Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1855-11-10
SLAVERY IN A FREE STATE.
ECCLESIASTICAL AND Political srRvILIrY.
ANOTHER GREAT OUTRAGE.


70 the Editor Of tie " Y. Tribune.
SIR: / have no ambition to obtrude my personal
history on the attention of your readers, but as
my name has already, without any desire on my
part been placed before the public, avail myse!
by advice Of my iriends-oG my br.cI sWouin
in Your city to offer you such statement OF facts
may place me in right position before the pub
lie; and hope the narrative may serve to illus
trate the bearings of Slavery upon the personal
curity Of the citizens of free state, and upon
the civil and rel yious liberties of the American
people.
am native Of Kentucky and was educated
there, but to the honor oi my parents, who were
not Shareholders my education was such as to in
cline me against Slavery. About twenty years
since became a minister in the "Cumberland
Presbyterian church." This ecclesiastical body Is
located ut the Southwest, and its members have
been, from the beginning, with few exceptions, de-
cidedly in favor Of Slavery. Their General assem-
Oly refuse to legislate on the subject on the plea
that, rs u spiritual body they have no coguizance
of civil matters Daring the six years Of my min
iserial labors in Kentucky was known to be
unlrcndly to Slavery though iayUring the scheme
Of Colonization Sometimes | preached on the
subject, which made me an object of suspicion,and
subjected me to some obloquy but met with no
serious moderation. Yet my removal from my ma
tive State was owing to my aversion to the prac-
tice Of slavehodng During my fourteen years
ministry i'll Princeton, ludana,l used my liberty to
preach more freely against Slavery than had
done previously. encountered no serious oppo-
sition from my brethren, until tho rise Of the cx-
citement growing out of the Nebraska question.
Then they began to cry out that it was po-
ltical question, which ought not to come into the
pulpit 1t was not until after this tine that the
events took place which have involved me in
trouble.
In May, 1854 Thomas Brown Of Henderson,
Kentucky was arrcs,cd and imprisoned on suspi-
cion Of aiding two female slaves with their chill
dren, to escape from Union county, Ky, into Can
ada. An indignation meeting was then held,
and n committe appointed to notify his wife, with
her two little daughters, to leave the State within
few days, which were specified, or abide the con-
sequences. She accordingly removed with her
children to Indiana, and came to Princeton, the
place Of my residence. She was then stanGer
| to me, but Of course befriended her. A know
ledge Of this fact was conveyed to Union county,
where had formerly resided and where Brown
was imprisoned. This as | soon learned occa-
stoned a suspicion that was somehow connected
! with the escape of the slaves.
I The arrest of Brown though OF course it had
taken place in Kentucky, had been effected by q
Mr.. Gayit 4 sheriff Of Indiana, without any legal
authority to do so. TO this person the following
note was now addressed.
"lIENDERsoN, June G, 1854.
"Mn. GAv1r: The citizens here have raised for
you and those who assisted you one hundred dol
lars, for the apprehension and lodging in the Union
county iail Brown, charged with stealing negroes.
The citizens here and in NIorgauGeld authorized
Mr.. Harris to say to you that for the apprehen-
sion and sending to the penientiary Of Brown, who
is thus charged, they would see that five hundred
dollars would be paid. Should you produce against
Brown such testimony as will convict him Of
stealing slaves from this side of the river you may
relv on getting this sum from the citi2ens-say
five hund ed dollars, less the one hundred dollars
now incloscd to you. Please acknowledge the
one hundred dollars iuclosed.
Yours respectfully,
"ARCI DIXON.
a. J. ANDERSON
This Arch Dixon, was formerly Governor q
Kentucky and was alterwarl the successor 0l
Henry Clay in the Senate of the United States.
This reward for testimony being offered, Mr..
Glyit's associate, John Ward, Marshall Of Evans
VILE Indiana succeeded in securing witness,
one James Steel, who went to Kentucky and give
the only testimony upon which Brown was con
yicted though his testimony in reality, amounted
/ to nothing aud therefore was never published.
;. At the request Of Mrs. Brown, previous 70 bis
\ (S.cels) going to Kentucky on this business, |
waited on him and endeavUred TO dissuade him
p. rrcm going. This was another ground Of suspicion
against me.
4 Another circumstance was the following; Some
time in the ensuing autumn CSj4) citizen OF
Evansville Ind, Eli Bryant, native OF kentucky
being in Henderson, KY, was arrested, and with
out even the formality Of an affidavit, was thrown
into prison, and detained there for more than a
half year, without right or justice merely ON
suspicion, and then discharged without trial. on
his signing bond, under penalty Of two thousand
dollars, never during life, to come into the State
again. where his relatives reside Nhne IN con
fnement lie wrote a letter to his wife, in which he
advised her to consult with me, IN respect to OBJ
tanning assistance for the family, us they were
poor. This letter was intercepted, broken open
and copied, ana furnished the final ground Of pro-
ceedinrs against me. A reward of one thousand
dollars was thereupOn Immediately offered, IN prl-
vate, to anv person who would either decoy me in
to Kentucky or take me there by force.
! A little before .his time the Indiana presbytery
of the Cumberland Presbyterian church, to which
| belonged while in session at Washington, Davies
county Indiana, resolved, "That 1t is not exped.
ent to discuss the subject OF American Slavery
from the pulpit" The resolution was passed by
a vote Of seventeen to three. This was immedI-
ately after had preached a sermon against sla-
very before the presbytery. Paying no regard t.
this action ! proceeded to preach atterward as
T had formerly done.
The presbytery met again at Mount Moriah,
Gibson county, last April resolution was in'
troduced by one of the members and seconded by
myself as follows:
Whereas 1t is the duty Of every Christian and
ecclesiastical body, such, to bear their testlmo
ny against all evil; and whereas, American slavery
, is q great moral evil:
. Resolved, Therefore, that it is the sense of this
presbytery that American Slavery is great NOR
al evil contrary to the spirit Of the Gospel OF ouI
Lord jesus Christ.
This resolution with the preamble was rejected
by the presbytery in the adoption of substitute
indorsng the views of the General assembly and
f dissuadng from the agitation of the subject a,
"lraught with fearful consequences, and which II
persisted in, may result in seveiing the body
= Jesus Christi
Peadilg this action a charge was preferred
i, against me by the Rev. j. u. Cowan, formerly 0
/, TAxns Er Nnnchristian eUn luet.|