Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1855-03-10
ANTI-SLAVERY BUGLE.
Prom the Antislavery Standard.
LETTER FROM A. T. F0ss.
LEXINGTON, Lagrange Co., Ind, |
February 9th, 1855.

LEXINGTON, Lagrange Co., Indu
February 9th, 1855.
Epr1oRs or THE STANDARD: Since / wrote you
have, in company Of the Grifhngs, lectured in
the following counties; Wayne, Washtensu, Oak
land, Genesee, Chiwassee and Lenewee in Michi-
gan, and have now made a commencement in La
grange Co., in Indiana. .... .. -
L@ill not troubled you with any detailed ac-
counts of these meetings, but will only ask atten-
ton to the general condition Of the anti-slavery
cause in These places. And first, regret to say,
there is far less apparent interest and excitement
now than when first came into the West. Then
the fall elections were at the door, and the Fusion
lists we're pregnant with ant-slavery life. They
attended our meetings, exerted themselves to get
thcpeople out, cheered our most ultra doctrines,
solicited us to meet an answer the Nebraska
orators which we were forward to do they shouted
at our triumphs over these men, not pausing to
consider that the defeat of their enemies from our
standpoint was equally the overthrow of the
doctrines which they taught and upon which they
acted. Immediately subsequent to the elections
the excitement remained unabated. The slightest
allusion to the discontinue of the old foges was
cheered with open throat. But "a change has
come over the spirit of their dream" Like the
allied army before Sevastopol they have gone into
winter quarters and their batteries are silent
Thus it has ever been with political anti-slavery ::
it votes and them assured Of having done its duty,
it sinks to repose. just before the election,
when we attacked the Indiana Black Laws we
were assured by the political anti-slavery men,
"If we succeed they will, this winter, be repealed"
The same confident tone was kept up after the
election. When we expressed unbelef in such a
result, we were rebuked, and charged with an un-
charitable spirit. Well, the Fusionst have a
large majority in the popular branch of the Indi-
ana Legislature, and the session is drawing near
its close, and yet effective effort has been made
for the repeal of these odious laws, which would
be disgrace to the most savage people on the
GARTH Indeed, l am quite sure that no movement
has been made in that direction at all. / predict
that none will be made. One of the citizens of
Indiana has been fined and Imprisoned for doing
the Christian act of. feeding the hungry, and
giving God speed to the weary traveller, and yet
this dntislarery Legislature are taking no meas
ures to secure the citizens against their
Alas! when will the people learn that, leaning
upon these political parties, they lean upon "a
broken staff which will pierce through their hand.'
There is much of antislavery feeling among the
people of the West, but it is wasted in political
.ction The picture, however, is not oil dark it
has a .'sunny" as we'll as SHADY side" "A
portion of the people listen to our arguments and
our denunciations and confessing their loss of
confidence in all parties and sects whose policy
is to compromise truth with error, and the rights
Of the slave with the despotism of his master.
Indeed, am quite sure that our labors are now
even more effective for good than during the
feverish excitements Immediately connected with
the elections.
Our short visit to Chiwasee Co., in Michigan,
was very satisfactory. The country is new, and
the population as yet, though rapidly increasing,
is sparse. They are freer from the trammels of
parties and sects than any people l have ever
seen, and are ready to hear and embrace the
truth. 1t would be an excellent outlay if an
agent Of the American Anti-Slavery Society could
spend two or three months in that county. There
are few ministers there yet to poison the people
with a pro-slavery religion. One sensible man
remarked that the rats, the crows and the minis.
ters never made their appearance in a new country
It'll the hardy pioneer had provided something for
them to eat.
Many of the churches here much freer from
sectarianism, and more imbued with the love of
humanity than in the East will give q single
instance as illustrative of this fact. Recently, in
a town where was lecturing, I spent nearly the
whole of one lecture in examining the relations of
the Methodist Episcopal Church to the Slave Pow
er. At the close, was rebuked, by prominent
member of the Baptist church, because had
passed over their delinquences so lightly. ], of
course, accepted the rebuke, and promised him
that, in future lecture, would endeavor to do
the Baptists exact justice. With this he was
well satisfied. Much the largest number, however
Of the churches here as in the East are welded to
their idols fH .' q. at
From every experience which / have had in the
West cannot doubt that the motto of the Ame'
rican Anti-Slarery Society, "No Union with Slave,
holders" is commencing itself to the judgements
and consciences of this Western people, and is
being by them accepted, as at once the dictate Of
truth, and consequently of awse and sound policy.
For God and Humanity,
AT. FoSS.