Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1855-04-14

arc held in degrading bondage--bought aud sold
like brutss in the market.
That the people of the free States will tolerate
secret society based upon such principles, | GER
tainly have neither expectations nor fears; and
the attempts they are putting forth to excite preju
dces against foreigners who, driven from their
tive land by oppression, come here with an undy
ing hatred to Slavery must fail. How much
sooner would our people elect foreigner who, be-
ing naturazcd under our present laws, is hon
eSty devoted to liberty, than they would native
citizen who attempts to silence the voice of free
dom among its vutares!
do not say that the llw respecting church prop
ertv may not be improved, or that foreign crimi.
mails ought not to be excluded from our shores; or
that we may not greatly amend our laws in other
respects concerning foreigners. But do say. that
in amending those laws, | would act as much for
the benefit of those foreigners who reside among
us, us would for that ot our native-born populn-
ton; | regard the foreigner a man and brOtd-
en-, and would do by him as | would desire him to
do by me under like circumstances.
| would not exclude the naturuli1ed foreigner
from office | would leave the people, under the
constitution, to elect whoever they may regard as
the best qualified. | would 1T the questions of ca
pability fidelity to the constitution, and love of
free institutions determine the election instead OF
birth. Indeed, there are few foreigners whom |
would be less willing to trust in Office than those
who are active in their efforts to arouse the pop
they themselves remain perfectly quiet and see
our free natye-born Americans, from Ohio and
other free States, seized and sold into intermina.
bic Slavery aye, they not only remain quiet un-
der such insults but insist that the people shall
not discuss the mpropriety Of such crimes.
So too, in regard to the prGjudces attempted to
be called into exercise against Catholics | would
thousand times rather vote for an honest lover OF
liberty, though a Catholic, than for one of the
many Protestant Doctors Of Divinity, who have so
long denied our obligations to Gods higher law, -
and endeavOr to reconcile us to the infamous tu-
gtiye slave enactment. The time has arrived
when men should be Judged by their actigHs, by
their moral and political conduct rather than by
prejudices attached TO u name or sect. Persccu-
ton never did, ard never will reform mankind.
Selfish intolerance may find hIhitltiUn in the
hearts Of men who vould WELD the power Of tyr
amy over their lellow-mer who are the apoog;st>
of Slavery, who would protect that institution from
examination and shield it from discussion: but il
is opposed to that Phanthropy that Patriotism
that Christianity, on which the hopes and cxpecta
tions of the American people are based. The lat
tude and longitude of BIRTH or the shade of com
pcxion, may have constituted the criterion by
which men in the darker ages of the world based
their estimate of7noral and political worth but
the people of the United States in this middle o
the Nineteenth century, are far more disposed Il
look at the intelligence, the moral principles tho
sound Judgment, the philanthropy, the patriotism
the MAN, in all his moral and political character
the rnle by which to estimate the degree Of con
fdence to which he is entitled.
Very respectfully,
J. Il. GIDDINGS