Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1857-09-26
TIE AMERICAN TRACT SOCIETY ON
SLAVERY.

threats Of the slave.holding friends Of the Society
has issued the following documents. 1t is its very
latest.
Tho Publishing Committee, with the concurrence
of the other members OF the Executive Committee,
deem it que to the friends Of the Society to state
their own recent action.
At the last anniversary il was regar led by many
as both feasible and desirable that. without AT all
trenching On the political relations Of Slavery,
certain moral duties growing out Ut its existence, or
moral evils and practical immUralities ~deplOred by
nll evangelical Christians, and found occasionally
or frequently accompanying it, should be discuss.
ed In our publications.; and this withCut losing
sight OF our original and governing principle III
the S0eiety's first organization, that its publica-
tons shall be calculated to receive the 'appro5a.
ton of all evangelical Christians" And tie con-
fdence was expressed that the Executive Commit
tee would, in their action respecting this matter,
exercise such wisdom as would promote the use.
fulness of the Society 'throWghont our whote coua'
try" Z
For the successful maintenance of the past, and
the happy expansion of the future influence of the
Society, we have relied or the sympathies, prayers,
quits and cooperation Of our brethren in the South
rs in the North. II the evangelical CT ristinns resi-
dent in any portion Of our wide country give not
their confidence, aid, and personal influence, our
agents and our tracts, our collectors and our vol
umes are alike denied access. We have received
from churc hes and from individuals, from men in
oil the strength and feryur Of their best years, and
from christians arranging their worldly affairs in
prospect Vi death, among oar southern brethren, n
generous and hearty su ppOrt in the former years of
our history. With equal fidelity to donors and
testatOrs at the North or at the South, the conduc-
tors of the Society have aimed to dispense, far and
near, their respective contributions, for the best in
terests alike of our common country and our com
mon Christianity.
The Publishing Committee had, at the time of
the lust anniversary, a treatise on the Duties OF
Masters" under their consideration. 1t was cOn-
posed of articles before issued by brethren of vari
GUS evangelical denominations at tho South, and
was supposed to meet the views that are presented
in the resolutions of that anniversary.
The Publishing Committee were not altogether
unaware of the inherent ADVERTISEMENTS. Look
ed upon with some distrust at the South, as the
treatise might be because bringing a Northern i'm
print it was yet, on the other hand, equally evil
dent that many Northern friends of the Society
might object to it rs re :ognizing "dufieS" inhering
in the relation of masters that relation, in their
view, being forbidden.
Since the preparation of this treatise, one of the
authors from whose addresses or tracts it was
complied has been removed by death. Two Others
OF these brethren, hOnored and Influential. known
us true friends of the Soriety, have Judged it irex-
pedient. in the enkindled and excited state of feel
awakened both North and South upon the various
relations of this topic, that those writings of their
OVID, which were to form a prominent portion of
the treatise, should be issued with a Nor thern i'm
print. They have accordingly in,crdicted our fur
Their use of the matter thus supplied.
ohb III ddullluu, lIou III quarters u our SOulD-
ern fields we have received, aud from the tried and
fast friends of the Society, expressions the most
unanimous and decided, that any publication by
our press bearing upon the topic of Slavery, even
though of Southern authorship, and carefully kept
within the terms OF the resolutions of the Ami
versary, could have no other result than precipita
ting the entire withdrawal Of the South from CO
operation of the Society. The new works would
find no gates of access and the separation would
henceforth exclude even our older Issues by hinging
over them the suspicion of their origin from q
quarter presumed to have become hostile to the in
terests of the South. OF those accredited issues
the s'ttings of a rich evangelical literature in ou'
own and in European lands-books on which God
Spirit has put his evident and gracious approval
1T seemed q sad necessity to be compelled to cloi
in any way the circulation.
From Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, Soutl
Carolina and Georgia, from Alabama, Louisian
and Tennessee. we hear but one testimony, a
borne by State branches and auxiliaries, by the Sc
ciety's officers, general agents, superintendent an
cOlporteurs, 10y ecclesiastical bodies, and 10y tn
religious pres. Over the South we have now
virtual suspension of collections, and if the pres
et dissrust and alienation but remain, there mus
speedily ensue a withdraSal of colporteurs an,
distribution throughout Cur Southern field. W
must surrender all the Southern and Southwest
ern States. To proceed, is thus to palsy one Who'll
side Of our institution.
The Committee have believed that the actio
and Instructions Of the last anniversary, explici
ly cherishing as they do the Society's u3efulnes
throughout our whole country" gould not cor
template, even on the part of those Norther
friends most earnestly advocating them, any revt
lutionary and disruptive charge in the line of tn
Society's policy, cutting off from the Society q POI
mon Of 'our whole country large, and 10 GU
past labors so largely blessed as the entire South
The Publishing Committee therefore voted wit
entire unanimity to arrest the issue Of the wor
that had been before them, confidently believin
that their action in the premises would common
itself to the Society under the phases which tn
subject has assumed and the Executive Commit
tea united in sustaining this AZ the only preser
action conservative Of all the interests, and ju
to all the parties involved.
1t were a waste of the Society's funds to issue
treatise on Southern duties for which we couI
find no Southern readers, and for the sake of {
curing such issues to forego deliberately, and wit
out explicit warrant from the Society. all farth'
opportunity of sending thitherward the large bod
of publications We have hitherto, under Gods man
fest blessing, scattered there.
To the farther developments of Gods good prov
dence, and TO the guidance Of his Spirit, promise
where reverently and humhly ~implOred, the Cor
mittee now refer this question. meanwhile "see
ing the "things that make for peace" and Amin
TO secure the fruit of righteousness sown
peace OF them that make peace"
The Tribune communicating upon this doc,
ment says:
The American Tract Society-as represented /
its Standing Committees-has succumbed to Il
Shareholders. Placing It's hand on its mouth al
its mouth in the dust, it has eaten its timid al
apologize resolve of last Spring and returned
the policy of absolute silence with regard not on
to slaveholding pen Sc, but even to the evils al
sins which-as the Society itself resolved la
Spring-are connected with or deducible ther
from. And the reason given is simply the unwi
ingness Of the Shareholders to receive. listen TO
read anything that the Society may see fl, TO Q
fer on the subject.
This is certainly very extraordinary eroun'
We cannot remember that Noah, or Lot, or Isaia
or John the Baptist, ever planted himself upon
If it is TO be settled that prophets and e~yangelis
are only to reprove those sins which the sinner
already condemn and are ready 10 repudiate, "
can imagine no cause for which an apostle shoul
be stoned or beheaded hereafter. 1t might be pr,