Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1856-04-26
From the Free Presbyterian.
POLITICS.

A call for a Convention to nominate candidates
fer President and Vice President will be found on
our first page. Ii is ably written, and takes what
we have long recorded as the right ground in ma
tional politics. The duty of the government IS
to abolish slavery. The end and aim Of civil gov
eminent is the full protection of all the inalienable
rights Of all the people of tho territory over which
its jurisdiction extends. The end and aim and
life Of slavery is the total destruction Of all the
inalienable rights of the largest portion of the
people in the States where it exists. Of course
its existence is directly sntagonistic to the object
of all just civil government. 1t must therefore
DO destroyed in order that this institution may ac-
~complish the vital euG for which it is ordained Of
God.
1t follows from this that a political party aiming
to get possession Of the powers Of this government
should make the abolition Of slavery ono of its pri.
mary objects. The doctrine, freedom Jor. all, sld-
reyy for none" should be blazened on its banners
as one of its cardinal principles. Our govern
ment boasts of its freedom. Its Constitution pro-
fesses to make the establishment of justice, and
the security Of the blessings of liberty, the vital
aim Of its formation. But this boast and this
profession are an idle meckery so long rs one sixth
OF the Whole people are chattelized, and a very
large portion Of the remainder are reduced to the
condition Of "hewers Of wood and drawers of
water to the oligarchs who own the human
chattels.
But self-evident as these principles are, they
arc not only ignored but actively opposed by all
the political parties of the nation, the Republican
party, as now organized, included. Did the lat.
ter party conhne its present efforts to tho restric-
tion Of slavery within its present limits, saying
nothing about other questions, we could bid it God
speed, and III some circumstances co operate with
it. And this was its position when first organized
asa State party in Ohio, it we are not mistaken.
But it now pretaees its professions Of hostility to
the extension eff slavery with the fullest acknowl-
edsement Of the lGtcfuR existence of tho iu~titu-
ton in the States where it is now established, and
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government, to protect 1t there. The man, there
tore, who takes his stand on its platform pledges
himself To oppose the extension of slavery into
Kansas, but at the anne time to protect it in South
Carolina, and also to consent that the STAKEHOLDER
shall hunt his human chaltels without molestation
all over the entire Territory Of the nation. Hence
we cannot conceive how any one who regards sla.
very ereTy'rRere as piratical and wicked can be
long to such a party, or stand on such a plat
form.
We wish 10 look at this question land all other.
indced) exclusively from the christian standpoint
Every christian, and indeed every man who is gov
crncd by moral principle, will always inquire frs
what is right! not what is expedient in the ewes
Of the worldly wisdom? Now the divine records
in which such men find the rules by which they
judge of what is right, contain the most explicit
lniunctions on civil rulers to abolish slavery
Thus saith the Lord execute Judgment and right
e%0usness, and deLtUsr tie spoiled ont Of tie hands OF
tie oppreSsor." Here it is euioined as a positicc
du. to deliver or free the oppressed and enslaved
from the hands Of their nppressors. defend the
poor and fdtherless, do justice to the afflicted and
needy. Deliver the poor and needy, rid them out
Of the hand Of the ricked." Here the same duty
is again enjoiued. Again we read; 'If thou fer
bear to deliver them that are drawn unto death,
and those that are ready to be slain. If thou
sayest behold we knew it not, doth not he that pom.
dereth the heart consider it? and he that keepeth
thy soul, doth not he know it and shall he not
render to every man according to his works.
Here a fearful Tetribution is threatened against
those who forbear or neglect the duty of deliver
ing those that are (innocently of course) appointed
unto death. And who is appointed unto death if
the American slave is not? His existence in this
world is a living death.
We could multiply similar quotations from thu
divine law but let these suffice. The Republican
party, if we rightly understand its position, pro
poses not only not to obey these divine command
but to use its power to prevent obedience to them
While it maintains that position we can therefore
have neither part nor lot with it.
In the single end proposed by this party, the
restriction of slavery from extending, we of COURSE
deeply sympathize. That end fully and ~righttuH!
accomplished, and one long step will be taken to
wards the final extinction of the curse. We would
cheerfully unite temporarily with any class of mel
to effect this object, i~fnothing more was stipulated
in the bond Of union. But when as the condition
of union they exact q pledge to do nothing for thu
total abolition of slavery, and to guard it from as
sault where it now exists, then it seems to us tina
it is at the peril of every mans fidelity to God tina
he goes into such an association.
We have thus defined our position on this sui
iect. Our mission is not mainly political. 1t i
to create and array a religious, christian sentimen
against this and every other moral evil. And ur
til this is done we have slight hopes of any pcli
cal party taking and maintaining the true scriptu
al ground.