Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1855-12-08
SENATOR WILSON'S LECTURE BEFORE
THE ROCHESTER, LADIES ANTI.
SLAVERY SOCIETY.

was delivered Nov, 10th, by Hon. Henry Wilson,
OF massachusetts. The audience was not large
Mr.. Wilson ;aid that American Slavery, and our
relations to it, and responsibility connected with
it, made up the greatest issue now before the pco-
pie. Statesmen and phanthropists had endeav-
ored to solve the problem Of its final issue, with
little success. lie proposed to contrast Antsla.
very in 1888, with anti-sayery in lS55--then in
The nGdir Cf its weakness now in the zenith Of its
power-then few men its supporters, now the
most accomplished men in the nation its advocates
then no Statesman accepted its doctrines or ven
thrct to support it, now it has majority in the
popular House OF Congress- and was rapidly chan
ginG the character Of the Senate The Press,
Missionary organizations and the Oldest literary
institution in the country, felt its nower Every
political organization is held in the hollow of lis
hand. 1t has only to grasp the helm with the
consciousness of MASTER and guide the ship to
universal freedom. Then for declaring that i'm
mediate emancipation was the duty OF the master
and the right Of the slnve--thnt, reparation was
the duty of that day, they wer. prescribed and
outlawcd-now the gratitude of thc country will
be their reward, y review Of the rise and prog
ress OF the Slave Power was given to show how
it had effected the suhiugaton Of the country
The Portuguese importation of slaves, followed
by spain in the same inhuman practice, and next
copied hy the virgin Queen of England. who be-
came q smuggler and slave merchant. Our Puri-
tan ancestors Of Massachusetts, imprisoned the
first importers of slaves into that colony and sent
the byndsmcn back to their African homes. En-.
couragcd by British legislation, slaves were ship
ped to this country and the slave traffic controlled
the Legislatures and Judiciary. British merchants
clamored for its extension and protection; and the
shores of Africa were thrown open to the free
competition Of British merchants Georgia forbid
slavery, but the merchants got the British Govern
to sanction il there; as late as l1GO, even South
Carolina sought to restrict Slavery, and was cen
sured by the British Government. In spite Of En-.
ON the Delaware and Potomac, encouraged eman-
cipation. When the first Congress assembled that
assemblage Of i(Iustrious men declared that God
never intended that men should hold property in
others, and have unlimited control over them
Jefferson, IN lIo4, made up plan of gradual
emancipation, but tim!d councils prevailed. The
IIluSInous men who came out OF the Revolution
with the Baptism of Freedom, shrunk to the re-
lcntless spirit Of gain. Freedom com promised
with Slavery in the formation of the Constitution,
and under that slavery has controlled the destinies
Of the Republic In the fifth Congress, only
twelve votes were given to prohibit slavery in the
territory comprising the States Of Alabama and
Mississippi. For thirteen years the Anti, Slavery
Society held annual meetings-it resolved to meet
but once in two years and finally met not at all. In
1919 the spirit was aroused, when the proposition
was made to prohibit slavery in Missouri and re-
iected by the Senate-a body which always as
steadily supported the interests of the privileged
CitNS us Has luC llOuSc OI III
From 1898 to 1900, Slavery had ruled the country,
and Jefferson and Madison had begun to see the
evil effects OF growing power, but shrank from q
conflict which seemed to them to threaten the
Union. The heel of oppression rested with merci-
less power upon the bleeding hearts of the slaves
at the South and their hardly more fortunate breth
rem, tue free people Of color. In Ohio, the latter
were notified to leave that State and commission
was sent to the Governor Of Canada to see if they
could obtain homes under the British flag. Jas.
G. Birney inaugurated movement for immediate
emanci patton and when the flag of the country
shall not float over slave, prosperity will recur
with appreciation to the names of the men who
begun the movement which set free a race of peo-
pie in America.
Only twenty years ago, three hundred farmers
Of Canaan, n. H., in obedience to the vote of the
Council, with 100 yoke of oxen, removed an acad-
envy out OF the town because it admitted few
few colored students lady who admitted some
cOlored pupils to her school in Canterbury, was
branded by popular sentiment and she was obliged
to 90 out Of town to purchase necessares of life
the merchants refusing to sell to her. In Puritan
Connecticut school was broken up for admitting
coore& pupils. The merchants and old politicians
of Boston, at the same time, met to declare their
opposition TO n movement in favor of Freedom.
few women who had assembled to pray for their
sisters at the South, were mobbed by gentlemen
Of Boston, two Of whom were afterwards elected
to the Legislature. The Governor elected at the
same time, in his message said that Abolitonists
might he indicted. The men whoj inaugurated
the Antislayery movement, did not quail, but
looked danger in the eye and bid defiance to pow
CIR.
The conflict of the last few years all are famil-
liar with Under the lead of John Quincy Adams
the anti.savery sentiment wrung from reluctant
Congress the right of petition In the admission
Of Texas, and the entrance Of the territories of
Utah and New Mexico, and the Fugitive slave law,
forced upon the dishonored country, those men
faced the slave power. but in vain. But they
knew the war was not one Of men, but Of ideas
and principles .and that the temporary eXpedients
adopted in 1850 were all deusiye They felt the
tread Of the cohorts of Slavery and the firm step
of the army of Liberty moving to future conflicts
And with the proposition to open the territory of
She West to the flesh jobbers, they knew that the
hour had come. The pulpit rcbuked the iniquity
the press denounced it, and prayers assembled from
thousands of fresides that it might be prevented
1t was carried through against the popular opinion.
Those who did it, went down under the storm oil
Il f-..r