Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1857-08-08
Gbe Anti- 5laperp Buele.
From the Liberaor.
DISSOLUTION OF THE UNI0N-C0NVEN-
TON OF THE FREE STATES.


TON OF THE FREE STATES.
Below we give an important Circular, publish
ed in tbeBugle Of last week. just les ued by sub
committee of the State Disunion Convention, heid
AT Worcester last January; appended to which Is
n Call for q Convention of ALL THE FREE
STATES, to be held at central point in October
next to consider the practicabity and expediGnr, n
cy of a SEPARATION 1 ,,i BEf"EhN r;a I'll, inm ha
sent to some of the most reliable friends of impair
tal freedom in various parts of the North for their
consideration no doubt whatever being entertained
that they will take lively interest In the measure
proposed, and will exert themselves to procure as
many signatures to theCall as praccable,in accor-
dance with the request contained in the Circular
IL will be seen that the Call is so worded that
no one signing it will thereby commit himself In
favor of dsunion its object being to convene
mass meeting of such of the people of the Free
States as sympathize with the oppressed, declare
their pur pose to be true to the cause of freedom
and ore convinced that it is impossible to unite
hostile interests and institutions under any form OF
povernment-a mass meeting OF the best heads
and hearts to be found at the North for the pur-
pose of examining the structure OF the American
fTnion ts legitimate and inevitable results, its
mast history and present condition, its future bear
pes upon the liberties of the world, and determin-
ing what is the wisest and safest course to be
pursued in regard to it, Under these eircumstan-
therefore, it is hoped that no Anti-Slavery man
or woman will object to signing the Cal,-the
Convention being vne TO inquiry and dehberation
and such action az, after the fullest dscussion' a
majority of its members shall deem 1t proper to
recommend.
The South has clustered and threatened long
enough in regard to dissolution of the Unon,-
thereby knowing that she could readily Drihg the
North to terms, aud triumphantly accomplish her
nefarous purposes. 1t is time for the North TO IN
innate to the South in manner that cannot Do
mistaken, that the day has gone by for any fur
ther bullying of this kind; that the Union Is, at
best only a means not an end that she accepts
the doctrine of the Declaration of Independence,
that whenever any form of government becomes
destructive of these ends, Qiberty and equallty,)
j. it the right and the duty OF the people to
throw off such government, aud to institute new
safeguards for their safety and happiness that
the present conditions of the Union are intoiera-
ble and must be changed, or o separation is ineV
liable and that, if it would he justifable on the
part of the South to withdraw from the North
In order to perpetuate her nefarous slave system
it would be still more ustifable for the North to
withdraw from the South in order that the sacred
cause of liberty may receive no detriment.
Every freeman at the North should take an in
terest in the proposed Convention for this reason,
If on no higher ground-that it will be such vim
dication of the right Of free discussion ana Tree
inquiry as the state of the times imperat7ely de-
mands for while las have already stated the
south ,s ever threatening to dash the Union to
pieces if al her vilanOus demands are not COM
p!ied with, she is ut the same time ever denying
to the people of the North the right to discuss the
question of Dissolution, on any pretext whatever
For herself, she is never more patrotc tlah "hen H
she Giscourses of the duty of secession but the
moment any one at the North ventures to exer-
else similar freedom Of speech, then 1t ls trea'
sonable' act, which ought to excite universal lndlg
nation and horror! We submit to Northern free-
men, whether they do not owe it to their seli-re-
snect. their manhood their natural and constitu-
tional rights to say nothing of their moral obliga
tons and duties to vindicate their equality IN this
respect ami whether they can do this IN a
more telling manner than by signing the Gall
and attending the Convention referred to above
Personally, we go far beyond the language OF
the Call. We 90 not merely for an inquiry into
the 'practicability and expediency' of dissolvng
the Union but for asserting the necessity ana duty
of such q measure. We have examined the ques
tion thoroughly, and in all its bearings. whether
nolitical or religious, economical or financial
peaceful or warlike,-whether relating to the
emancipation of those in bondage, or the Liberties
of the people of the North,-and we are, and
have long been, ready for prompt and decisive
action We know under what exigencles and II
the midst of what temptations the Union was
formedl what regard for concord, what disregard
of principle was eyinced in its formation wha
q selfish rivalry for supremacy prevailed betweer
the commercial interests OF the East ana the save
holding purposes of the South, which at last ter
minated in an niqutous compromise, whereby
both parts of the country were reconclied.
found said Luther Martin, one OF the delegate
from MARYLAND to the Convention that formed tn
Constitution of the United States-I found th'
Eastern States notwithstanding their aversion Il
slavery, (?) were very willing to indulge the South
ern States at least with temporary liberty Il
prosecute the slave trade, provided the SoutAerl
States would in their turn crafty theirs, by layn
no restriction on navigation acts In the Ne'
York Convention, held with reference to the ad0p
tion of the United States Constitution, Alexande
Hamilton said-the first thing objected to IS thi
clause which allows representation for three-hfth
of the negroes. The regulation complained OF wa
one result of the spirit of accommodation [!
which governed the Convention ; and pittOut hai
INDULGENCE no Ulion could possibly haze been torn
ed" Jamos Madison, treating in THE FedeTa!is
on The Ratio of Representation says-'The Fed
eral Constitution decides, mih great profriety, o.
the case of our slaves, when 1T views them IN th
mixed character of persons and OF property.
Let the compromising erpedient OF the Cor
stitution be mutually adopted, which regards th
slape as divssted of two-ffths of tie man Mos
truthfully did John Quincy Adams say-'ln ou
ward show, it is a representation OF persons i
bondage in fact, it is the oppressor representa-
the oppressed. Is it in the compass OF huma
imagination to devise more perfect sxemplihct
ton of the act of committing the lamb TO the te'
der custody Of the Wolff Its reciprocal operatio
upon the government of the nation is' TO make %
preservation, propagation and perpetuation OF sl'
very the ritat and Gnimating SPIRIT J our nat,ont
government To call government thus constituted
democracy is to insult the understanding OF ma
kind In the Virginia Convention, held tor u
ratification of the United States Constitution
james Madison declared-another clause secures
that property noio possess. At present, if an
slave elopes to any of those States where slav
are free, he becomes emancipated by their laws
but in this Constitution, the clause, No perst
held to service or labor in State. &C., aoas c
pressly inserted enable opners Of sares TO reclai
them" Again referring to that section of the Co
et.ution which obliges the national government
protect each State against. domestic violence M
LII I'm nf fhn la. aln
or executive, as the case may be- the militia Of Il
other States are to be called to suppress domest
insurrections'- slave instructions in sp
cial, for that was the topic under consideration
On the same occasion, Mr.. Nicholas referring
the same provision, said-it gives additional sec