Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1854-06-17
LETTER FROM CAssIUs M. CLAY.
WHAT SHALL THE FRIENDS OF REPUBLl
CANtSM DO?
"a E.IiIoI Qf "a Nelr- Iork TiLnae !:

To the Editor Of tic Ne,r- York TriJuae:
SIR: When some years ago | had the honor Of
replying 10 an invitation Of portion of the mcni e.
bers of the New-Iork Legislature to address them
on the Slavery question, | was thought by many n
fanatic because ayOwed that il was not ,,l sthn
about the African, but whether we ourselves
should be freemen or slaves" Since then what *
there sacred in the Constitution in treaties i'm laws
in guarantees Of liberty which has not been desc
Grated!
And now at last those Compromises" by which
so many of us were humbugged-which were ex-
altcd above the "higher law" of Revelation and
Conscience, are themselves trampled under foot
and by the repeal of the Missouri restriction. Ly
revolutionary means, continent laws in the dust at
the feet Of the slavcocratsl
Thus far our republicanism is a failure. Shall
We give up the ship?" Shall we return as the
dog to his yomit and clothe ourselves in the cast
of rags of despotsm, admitting ourselves inca.
pable Of self government and national existence?
For my.part, though sad-vcry sad | am not
despOndent. Let us use the reason God has given
us to remedy the past and make secure the future
The violation Of Gods law is always VIC. We
committed national crime in joining hands with
the Shareholders to commit determined wrong
against the rights of the African, and now in due
season the poisoned chalice is returned to cur own
lips.
/ am not prepared to say with the Garrisonians
that we to break away at once by revolution
I
only salvation, because the only true repentance.
is in making the overthrow of Slavery our domi-
nant idea.
The one idea of the Shareholders which overrides
all principles and measures is the rule Of Slavery.
So it must be met, not ncidentally-nbt occasion.
aIy-not compromisingy by the friends of liberty,
but with oneness of purpose and viyaeity and
ianaticism Of will equal to theirs
7 Does any man believe that in fair contest be-
tween Liberty and Slavery the wrong will triumph +?
| do not.
I What then shall be done? l. In the first plaee.
punish the traitors, as an example for all future
times. honestly believe that every man Of the
free States who voted for the repeal OF the Missouri
restriction deserves death But there is no legal
way of in1ictng the penaty-the halter then they
must escape. But ono thing can be done-break
\ them on the wheel of public opinion Let no man
deal with them in business-bansh them from the
social circle, and disfranchise them practically for
everi This seems hard, but the race Of the trai-
tors must die before we can live
.. Let the elections, even for the most inferior
Offices, turn upon the repeal of the Nebraska bill,
or its amendment, so that the peoBls Of the terri
tory shall have the unqualified right to vote slavery
cut. To do this, the free trader must give up his
| free tTade,-the tariff man, his tarilf-manufactu-
rers, shipping internal improvement temperance,
schools, all must for the present be held in obey
ance to the one great question, shall America be
free or slave!
based TO achieve the end we must tolerate and re-
cognize all parties who will aid, as allies In a
Congressional District where the Free Democrats
have a supposed larger force, let the Wings and
and Democrats renominate the Free Democratic
ticket. And where the Wings or Democrats have
supposed larger force let the Free Democrats re-
nominate the Wing Democratic ticket; so as to
defeat the serries of all parties. In the Presden-
h. tal Nominating Convention, let delegate he sent
from each Congressional district in the Union, of
that party which has the Congressman and let
l them vote a ecnmon candidate. Such candidate,
thus nominated, can, in my opinion, he elected ri-
umphantly in 1856. Let that candidate whether
Benton, Seward, or Hale, or any other good citi-
zen, be chosen without regard to his locality in a
Free or Slave State. FOrOurparty is truly national
theirs sectional,
! 4. Let us count the cost. All arc, imagine,
{ now convinced that the extreme South is antcipat-
ing the dissolution of the American Union, and
have been aud are now using the nation all .he time
for their own ultimate aggrandiEement. We must
therefore calculate what is 10 be the result of our
success. Suppose then a Republican elected Pres
ident the issue above stated, and that tho uitras
of the South in their madness overawe the more
thoughtful citizens and sccCdc from Congress, and
declare the Union dissolved. Then either We must
whip them in, or allow a peaecablc separation as