Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1855-09-29


meetings Tor the purpose of repeating the enun.
%ciation of the great and precious principles OF
that party. The Nominations 60 civil Office made
in these meetings were demanded by these princi-
pies. They were not the foolish and idle formality
which they, who could not appreciate their signi6.
cance, took them to be.
Instructed, as we have been, by painful obser.
walton in our own ranks, it is not strange, that
we should feel the necessity Of making our anti.
slavery q principle rather than an expediency
nor that we should feel the duty Of openly com
hitting ourselves to all political truths, as fast as
We discover them, however strange and hated
some of the truths may be. IL for instance, VIC
honestly believe, that woman, no less than man,
has political rights, then we are to incorporate this
belief with our political creed and to require our
candidate to represent it, as well as the other parts
of such creed.
Our numbers do not increase. They, probably,
sill not, until the conviction shall be more gencr-
al, that absolute r~ectitude, instead Of unprincipled
expediency, should govern men at the polls and in
all their political relations. They, probably will
not increase, until it shall be more generally felt,
that civil government is of God, and that His prin-
ciples apply rs omphatically to political as to 9TH
err duties. In q word, it is not probable, that they
will increase, until the belief shall be more com.
mon, that men are as much bound to be Christians
at the ballot-5ox, and in the whole sphere Of poll
tics, as anywhere else. The Liberty Party would
be a large one, di6 all, who profess to believe the
bible, really believe it for the bi5le commands nc
duty more plainly.than that Of choosing righteous
men for rulers.
We wish it were so, that the earnest and intelli-
gent class of abolitionists, called "Garrisonians, y
would consent to swell our numbers But, un.
happily, they still believe, that the Federal Con
stitution is pro.slavery and unhappiIy, too, they
still believe the no less q fallacy, that suffrage
is q conventional, instead of n natural right-o
right derived from the Constitution, and not from
God.
We are cheered by the prospect of the organi.
zation of a numerous, intelligent, and faithful
radical political abolition society. That society
will never shrink from giving to the Federal Con
~stitution its true interpretation-the Interpretation
called for by the admitted canon of legal interpre
%tation. That society will never shrink from deny
ing, that slavery can, by any possibility, be law
That society has planted itself on eternal truth
and, hence, we are not afraid. that it will ever be
tray the anti-slavery cause. Nevertheless, we can
not deny, that there would be more room for oui
confidence in this society, were its members t.
identify themselves with the Liberty Party, and
with those other objects, to which, as we'll as Il
freedom, the radical and comprehensive principles
of that party pledge it. But. besides that thei
connexion with the LIBERTY Party would be al
additional security for their never faltering fdeli
ty to the slave, we ask them, what right the,
have to turn their backs on such reforms, as w,
have mentioned ? To deliver the slave, does no
atone for leaving the landless robbed of his shar,
of the soil. Nor does the investing of the slav
with the rights of manhood satisfy tie claims o
woman for the restoration of her rights. Nor j
government, because it has struck the chains from
the slave, any less guilty for leaving the dramshol
to 60 on multiplying paupers and m%admen. to g
on perilling, more than all things else, peril, boil
person and property, the two things, to protec
which is the sole province of government.
But Notwithstanding there is no probability
that the Liberty Party will, in our day, be con
siderable for numbers, we trust, that the few
who remain in it, will continue to remain in it
We know that to abide in the 'prin ,iples of tn
Liberty Party is to forego political prefermcn
and worldly honor, and to subject ourselves t.
ridcule and contempt. But we also know, tina
this loss and this reproach are far more than bal
anced by our great gain and great glory, in bein
permitted to commend these noble principles t.
our cotcmporaries, and to keep them alive for tn
leavening of a more enlightened and %virtuou
and teachablo generation, that shall come afte
lus.n