Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1856-10-11
A LECTURING TOUR.

A ~LECTURING TOUR,
Dr,R MI suprose the readers Of tho Bugle
will expect through its columns some account Of
the brief lecturing tour which my wife and self, in
company with Parker Pillsbury, recently made on
the Reserve, and extended to Western Pennsylvania.
/ would, for the sake of the cause, and for the sake
Of those who should be standard bearers upon
freedoms battle field, that / could make a more
encouraging report but il is now rs it ever has
been, many who entered with zeal upon the contest
have been unable to bear the heat and burden Of
the day,
The people are drunken with politics aud it
seems to matter but little, so far as conscience, and
reason, and truth, and justice are concerned,
whether they have been drugged with the brandy
of modern Democracy, or the lockwood dccoction
of Republicalism. Everything c%onspired to
render our tour less successful than we hoped.
The State Fair and County Fairs called many from
their homes and in some neighborhoods a consid-
.erable number were engaged in fighting the fires
which had been smoldering for weeks, but were then
burning everything before them, while others were
engaged in increasin , the no less destructive fires
of Republicanism. The drouth, which had scorched
every green thing in most Of the country we passed
over, was not more apparentin the brown fields and
crisped foliage of the trees, than is the disastrous
effects Of the present political excitement upon the
heart and conscience Of the community.
Our meeting at Messopotamia was perhaps as
large as could be expected under the circumstan-
ces, and hose who did attend listened attcnti7ely
to the truths that were spoken. AT Bunaysburg
the audience appeared interested in the discussion,
and freely questioned us upon the various points
we presented, or which were suggested by our
remarks. AT Middlefeld and Dorset the attend
ance was smaller, and exhibited but little maniles-
tatiou of life. At New Lyme we had rather a
meagrc meeting, and ! should judge that the
greater part Of those who did attend are SO much
interested in the promotion of spiritualism, that
they have but little, if any time or aid to give for
the overthrow of slavery, and such other minor
and temporary evils as the body is heir to. At
Jefferson, where we intended to expose more fully,
if possible, than at any other place where we had
lectured, the fictitious character Of the antl-slavery
claims which Ome Republicans set up for their
party, and to show forth the short comings OF
many of it's leaders, the appointment we had sent
on was not given out, so we made but little tarTy
there, but pushed on to Linesville, Pennsylvania,
wh,re we arrived on Friday evening, the Goth ult.,
and found a Fremont Club in session. There being n
dearth of speakers, ! was invited to address it.,
which | did at some length and though spoke
my sentiments freely in regard to Fremont and the
Republican party, l was listened to with the most
courteous attention. In our meetings at Llnesvlllc
we had q realization of 'the good time coming
for which we had been wishing ever since We had
left home, for our audiences were large, and every
hodv in abundance spemp1 nlVp Those of our
friends there who are believers in spiritualism,
have, unlike maiy others, manifestations which
quicken them in works of reform, instead of kill
ing everything like practical righteousness. There
is a call for labor there, and in that vicinity which
it would be we'll, if possible to supply. The friends
are Jealous, and wish to work while it is day.
We obtained a few, and but few subscribers for
the Bugle, and collected a small amount of funds.
On the Reserve, where the drouth has destroyed
theii fields, and the grasshoppers eaten the shrub
berry in their gardens, where the fire has swept
over acres and acres of meadow and woodland,
burning haystacks and fences, we had hardly the
heart to mention the word funds, trusting that in
a more favorable year, the friends of the cause
will, unsolicited, sendin their contributions to the
Treasury of the Society. Al Linesville a collcc-
ton was taken up, or rather a free will Offering
was made which is acknowledged in the Treas
urer's receipts.
This is n year in which those who car give,
should, both in labor and material aid. The sal
walton of the cause depends not upon those
whose faith is in the strong wind which brake
the mountain and rent the rock in pieces, or in
the earthquake, or 10 the fire, for the spirit of the
Lord is not there, but its salvation rests upon
those who feel the presence and the power of God
in the still, small voice, and who strive to obey its
teachings, unmoved by threats, and deaf to the
persuasions of Compromise. Is. :. j.
SALEM, Oct. 4, SO.