Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1854-12-02
ANTI-SLAVERY BUGLE.
REVELATIONS OF SLAVERY.


Mrs Douglas who was imprisoned at Norfolk
for teaching colored children to read in addressing
her Southern sisters" makes the following rela.
ton of facts regarding the beastly liccntiousness
Of Southern men:
"I now approach a subject vitality connected
with the interests of the South and the welfare Of
humanity. In doing so, | have no rnncor or NAL
ice to serve, but boldly speak my mind, and tell
my southern sisters truth which, however they
may have learned it by sad experience has prob.
ably never been presented them thus hefnre In
this truth is to be found the grand secret of the
opposition to the instruction of the colored race.
1t therefore become important in connection with
my present narrative
In this truth also lies the grand secret Of tho
dsccntcnt and rebellion among the slaves. Know
ing ths,lt is to perceive why such strenuous efforts
arc made to keep the colorcJ population in dark
ness ard ignorance. As it is, nature herself often
>bcls against what instinct teaches even the most
de- raded negro to be inhuman and deyilish And
if to 'us were added the light of intelligence nr.
forded b, even tht cummonest instruction wo 70
-, ',rling 'vsem OF this offspring of the institu-
t;m nf lavery. This puhect demands the atten.
49,; -, nv of re religious population but of
,st,,ssmar ano law nakors 1t is tho one great
ii bnroi,s oyor the southern slave States de-
,.trnyipr r ia pness and the peace Cf thou
ssnds. tits srmiued m in the single word ANAL
.ramaton This, and this onj y, causes the vast cx
tent of igneracc, degradation and crime that
lies like back cloud over the Wholc SOUTH And
ebe practicc is more general than even the south
erners arc wislipG to allow. While even the nor
thern libertines usually revolt from the intimate
society of those in whose veins courses drop of
BLACK blood the southern gentleman takes them
to his very BOSOM and reyelS in their Ancied
charms until safety dsgusts him, when he sells
them Into a a Lover degradation as be would dis
ablcd horse
1t is impossible to dony that this unnatural Gus
tom prevails to Il fearful extent Throughout the
South. The testimony is Of too positive and per
sonal a character to be overcome. Neither is it to
be found only in the lower order Of the white ropu-
laton. 1t prevades the entire society. lis follow
ers are to be found among all ranks, occupations
and professions, The white mothers and da0gh-
ters Of the South have suffered under it Tor years
have seen their dearest affections traulplcd upon
their hopes Of domestic happiness destroyed and
their future lives cmbittcred even to agony, by
those who shoud he all ia all 30 them rs husbands,
sons and brothers, | cannot use too strong Ian
guage in reference to ths sub Get, for know that
it will meet with heartfelt response from every
Southern woman. | would deal .dclicatcly with
them If could, but they know the fact and their
hearts bleed der its knowledge however they
NAV attempt to conceal their discoveries. South
ern wives know that their husl ands come to them
recking with pollution from the arms Of their mis-
tresses. Fathers and seek the same sources of
excitement, and alike crafty their iuhuman pro-
pensities, scarcely bushing when detected and
reckesSly dcfying every command Of God and
every tic of morality and human affection They
have not even the paltrv excuse that ordinary -
libertincs sometimes make that their love is real
though icit-the whole practice is plainly,
quivocay, slamce,sly Leastly. Is thcrcany won
der, then, that people then addicted to these hab
its arc rapidly returning to Il state OF cmibar
barism?
Is it to be supposed that the ordinary teachings
of nature do not tell the sable Sons and daughters
of the South, that this custom is inhuman and un-
gody? Is not chastity Il natural instinct even
among the most savage nations OF the earth :
Will not the natural impulses rebel against what
becomes with them matter Of force? The fe
male slave however fair she may have become, by
the various cOmmngngs of her prugentors, tr
whatever her mental and moral requirements,
knows that she is slave, and as such powerlcss
beneath the whims OF fancics Of her master If
he casts upon her desiring eye, she knows that
she must snbmit. There is no way Of escape, and
her only thought is that the more gracefully she
yields, the stronger and longer hold she may, per-
chance retain upon the brutal appetite Of her mas
;er Still she feels her degradation, and so do
Others with whom she is connected She has PAR
~cnts brothers and sisters, lover perhaps, all of
whom suffer through and with her, and IN whose
hearts spring roots Of bitterness which destined
ito grew into trees whose branches will sooner or
later overshadow the whole land
How important then, for these southern'sutans,
that the objects Of their criminal passions should
be kept in utter ignorance and degradation. They
must net read the Bible, because that teaches them
Of the sin of their masters. They must not read
or write for every mental and moral improvement
only tends to briag out and improve those feelings
and emotions that already repel this gross system
of sensuality and RIGHTEOUSNESS. Were the ne
grocs instructed in their duties to themselves and
to each other their obligations to their masters
and their God, ard were these instructions eXem-
plfed by the consistent lives Of their masters, with
the natural religious tendencies of the negro race,
the South would become the very garden Of the
Lord. Instead of becoming discontented and re-
bellious, the very would be the case
There would be no fear of instructions for there
would he no nducement. But when a man, black
though he be, knows that at any moment, he is
compelled to hand over his wife, his sister, or his
daughter, to tho oathsome embraces Of the man
whose chains he wears, how can it he expected
that he will submit without the feelings of ha-
tired and revenge taking possession of his heart?
/ have no desire to purs this subject further
at present give it as the cause of the discomfort
and rebellion among the Southern slaves, and also
the Of the creation of that disgracefu law
which now stan Is like great black blot on the
code of Virginia. and under whose Just applica-
fiOn have been made to suffer. The subject is
ons that will not be suffered to rest, for know my
Southern sisters well enough to believe that they
will not much longer rest amely under the nAu-
ences of this damning curse. | have told them
plainly of the evR-the remedy is in their own
hands
nIrp JrNTnEr