Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1856-03-01

t1meDL VIII " Y lOuuut AFTER tue speedy death and
burial OF that party, to be weaker than il has been
at any time within the last twenty years--weakeI
even than alter its similar experience of the per
sertng and corrupting influence Of the FrcOsoiI
party. Thee there will be less prospect than ever
vi a b~looeiess termination Of American slavery.
True, there may follow some other event to revive
that enfeebled and p~erishing anti-slavery sentiment.
But what event Of such mighty influence to that
en1, as the Nebraska and Kansas Bill, can there
ever be againp Moreover, the Oltener that senti
ment has been aroused, butte be tri1ed with, dis.
appointed, abused--the more difficult IL will be ~
break is %slumbers and encourage il to action.
Indeed, the public mind is fast becoming hopeless
Oh the subject Of slavery, in consequence Of this
blasting OF its hopes by shallow and idle move
ments against slavery.
see, that there is to be a National Convention
Of the Republican party at Pittsburg 22d next
month. Would to God, that you aud other strOng
men, who beiOng TO it might, on that occasion, see
the folly Of keeping the party on its present low
ground, and the necessity Of cxaltiug it into an
abolition party. 1t is now but an anti slavery
party. Make 1t an abolition party, and it will be
al .full of rower, as it is full OF weakness. 1t la:
now but a halfway and negative char .cter; and il
will die. because, like all such miserable things, il
deserves to die. But give it a positive and efficient
character, and it will live and triumph. Fear not
that the masses would refuse to follow you in such
TAU upward and glorious movement. | was in
Pittsburgh on u similar occasion three years and n
NIL NHU uuu l. saw Win NY ONh C1tS uiiu uCtIN
with my own ears abundant evidence, that the
masses desired to take this same high ground tt
which | then invited them. 1t was as much as
their more cautious and calculating leaders could
possibly do to keep them from rushing to that
ground. Depend upon it, the anti-slavery masses
are far in advance of their leaders. They are
tired of the low policy and low views, which can
make no appeal to the earnestneSs and enthusiasm
of their souls. They are weary of standing month
after month, and year after year, upon a %irultless
and inglorious defensive. Their impotence to
conquer waits but the summons to conquer. They
have the courage and the power to go forward, and
put and end to slavery; but of the policy, which
never advances against slavery, and which, when
not retreating before it, is, at the most, but stand
ing still, they are heartily tired, wholly ashamed.
My desire 10 see your party rise into an aboll-
ton party and put away slavery from the whole
land, is not exclusively for the sake Of the slave
and tie scarcely less abused free colored man.
1t is in no small degree for the sake of the slave
holders also. Our pity for the slaves cannot be
excessive: and hardly excessive can be our pity for
the Shareholders. There are few classes of men so
unfortunate and SO wronged, as are the slayehold-
ers. Iu the first place, they have inherited the
most wicked Of all systems of oppression. In the
sc sond place, | know not why it should be any
easier for them shan for others to see the sinfulness
of that to which they were born and bred. In
the third place, whence shall light come to scatter
the darkness of their false education? Not from
the South-for the whole South is enveloped iO
that darkness. 1t should come from the North:-
but the religious parties Of The North quie; the
stakeholder i'll his sin. Its titled divines, with the
Bible in their hands and their proslavory inter
pretations OF it on their lips, easily succeed in
transmitting slavery into a virtue, AMI in making
it the ordination of Heaven, instead of the pro-
duct of He'll. This light should come from the
North:-but the merchants of the North go for
slavery, because they 60 for Southern trade. 1t
should come from the North:-but the political
nartioo of tho Nortb NON, o-D NO 1on. thDp
the others--exalt slavery into the dignity of law,
and accord to it all the sacred obligations of law.
Such are the circumstances of the unfortunate
and wronged STAKEHOLDER, whom the North is con.
frming in sin, instead of bringing to repentance
and is he not to be pitied rather than scorned, and
hated and stunned? Are we to treat him, as if
he saw slavery with our eyes, and were conscious
as we are, of its superlative wickedness2 Are WI
TO refuse even to discuss the question of slavery
with him Reason and religion forbid such treat
ment and such refusal. Mr.. Garrison, though sell
dom wrong, errs in my Judgement, at this point.
He would discuss this question with the Northern
politicians and Northern Doctors of Divinity:-and
yet, even on the subject Of slavery, their sin com.
pared with that of the stakeholder, is as the noun
tain to the molehill. l would here add, that we
should encourage the strongest Shareholders to
come to the North with their argument for slavery,
If only that the people of the North may have the
opportunity of witnessing the utter weakness and
emptiness Of even the strongest arguments in that
direction.
1t is possible, that l Judge the stakeholder toe
lenientiy. My father was a stakeholder, until after
l reached manhood. | married a stakeholder. In
no period of my life have | refused social and even
friendly relations with Shareholders. Now, | admit
it is possible, that these and other facts in my his
tory may serve to unit me to judge impartially Of
Southern Shareholders. At any rate, so it is. that
with all nay adherence of their stupendous crime
their prominent piraey--I de not look upon
them to be the worst of men. How can !, so long
as l believe, that no small share of them regard
slavery as right, and that the vast majority of them
believe it to be, if not absolutely right, neverthe-
less excusable and unavoidable? 1t is because he
may be blinded to the criminality of slavery by
tho lying education Of the South and by the more
w~ickedly lying politics and religion Of the North,
that it is not only possible for him not to be totally
corrupt, but possibly also, as we may have had fire.
quent evidence, for beautiful and noble traits tc
shine in his character. and generous and sublime
deeds to abound in his life.
The anti-slavery men spend quite too much Of
their time in denouncing the South. The refor
NATION of the South is indeed among their legiti
mate aims; but their first duty is to reform them
selves and their neighbors. Southern men arr
not worse than Northern men. They are nothing
like as bad. If we take into account, that they g
with, and Northern men against. the current o
education and conviction. 1t is in .his point Of
view, that the worst Shareholder is a very sain
compared with a doughface.
What is mainly necessary is a change at the
North in religion and politics. Our religion must
be so changed. that it will no more countenance
sisyery than murder; and our politics must come
to know nc Law for slavery. Then will Southern
slavery disappear before the rising sun. May
beth you and J. my good friend. be found faithful
and prompt to perform our respective parts in
bringing about these mighty and saving changes.
Before closing my already too long letter, l mus
say the few words, which 1 am prompted to say BY
reading this evening a yery brief Newspaper no
ftoe at the horrid scene witnessed the present weef
IA the chief city Of your State. Our poor fellow
beings dragged from their home TO be plunged
into she hell Of slavery l-cne Of them, however
not until she had cut the threats Of her children
% save Them frea a more dreadful fate than
snurderi!
AEi 1 then tie conclude, that Ohio too, like all
Other States. is still 10 BE without a government?
For. surely. if she suffers kiinappers within her
borders, and the tearing away from her soil OF
innocent persons, she can have nothing under the
name Oh Government that it is all worthy Of that
aacra1 name Whan I 4 MI mn vopr Inonoural I