Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1856-03-15

REPLY TO B. G. GILBERT.

to comment upon what appear to me to 10 tue er-
roncoua views Of u. C. Gilbert, in his recent criti'
cisns upon u communication Of mine, would be
silent did fidelity to the cause Of Anti-Slavery
permit.
submit that the question to le considered is
not 'what did A.. Brooke, the Executive Committee.
or any Disunionist Of Ohio suppose would be the
reception of the memorial ? but was it properly re-
ceiycd and considered ? l main tained that it did
not obtain a respectful consideration, and that
the haste with which it was disposed Of, argued a
forgone conclusion in the minds Of these lcgiela-
tors. This their champion admits, and that they
were prepared to answer instanter." But if
their preparations really were SO very perfect, it
seems unfortunate they did not answer ut all, to
any one of The various reasons asst gnod for asking
the measure. We offered them q few arguments
to show there was good cause to give us the further
hearing we prayed for. They reply to us they
know the government IS imperfect, but they sup
pose it to be better than any which was likely to
be devised to supply its pla e, pronounce upon the
probable number of those dissatisfied with the
present order of things, admit inlerentially. the
rightfulness of slayelOldiug in those States where
it is tolerated ly law, and wind up with a false nc
cusation against the mcmorialists which b. c..
Gilbert himself is unwilling to endorse. And
this kind Of reception and reply to the memorial
he appears to think is all we could reasonably ask,
and that we are rather an ungrateful people that
we do not so consider it
"Who does the present Legislature Of Ohio rep
resent ?" l had thought it was the people Of Ohio,
nearly two and a half millions in number. II
really and truly, as our correspondent supposes, it
represents only the "sUme one hundred and fifty
thousand men" / hope when they apply themselves
to the purposes Of taxation, the old American doc
trine of the wrongrulness Of taxation without
representation may not be forgotten. But so long
as they continue to exercise the power of penal
+ legislation over the whole people within the State,
and take pay for the cost Of government from the
pocket of Democrat, and Disunionist, with as little
ceremony as they do from the Republican. / shall
hold on to the old fashioned doctrine, that they are
bound to legislate for the good of the whole, and
to heed the petitions Of Americans disfranchised
for conscience sake, or for being of an unorthodox
color, women, and min Jrs. The evils are sufficient
ly onerous from which we now suffer, by the i'm
r projections il the construction and administration
of our government, but they will be unreasonably
increased when the idea shall generally prevail
that Legislators represent only those who vo.e for
them.
"Who are these Legislators to be governed BY ?"
z The enquirer will permit me to offer an answer
: different from the one he afixes to his own question.
n Not 'by the majority who did select them" neither
t by the minority who utterly ~repudiate them" Lut
n remembering the responsibility imposed by their
assuming to act for the whole people,-by the die
s tation of individual conscience. If they find their
oath of Office binding them to the slightest compro-
I | ,,;so ,,,th M, -, tIa ,o,Cn,ropoo &c tba;, IF
t cial duties, they have only to resign in obedience
= to the only government to which they may profit
q ably afford allegiance.
l am charged with asperity of feeling towards
g certain individuals, and asked if | am aware these
have been faithfully laboring for years to create
+ anti slavery sentiment. No one has heard q word
!, of condemnation from me, of such faithful labors.
j | honor them for al! which has come to my
knowledge of their action in behalf of freedom.
But is tie good they have done a reason why a
a dereliction of duty shall not be con
demned ? Was Arnold's treason to the cause o
n American liberty at West Point, any the less q
crime because he had fought bravely at Quebec, and
on various battle felds2 Have these gentlemen in
. question done more than their duty heretofore and
J laid up so large n balance in their favor, they may
now recognise the rightiulness Of siaveholding in
J nearly half of these States, and in unison with the
l whole pro-slavery pack, both North and South,
shall they stigmatize as treason a constitutional
f and n lawful Anti Slavery effort, and yet deserve
: to pass unrebuked2 In assuming to make laws
for the whole people of Ohio, their public acts
have become public property, and no plea of pre-
u yious good conduct or private worth can be admit
ted in arrest of judgement upon them as such. 1t
) ia not my right only, but it is my duty, and that
of every other abolitionist, to hold them to the strict
est accountability, and lie who for any reason fails
to do SO, is thus far unfaithful to the cause of the
=, Slave. When they declined to grant either the
/, objects petitioned for, or n further hearing upon it,
to the memorial, without attempting to refute one
of our reasons for the asking, and then went out of
S their way to say "your COMMITTEES take pleasure in
e saying that theye is no considerable portion of the
people of Ohio who directly or indirectly sympa-
thise with the purposes of the memorialists, it
was an express acknowledgement they had decided
. not in respect to the rightfulness of the object
prayed for, but in obedience to what they supposed
might be popular opinion. And who is a political
weathercock, if it be not he who takes popular
!. opinion as his guide to action
4 rs the election of Banks an Anti Slavery gain p,
Q For myself | answer. to the best of my belief ii
is not. ] esteem it merely as an indication that
those who voted for hin are DESTROYS Of opposing
8 slavery, and either lack knowledge of how they
can do it efficiently, or the courage to carry out
that knowledge into action. No one pretends the
official influence of N. p. Banks will DO given to-
), wards the overthrow oil .slavery where it now exists,
or to emancipate Il single one one of the four mill
q ion slaves. Every intelligent person knows that
in accordance with his constitutional obligations
= il ,ciU be given in support Of Slavery in the States.
Nor does it matter how good may be the man
the Republican electors of Ohio may aid in making
the next President. II he be faithful to the obliga.