Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1857-06-13

were not universal at the South. There were
his certain knowledge christian men and wome
there who repud late it-who do not deny tn
great principles of the Declaration of lndepent
ence-who were not willing to deny the grea
truths upon which our free government was iour
ed by stgmatzing them "stultihed absraC
tions.H lie had been told by other Southern gen
lemen in this assembly, that the sentiments nvow
ed by Doct. Ross were very prevalent at the Sout
and constantly gropiHg more So With these fact
before us, what should we doH lie wished to Loo
at the question with q view to arriving at wha
would be for tho good Of both, lie wos n con
servativc man. Upon most of the great question
of the day he in favor of a conservative course
of Policy. AS general thing he disliked ex
tremo measures-he thought they often resulted
in great evil But there were times when decid
cd measures seemed necessary. lie was in favor
of what might look like an extreme measure ir
this case. Whether the paper introduced by Mr.
Cutler, or that by Prof. Allen, would be best, he
woud not say-but something of this nature
clear and decided, he thought should be adopted
lie believed all were in favor of taking step in
advance which would be no "Delphic
oracle"-no Opaque absurdity"- that could
be seen and understood by all definite and papa-
bic. If 1t true, Dr. Ross had said, let the
action Of the present Assembly make itself under
stood The churches South, through their repre-
senatons here and elsewhere, had boldly dcclar
proved of God--they only did not go so far as the
Southern politicians, who asserted that slavery
was necessary to the greatness and glory of the
nation. We of the North ought to be equally
bold and magnanim ous--we should say to the
South. We at the North do believe slavery to bt
SIM and arc can neiher sanction sustain, foster OF
fellowship IT, We tell you this plainly and frankly
lie did not know that what he had to propose
could be done-he wished it might be dono-he
was satisfied the question could never be settled
without--but he would state it, 1t was for the
Church North and the Church South to agree kind
ly and fraternally to separate is this were &c.
complished he should be both sorry and glad
sorry to separate from his Southern brethren whom
he loved-glad that the great cause of strife and
dssension was cut of from tho church North -
lie was satisfied that it would be impossible, with
the decrepency of views to go on harmonlousy
together. What good could result from attempt
ing to do SO? If it was true, as the Southern
brother had said. that the slave had leceved some
benefits of civilization, by being brought from q
land of Paganism, it was evident that the tint
had come when he could be benefited no longer. II
were better for them to separate not as enemies
but ms brothers who mutually agreed to go differ.
ent ways. Abraham and Lo. were brothers, YET
they so agreed. lie believed there was great
deal of good feeling between the brethren North
and South, but no harmony of sentiment-ho did
not believe there was any prospect of union ol
sentiment, unless the South could be persuaded to
unite with the North in prom ouncing slavery q sin
and in all possible efforts to do it away. If they
would consent TO separate peacefully, each might
go on quietly in the way pointed out by their pc
culiar views. The Southern brethren said they
believed slavery blessed institution. They had
all their pleasant and sunny wales wherein to dem
onstrate their theory that slavery was not from
the Pit. There they might have it oil their own
way. They had fine field to work out the ex-
pertinent. On the other hand We of the North had
do La Il "A -
which to exhibit the blessings of liberty. 1t ex-
tended from the Atlantic Ocean to the waves Of
the Pacific. Within it, he had faith to believe,
would yet be included q Free Kansas Free
Missouri-a Free kentucky-a Free Delaware
and, although they might not live to see it, he be.
gother of representatives from all parts of the
Union, upon the shores Of the Potomac in Free
Virginia
Adjourned to u o'clock in the evening
DR.. Dewitt being entitled to the floor, spoke in
substance as follows
1t would he admitted that the Assembly was
not responsible for slavery in the South-slave-
holders are such under the Constitution, and we
dare not interfere 1t would also be admitted that
they were not responsible for the laws regulating
the institution in the several States Those laws
might be oppressive and wrong, but he did not
think any responsibility attached to the Assembly
in consequence. Whatever mi ght be their duty
as citizens of the Kingdom of Christ, they were
not in duty bound to enter into conflict with
their Southern brethren on this subject-nOr
would it be urged that the Southern Synods
were responsible for slavery nor the laws which
regulated it. If there any responsibility it
rested on those male citizens who were entitled to
vote, and who would be elected as legislators. So
far they might be responsible for the exercise of
their judgment. They were responsible and were
to exercise their judgment by the circumstances
which surrounded them-if they felt that it was
their duty to 90 into conflict with their neigh
bors they can do so-but they ere not amenable
to u.s. 1t was important to enquire how many
male citizens were there in the South who belong
ed to the Communion of the Church who could moi
exert any influence the institution as it existed
in the South. There were there five Synods with
membership of 14,773 souls-which included
all the country with the exception of the Synod Of
Mississippi. of this number of communicates
fifteen hundred were slaves--leaving about IL, 00C
white members OF those not more than ono in
five are citizens of the South who came in con-
tact with the institution. If in ten, then
there are l200,-f there are ono in fvo, then there
are 2400. And now how many Shareholders are
there in in these Synods? Between two hundred
and three hundred thousand, nearly all of whom
can be elected TO Congress, and thus exercise an
influence upon the subject Next, how much re.
sponsibily rests those 2400 persons for not en-.
tering into contest with these three hundred
thousand Shareholders in regard to the Institution?
That is the question. How many male citizens in
Ohio who have all the rights properly belonging
to male citizens There is statute in this State
which strikes as really at she foundation of
domestic institutions and which if carried out
carries in it's train wide spread vice and wrongs.
He alluded to the Marriage and Divorce laws, laws
directly contrary to the laws of Christ. There is
bur one cause mentioned in the Bible--the State
laws recognize nine or ten. What are our North
ern Brethren doingH Are they so much engaged
in pulling the beam out of the eye of their South
Brethren that they cannot see the large one in
their own The master is bound to respect oil
the rights of his slaye-all his rights if a hus'
band--al her rightsif wife, l don't deny that
it is the duty of all Christian men to see the laws
of Christ obeyod in this respect. He knew moth
ing of the Western Reserve Synods, but would the
world say that the Churches walked in all the
ways of God. Have they not members among
them who oppress the poor. and own stock in Sab
bath desecrating railroad companies Put the
Chufthes South alongside of the Churches North,
and then see who most violate the laws of Cod
In view of these facts we should ask ourselves