Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1857-04-11


inferior and degraded race, is on the part Of the
colored man at once the height OF folly and the
depth Of pusillnnimity.
Resolved, That no allegiance is due from any
man or any class at men, to q Government found-
cd and administered in iniquity, and that the only
duty the colored man owes to o Constitution under
which he is declared to be an inferior and degraded
being, having no rights which white men are bound
to respect, is to denounce and repudiate It, and 70
do what Le can by all proper means to bring it int
contempt.
Mr.. Purvis' speech in supp ort Of these resolu-
tions was brief and earnest. He secuted the idea
of colored people taking comfort from the %pretencs
that this decision of the Supreme Court was I'M.
constitutional. The Supreme Court, he said. was
the appointed tribunal. and what 1t said was
constitutional, was constitutional to all practical
intents and purposes. There was nothing now
in this decision; 1t was in perfect keeping with the
treatment Of the colored people by the American
Government. from TIE beginning to this day. MIR.
Purvis was asked by one of the audience if he had
not been acknowledged and treated as an Amerf-
can citizen. He said he had been. and that by
the Cabinet of General jackson. lilo stated that
intending to embark on a voyage to Europe, hS
applied to the Secretary of State Cor q passport,
and an informal ticket of leave, sort Of paper waa
sent to him in return.
He showed this to Mr.. Robert vaux, father Of
the present Mayor, who was 80 indignant that no
wrote to Washington on the subject, rs the result.
n formal passport giving him the protsctien Of the
Government as n citizen of the United States was
sent to him. But, said Mr.. Purvis. 1 was indebted
for this not to the American Constitstion or to tho
American Government, but to the generous impul-
SEES of General Andrew jackson, who had on moro
occasions than one in the then late war publicly
rendered his gratitude to colored "citisens" fol.
their brave assistance in the defence of the couu..
try.
Mr.. Purvis was followed by G. l. Remond. Of
Salem' Mass, who in reply to the same interroga-.
tor Itaton fhak bic GkLa. -
from the West Indies, was formerly naturalized A..
a citizen of the United States, but like Mr. Purvis,
he considered this no proof that the supreme
Court were not vested with power to declare that
people of African descent could not be citizens Of.
the United States. Mr.. Remond then offered the
following resolutions, with a view, rs ne said, Of
making the expression contained in those Of Mr..
Purvis more complete:
Resolved, That though many Of our fathers and
some of US have, in times past, exercised tile right
Of American citizenship; this was when n. betiery
spirit pervaded in the land, and when the patriotic
services of colored men in the defence offthe
country were fresh in the minds of the people; hut,
that the power to Cypress US 1t rked all the .ime i'm
the Constitution. only waiting to be developed avlt
that now when it suits the slave oligarchy to, ss--
sert that power, we are made to feel its grudinsS
weight.
Resolved, That what little remains to US. Of uoa-
litical rights in individual States. we hold, az We.
conceive only by sufferance; and that when il srits
the purposes OF the slave power to do 80. they Wilt
command their obedient dough-face allies at the.
North to take these rights away from us. and leave.
us no more place under the State Government tbsn,
we have under the Federal.
Resolved, That we rejoice that slave holding
desp"tism lays its ruthless hand not only on the
humble black man, but on the proud northern
white man. and our hope is, that when our white.
fellow slaves in these 50 called free States, see that
they are alike subjects with us to the slave olixar.
chy, the Inference in our servitude being only in
degree, they will make common cause with 10.
and that throwing off the yoke and striking for
impartial liberty they will join with us in our
efforts to recover the long lost boon Of Freedom.
Mr.. Remond spoke at length and with much
feryor. lie considered that for coiored people.
after this to persist in claiming citizenship under
the United States Constitution would be mean.
spirited and craven. We owe TO allegiance, hs
said, to q country which grinds US under it's iron
hoot and treats US like dogs. The time has gone
by for colored people to talk of patriotism. lie
used to be proud that the first blood shed in the
American Revolution THAT Of Attacks, who fell in
BOSTON, was that of d colored man. He used to
be proud that his grandfather, on his mothers
side. fought for liberty in the Revolutionary war.
But this time had passed by. The liberty purchase
cd ny the Revolutionary men was used to enslavs
and degrade the colored man. aud. as q colored
man, he loathed and abhorred the government that
could perpe.rate snch outrages. lie repudiatel,
he denounced the American Union in strong terms.
People might talk to him of patience" He had
no patience to submitq Quietly to chains and oppres-
sion. Let others bare their backs to the lash and
meekly md submissively wear their chains. That
was not his idea of duty, or of manhood, or Of
self'respect.
After further remarks by Messrs. Remond aad
Purvis, as also others in opposition the revolutions
were adopted.