Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1855-06-02

time let us not misunderstood each other, nor
take rs au ofcnse, what was not intended to be
offensive.
But enough of tina. matter. / wish, now, to
answers some questions that you have propoundod
to me. You ask, "what would Messrs. Goodcll
and Douglass think of the practicability or wis
dom of a union with persistent horse thieves to
abolish horse stealing? What of the union of the
pure with the p~urposoly persistent lcchcr to abolish
licentiousnessH The very statement marks its
glaring absurdity. Is there any less a~bsurdity in
the proposed unions of abolitionists with deter
mined Shareholders"
Mr.. Douglas can answer these questions for
himself. Ny answer is very readily at your SER
vice, though it may, at first sight, astonish or even
shock you.
I rosld have "a union with persistent horse
thieves to abolish horse stealing"-and of the
''pure with the purposely persistent lecher to
abolish licentiousness"-of temperance men with
rum-sellers and drunkards to abolish rum-selling,
and of ''abolitionists with determined slavehold-
ers" to abolish slaveholding.
Let me illustrate. We have now, in the State
of New York, the prohibitory liquor law. 1t was
formed by "the people of the State of New York;
thpeclul1 ny tuo tenlVcIhnCe mtHs IL w lOim-
ed and must be executed in virtue of just such q
political union with drunkards and rum-sellcrs as
; the citizens of this State hold also with lechers and
horsc-stealers. Just such a political union as
"Ue the people Of tie United States" formed or per.
fectcd with the Shareholders of twelve out of thir.
teen States when the Federal Constitution was
adopted.
Now l would have this law enforced by the
q people Of the State of New York, even if the rum
sellers of a portion Of the State New York City
should demur. or even if a majority of the City
u should demur, | would not dissolve the Union
between the City and county of New York anC
the other counties of the State, to get rid of thu
a rum-sellers, or rather, to get rid of a political con
n nexion with them. Asa resident of the City,
,. would protest against any proposal, on the part o.
the Simon pure ter perance men OF the inland coun
ties to do so.
Just so Of persistent horse thieves If a ma
" jority of the people of Niagara county should turn
n horse thieves and should drive n brisk bushes.
by stealing horses in all the neighboring or distan'
o counties, and running them off to a market il
Canada, | would not advocate q dissolution O
| the Union between the rest of tho State and tn,
= county of Niagara on the ground that it would b.
G "a glaring absurdity" to keep up a union will
! persistent horse thieves"-nor because honest,
and horse stealing "are NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. be
cause. an union is an impracticability."
No Sir! | would do nothing of the kind, | woul
avail myself of my political union with rum sci
lers to put down rum selling-of my politica
union with horse thieves to abolish horse stealing
and Of my political union with Shareholders t
b abolish slaveholding. That is the very object 70
7 which all legitimate political Union-all Just civi
Governments are formed. 1t is to protect Society
: to secure human rights. to suppress crime, to ''cxc
cute justice" to secure the blessings of liberty,
to protect all our natural rights, and take non
of them from u.s." The very nature and obiec
q of the union is such as to include all manner @
criminals within the union of course-otherwis
- the Government, the Society that frames and ad
>, ministers Government, would have nothing to d
. with them, would have no authority or jurisdiC
ton over them. A civil Government, without
political union with its law breaking citizen
would be an absurdity of course. And, in a re
public, n "dissOlution Of the Union' between tn
friends of human protection and the depredator
upon humanity, would be u disbanding of the Go,
eminent!
Yes Sir. The principle involved in your questio
IN involves all this, ofnecessity. do not understan
III me as ~chraging upon you the intention of compass
H. ing such Il RESULT But if there is to be no poltict
1t union between honest men and thieves, between pun
lr men and lechers, between temperance men and rul
sellers, between the friends of liberty and slavehol
err ers, then there is to BE an end of civil government
at of course. 1oursmethod of argument is as stror
at in favor of disbanding the State Governments,
is it is for disolving the union between the State
at You make it "a sacrifice of principle" to be in
at political union with law-breakers, with "murde
at ers and man stealers" for whom 'the law
made"
H. This is substantially, true, whether under a r
c. publican or some other form of overnment thong
at it is most clearly seen in a republic where IL
he principle is recognized that the entire communit
ag "the people" or at least a large portion of them
and that, too, without distinction Of character
Sc constitute or WELD the Government.
Id 1t is substantially true, whether we consid
e civil Government an ordinance of God, q necessit
no of human condition, a want of human nature,
es a mere compact Of the people. The protection
h. 'hd'riduals, is the leading idea, common to a
these theories. And this protection involves
III political connection of some sort, between I'll
70 criminal and the administrator {. justice. Mutu
nj protection, mutual insurance, especially in repu
he lies, is the bond of organization. If you insi
that it is merely a compact, the compact is til,
.bt Each man consents and agrees that the commur
bs ty shall punish him if he commits criminal o
he gressions. The community promises him prote
nd ton in return.
,h State and National Governments are both fou
We ded on the same basis. There cannot be a &c
i'll eminent on any other. And the Federal Cons
We, tuition 1--WE the people of the United States" ha
lily declared and enacted its object to be to ''establi
to justice" to ''secure the blessings of LIBERTY
est ourselves and our posterity." Slave holde
ID LAS well as the horse thieves and the rul