Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1854-09-30

givon in tho slave States themselves, where per-
cons held as. chattols have boon taken or permitted
to so beyond the operation Of elivc laws, and have
been returned to these States. aud afterwards have
sued for and been allowed their freedom. We
know intuitivoly that all mon IRE entitled 20 their
liberty, no matter by what authority or by what
forms of law they have boon reduced to the con-
dition Of chattcls, yet it is satisfactory to find, HUI
man authority conscntirg 6, as in these instances,
with the Divine. And now ii becomes a matter of
the most serious import for us TO have well consid-
cred determinations, or conclusions in respect to
tho exact nature of the responsibilities towards
those so unfortunately circumstanccd. To those
who have a real, living faith in the injunction,
d" Whatsoever yo would that men should do to you,
do We even so unto them" the question is of no
Q Id difficult solution. The proposition that one is as
fully accountable for neSlecting to do the right, as
n for actually perpetrating wrong, isas easily demon.
strable as any other question in morals, whether
@ wo assume natural law or that of Scripture, as ou.
thority. To those who acknowledge the latter as
O tho only and all-suficient guide, | need but quote
c the 25th chapter of Matthew, verse 3lst to 10th,
!. In this passage. it will be seen, the judgment rep.
resented was not for any wicked acts committed
l. but for the omission to do the good which might
d have been performed. Should We neglect to en-.
Il ploy the proper M cans within our reach to liberatC
II the person who was being conveyed through oul
! State to a life of slavery, we should DC as guilty
in the sight of God, and ought to be as much SO by
the verdict of our own conscicnces. as if we hat
actually cnslaved him, or held him in bondage
n If human authority, if our love Of wealth ant
y popularity, if fear of violence, or threats of its en-
' ~ploymcnt upon us, if these nor no other induce
mcnt would suffice to compel us to assume thu
!; relation of slave owner, neither should either o.
all of these considerations induce us to withhold
i the aid necessary to rescue q fellow being whcl
d cnsIavcd by another. If we neglect the employ
! mcnt Of all proper means for his liberation, W,
arc as guilty as if ourselves the c~nslavors.
# This point being settled, another Of equal i'm
B.; portancc presents itself for consideration, in til,
t, measures we may with ~propriety pursue in sucl
r. cases. And this is one for each individual to dc
tcrmino for himself, submitting to dictation iron
-. no other. The standard of authority by which
wish to regulate my life, forbids me to employ an
is means to effect this or any other object. whic
shall violate the natural rights of individuals
whether they be slave owners or slavery abettors
But this is the only restriction of conscience
a know in the matter, and tie conventional agrct
If ments of society in respect to property would nc
e deter me a moment from my purpose. If q ra
o way company, for instance, should transcend it
n chartered privileges so far as to employ the m;
n chinery under its control, in an attempt to dercO
IT the efforts of the friends to rescue an innocent pei
son, about to he carried into slavery, l believe
d would be our duty to destroy just so much of tina
y machinery as it might prove necessary to cife,
such Liberation, taking the care necessary to avoi
:, injuring those upon the train. Natural rights ar
if inalienablc, and we could have no justification f
their Infringement. Convcntionl privileges al
alienable, ind should always he violated, who
r. necessary to secure to the most ignorant and d
nc graded human being the enjoyment Of naturt
IT. rights. Such doctrines carried out / know ma
b. lead to consequences troublesome to ourse,vc
cd but shall the descendants of those who pledg'
their sacred honor" and pcriled property al
ro- life" in a contest with a system of paltry taxatio
he refuse to peril fortune, and life, in a cause so ira
ne scendantly superior in its importance? 1t is n
cy to be supposed that the mammoth power of slave
:. in the United States can be ovcrthrown witho
the sacrifice of hosts of martyrs, both in proper
and life. 1t has grown into it's present coloss
proportions ny IL IohS Cuhtihucu HllI NTuom
millions Of those of African lineage, in additi
to n constantly increasing violation of the rigt
of the Caucasian. Its appetite for victims is as
satiable as are the jaws of death. Its victims
arc sure to be, in some shape and degree, so l0
:; as its existence continues. Its tyranny must no,
=. ly become more intolerable rs long as it is endure
=. BY bringing and seryilc submission to its behcs
-. zee may sneak through life. and allow its burdc
49, to accumulate beyond the possibility of cnduran
a.. by our posterity, and thus devolvc upon them
~ conflict with it infinitely moro s~acrifcial than t
80 one to which We arc invited.
or But this will only be an endurance Of life,
10 the cost of all sclfrcspcct, of all true manloc
~. and subject US to the incalculable consequence
81, which follow sins of omission. Who will +
,o choose rather, with port erect and manly bearir
lso to meet each e~xigency as it occurs, and nobly r
all consequences to ourselves? lie who loses
life in such a cause most undoubtedly shall f
"A, it.
,n Let no one understand mo MS advancing the L
that we owe a greater amount of cxertion to sect
# the liberty Of the captive brought within our l
dcrs, than for those who pine hopelessly in
han prison.housc of bondage. Our duty towards cit
the is only limited by opportunity, and that which
possible to US. A. BROOKE
On, Marlboro, Sept. 2lst.
SLAVERY A CREATURE OF LAW,