Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1854-12-09
CASSIUS II. CLAY's APPEAL TO ALL FOL
LOWERS OF CHRIST IN THE
AMERICAN UNION.

The following forciLlc appeal is published by
spccia! re l,st Of the S;iotD Annua Conference.
1t is worthy Of Il careful reading:
To all the alherents Of the Christian religion,
Catholic and Protestant, in the American Union,
the writer Of this article would respectfully repre-
seat that, he 8 but Il single individual of humble
prctensi"nS,~ struggling with honest zeal for tie
liberties of his country and the common rights Of
ali mankind.-lle S.ts up no claim to picty or
purity of life, but whilst lie is himself subject to
all the inlrmi:ics Of cur common nature, lie he.
Loves in an omnipptcnt and benevolent God, over.
ruling the universe By fixed and eternal laws. lie
believes that mans greatest happiness consists in
Il wise under ,tlndiug and Il strict Observance Of ali
the laws Of his being, moral, mental, and physical,
which are best set forth in the Christian code Of
ethics. lie believes that the Christian religion is
the truest basis Of justice, mercy, truth and happi-
ness, known among men. AS Il politician cspcc-
tally does he regard Christian morality rs the sole
basis of national aud constitutional liberty. lie
believes that tile liberty of conscience was the an
l~tecedent Of civil liberty, and that to Christianity
did our fathers owe the emigration from the Old
World. and our national independence in the Now
He believes that there is now II crisis in the affairs
Of our nation, which calls for the united efforts OF
all good mon to save us from dishonor and ruin.
Slavery is our great national sin, and must be
destroyed or VIC are lost. From q small cloud not
larger than a mans hand it has over spread the
whole heavens. Three millions Of our fellow men
an, VI u ICllEibl NC Ill II liDle,J tlllluTtn VI I've
same Father, are held in absolute servitudc and the
most unqualified despotism. BY q strange over
sight, Of self tvenging-criminality of our fathers,
m metropolitan, unequal, sham representation
has given the slaveOcracy a concentrated power,
which subjects the additional Giteen millions OF
the whites of this nation, to the caprice and rule
of some Nree haadyel and GUy thousand sitcehotd
ers. They MInopolizc the principal Offices OF
honor and profit, control our foreign relations and
Internal policy of economical progress. They
have forced us into tho unjust wars-national bad
ifiith-and large unnecessary expenditures OF
money. They have violated. time after time, the
National and State C1nsti utions. They have
trampled under foot all of the cardinal principles
of our inherited liberty freedom of prcss-liberty
of sneech-tyial by jury-the habeas corpus and
that clause of the Constitution which gives to the
citizens of the several States, the right and privil-
iges of each State. They have murdered our cit
;zcns-inp risoned our scamen-and denied us all
roa"ess in the courts OF national judicature. by
forcibiy and illegally e~xpelling our emhassadors--
thus failing in tho comfy observed sacred by all
the nations, civilized and savage till now? All
this have we borne in mlgnanimOus forbearance,
Or tame subservency till remOnstrancc is regarded
rs criminal, and it has become the common lAw Of
the land, in all the Slave States, to murder in cold
blood, and ''digniicd manner, any American free
mon who has the spirit tOexGrcisc tho constitution
al and natural, and inalienablc rights Of free
thought and manly uttcrance
Vow in the namo Of that religion which teaches
us to loye our neiglbor as oursell-to do unto
others as We would have others do unto us-tO
break every yoke Ind let the oppressed go free, we
prav every follower of Christ 10 boar Testimony
against this crime against man and God which
fills our souls With cruelty and crimo--stains cur
hands with h)ool-and Jyerthrdws every principle