Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1854-01-07
q br Anti-6laprrp Bnelr.
salem, ohio, January =, IsSa.
SOMETHING TO BE DONE.


slavery men should heed it and remove the re-
proach that with clean hands and pure hearts,
they may push on the work Of emancipation.
We are not now thinking of the stereotyped
taunts ABOUT factory girls starving sewing women,
and Five Points degradation, poverty and crime,
But Of those which have reference to the legisla-
tive treatment of the colored population among us.
Continually does the South say to the North, your
colored treemen are no better off than our colored
sldres You Cypress and wrong and rob the former
by your laws and public sentiment. What do we
more? There is truth in the charge thus stated ;
and truth which it should be the first and most
earnest effort of every abolitonist to remove. II
our coored population are not as vicious, degraded
and Ignorant as pro slavery represents them, II is
not that public sentiment and law does not strive
thus to degrade them. Tho great work Of aboli-
tionists in Ohio, Illinois, Indiana and Michigan,
this winter, should be directed to the annulmcnt of
these laws in our respective States, and to the re-
moyal Of all constitutional disabilities Illinois is
as really slayeholding in fact MS Tennessee. The
cSpatratng law Of Indiana, is alike Internal in
its spirit while Ohio and Michigan prohibit the
elective franchise, and are obnoxious to similar
charges in other particulars.
Now the most direct and positive anti.slavery
work, in which abolitonists can engage this win
ter, is to seek the removal Of these disabilities in
their respective States. They can be removed il
aboitionists will make their removal point to be
sought aud attained. Such an effort, successfully
made, will tell more directly upon chattelism in
the south, than any other labor we can perform.
The South tampers with our Governors and lcgs-
lators and judges and people. And it effects its
object. IL gets our officials to speak for slavery,
by law, judicial decisions, and public sentiment
While the nominally Free States thus legslate and
act, Shareholders feel secure in their oppression
Lot the anti-slavery people act, and they will Sc
cure different decision in the states, and slavery
will then begin to despair.
1t will be the most direct and efficient means Of
influencing national legislation. 1t will be the
most Efficient way of repeating the fugitive slave
law at home for this is an individual work. and
every body must repeal it for himself and then it
will be easy to get it "expunged' from the con-
gressiona statute book. 1t will give force to every
moral effort we make against slavery. 1t will
prove us sincere, in that we ask only that justice
of others which we willing to grant ourselves.
1t will prove in earnest in that we seize hold of
the work that comes first to hand-the work which
lies at our own DOORS and push it on with energy
and spirit. 1t will prove ,oise for none but the
demented would ever dream that the North could
abolish slavery at the South whilo hugging some
Of the vilest excressences Of the system to its
own bosom.
IN Tao q. -
time be lost in agtating it, and the people through
it. Let these delightful winter days and nights be
used for this purpose. Let our agents present the
facts and comment upon them. Let every free
paper in the state do the same. Let neighborhoods
assemble, circulate and sign petitions-discuss the
subject and agitate in every form, and we may
emancipate Ohio, Michigan, Indiana and Illinois,
and other similarly situated states can do the same.
Anti-Slayery men and women of every phase and
every school can unite in this and if they thus
unite, and thus labor, they may and will succeed.
Another object that should be sought by the most
unremittng agitation, is the protection of our cit-
zcns from the fangs Of the kidnapping law. Re-
gard for the liberties of those endangered as well
as just self respect, requires us to do this
Under the operation Of this law, and the decisions
of servc judges, National and State, (witness the
late decisions in Cincinnat) Ohio is but tho vassal
of tho slave power-her soil is all conquered terri
tory, and her citizens are but saye-hounds, to be
fined and imprisoned if they dare in act, say they
are men. Kidnappers may seize whom they can
transport them in chains all over our state e-im-
prison them in hotels, and shut them up in our
county jals, and Judge Mclean and his worthy
coadutors, Finn and Spooner, say il is laic, and
must continue. Now il there be such a thing as
state sovereignty-if Ohio really owes any obga-
tons of protection to her citzcns-or if our state
reputation is thing ever to be thought Of OF
sought for, why let us have laws that shall protect
our own citizens, and bid defiance TO the usurpa.
tons of the slaye-holding oligarchy. If not, why
let them abolish the discrimination Of Cur consti
tution and permit citizens Of Ohio as well as oi
Kentucky and Carolina, to hold slaves on our soil
1t is hard bargain, that Ohio men and women
should be compelled to catch and hold slaves on
their own farms and in their own houses and do il
all for pure lore Of uhion with the scoundrel kid
nappers and when they have done this job fol
their neghbors, why then turn to their own drudg
cry at home. Let Ohio slave catchers have equa
chance with those from Kentucky and Mississippi
Friends, there is something to be done. Don't le
US waste breath in prating about Free Soil or Fre
Democracy, while every inch of our State, with
out exception, is slave catching soil, and oyery
Free Democrat is by Congressional enactment anC
judicial decision, u catchpolc for kidnappers.-
Again we say, there is something to be done. VI
one and all, and at IT,
Here is a form of petition in regard to the las
mentioned topic, which is recommended by th
State Central Committee Of the Free Democracy.
MEMORIAL TO TIE GENERAL ASSEMBLY
OF THE STATE OF OHIO.
The undersigned, citizens of here insert tn
name Of the County, City or Town respectful,
ask that you will maintain the dignity and indie
pendence of the State, by the enactment Of suit
able and efficient laws TO prevent kidnapping, ant
to secure the personal liberty Of all persons within
the territorial limits Of the State, against seizur
and restraint without due process OF law.