Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1855-10-06


The attempt to limit a tyranny, proves that 1t
cannot he limited, and that tic only way TO PIE
vent it from doing mischief, is to destroy'it. Il0nee
men who begin as moderate or partial reiormers,
gradually become Wholesale and radical REFORM
ers. Ii was so in France and America in the last
century it was SO in England in the century pre-
ceding it is so in England now. 1t is always
so. Men never begin with wholesale, radical and
organic reforms. They begin with partial and
superficial reforms, and proceed to rad cal and
wholesale ones by degrees. The temperance re-
formers began with an attempt to cure drunken
ness by limiting. the use of Intoxicating drinks,
and when they found that to be impracticable, they
sought to abolish the use of them altogether. Tho
friends of Woman first demonstrated against the
injustice and cruelty Of mems legislation, with
regard to Woman, ard then demanded the right
to legislatc themselves. Your American ~fOrefat!s'
ers began by protesting against cortoin acts of the
British Government, and demanding representa-
ton in the British Legislature but ended 81
throwing off the British yoke, and proclaiming
themselves independent. The conservatives Of
Europe themselves know, that partial reforms thus
tend to general ones, that administrative reforms
tend to organic ones, and that checks and tyranny
lead to its anniAitation. Hence they invariably
resist partial reforms. Their motto is, "O6sta
Principles" resist the beginnings of reform. It is
with reformers, as it is with money hunters, tho
more they get, the mole eager they are to have
more. The desire for reform, like the desire for
money, or the desire for knowledge, grows with
what it feeds on. SO that if political abolitionists
were not abolitionists,-if instead of aiming at
the humiliation of Slavery they aimed only at
limiting ii, they ought to be encouraged. We
ought to expect great good from their efforts. But
many political abolitionists are abolitionists. They
aim, not merely to check, but to destroy Slavery.
They seek to limit and check it with q rieo to its
destruction. To imagine that such men are the
greatest obstacles to the Anti-Slavery cause,
to dread the success of such men in their
efforts to repeal the Fugitive Slave law and the
Nebraska Bill, &C., rs the death blow of the
Anti-Slavery agitation--to talk of such men as
the slaves worst en- emies, is folly bordering on
madness, is fanaticism so wild and outrageous, that
l cannot distinguish it from insanity. And to see
a man with the zeal and energy of Mr.. Foster
exorting his whole strength, and spending his
whole time in furiously dcnouncing and opposing
such men, is really melancholy. I will not retail
ate by denouncing Mr.. Foster as the slaves worst
enemy, because l believe him in heart, to be the
slaves true friend but l will say this, that il I
were a slave, anxiously longing for freedom, I
should pray 'save me from such friends" 1t is
impossible Mr.. Foster should think my labors moro
mischevious than l think his. There is one COM
fort however ne is rapidly destroying his influence;
and driving the few sensible people that have here.
tofore placed confidence in him, into wiser councils
and more hopeful measures. And glad shall l be, if
the isolation and loneliness into which he is work
ing himself, should bring him to reflection, and
lead him to employ his powers in battling with the
friends of Slavery, instead of warning with the
friends of the slave. But l will not repeat the re-
marks | made in my speech. l have not time.
Your readers may see the drift of them from what
l have already said. l will, however, repeat that
if all Rho desire the abolition of Slavery could
better appreciate each others efforts, and instead
f of turning their farces against each other, turn
them all one way, against the power of the slave
holders, it would be much better. 1t grieves me
to my heart to be forced into contr oversy with q
friend Of freedom, however much | may think him
mistaken but when one has been goaded for years
by charges of f~alsehood, perjury, man-stealing,
murder and all kinds Of villainy, and been assail-
ed with the fcrcest denunciations of a bigotry and
a fanaticism, growing daily more insolent and out
rageous because allowed to go so long without re-
buke, what can one do? No one, however, who
knows me, will conclude, that because | have at last
$ taken upon myself to oppose the extravagances Of
b a man who in times past has rendered the ~anti-sla-
t very cause good service, l am therefore opposed
t to that cause. 1t is because | consider that cause
e Of incalculable Importance it is because l be-
licve its success and triumph to be essential to the
c safety and welfare Of this great country, and tt
e the progress and happiness Of humanity at large
that l have allowed myself to be drawn into this
d controversy. And it is because l think the con
troversy important, that l wish It to be fairly rep
y resented. That Slavery is the greatest of all ca
lamities, that slaveholding and kidnapping are
e the greatest crimes,-that American Slavery mus
@ be utterly and forever abolished if this great Re
e public, is to remain and prosper-that to proven
the encroachments of the slave power withou
entirely annihilating Slavery, is impossible, anC
that it is the best as we'll as the most creditabl,
e policy not only to aim at its abolition, but Il
aroO our aims, are settled points with me. Blu
that | am bound to stand by in silence, while
and all who think that we may innocently and use
fully employ political action against Slavery, o
that all who think it best and wisest to seek t
Jake inc strohg hoiu oi slavery py assaiilng mrs
its o%utworks, are chargeable with all the guilt o
slaveholding, and answerab!e FOR all the horror
of Slavery, and that | myself I'M the worst AM
%guiltiest of all the foes of freedom, l do no
believe. And though it seems that l must los
some of my old abolition friends, while my princi
pies and the accident Of birth render it impossibl
that l should either seek, or if | could seek shoul
ever find the favor of any other party. l do nc
he regret the course | have pursued. So far iron
es believing that Joshua r. Giddings, John p. Hale
e Lysander Spooner, Salmon p. Chase. b.. F. Wade
IA III. Wilson, Theodore Parker, f. L. Rose, Charlie