Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1857-06-20

crease and slaves are very valuable The pecu-
MARY temptation to hold them is greater then
ever. Slaves have been better fed and clothed for
the last twenty years than ever before in Mary
land. The people of the free States scarcely know
how fast slaves multiply. A brother who had two
young girls in 1874 may now have twelve or fifteen
young slaves as the product.
"Why you astonish me p says one; 81 thought
that anti-slavory principles on the increase
since the division of the church,"
But the fact is. that our members don't care one
cent how much the preachers slap each other and
the bishops about holding slaves; nor how much
they talk against slavery IN the abstract, and advo
cate colonization, if they will but abuse abolition
lists without defining the term, and never hint even
in private conversation, that it is q sin in |
private mombers to hold slaves, and get rich
on their labor. When you strike the key
note, you will find out there is very little difference
between tho laity of the Methodist Episcopal
Church and the laity OF the Methodist Episcopal
of slavery Do the members of the Church South
hold slaves for life ? So do Do their slaves
live in promiscuous intercourse2 So do ours
Do they refuse to vote for men who will advocate
state laws prohibiting masters from separating
mother from children2 So do our MEMBERS
On one point there is entire unanimity among the
laity of the slaveholding portion of our 1.-THE
Phladelphia) Conference and that is opposition
to the free colored people having day schools in
which to teach their children to read the word of
God. know numbers Of free colored people who
are able and willing to educate their children but
no person dare teach them and they must look
on and see their children grow up in ignorance
A free negro can send his children to the grog
shop with black jug; he can get drunk, and no
one interferes.
Tell it not in old papal Rome that Methodists,
Presbyterians, and Episcopaians, in the nine
teenth century, in the United States of America,
are contending that part of the human race
should be kept in ignorance, gross and hopeless
ignorance; that ignorance in slaves is the mother
of decotion and State security that the grog-shop
is better than the schoolhouse; and rum better
than education.
A free colored man of property petitioned the
LIE yislature of Maryland to pass law to exempt
his property from schoo-tax, as he could not edu-
cate his own children. Some of its members were
in favor of the exemption; but the delegate from
the county of the petitioner, who was n prominent
member of the M. E. Church, opposed it, on the
ground that the petitioner cas erempt from militia
Iyy dutyi But it is contended that the members
of the Church South can sell negroes to the
traders in flesh and blood, when they please, but
that members can be expelled for such
traffic. We will grant that this is the theory
but in practice there is very little difference,
far as my knowledge goes. There many
ways to avoid this rule and expulsion. Take. an
example.
Bro. Hardshell wants money; perhaps he has
an extravagant family. He has made up his mind
cuse, he charges him with impudence. His con-
science goads him /; and he is ashamed to tie him,
an1 ride with him to the county town, and be
caught bargaining with the negro driver. So he goes
to Mr.. Sknfint,gwho represents a class of men in
the South that, for fifty cents, will give woman,
stripped to her waist thrtynine lashes and offers
him twenty-five dollars if he will come home at
night and take him to the negro buyer and this is
done, according to contract. Perhaps weeks elapse
before the preacher hears it, and then it is nigger
news" 1t is considered beneath the dignity of q
gentleman to be prowling around negro quarters
to see if any slaves are missing But should the
preacher in charge call on Bro, Hardshell he de-.
mands proof that he ever sold slave. There is
no proof at hand. If he admits it, he charges the
negro with being thief, or being saucy, or with
some other fault.
This is about the end of the affair. And the
preacher must not show too much zeal in the mat
ter. If he does, the cry of "abolitionists" will
soon ring about his ears. Mr.. Skinfnt can pro-
cure among his associates plenty of tar and
feathers. 1t is sometimes the case that slaves
under age commit crimes for which the courts
order them sold. In such cases, Christian masters
should not that money for the support Of their
families, but use it for the good of the colored
race.
1t is urged that, if we pronounce 'slaveholding
sin, we shall drive our slaveholding members
into the Methodist Protestant, Presbyterian, and
Episcopal churches, and into the M. E. Church
his slaves without molestation. But we should
IDEAL justly" and "love mercy" though the pill
lars of heaven fall.
n y \
Preachers brought up in Pennsylvania, who
may be anti-slavery in their principles, are tram.
mcled when they 60 into slave territory. They
must own or deny Christ with regard to slarery
pretty soon; for things have come to that point
that Shareholders want to know your sentiments
soon after you arrive the circuit If the preach
er denies his antislavery principles, he is self
disgraced man at the bar of his own conscience
If he confesses them, he must leave, or be an
noyed all the time If he sells his principles for
wife or good salary, he becomes the worst of pro
slavery preachers. All appostates pursue thi
course. The fact is, the Philadelphia Conference
has humored and compromised with slavery IN
Delaware and Maryland so long, that it is nov
unmanageable. The cry is stronger than ever
''The Discipline as it isp' And if the Camera
Conference should ever make non-slaveholdinl
and non-slavebreeding test of membership, tb
Eastern Shore of Maryland will 60 to the Church
South. And this after all the indulgence th,
North has shown toward the Border brethren; ant
after losing thousands of members in the fre
States, every year perhaps, because the Discipline
allows private members to hold their fellow
creatures as chattels. And if separation take
place, it will engender more bad feeling than i
would have done in 1914.