Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1856-12-13
Chr Anti- 9Iaperp Bualr.
SALEM, ONO, DECEMBER 10, 1856.
HOLDING SLAVES IN OHIO.

The Constitution Of Ohio prohibits involuntary
scryitude in our own State except for crime after
conviction by due course of Law. This provision
is enforced SO far as our own citizens are con-
ccrned. Even Democrats who vote for Slavery in
Kansas, fOrego the slave-lolGing and slave. ~fogeing
in Ohio. But while they violate the Constitution
on their own account, their extreme courtesy in
duccs them to tolerate and defend its violation in
the case Of citizens in Mississippi. We were
obliged last week to forego a notice Of a case Of
this kind, in consequence of our publication of so
large an extract from the Presidents Message, that
remarkable exhibition of m~ockery special plumber
ing and ialschood.
The circumstances of the case were these. Mr..
VIM. A. Lake, member of Congress from Missis-
sippi passed through our State week before last on
his way to Washington accompanied by several of
his slaves. lie was detained in Columbus some
t~hirty-six hours, While there, through the
influence Of the colored people a writ of IIabeas Cor
pus was sued out, which the Sheriff refused to ex-
ecute. 1t is reported that Mr.. Lake Their proposed
voluntarily to appear before the Court and permit
the slaves to say whether they desired to leave
him. They declined their freedom. Perhaps we
have in part a reason for this decision in tho fact
stated in the papers that the respectable portion
of the citizens of Columbus, including the Sheriff
and District Attorney, were on the side of the
master, and diocountenanced any interference with
his slaves. A dispatch was next prepared for
Newark, calling on certain parties there to seize
the negroes, but the dispatch was destroyed in the
telegraph office, aud not sent.
When the poor people saw that all tho respect
ability and power was with their master, they had
very ,;ood reason to decline the mocking offer. To
have ~signifed their desire for freedom would only
have brought upon them the punishment Of slaves.
And so this Mississippi kidnapper was permitted
to travel the whole length of our State with his
gang of slaves and hs right to hold and rob them
everywhere respected. lie strobe boldly into the
Capital of our"FREE" State and there stopped
for t~hirty-six hours, where we have an anti, slavery
Governor and Republican Judges sworn to admin
lister the laws and see tho provisions Of the Con.
st!tution executed. To the disgrace Of Ohio this
event is passed over by the Hapers CT our State,
(end the stakeholder and upbraid and anathematize
those who attempted to inform these ignorant
slaves Of their rights and enable them to secure
them. Even some Republican papers upbraid
these friends of freedom as impertinent informed,
dlers. The Cincinnati Commercial, enc Of the
foremost Republican papers iu the State is guilty
of THU wicked absurdity. In its view it is imper
tinenr ''intermeddling," to attempt the Constitu,
tional rights of these human beings to libety. Itis
impairment intermeddling for a citizen TO attempt
to enforce the noblest provision of our Constitution
Al Ill, Tu,,, ,-o ,f IL "a -a.z e D--l
iicanism in the State.
One Of our Pennsylvania neigbbors, the Pitts.
burgh Dispatch comments mildly but well upon
this course Of the Commercial. II has the fol
lowing article.