Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1856-10-18


WHAT THE AMERICAN TRACT SOCIETY HAS DONE
AND CAN Doth American Tract Society is one
of the basest 7anderers to American Slavery. No
other organization in the country, not even the
' Vigilance Committees of the South or the Blue
Lodges of Missouri, have ever surpassed it in
answering fidelity and inscriptions service to
the institutions, and if possible, it has surpassed
these its coadj utors in the mean servpity of its
measures Tor its support. Oar readers will remem-
berthat although there was some noise made about
the reform Of its organization previous to its last
anniversary, yet nothing was done. The former
officers and directors, the men by whom all the
expurgations and mutilations Of books and tracts
have been per ?etrated, were reelected without op.
position. This among other things the Society
has done For the support Of Slavery. Our eye
recently fell upon the following paragraph in the
last annual report of these managers which tells
us what the Society cannot and what it can do. 1t
seems there are some aspects Of the question the
Society may discuss. What are they? We can
not imagine.
Almost nothing specifically discussing the
evils of slavery has ever been laid before them,
1.-THE committe.) 1t seems to have been understood
by the whole community, that the subject of
slavery, In its aspects of political, national, and
sectional strife, could not be discussed by this
society. Yet ,here are other aspects of the sub
ject and of duties and evils connected with it, in
which 1t might be hoped that evangelical Chris
tians, north and south, would agree and so far as
this is the fact, and Tracts of this character, breath
ing the love of Christ and promising usefulness,
shall be presented, the COMMITTEES know no reason
why they should not be approved and published"
"MIsDIREcTED EFFORTS During the excite
IN mt that followed the assault upon Mr.. Sumner
last Spring, many of the Republican papers pro-
posed a removal of the seat of Government from
Washington, as a means of securing the freedom
of debate in Congress. In a reply to these articles,
published in the National Era just after $500 fine
was imposed upon Brooks, we find the following
paragraph:
"Wc say these things, not only in justice to the
People IT Washington, but to prevent the People
elsewhere, engaged in opposing Slavery, from mis-,
directing their eff Irts. 1t will be easier for them
TO overthrow a Pro-Slavery administration and
secure a Freedom-loving President, whose officials
will be imbued with his own spirit, than to remove
the seat of Government. Let the Free States do
their whole duty, first, in sending to Congress one
hundred and forty-four representatives and thirty
two Senators, determined to make the Union trebu-
tary to the establishment of Justice and extension
of Liberty, and next, in eleeting a President who
will cooperate with them, to the extent Of his con.
stitutional power. If the accomplishment of all
this should prove Intellectual to remedying the
evils they now complain OF, it would be time
enough then to consider, not the question of the
removal of the seat Of Government, but "A question
infinitely surprising thai in magnitude. the ques.
ton of a peaceful dissolution of the Union.
AS we are thoroughly convinced that all efforts
to secure liberty for ourselves or for the Slaves, are
"misdirected efforts" we are glad to see the Era
contemp plating the dissolution of the Union as a
measure Of ultimate necessity. When the Era
and its party have done serving the Union by the
Republican party, we hope they will be satisfied
and take up this question of infinitely surprising
magnitude"