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

intonatl0ns OF n voice musical MS the spunu OF
falling waters, softened and aided by the rich, lux.
urious decorations of the place, he presented ratb.
or n unique appearance for q Minister Of the Cos
pei of Peace. | was reminded Of other associa.
tons, and my minds eye saw before me the fas-
cinating picture of n temple, where the votarics Of
reason and philosophy had asserted their authori-
ty, and were assembled to promulgate their indie
pendence. lie implored Heaven, among other in
v%ocations, to remove from among us the sin and
curse Of slavery, and concluded with the final pas
sage of the Lords prayer. After a hymn by the
choir, which was sung beautifully, the orator as
cended the rostrum, first stating that lie would be
glad to receive contributions of clothing and mon
ey for the suffering friends of freedom in Kansas.
The clerical orator then proceeded with his SER
mon. 1t was a written discourse upon religion
as the Art of Life" and, like his essays, was
chaste and highly finished. 1t abounded with pas
sages of great beauty and eloquence, and ] may
be allowed, with propriety, to say that it was the
production of a mind rich in all the attributes of
genius, which he defined as uncommon common
sense" and strung with the pearls Of study and
reflection. The strmon concluded, he repeated
the benediction, and the fashionable auditory dis.
persed, and we left with no worse impression of
THEODORE PARKER, as n man of intellect, than we
had entertained before hearing him. l had ex'
pected him to indulge in abuse of the reviled
South, but had been Toasted with one of his most
beautiful models of philosophical defamation.
AT the request Of RlcHARD YEADoN, ESQ, senior
editor of the Charleston Courier, who had made an
appointment to meet Mr.. PARKER in the evening,
| proceeded with that gentleman, at the designated
hour, to his residence at Exeter Place. In doing
so, however, | must confess that | had to overcome
strong Southern Giosyncrasies. The interview had
been sought by Mr.. YEADoN, for the purpose of
ascertaining. in person, as the editor and cores
pendent of a widely circulating journal, the ends
and aims of Northern Abolitionism, from one of
its most prominent leaders; and taking shelter
under the mantle of his presence and wisdom, |
accompanied him to witness the discussion, We
found a party of six or seven gentlemen, ana as
many ladies, assemble in Mr.. PAREER's library,
and were politely introduced by him. Among the
guests we were surprised to meet several gentle
men who are conspicuous for their prominence as
Freesoilcrs and Aholitiorists; but only one O.
whom / will name,as his connection with the anti
slavery movement is almost coequal with its inau-
guration-WM LLOYD GARRISON. Mr.. PARKER as
sured Mr.. YEADoY, that the presence Of third
persons was entirely accidental, but that he did
not regret it, as they were among those whom he
should have selected to meet him.
Mr.. YEADoN and Mr.. GARRISON were soon en-.
gagged in earnest conversational rgument which
was sustained by the slavery d~isputant with mark
ed spirit and great cogency. lie met and answer
ed every proposition advanced against the law
lulness and immortality of the institution, and, in
doing so, retained, with great propriety, his com
posture and self possession. When pressed with
the force and authority of many pointed passages
of the Old and New Testament, authorizing the
institution, and enjoiniug the reclaim alton and rem
ditiun eff fugitive slaves to their m asters, Mr.. GAR
RIsoN denied ,heir relevancy, on the ground that
the genuineness and truth of the record from which
they were taken, were not conclusive and sufficient
in his opinion, to exclude the exercises Of con-
science and reason upon the subject. He contend
CD that such passages were unreasonable and
apochryphal, and opposed to our ideas Of the hui
mainly, wisdom and mercy of God thus testing
the Infinite by "A finite standard, and suhjecting the
wisdom of the Almighty to the compass of human
law. In this position, Mr.. PARKER, who acted,
most Of the time, as umpire or moderator, coincid-
ed, Illustrating it by citing several examples from
the sacred volume, where he alleged that tho chos-
en- people af God were commanded to act in direct
opposition to some of those laws of Nature which
were among the attribu tes of the Deity. In other
words, the authority Of the Bible was rejected, so
far as it initiated against their peculiar doctrines,
and their opinions were made a purer and higher
standard than the revelations of the Divine Will.
From this branch of the argument, the discus
sion became more general, and, in its course, en-
braced the history and humanity Of the Southern
system of slavery. Mr.. Yeadon adduced, in sup.
port OF the humanity and leniency of the ~institu-
ton, the rapid increase Of the slaves, their com
parative contentment and attachment TO their OWN
ers, and exhibited great familiarity with the facts
and details of the subject. All Of these facts and
arguments were warmly cOntroverted by his oppo-
nents, who rejected his statements as those of an
interested witness, and for that reason, as they
insisted upon the legal technicality that excludes
a witness from t~estifying on his own account, they
declined to admit them, disclaiming any intention
to question his veracity. What was strange, how
ever, while these men reject the statements thus
made by familiar and unimpeachable witnesses,
they receive, with the most f~attering unctior, the
false and exaggerated stories of fugitive slaves,
who hire embraced in their arms while still laden
with the spoil of their plundered masters. Fati-
cism has wrapped its false mantle around them,
and they are blind to the dictates of reason
"Quem denS pIius ruH perde'e dementat," / was
Surprised to find that GARRISON and Mr.. PARKER
differed widely upon many points, Mr.. GARRISON
advocates the abolition of slavery by mild and
patient ~means-by argument and persuasion-and
is opposed to violent and insurrectionary steps.
lie was a man of peace, while he denominated Mr..
PARSER, in contradistinction to himself, a Bunker
Hill man; by which we implied that the latter was
the advocate of aay measure, however violent, to
to eradicate the alleged sin and curse of slavery.
lie admitted that Southern slavery was the
mildest and most humane system of the kind that
had ever existed, and gave the South credit for
monv of its ameliOratinr features; but was severe