Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1856-11-08
From the Auti.sovcry Standard.
TWENTIETH ANNUAL MEETING
OF THE
Pennsylvania Anti-Savery Society,
AT NoRRtsroyN, OCTOBER 10th Ann 17tb 1896
AT NoRRIsTowN, OCTOBER 10th AND l7th 1856.
Continued from last Ueek.)

Continued from last Ueek.)
Mr. McKim, Corresponding Secretary of the
Society, submitted the Annual Report of the Exc.
cutive Committee, as follows:
TWENTIETH ANNUAL REPORT OF THE Pennsylvania
ANTI-sLAvERY SOCIETY.
Twenty.three years ago,a little band of men met
in Philadelphia, to give organic form to an enter
prise which had been previously conceived for the
abolition Of American slavery. AT that time the
protoundest apathy prevailed on the subject
throughout the land. With the excep ton of the
few individuals, scattered here and there who had
been awakened by the voice of the Libcyator, or
who, having been previously aroused by ether
causes, were now in cooperation with this pioneer
of liberty, the whole American people were in re-
gard to this subject, sleeping the sleep of death
1t was q topic on which they were reluctant to
speak, and unwillingi even to think. The very
existence of the slave system in their midst was
practically ignored. II in any instance the deep
silence which prevailed was broken it was only
to express the belief that the evil was one Of such
magnitude and the circumstances of its existence
30 peculiar, to forbid the hope of eradication
or at least to place that achievement beyond the
reach of human nstrumeutaiity. The only thing
II was alleged, that could be done was to amcliO-
rate the condition of few, here and there of its
victims, and leave it to God in His own good time
and in His own mysterious way, to put period
to the evil. The plan relied upon for this amelig
ration the then popular scheme Of African
colonization This Janus faced institution lat that
time, held almost undis puted possession of the
hearts Of the people. At the North it appealed to
phianthrophy and spoke as the friend OF the saye
at the South it addressed itself to slayehoding
selfshncss and demand the support of the planter
as a safety-valve for the security of his system
Everywhere it spoke to the prejudices of the peo
pie, teaching doctrines and nculcatng n spirit the
effect of which was to riyot the chains of the slave
and perpctuate the degradation of the free black
IN nlnlttF al,s4v tl- u,1l
but in the concrete aud under the circumstances
il was good thing. Emancipation might he well
enough theoretically, but reduced to practice it
would be national calamity. Manumsson by
individuals it decla?ed to be public immortality
unless accompanied with the condition, in most
cases impossible, of transportation to Africa Pre-
judice against color might De hard in ITS operation
in some cases, but the whole it had its uses and
was an ordination Of heaven and be resisted
Is>Mss ct Snch !. .saetare this, and amid the
prevalence all sidss Of doctrines sueb as these
that the modern movement against slavery took
its rise. Of course, it had to encoanter almost
unanimous condemnation. Its announcement WAS
greeted with mingled shouts of derison and exc
Grafton. But its UrlginatOrs were not to be moved
by clamor They had weighed well their under
taking and knew the ground of their hope. Their
first step was to make public declaration of their
sentiments aud to announce 20 the world the meas
nres by which they expected to reduce their senti
ments to practice.
slavery" they said, sis contrary to the princ:-
pies CT natural justice, of our Reps5ca Form
of Government and the Christian religion. It il
destructive to national prosperity and dangerous
to the peace and liberties Of the States; and, in
view of our civil and religious privileges the guilt
OF this nation Is unequalled by that OF any other
on the face of the earth. Its immediate duty,
therefore, is to repent, to undo the heavy bur.
den' to break every yoke and to let the oppressed
20 free"
"No man." said they, "has rirht to enslaye
his fellow man or imbrute his brother-to hold or
acknowledge him for one moment as q piece Of
mercbandise-to keen back his hire bv frnud-or
TO brutalize his mind by DENYING him the means
of intellectual social and moral Improvement His
right to enioy liberty is inalienable Every man
has a right to his own body-to the products of
his own tol-to the protection of law and to the
common advantages of society. If as is declared
by Act of Congress- it is piracy to buy or ste H.
or subject to servitude, a native African, the
crime of enslavng an American can lie no less at.
rocous"
"Tboroforo y ,bav dec,orod otba s1oro. o,ol+ -
h. ;nstontIv se, froo ID hro'',t 10 10 So
t;on of law All those st,tntes now IN f,rpa 3D.
mtting tho right of slavery arc heforo Cod ntterI
mil and void be;ng m opJacions assnnIn,ion nf
tho Div;na nrerogot?pe q dor;n,, ;rCr;nnarpent of
tbo loy Of nnotnre. a hoso oyartbrn,, oF thn ,on,
fonnSo,;ons nf Tho social comnoct q ooI, olatSs
estimation of all the relations endporments and
oH,ii; u e" VIZ ~ ,ii,ensa unu
transprossion of all the holy commandments: con-
seouently thew ought to be instantly abrorated."
Thoy further affirmed that "all persons of color
,ybo nossess the qualifications ,vb;rb ora demon
Jed of others ougbt 70 he admitted forthwitb "a
the enjoyment Of The same oriv;leges and the ev.
erc;se of tba somo nrernmotras ~ otbers and t,ot
ths noth0 nf rnafarpant or ,onIth a IS ~ ;tII;
'ando sorId Po nrood w. ""I
Ssorsn,,, 80 D ~. W '"'" " -
Uav;no ,noJa tbosa donIannt;,o or o.i,,,.
.han I"Ie ,o;n ruSo L ~
and snorcaman of beir VI oor nni ,Tr 'e h