Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1855-02-24
From the London Times.
LOUIS K0ssUTH
To the Society Of Friends in Great Britain.

peal" pleading peace at any price, not because
you hold the present war unnecessary, impolitic,
or directed towards a wrong issue; but because
you hold all war to be unlawful under the Gospel
dispensation.
l have considered your argument attentively.
Bear with me for meeting you with conscientious
sincerity on your own ground, by a public answer
to your public appeal.
The Gospel is your authority. It is the Gospel
that appeal to against your false doctrine. Icali
on you to submit to the words of Him whom you
invoke:
when We shall hear Of wars and connections,
be net terrified for these things MUST come to pass,
bit Tie end is not Jy-and-Ly. Nation shall rise
against nation, and kingdom against kin sdom.
Thus saith the Lord. Submit to his decree.
And, "think not that / come to send peace on
earth I came not TO send peace, but a sword"
Thus saith the Lord, whom yc call "the Prince
of Peace" And His words are wisdom, justice
and truth-Freedom on earth, salvation in etcr-
nifty, is tho aim to which mankind is called. We
have a Father" in Heaven. That is a word of
immense meaning. and full Of love. A father can
not hare doomed his children to thraldom, oprres-
sion and perdition. To believe the contrary is
DlHSpuemy. Dut the enu is not nv-uuu-D1. -
Like as we see in geology, that the work of crea-
ton is still going on, hour by hour necessarily,
lust so we see a revelation Of His will necessarily
propounded in history. Know ye Of one single
people delivered from thraldom by some other
means than the sword? There is none, and none
ever has been. Therefore is it that the Lord has
said, these things must first come to pass" 1t
is, therefore. the Lord says, 81 came not to send
peace, but a sword"
Respect the word Of the Lord do not revolt
against the revelation of the will of our Father in
Heaven.
To allow %iniquity to bear the sway when the
sword could have arrested ito rivct the chains
of oppression over nations by treaties, when the
sword could have severed the chains-is a work Of
~iniquity, and not of peace.
To plead for immunity to tyrnnts, for their en-
c~roaching upon their neighbours house, or for OPP
pressing, fleeing and torturing nations, is so much
as to plead immunity to the wolves, for devouring
the sheep.
Does it not strike you that to call ~iniquity and
oppression by the sweet name of peace is ~profana-
ton and blasphemy.
You preach Peace to tyrants, and good will to
oppressors y does not your conscience tell you that
by so doing you are preaching against the rights of
man, and i'll will to humanity?
If the thief breaks into your house, and robs you
of your silver, do you give him your gold to boot
for the sake of peace; or do you call on the police
man to bring the thief to justice that he may be
punished, and your property restored? Which 90
you do?
And where is the tribunal to which oppressed
e nations may appeal, against the crowned rob
bers of sheir peace and happiness, if it be not thu
sword' 80.
Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit i
to be hewn down and cast into the fire." says tn
Lord. Is Their. a tree worse than injustice and ty
n ranny? Yet you plead peace to the bad tree, tina
q mankind be forced to eat its poisonous fruit-or
preston. Is that charity?
< For yourself, who thanks to Cromwelrs sword
have no oppression to suffer, it is very well to say
Don't war; let US have peace, that we may i
tranquility devote our energies to the peacefl
pursuits Of commerce and industry, and thus col
tinue to thrive"
But Europe is oppressed. Thrive, and be bles
y ed. Twill not say to you, Lay not up for you
selves treasures upon the earth, because you ca
- not serve God and Mammon." / will not say
u unto you, because you are conspicuous by mee
49, social virtue and by private charity. l v would on
Us ask you, Do you mean that your religion command
a' you to be charitable only towards the passing pr
IL vate sufferings of men, and forbids you to be chal
table toward the lasting sufferings of nations p
OF humanity? If such he your religion, then bel
is with me foT telling you, that either you are n
Christians, or your Christianity is like the pray,
10 of the Pharisees, sounding brass and tinklir
'g cymbals."
"a am full of defects and fragilities; I know
But | am deeply attached to the religion of my
" Tiers. There was a period in my life when l hi
ie to make a choice between danger to my life al
IN my Christian faith. l do not beast of the fact.
IN I thank our Father in Heaven for having Civ
me strength to be faithful to Christ. And | cal
u; esty pray that all of you may be spared the tri
ell But l say unto you, Friends, if l were to learn tn
'st Christian religion forbids me to oppose wrong
Use devote my heart, my arm, my blood, my life to t
on deliverance of nations from thraldom and oppr
pie sion if it would forbid me to fight for their fir
'ty dom, when there is no other means to make tn,
free, / would ALLURE the dogmas of Christian
lat openly, for ! would hold them to be a compound
les hypocrisy.
oubb uhotV sHhe 10 " thS eoO Shiio
n.y. religion is essentially the religion Of charity. '
or to them who make q difference between pull
me and private ~charity-who restrict their love
oe- their next n~eighbor, and remain indiffer
be to the public sufferings of their neighbors-the
M tons.
You may, perhaps, say that you love them II
OF have your best wishes and your fervent prayers
LII their deliverauce only you would neither fiji
gh yourselves, nor can approve of their fighting for
KS You wish them rather to be oppressed, and C
10 tent yourself with feeding for an hour from y
10 abundance one hungry, and clothe one naked, Q
Ill comfort one broken hearted, while you entr
'ho them to submit quietly to oppression, which ma
De millions hungry, and naked, and broken heart
'.u for generations to come.
But ! say unto you, if such be your religion
'ote prayers and of good wishes, it is not the relig
zee Of Him who was sent ito heal the broken heart