Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1854-07-08

that are as generously and wisely laboring for the
oppressed in Europe, as you are for the oppressed
in America. They would be as much ashamed to
be found in company with a republican, or IN OPP
poDent Of tho State priesthood, or an advocate of
tetotalism, as orville Dewey or DR.. Cox would to
be seen assisting in a meeting of American aboli-
tiUnists.
The clergy and churches of England did never
set themselves earnestly against slavery in the
West Indies, till the Shareholders there began to
prosecute their missionaries. So long as the Eng
fish missionaries were allowed to preach to the
slaves, and form them into churches, and save their
souls, they allowed the Shareholders to 60 on in
their calling without disturbance. 1t was when
the Shareholders imprudently i~nterfered with the
missionaries, that the missionaries began to preach
against slaveholding, and the churches and priest.
hood to petition for its abolition. 1t was then, as
now, every thing must give way to the Church the
Church must giving way to nothing.
If your slaveholding churches and priests in
America were to begin to denounco the English
churches and priests as heretics and infdels; the
English churches and priests would at once raise
the cry of kidnapper, man-stealer, woman-whipper,
slave-breeder against your American churches and
clergy. But so long as they can agree on religious
matters, and aid each other in church affairs, there
is little ground to expect they will denounce each
others crimes and villNnios.
Besides, the clergy and religious people here are
as much mixed up with the drinking system, and
with all the denominations of the high and middle
ranks, rs the priests and professors of America
are with the denominations of slavery. There are
thousands upon thousands Of leading Christians in
Great Britain and Ireland, and not a few ministers
of the Gospel, who make and sell intoxicating
drinks, let their buildings for brothels or gambling
houses, deck out prostitutes, and receive payment
from them, from the rewards of their i~niuuity, at
the rate of a shilling, a crown, or a pound a week.
| have known class-leaders hire houses, furnish
them, put in prostitutes, clothe them, and set them
up in business and then live and support the church
on the receipts. All do not commit themselves so
far; but there are few who do not commit them
selves to every popular or prevalent iniquity.
You cannot, therefore, calculate on the aid of
such people, in your war against American slavery,
except SO far as the war is popular. And even
then they will not help such as you, when they find
that your cdy of warning is unpopular. l am not
about to try to cast up the amount Of criminality
Nh"i SS"DAO III Nus pOopiob uH L uUOuI W SNt
them any of my hard names. l content myself
with saying how things stand with them, and what
aid you.are likely to get from them.
The abolitionists who used to be readers and
hearers of mine, are mostly what are called hereto,
and infdels. Their theology is science, and theil
religion obedience to natural law. The churche,
and priesthoods will not work with them. ThC
ladies' sewing circles will not admit them. /
they work, they are obliged to work for the slat,
alone. They do work alone. They have sewing
circles of their own. Some of them publish OF
anti-slavery periodical. Others raise contribution
for your Boston Bazaar. But in some places the,
are too few and poor to organize for your help.
Then, again, your friends, when they have Wis
tied England, have seldom or never got into thei
! company. The richand orthodox have monopolizet
} your delegates, and kept the poorer and more re
formatory abolitionists at a distance. They have
2 in consequence, been discouraged. They are YER
modest at all times and when spurned, they with
u draw altogether. / am not blaming your delegates
l They could not do otherwise, as they were placed
: Yet these poorer and more radical reformers are
' in truth, the most to be relied on for labors an
: sacrifices in the cause of freedom.
l But the religious and priestlt abolitionists ar
doing good. They are SO situated that they al
9 obliged to do something against American SLAYER,
= And l rejoice in wha. they do. And the more the
II do, the more they will be led to do. If they shout
Il so offend their American slaveholding brethren an
" sisters in Jesus as to cause a dissolution of par
= nership, they will do much more.
i But 1 must close. My wife and I are vel
. Success to you in all your labors.
Yours, very affectionately,
- JOSEPH BARKER.