Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1855-03-17
ANTI-StAVERY BUGLE.
aERR1T SMITH TO WENDELL PHILLIPS.
Wendeu Philips, BOSTON, ,. ,........ ......
Mr PErERBouo, February Doth, 1856

Mr. DEAR FRfFNDi 1 have just been reading
again portion of your Speech, delivered in New
York. 9Th last month.
do not suppose, that you regard republican in.
stitutions as less efficient than monarchia insttu-
tons to educate men and women to the highest
points of moral lifc." Nevertheless, from the
necton, In which you use these words, you arc ex-
posed TO thi, inference. You praise England for
having with her "afistoeratte institutions" abol
ished her slavery; and ydaf False the question
whether, under Republican. government" the
noble education, Of which you speak, can be at
taincd; and SO America be enabled to abolish her
slavery She may not be enabled to abolish it.
But it does not follow that the moral excellence of
her reformers falls below that of English reform
ers. 1t was little for England to abolish slavery
exterior to herself, compared with what it would
have been to abolish slavery nwoven with all
her interests. and pouring corruption through her
whole political, and moral, and social being. Eng
land was not debauched and ruled by her slavery /:
but American slavery has left scarcely one
sound spot of American character; and it is, con-
fessedly, the ruler of America
After the further vndcation of American abo-
litionists as the equals of British abolitonists in
their integrity and devotion Mr.. S. proceeds
have attributed to their low and false educa-
tion the failure of American abotionists to accom-
plish their work. Pardon me for improving this
occasion to inquire into the cause of this low and
false education. cannot doubt, that the popular
religion is mainly responsibility for it. This re-
ligion is so defectve-not to say, so spurious-as
to be incapable Of fashoning the right men for our
high and holy work. This religion dwarfs and
dcforms men, instead of bringing out, as true re-
lgion is alone capable of doing, their fullest and
noblcst proportions The mere fact, that it is a
sectarian religion, is sufficient to condemn it. The
religion, which encourages, or so much suffers,
its disciple to escape fiom the sef-accountability
and stern duties, and undischarged obligations of
1pft IIcn, fha NIL,
personal Responsibilities of party, is of little
worth, notwithstanding it is SO well nigh unver-
sal Christi unity requires her disciple to stand
upon his own feet, instead of leaning on others
in his own strength, instead of the strength Of
others ; and she'will not permit him to supply with
the sympathy and buttresses of party his lack
of self-reliance, nor to plead the merit of his
party, in default of his personal merit. y y
have spoken of christians, who are scctarans
Let it not b, in'errel. that | regard all secta
tarians christians. Of most sectarians it may
be safely affirmed that nothing at all will remain
of their religion, after you shall have withdraw
from it all the interest and ambition, and zeal ant
strifs of sect. = 4 80 1-
1t is often said that abolitionists ruin the anti
slavery cause by running into political parties
They do. Over and over again, have they done so
Over and over again, have they suffered the at
fractions of the Wing and democratic parties t.
overcome their sense of duty to the slave. Ovel
and over again, have they been seduced by th,
prospect of personal advantage to go with these
parties Over and over again, have they allowed
themselves to be bewitched and befooed into thu
belief that these parties, (which, if only from be
ing national parties, are necessarily pro-slavery
will work for the slave and deliver him. " cl
has party been defined 20 be "the madness o
many for the gain of the few" Truly is it th
curse of the world, notwithstanding our grea
men, both in Church and State teach, that it i
essential to the salvation of the world, and tina
tits, especially, the life of a republic. In thC
midst of teachings so perncious, it cannot be cas-
to persuade the party man man how mnch super
oris the individual man and how much noble
IT is to stand collected, calm, and strong in one
self, and to live selfposed independent life
than to exchange his individuality for the poo
patry-frcnzied, and party-controlled, and party
stnted being which party doles out to him i
return. .... ...... ... ......... ..
Wem not, however, be surprised, that thi
addiction to party is so strong and common anon
abolitionists If christians set the bad example
indulging partisan spirit, it is not strange thG
aboltionists follow it. If christian must ban
himself with the Presbyterian, or Methodist,
Baptist party, why may not an abotionst ident
fly himself with the Democ, attic, or Whig, or Free
soil partyf If christian may sink himself
the current of party action, land this is both tn
theory and prctice of party y-mernbership,l VIII
may not an abolitiohist do likewise?
You and lament, that 30 large share of tn
abolitionists have scampered of into the "kno
nothing party..' Well may we lament, that the
were educated to no higher point than to be guilt
of such folly. But what worse have they don
than our poor party-crazy christians do? adm
that this party is the most bigoted and intolerar
of all our political parties. But deny, that it
more culpable, in this respect, than the christia
sects.
Mr.. Smith justi6es this conclusion by compa
ison of the partisan character of the Know-Not
ings and the Christian sects, and adds:
Although have condemned party in the pop
lar sense,of party, do not condemn every ass
citation, that is called party The association
called the Garrison party" do not understar
to be obnoxious to my complaints of party, Tn
it is not an association of persons, who are read
to merge the man in the mass, and to yield up Ii
individualism TO the direction of party. They a
not seeking, each, his own advantage, by enlstil
the influence and power of numbers in behalf
personal interests and by Disgusting self purpos
with professions of public service. 1t is not
association, in which men sell themselves away,
exchange for the poor privilege Of becoming mel
pers of party, and servants of party It's,
the contrary, an association of persons, who pi
fer to remain themselves and who, therefore,
fuse to become the membetsand servants of part
I'm word, such an association is no-party.
add, that, for the like reasons, the little handf
of persons, under the name of "Liberty party
may, also be called a no-party party 1t is tt
that mere partisans may come among us, and we
our names. But they are only among us. Th
are not Of US. ..,....,- =,
e I admitted, that we have not the class of m
adequate to our peculiarly difficult ant-slave
work: and held the current religion mainly
spensble for the lack. / ventured the opinic
that its being sectarian religionis enough to j.
tify its condemnation. But there are many otl
respects, in which it is worthy of condemnatiC
How wickediy false is its low estimate Of ma
Rich man, Intellectual man, learned man, off
shoasred man, il is ever ready to fatter and ado
But mere man it refuses to hold in honor:
Affects to believe the bible. But that blessed be
whist making no account OF the distinctions, nc
ever spleadid, which fall off at the grave, stan
an infinite value on naked humanity. How i
for those proicsscd christians, who withhold
bible and marriage, and parental rights from n
lions, and who buy and sell these millions even