Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1854-09-09
"IT Is EASIER TO DO BETTER"

r Neic York Tribune, Is, think, entitled to the
credit of the suggestive motto at the head OF thus
article, 1t was some weeks since that, in noticing
the proposal Of some to agtate for repeal OF
The Fugitive Slave bill, Mr.. Greedy remarked, "L
Is easier 0dO JetteT'--meaning, as he explained
himself, that it was easier to procure an amend
ment Of the bill, providing for iury-tral of per-
sons claimed as fugtives than it would he to pro
cure a repeal of the bill. Though we could not
agree with Mr.. Greedy, that it would be easier OF
better to take the course he suggested, in that par
ticuar case, yet The thought struck with great
force, that it easier in enterprises of moral and
political relormatiOn to secure the better or higher
object Of pursuit than to secure the inferior or
lower. number cc Illustrations occurred to us.
r We shall venture to mention some Of them, though
r Mr. Greedy may not recognise any more aptness
in some Of them than We did in his
) |. Whenever we think of the long-protracted
but perfectly futile efforts to prevent the extension
Of slavery, the sentiment of Mr.. Greedy rUshes re
sistlessly upon us" is easier 10 do botier." 1t
would be far better to abolish slavery whore it now
exists, and thus not only prevent its extension into
new States and territories, but break the yoke Of
those now held in bondage in the old slave States.
1t would be easier TO do possible than an i'm
possible thing and it i possible to abolish slavery,
but not possible to let it live without letting it live
in its own proper nature, and letting the pestence
= Of its breath poute the atmosphere around it
which involves its extension @
! .. 1t has thousand times been proposed to
amemliorate the condition Of the slaves, to reform
the abuses of slavery, to retain the tenure of hui
man chattlehood, and yet secure to the slaves the
good treatment due from man to his fellow man.
The thing has never been done, because it never
can be done. ' II is eositf 10 d0 bctcr"-to "break
every yoke and let the oppressed go free, as God
3 has commanded. .....
3, 1t has been proposed to educate and prepare
the slaves for freedom thing that cannot be done
while they remain in slavery. =" II is easier to do
letter." Emanciaate them, and they easily
: educated then.
L. 1t has been proposed to "kill out slavery" by
:, Eou-eXtcn SION, amelioration, cc.,a thing never
yet accomplished. ~ IS castuf.to do b:4icy''-and
: by direc action, abolish slavery has often been
DONE
s 5. 1t has often been maintained that gradual
abolition Of slavery would be safer easier, and
more beneficial than immc Hate abolition. But ex-
d pertinent has abundanty proved that is case,''
saier, and more benecial) tc 10 Jetcr, by abol-
: ishing slavery at once.
5 6. ColonizatoH has been proposed rs remedy
for slavery. Here again. the maxim that " it is
easier to do 6tr-by emancpatomo the soil is too
palpably IN place to require proof or illustration.
: I. world of noise, commotlon, agitation and
o effort, have been expended, in frutless efforts to
prevent =" the eRcyOuchmeRtS of the slave power u
at is easier to do better" by the overthrow of sa-
c very itself. Suppose the Pomfret farmers, in Put
: MANS day, instead OF aseociating themselves tC
n hunt and kU the wolf that committed nightly dep
5 relations upon their sheep-folds had only uniteC
10 lInC tne extent Ol MS preanDulatlOHs, or 10 re
G sist his predatory aggressions. 1t would have oc
cupied them the year round, in see1-time and har
. vest as well as in wnter-and the object would
not have been accomplished, after all, it was by
the short rally resulting in the death Of the com
mon enemy.
8. A dissolution of the Union has been proposed
as the great Northern remedy for slavery. sit i
easier do better" by the abolition of slavery it
; self. Better, because the dissolution of the Union
would not abolish slavery but would lull the
, Northern consciencc--deadcn Northern sympathy
7 and annihilatc Northern political control over
slayery-better because the Union would be 4
blessing and would be preserved if slavery were
abolished; easier because the Constitution makes
ample provision for abolition, but makes none for
4 dissolution easier, because simple act Of Con-
r gress would abolish slavery, but would not divide
the Union without disputes concerning boundaries
to be settled by bloodshed: easier because the ma
ton would sooner be persuaded to abolish slavery,
t and thus preserve the Union for the accommoda-
ton Of portion Of the shareholders and portion
of the abOlitionists.
g. 4 revolution has been proposed en- account
of slavery. Such revolution tni5it or might not
include dissolution OF the Union. If it did, we
G have shown that it is easier to do better" If il
did not, it is easier to do better for some Of
E the same reasons and for similar ones. Abolition
o without revolution is custer than abolition with it
: Before the people could he persuaded to attempt
Q n revolution account Of slavery, they would
: persuaCe themselves TO avert revolution by rhol
: ishing slavery, which would cost them neither
fl blood nor treasure civil cOmmotion, nor ever
@ the trouble of framing new constitution, but sim
ply and solely hecare and labor Of despositng suit
able votes in the ballotbox
TO- State notification Of rro.slarer7 federal act
has been ptoposed as the sole political panacea fo
the North for the annoyances of slavery. Thi
includes no direct political action for the relief
the slaves themselves, 1t is easier to do better
by abolishing slavery Better, because It strike
e Mt the root of the evil instead of the branches
= BETTER because il relieves those who most need i
J, relieves our bretheren in bonds, well our
o seves eaSfe, because 1t is easier las Calhoun anC
S his South-Carolinia found, by experiment. to sub
a sidize and WELD the Federal Government than i
c is to set it at defiance and nulliiy its edcts whil
i its powers are directed against us. BY this how
, ever, we do not repudiate the proposed nuifca
= ton as n minor and auxiliary measure. We only
insist that must not rest in it, postpone thai
i direct action Ggainct slavery which would either
= include or supersede it.
But it is not in the anti-slavery cause alonb that
the maxim holds good, that sit is easier to do bet
d ter than adopt halfway reformatory measures
! In the temp rance cause we always found 1T So
t 1t was found easier to practice total abstinence
. that TO indulge in moderate drinking and avoid
drunkennesS-easier to enlist the public in what
were then called total abstinence (thOGgh not tee
total) societies, than in the old societies without
any definite pledge Afterward it was found cas-
Ter Especially OH ground never before cauvassed)
to enrol names on the "tee-total' pledge than on
E the former pledge against distilled spirits" only
u And ii is found easier to procure and to enforce
ridgid prohibitions of rum-seing than it was to
obtain ambiguous and halfway legislation, or tc
enforce the same, or any of the old absurd, mo
lnopOly creating onactmGnts, that only undertook
(like the Free-Soilers afterward) to limit" "lo
calize" the pestilence, to make it Illegal on some
: designated spots of soil while conceding its le
e gality in others. ..r ..rr...
The principle is of still wider scope. Itbelong'
. to the entire economy of moral and spiritual man
i iestations. It is eas6r TO serve God with whole
e heart, than it is to serve God and Mammon. 1t il
easier repent Of SIM than it is to patch up piece
S meal and halfway outward reformations.
c 1t would be easy to multiply Illustrations, hut a
G present we judge "easier to dobetter" by leaving