Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1855-11-03
LETTER FROM JOSEPH BARKER.
To tie Editor Of tie Bagle:

To tie Editor Of tie Bugle:
DEAR SIR: The difference between me and your
editorial substitute was no difference of opinion,
and my Charge of meanness and wickedness, Of
unmixed and unfounded falsehood, was perfectly
true. The circumstances were such, that neither
he nor | could be mistaken. And if it were a
thing worth proving, l could prove it by n hun
dred witnesses, including the confession of the
criminal himself. And l am sorry you should
prove yourself afflicted with the same p~artiality
ana injustice as your temporary substitute.
When Mr.. Foster charges me with being dcsti-
tute Of honor. honesty, conscientiousness and prin-
ciple, when he calls me a knave, a villain, a rufian
a STAKEHOLDER, a kidnapper, a thief and n murderer,
t is all right. And when charges rs mean and
false, and q little more wicked ARE preferred against
me by your substitute, that. too, you can pass un-
censured. But the moment l undertake to deny
these charges, though | do it only in my own de-
defence, you talk Of "o6eaSjce personal accusa-
lions. ~ | care not a straw for all this injustice
personally, it cannot iniure me to the extent of a
straw but | en- sorry that abolitionists should
exhibit themselves in so discreditnble a light, and
prove themselves so unworthy of the cause of
freedom. Ioxpected something better from abo-
litionists than from the poor blind dupes of the
orthodox sectarianism. And l did especially ex-
pect something better from you. But | am glad to
BE e~ulighted though sorry for the sights l see.
But l can distinguish between a great and noble
cause, and the faults ana follies of a number of
its ties. The miserable revelations of %intoler'
ance, injustice and deceit forced upon me, ~ will
only make me labor the more zealously in the
4. III I 49,. 1l--~1 .-- ~.
my confidence in the wisdom and honesty of your
labors, l might have felt less responsibility for the
cause resting on myself. That danger is past.
\ knowledge Of the fact, that such men as Mr..
Foster and his apologist are at work, will increase
my pity for the slave, and my labors for his free
dom.
Allow me, in conclusion, q few remarks in re
ply to Mr.. Brooke. Mr.. Brooke says,by "polHical-
aJolitionistS, in this conaexiDn, is to be understood
those who aim at the abolition of slavery ard at
the same time at the support of and the
perpetuity of this Union, understanding the con.
~stitution to possess the pro-slayery character in
which it is usually construed and understood"
He might as wei! say that by political abolitionists
is to be understood those who believe that the
moon is made of green cheese, and that they aim at
getting a few slices of it to eat. For the one is no
more a point of political abolitionism than the
other, especially in Ills connection. Mr.. Foster
himself gave no such definition Of political aboli-
tionists. lie knew such definition would have
been false. He spoke of such political abolition
lists as myself, he mentioned me by name. Yet he
knew that | did not believe in the pro-slaVery con-
~struction of the Constitution.
Mr.. Brooke adds, whilst the government remains
unaltered, slavery must continue, SO long as the
slave owner desires to perpetuate it." Very true,
and therefore we ought to try to alter the govern.
ment; the thing political abolitionists are doing,
The remainder of Mr.. Brooke's letter seems to
require no answer. That he should think it all
right for his friend Mr.. Foster to call us .knaves
villains and %rufisns, and then complain that We
are personal when we plead not guilty to the
charge, is what might be expected, after what VIC
have seen.
Hoping you and your friends will learn wisdom
from late events, and become as really seryiccable
to the cause of freedom as some of you would wish
to be.
remain yours respectfully,
JOPEPH BARKER.
p. S. What is Mr.. Fosters answer to my chal
lenge? (3l And why cannot he state his OWE
case, and fight like a man, in his own person?
NOTES BY THE EDITOR.
l. Nobody has been guilty of such personalities
in the Bugle but Mr.. Barker, and therefore we
have spoken of none other. We arc not responsible
for the language used elsewhere by others.
2. So lar as we are concerned we only ask oul
readers who feel any interest in the matter, to
! turn to the paragraph in our last weeks paper
which has so efrectually opened Mr., Barker's eyes