Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1854-09-23
Comm limitations
ENGLISH CORRESPONDENCE.

DEAR FRIEND MARIUS: My correspondence with
the Buglc is not what | would have it, either rs to
quantity or character. But you know at least some
of the reasons. The fatigucs of tn" First Of Aug
ust Celebration in this city by the North of Eng
land Anti-Slavcry League. prevented me from
writing you any description of it. | took good
care, how ever, to forward you full Reports from
the interchangeable Secretary, F. W. Chcsscn, ESD
AMI before this reaches you, extracts from the pro
ceedings will doubtless have appeared in the Buglc.
, The meeting was all land more than all that could
have boon expected. George Thompson acquitted
himself in a manner worthy Of himself, in his best
f estate. Several of the clcrgymen, too, spoke in a
manner, that in our country, would have hazardco
if not cos, their reputation. Slavery has at length
so revealed itself, that to speak of it but in terms Of
unminglcl scorn and hate, is out Of the question,
except within the poisoned atmosphere of its own
whitening, blasting influence.
There is in Great Britain, plenty of anti-slavcry
feeling among all classes. But it is not generally
of that deep, intense character which would result
from q conscientious rather than a commercial view
of the evil to be removed. Many men, even min
listers, usually ao commercial men, think it would
be enough to go to India and grow cotton, rather
than to buy it Of American acknowledgements yet
most of those very persons are decidedly ayersc to
making slayeholding, or even slave.brccdinS and
trading, an offence Of such magnitude as to be cX
cluded from the church. We in America, who
hold that slavery ouGhtto be immc lately abolished,
would hardly be willing 10 wait till India could be
civilized, and furnished with railways, canals,
cotton-gins and presses, ard the crops be raised
| and transported half the circumference Of the
globe, and manufactured and sold, before it could
= be determined whether it would he cheaper than
a slave-grown cotton, and thus an argument be fur
!, nishcd in favor Of emancipation. Neither, prob
!. ably, would our slaves be quite willing TO toll and
G suffer on through the drcary years Of this expert
mcnt, before the question could be determined
y whether they could be employed best, ina CONNER
+ cial view merely, in supplying the mills of the
world with cotton for the benefit of all the world
-ercept Themselves. Altogether too many consil,
~erations hang upon this East India question, even
4 to admit of its being an interesting one to Ameri-
l. can Abolitionists.
And besides, it seems to nc to furnish a quictus
to too many conscienccs, to entertain and grayc'y
|. discuss, year after year, the enquiry whether oul
n way Of producing the article is better than the
other, when one involves the liberties, lives, bodies.
souls and spirits Of millions upon millions Of i'm
:. mortal beings. Slavery is wrong--a foul and
J. damning sin-a crime and curse above all others,
+ and should be abolished, 10 matter whether an
other fibre of cotton were ever spun or grown under
heaven. There is not a manufacturer nor n man
= in the universe, who would consent to be a slave
while such an experiment as the India one can bc
N made. There is not one who should be required OF
! allowed to submit to such a condition. Could it be
- . - 49,. -. Ill., I'LL " -
for nothing, for less than nothing, it would be NJ
argument in support Of slavery. 1t seems to mi
an outrage on the clavc to ask how his labor com
parcs in value with that Of frccmcn. When lie il
n in all tine agonies of the lost in despair; abandoned
Of man, outcast upon humanity, and, so far a
SO his tormentors can do it, by lcgislating him into
I'd brute beast, outcaSt from God; the red hot brand
I'd ing iron broiled deep into his body, and spirit, too
OF without marriage, without education, withoutaspir
NJ alton, without hope, and shall we be considerin;
d. whether cotton can be obtained cheaper by his sui
d. ferings and martyrdom than in some other way
And above all, shall we be debating such
problem, while we are in diplomatic and in churcl
Ia. and Christian fellowship with his prosecutors
or And shall men, rs does the editor of the LondoI
m Enquirer, a Unitarian journal, shall men charge u
81 with doing nothing practical, because We do nc
nd make this the paramount consideration? SLAYER
re- is n sin and crime, irrespective Of profit OF loss
NJ and that fact shonld be well established first
er Whether it be a ~predtaJie sin is no matter, unit
~. we have demonstrated that it is a sin. And it
ng in the church as well as in the cotton mill. 1t wa
is there when cotton mills were not yet built. In III
IN church the terrible monster liycd-nay, had hi
hiding place. There lac deyourcd continually hi
aa daily hccatombs of virgins and young men. ]
NC that crater Labyrin h he turks still. A hundre
thousand human victims are sacrificed on his reel
ing affairs, in every passing year. Half IL
churches in our country do the deed offer I'll
sacrifice. The ether half, to an almost uniyersi
" extent, are in close ecclesiastical, as well as govern
mental fellowship with them. And thus this drea
full havoc of humanity is carried on in the name
Christianity, as well as Of commerce.
md And to cast the monstrous evil out Of the churC
of universal Christcndom. requires no East Ind
~ experiment. Cent per cent profits have not to
oi calculated, The safe result is already demonstrs
re cd, in the great volume Of Political Econom
OF written by Gods own finger, on rs many pages
al there are hearts in all his vast dominion. And /
fore this holiest and most divincly inspired truth
admitted, and acted by the visible church of Anne
ON lea, or even Of Great Britain, it will matter litI
ex- how the cor,nlercial question shall he decide
80 Slavery shall then fall like Babylon in the myst
visions of Patnlos, and its place he found no mo
owe forever. The commercial question may have
1ng consequence. 1t undoubtedly deserves n place
en- IN :.
NV y" "' "" NiPNN
Ella. hut on TIC contrary VIII give 10 II all the "c's
'it~ relative Importance requires, though when y