Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1854-11-11
SEVENTEENTH ANNIVERSARY.
OF rHE
Pennsylvania Anii-Slavcry Society.

Slavery Standard. The Standard says of the
meeting. at was an excellent one from the be-
ginning to the close, the attendance was large, the
speaking uniformly good, and often eloquent, and
the resolutions adopted, heightened and uncompro.
missing, proving conclusiycly that the cause in.
Pennsylvania is as it has even been upward and
onward, and giving assurance that its friends in
that quarter who ever else may grow weary and
faint hearted, will endure to the end Of the con-
flict."
We congratulate our Pennsylvania friends on
the success of their annual convention and doubt.
not it will be the precursor and prcparatiyo of
vigorous and successful auti,slayery labors and
triumphs during the coming year.
The proceedings Of the meeting come to hand
too late to enable us to give as large extracts from
the report us we should otherwise be glad to do,
James Mott prcsilcd-amongi;he prominent speak
ers, were Oliver johnson, Mary Grew, j. Miller
McKim, Vim, Lloyd Garrison, Lucrctia Mott, Lucy
Stone, Mrs. Emma Il. Coo. The following is the
Standards Synopsis of the Annual Report preseu-
ted by J. Miller Mckim the Corresponding Secrc-
tsry,
J. Miller McKim read the Annual Report of the
Executive committee. Though this WAS Il long
document, occupying an hour or moro in the read.
ing, it was listened to with the deepest attention
to the end. 1t commenced by saving there was
no Report last year, owing to the absence from
the country of the Corresponding Secretary, whose
usual business 1t is to prepare it, and that there
fore it would Se necessary now to 70 back n year in
order to embrace all of interest that has TRANSFERRED
since the last account had been rendered.
The document tlon went back to the Fugitive
Slave law spoke Of the disgracelul part that
Pennsylvania had taken in the enactment of that
ntrocious statute. and in the subsequent efforts
made to enforce it stated that seven Of her mem
bers Of Congress, including one Of her Senators,
had voted for the bill and that within asingle year
after its passage, thirty cases of recapture and
rendition Of slaves had occurred within the limits
of the State, besides many atrocious cases of for
chile and Illegal abduction, under cover of and in
consequence of the law.
But nevertheless the law had always been odious
and was now fast becoming obsolete. There had
been but three cases of rendition in the last two
years and of all the political and religious dcma-
gogues VINO in the beginning supported or apollo
gized for 1t, there was not one now to do it rcvc-
renee. 1t was of no more use to the South than
the old law Of 1893, which it suoerceied. fugj-
tive slaves were passing daily through the State
without hindrance. There had been more escapes
through Pennsylvania during the last than any
preceding year.
The Nebraska Bill, and the part Pennsylvania
had taken in regard = it, was then considered.
Pennsylvania, Away comprising in her Congress
sIonal delegation n large number ready to do the
meancst work Of the shareholders, on this occasion
furnished even more than her accustomed quota.
Eleven OF her members Of the House, besides one
OF her Senators, had disgraced their State and
dishonoured humanity by voting for the nefarious
bill; Florence, White, Robbins, McNair, Bridges,
Straub, Wright, Packer, Kurtz, Dawson, and
Trout of the House, and Richard Brodhcad OF
the Senate, and all Democrats at that! Could
hypocrisy be grosser or profigacy more shame
less
But these creatures had misrepresented their
State, as the returns of the election had Just
proved. OF the 20 members of Congress, 81 were
anti, Nebraska men. But four members favour
able to that bill had been returned, and these BY
greatly reduced majorities: and two of them,
Florence AMI Cadwallader. were indebted for
their election to the diversion produced in their
favor by the know-Nothing movement. Biglcr,
the Gubernatorial representative of the Pierce
and Douglas policy, the man who had ~pardoned
Albertl, was hurled from his place, and Pollock,
the anti Nebraska candidate, was put in his place,
by a majority of over 81 900 votes. This showed
where Pennsylvania stood on the Nebraska and
Slavery question. Politically, the Commonwealth
had made good progress.
ReLgiOuSLy, the signs were not at all encourag-
ing. The Church was, on this question, twice
dead and plucked up by the roots, and the clergy
were dumb dogs who cannot bark" Of course
there were exceptions to this. Among the minis
tors were some Of the truest of the true, and there
were a few denominations-but they were conf
parativcly obscure and Observation-Disclosures flel-
ity was not to be questioned, such as the CoceRaa-
ters, the Free Pestyfyians, and a new body
lately sprung up in PENNSYLVANIA styling them
selves Progressive Friends. But these bodies were
small and exceptional, and as such only proved
the truth of the general statement. The Church
and clergy as a body served no good purpose ex-
cept that Of the vane on the steeple to show wlioh
way the popular wind blew. Then followed in the
wake of public opinion. They were the creatures,
not tha creators Of public sentiment.
Commercially, the advancement of the cause
was more marked. Pennsylvania, through her
commercial metropolis, was bound to the South by
the ties of trade, in addition to the political ligi-
ments which hold her in common with the other
free States to the body of slavery. These ties
had of late been somewhat loosened. Philadel-
paia was now comparatively Independent of the
South. The new lin2s Of railway had now opened
up to her the trade Of the West. This was vastly
more profitable than that of the slaveholding
States. The construction Of the Pennsylvania
Central Railroad was the d%awning of a new era
to Philadelphia. 1t removed from her a temptation
which had been to much for her weak virtue. In
the trade of the West her merchants can find Gus
toners without apologizing for slavery, aud exehan-
ges for their products without humbling themselves
to the meanest Of depots.
Socially, the signs we're propitious. Abolition
ist were not tabooed in society. The line of de-
between them and the rest of the world
was not 50 distinctly defined as it once was.
La the improvement Of the free colored people
also, and in the diminished bitterness of the preiu-
dice against color, were also seen evidences of the
progress of the cause. A great moderation was
visible In the state of the culured people. Their
schools were multiplying, the standard OF scholar
ship had risen, and education was rapidly on the
The material condition Of the co!ored
people was also greatly improved. They were be-
to acquire wealth. A colored man in pros
porous business or of independent circumstan ,es
no longer a rarity as it used 20 be.
After reriung and d~ilating upon these evidences
OF anti-slnyery Advancement in Pennsylvania, the
Report tarped to 2 confederation Of the condition
of the Society, and Of the means that we're being
ased 10 accomplish its object. The organization
was reported to be in sound state. and everything
was said to be working satisfactorily. though the
r view of the last gear is this respect was not
its drawbacks. Then the dc lth of uo-i