Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1855-10-20
JUDGE KNOX.

We make no apology to our readers for occupy
ing so large q portion of this weeks Bugie with
the opinion of Judge Knox Of the Supreme Court
Of Pennsylvania, in which he expresses his dis
sent from tho remainder of the bench in their re-
fusal to grant the writ of haSeas corpus for the
release Of PAsemore Williamson from his unjust
and illega! imprisonment by a Federal Judge.
1t is an admirable document, completely scat
tering to the winds the feeble and cowardly pleas
behind which the recreant Quaker, Chief Justice
Lewis and his ignoble coad utors essay to skulk.
1t is especially important that abolitionists
should understand this subject thoroughly, as it is
I eriectly plain that there is a settled determination
in the part Of the Federal Government to reduce
tbs North to complete submission to the demands
Of ''cur southern brethren" All honor to the
noble man who steps forward singly to defend the
cause of justice and liberty, with the moral Ger
tainty that his efforts viii be unappreciated by
the mass Of those in whose cause he is battling.
1t is dificulG to draw tho distinction with ne
curaoy. bat We suppose Pennsylvania is about
the neanest of the free States. There has never
been, perhaps, in the history of the world, q State
founded under more favorable auspices or colo
nized by q population Of higher moral integrity
or purer life than those which characterized the
Quakers who, with William Penn founded that
Commonwealth. And this character for integrity
was preserved undisputed down to the time of
Franklin and Rush who werc successfully Presi.
dents of her Society for the Abolition Of Slavery,
and through whose endeavors, together with those
of other distinguished men Of similar uprightness
of purpose, the act Of emancipation was passed
the first of its kind in the annals of the country.
But the fine gold has become dim. In the stead
of those noble old men there are a Kane and q
Lewis, n Broadlead and q Cameron-the State i.
overrun with hordes of paltry pettifogging politi
clans, whose Ignorance is equal to their impudence
and whose utter destitution of all moral principle
can only find q parallel in the shamelessness witt
which they avow it.
But the worst feature in tn matter is that they
can avow II with impunity; it is their surest pass
port to success while the men Of principle anG
honor arc elbowod aside to mako room for them
in every department of government. But q yeal
or two have elapsed since the State Legislature
elected by the sovereign people" invited the slave
holding Governor and Legislature of Maryland tc
a drunken debauch at Harrisburg the capital of the
State, where they squandered ten thousand dollars
Of the money Of this same sovereign people" in
guzSling and eluttony, while the common schools
lin the greater part Of the State were of 80 low q
Igrsdo tina. their very members of Congress could
not write decent English. No one who has pc.
ruscd that highly literary document, the Oiicial
Report of the Superintendent Of Common Schools
for the year of Onr Lord, one thousand eight hun.
bred and ~ffty-four win be surprised at this declare.
ton; If he suspects US Of cxaggeratiDg the ignor.
fahcc a. Pennsyiyauian Cong,essmcn, we refer him