b.
transmitted by to chillren for all generations
For long the fugitive slave clause remains il
the Constitution Of the United States, unobiterated
it is an obligation perpetual upon them as well a
upon us. And is this Inheritance we are about t
transmit to children an Inheritance Of freedom
No, feow-citzens-it is an inheritance worse thai
that of slavery. There is not q negro in the Sout
that can be compelled, even by his master, to Gu
the throat, or blow out the brains Of his brothe
negro. Yet so long the fugitive slave obligation
remains in the Constitution, there is not mti
man in Massachusetts,, who may not he compelled
tomorrow to cut the throat or blow out the brain
of felow-ctizen. at the will of the basost SoutE
orn Shareholder. Nv fellow-citizcns. believe me
the time has come for the neonl5 Of Mossorhusctt
to look upon this slave clause no longer in the eve
shifting, ever dubious, ever suspicious light
marty shirt hut under the influence of nm cTligb
ened natriotism watchrl of the sirns of tho time
and anxious concerning their duties TO thnmsnIyp
and their posterity. But I hear some timiJ hr,
tlcr cXClaim-" w nv, this in effect n dissnlI
tion of the Union. Did not the Southern sIoy
holders tell MS before the adontion of iho Coretit,
ton, that without the fugitive slave clause the