Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1854-05-13
THE ANTI-SLAvERY BUGLE.

all victims of saveryior f the free are not In the
umbrd, theyare, nevertheless, in the penpmbra Of
slavery. Hence, then, as well as by identity Of
race they are bound together by the strongest sym
pathy. Moreover, If not carried along, as rapidly
as others, nevertheless they are carried along, in
the general progressive knowledge Of human rights
such being the case, IL is not to be supposed, that
they can be held in their present condition for ages
longer. They will deliver themselves if they are
not delivered. He must be blind to history, to
philosophy, to the nature Of man, who suppose,
that such asystem, as American slavery, can have
q long life, even in circumstances most favorable
to Its continuance In the most benighted portions
OF the earth the victims, Of such n system would,
in process of time, come to such a sense of their
wrongs, and their power also, as TO rise up and
throw off the system. But that here such n system
must he hurried TO its end, is certain. For, hore,
II is entirely out of harmony with all the institt-
tions around IL, and with all the professions Of
those, who uphold IT, Here II is continually pres.
scd upon by ten thousand influences adverse to its
existence. Nothing so much as American slave
ry, stands in the way of the progress Of the age.
little time longer and 1t must Weld to this pro-
gress, and be numbered with the things. that were.
me only question is whether il shall die peace
iul or violent death-whtther il shall quietly
recede before advancing TRUTH or resist unto blood
God forbid, that American slavery should come
TO a violent end. hold, with 0'Connell, that no
revolution is worth the shedding of blood A VIC
lent end to American slavery would constitute one
OF the biodiest chapters in all the book Of time.
1t would be such reckoning for deep and damning
wrongs-such an outbursting Of smothered and
pent-up revenge, as living man has never seen.
Can this catastrophe be ayerted2 Perhaps, il can
not Perhaps, God will not let of this superatye-
ly wicked nation on any easier terms than scryile
war-a war, we must remember, that will be very
like to bring within its wide sweep the whole black
population Of this continent and the neiphborine
islands-a population already numbering some ten
or twelve millions. Perhaps, since we would be q
nation Of oppressors, lie will let the oppressed
smite the oppressors. Perhaps. since we would he
bloody nation, lie will give us "blood, even
unto the horse-bridles" There will be no such
catastrophe, however, if the North and the South,
equal sinners in the matter Of slavery shall hasten
to mngle The tears Of their pcnitonce to say from
The heart "Wo are very guilty concerning our
brother and to join their bands in putting away
their joint and unsurpassed sim
shall be blamed for having treated my subject
IN the light OF so severe n morality. IL will be
said, that economical views Of il would have been
more suitable and statesmanlko and that should
have dwelt on the gains TO the stakeholder, and
the gains to the country, from the abolition Of
slavery. confess, that, had horses and oxen
been the subject of my speech the field of economy
would have been wide enough for the range Of my
thoughts, and the course of my argument. But
| have been speaking Of men---of millions of i'm
mortals and have been claiming that Govern
ment should lift them up out Of their chattelhood
and their association with brutes; and / could not
so disparage the dignity, and so sully the glory Of
their manhood, as to claim the performance OF
lhls high and holy duty, in the name of money.
When l see my tellow-man reduced TO q slave,
demand his deliverance, simply because he is n
man. cannot so wrong his exalted nature and
my own, and the Great One who made us in His
own image, as to argue, that money can be made
by such deliverance. i would as soon think of
making calculation Of pecuniary gains my argu-
ment in dssuading from the crime Of murder.
In saying, that would not suffer the duty OF
delivering the slave to turn upon the question of
pecuniary gains and economical advantages,
utter no peculiar doctrine. Who would suffer il
thus to turn in an case, where he regards such
victims as menf But, with me, all men are men.
Are the skin and the mind of my fellow man dark !
"A mans a man for a. that % / still recognize
him as man. lie is my brother, and still have
a brothers heart for him: Suppose the Govern
all the white people of Pennsylvania who have
light hair to slavery. Would Congress let the
present week expire without seeking their release
NO! Would Congress stoop to ply that Govern.
ment with arguments drawn from political econ
omy' and to coax i with prospects Of gain? No!
no "a thousand times no Ii would demand their
ielease and 1t would demand 1t, too not in virtue
OF feeble arguments and humble authority; but
Ethan Allen-like, in the name Of God Almighty and
Congress.
| shall be blamed for not having brought out .
plan for getting rid of slavery. / confess, that
have no other plan for getting rid of it but its abo
liton-its unconditional entire, and immediat,
abolition. The slave is robbed of his manhood
OF himself, and, consequently. of all his rights
There is no justice then-there is no God then-i
the restoration Of his rights and his restoration
himself can be nnocently conditioned on anything
or innoeently postponed.
shall he, especially, blamed for not having pro
m gnti Il do
have repudiatod-the doctrine OF compensation
Compensation for his services and sufferings would
be due from the stakeholder to the slave; but clear
y, no compensation for his restored liberty woulC
be due from the slave to the stakeholder. admit
however, that great debt would be due, from tn,
American people, both to the stakeholder and the
slave. The American people are responsible fo
American slavery. 1t is the American people
who, in the face of the Declaration of independence,
and the Constitution, as well as of religion anC
reason God and humanity, have made themselve
the responsible ensavers of millions. Departed
generations Of slaves have gone to the bar o.
Heaven with this accusation upon their lips anC
nothing short of the repentance of the American
people can prevent its being carried there by thu
present generation of American slaves. There is
then, great debt due from the American peopl,
to the American slaves. But they owe one to tn,
Shareholders also. Men become Shareholders, anC
continue Shareholders, and extend their Investment
vi human uesni ON tne Illtn oil the professions
legislation, and policy of the American people
and, may add, on the faith of the Constitution
and religion Of the American people, as that peopl,
do themselves interpret their Constitution and
religion. Again, non-slaveholders, as well al
Shareholders, feed and clothe themselves upon the
cheap-(cheap, because extorted and unpaid for)-
products of slave labor. They enrich their com
merce with these products; and, in word, they
unite in making slavery the cherished and over
shadowing interest Of the nation. Now, for tn,
American people, in these circumstances, to abolisl
slavery, and refuse to pay damages to the slave
holders, would be surprise upon the Shareholder
full of bad faith. For the American people to shar
with the Shareholders in the policy and profits Of
slayeholding, and then terminate it, and deyoly,
the whole loss Of its termination on the slave
holders, would be well nigh unparalleled iniustic
and meanness. Ii have encouraged and draw
men into wickedness, am, it is true, not TO stan,
by them in their wckedness-for of that botl
they aud are to repent but / am to stand b,
them in their loss, and to share it with them
The English people gave to the masters of eigli
hundred thousand slaves hundred millions O