Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1855-12-29
Ube Anti glaperp Bnolr.
SALEM, ono, DECEMBER 20, 1865.
PETITION TO CONGRESS.

1850
The Radical Aholitionist publishes the follow
ing petition to Congress, asking it to inquire wheth-
or slavery in the United States exists with the
sanction of the Federal Constitution: and also
praying that body to publish the result Of their
Investigations Cor the benefit Of the people.
In our opinion the movement is a good one, as a
means of anti-slavery agitation in Congress and
the nation. Though Congress will doubtless de-
cline the proposed Investigation, Many Of the
now a~pathetic people, will, we trust be aroused to
it. That investigation will in many instances, lead
to one Of twJ inpD:ttnt RS il;s;-,i;har to the OF ia
ion that the constitution is anti slavery and that
slavery should be abolished under it by the judicial
or Legislative departments of the governments; or
that it is proslavery and therefore blasphrmy
against Coo and treason against humanity, to be
at once repudinted, and the government under It
abolished. Either conviction so thoroughly i'm
pressed upon the hearts Of a considerable mass Of
the people, as to induce consistent action, will
e%ventuate in the slaves deliveranc,. We hope
therefore that Congress may be beSeiged with nu-
merous petitions Of this sort.
Nothing is so disheartcning to us MS the incon-
sistent conduct of men protesting abolitionism.-
In this western country, out OF numbers who pro-
fess to believe the constitution arti-slavery, we
cannot name a single man, (unless it he our Broth
or Frost of the Aurora, and we are not sure he is
entitled to bo made an exception who will not
vote for such as believe the Constitution pro.sla-
very and swear to support it with that belief, thus
while protesting to be abulitiOnists, they put them
selves in IA proslavery position; give the Govern.
.a-A .-..t ID 49, a II i -. -
trate their %iniquity. They sacrifice mot in inten-
tom in fact, the slave, and in order to DO it they
tread with contempt, upon their anti slavery con-
stitution of the country-thcir great political
bulwark of Freedom.
But great rs is this inconsistency and fatal as it
is to the slaves cause, il is Of II piece, with the
course Of other thousands OF men in the north who
calling themselves aholitionists, swear on two cleo
tiun days Of every year to sustain a proslavery
constitution and thus nullify their nnti-slnvcry pro
tensions. BY so doing they give courage to the
stakeholder in his guilt and destroy their own
moral power among their ~avowcdly pro-slavery
neighbors, who we ARE sure may very hon st
" say i'll the language OF one of tho Democrats
Of the country:
at is selEcvidenl that had the 'Fnsionists' been
able TO convince The people of the State that the
issue they presented was a true one, that tho prin.
lciple Of Freedom was at stake and that they were
the proper champions Of that principle, they would
have succeeded in carrying a majority of the free
men with them"
The trouble is, they do not really make an issue
with the slave power in regard to Slavery itself OF
in regard even to its incidental outrages. They
are al 'litionists. But they are going to let slavery
! rau,oin I'm tho Stntas Thny lnt IL rnunin in thf
Constitution year after year without an effort, tc
eliminate it thcrefrom. They are opposed to rugi
tive slave rendition and yet some of them would
reinstate the fugitive law of ninety three. Other,
would have the States undertake the job--other,
by jury trial or some other Constitutional manner
All make a great cutlery against the law of 1850
and yet they let it remain without Il lisp of purity
condemnation in order that they may unite kid
narpcts under that law against the Nebraska Bill
All this folly and much more, comes from tn,
parent folly of sustaining n pro slavery constitu
ton while protesting anti-slavery principles.
We give to any measure, therefore, our heart,
support and cooperation, which promises to en-
tighten the understandings of our countrymcn o
quicken their conscienccs to abolition action il
consistency with their professions aud their hu
name impulses.
With regard to the petition, it asks only for in
vestigation and a declaration Of its results by Con
gress. We can sign it. though we cannot adop
the argument for the anti-slavery character o
the constitution, and we hope our Republi
can brothers will do it, and that it may be a mean
Of grace blessed to their salvation from their pres
ent proslavery state of condemnation.
~. a.. III. mt.
To the Senate and House Of Representatives of III
United States
The subscribers, citizens of the United States
residents in the town Of in tn
SAFE Of respectfully reI
resent
That within a few years last past, n doubt ha
taken strong hold upon the minds of very man
men, whether there be, or has ever been, any legG
slavery in the United States ; whether there ca
now be any such slavery consistently with til
Constitution Of the United States and whethe
all the pretended sanctions Of slavery, that ar
claimed to be found in thai instrument, are not de
J rived solely from such false constructions as ar
plainly forbidden by all, or nearly all, those lega
rules Of Interpretation which are admitted to b
authoritative in the Interpretation of all other law
} and constitutions. This doubt, which pervades S
many minds, has in DO small number Of case
ripened into conyiction and that conviction is noy
boldly declared, and sedulously propagated, b.
those who claim TO have carefully and honestly in
vcstigated the subject. And the arguments, urge,
in suppart Of that conclusion, are such as have, b,
their apparent truth and justice, strongly impress
nd the minds Of your petitioners.
Among the many arguments presented in de
fence OF those views are the following;
/. That since 'all men are created equal, anC
are endowed by their Creator with certain inalien
able rights, among which are life, liberty, and tn,
ipnrsnito Of happiness" and since "to secure thes'