Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1856-08-30

essential to the maintenance of Liberty, as the
hdbeds corpus and the jury trial. 2. That prin-
ciple in government has in different ages Of the
world been repeatedly tested, but never fairly,
until the formation of our Government. In former
trials, it generally failed, for the same reason that
our own first league of States, under the Articles
of Confederation, failed viz the want of sufficient
authority in the Federal Government, or League, to
support itself by taxes, and to enforce the laws.
These important defects are supplied in our present
Constitution, at the risk, "a Jefferson and other
statesmen foresaw, of making the Confederacy too
strong for the States. Mr.. Jefferson therefore rec
commended his friends to adopt the Constitution rs
it was framed by the Convention, on condition that
certain guarantees of the independence of the
States should be added by way of amendments
This course was pursued. The States accompan.
led their acts of ratification with propositions to
amend in several important particulars, and con-
spicuous among them is the guaranty of State Sow
ereignty. The amendment on this head declares
that 1.-THE powers not delegated to the United
States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to
the States, are reserved to the States, respectively,
or to the People"
Now, Il this clause is good for anything, it Sc
cures to the several States the absolute control of
their domestic affairs, Slavery as well ms the rest;
and to trample on it, in the name OF Freedom, is
to set an example to tyrants, fatal to Freedom it.
self. To depart from it is to establish a system of
consolidation, which in this immense country
would be more inconsistent with individual freedom
than that which makes all France subject to the
tyrant who has possession of Paris.
Admit, therefore, that Slavery has no Con-
stitutional and legal basis in the States-that
it was instituted in all the older States without
law--and we still maintain that the Federal
Government has no right 20 ~interpose its power
or authority to annul the system. 1t is n mat
ter for the State Jurisdictions; and the Federal
Government in all such matters is a foreign juris.
diction, with no more power to Interfere in crdina-
ry cases than any other foreign jurisdiction
What authority it might have under 'the treaty.
making power" we will not undertake to say; but
any such authority would be unconstitutional
and merely of necessity.
We therefore stand Sy the motto, Freedom is ma
tional, and Slavery sectional" The Extremists
North and South, maintain the contrary, that Sla
very is national. The Republican Party can tax,
no such ground, without doing violence to thu
common sense of the People, and at once sinking
into deserved insignifcance. (3.)
/. The writer when pening this sentence had nj
proper appreciation of the value of human liber
ty, no proper comprehension of the rights of human
ity. lie speaks as a rank disbeliever in the doc
The Era was once bi tier in its scorn of the senti
ment of Petit, the congrc %ssional doughface from
Indiana who derided this fundamental doctrine o.
the Declaration of independence. 1t has now be
come a convert to it and solemly declares "THF
ABOLITION OF SLAVERY WOULD DE DEARLY PURCHASED
AT THE PRICE OF OUR SYSTEM OF CO NFEDERATED Gov
ERNMENT."
The Era was once the advocate of immediate
emancipation. Now we learn from the above thai
though Slavery is a stupcnduous wrong" it Ii
not to be sacrificed to the Constitution. The Err
if we understand this is now the advocate of grad
ualism which its eitor has often shown is but ar
abandonment of the christian doctrine Of the I'M
mediate repentance and f~orsaking of sim"
2. The Federative principle is indeed an invalu
able one, but does it thence follow that we are tC
federate with the plunderers of human rights
That we are to prefer a confederacy with pirates
and kidnappers to the liberty of our millions o.
slaves? Yes, says the National Era, 1.-The aboli
ton of slavery would be dearly purchased at thu
price Of our system of confederated Government
1t makes one shudder to think that the National Erf
should put such II sentiment in so unmis,akcabl
English. But yet it is only a frank, uncxageratet
statement of the actual pro.slavery position Of
those who support our Federated" slavery.pro
tecting Government Republicans not less than
Buchanan men.
3. This whole argument may, for aught We
know, be very statesmen like, but it does not rec
oncile us to a federation" which gives slavery
equal chances with freedom. If Government is
good for anything it is good for the protection Of
personal rights, to secure the blessings of individ
ual liberty. Slavery is entitled to no protection
from individuals or Government. The individuals
who sustain it are morally monsters, and the gov
eminent that ~tolerates it is only fit to be over
thrown. The liberty which this Government gives,
it gives only to shareholders and their allies. Such
only, can exercise the most perfect right of free
discussion on southern soil"