Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1857-04-11
For the Anttslavsry Dugle.
SENATOR BAOWN'S REPORT.

Select Committee Of One, to whom was referred
certain memorials praying the Dissolution Of the
Federal Univn," in the Ohio Senate. With every
desire to do justice to the author, whose anti
slavery predictions from the days Vt the Gran.
willie mob to the present, entities him to our good
wishes l must confess to a great lisa appointment
In the report he has produced. In that fidelity to
Tho cause Of the slave which demands "a faithful
exposure Of oil public men, aud public acts, which
have an adverse bearing upon it, must criticise
hss it seems to deserve, in the spirit Vt neither
fear nor favor.
The bold words spoken by Mr.. Brown in the
Senate during the last session, gave Abolitionists
the right to infer that he az least would consider
and report upon the memorial as a statesman,
rather than as q mere party politician. Upon the
occasion Of the memorable outrage OF the save
power 10 Cincinnati, in the case of Margaret
Garner and others, he had said, I'm the history OF
shis Republic the very hour has arrived
when we are tamely to submit to an overShad-
ewing central despotiem, or with brave hearts
and strong hands and 1T all hazards, assert peace.
ably if we may. aud forcibly if ice must. our
sovereignty as a State Sir | um for the latter
alternative" The sovereignty Of Ohio is in the
ause. lne Mst NestBe VI othto n'S"ts 10 '"'"
lated. Despotism US Of old, with iron hand, and
garments dyed in blood, rulos the hour, For one
] say, and ray it boldly, that we should no longer
submit, and permit the vandal slave power to bear
s~piversal sway"
After all this bravery in words, what pity that
Mr. Brown has found himself no better prepared
10 act The memorial, upon which at his own
request he was called to report, set forth the
fact that the existing Union between the Free
and Slave States involves all the supporters OF
tbe general Government in the support OF Ameri-
can Slavery that the Union instead of securing
10 ourselves, and our posterity, the blessings OF
liberty, has been and still is the mos' efhcient
mesus uf crushing out the personal liberty OF the
si,isens of all the States, and OF perpetuatihg
and extending Slavery, and for these and other
reasons it asked for measures preliminary to the
Nitbdrawal Of the State from the Union lhere
was the allegation Of important facts. by men
whom the report characterizes as ABLE ana earn
est" Their afirma,iuns, in the petltiohs' were
either wilfully or accidentally erroneous, or truth
full and Of momentous consequence. III the form
ar tbe petitioners aud the country had the risht
60 expect the errors would be made manifest to
all the world. II truthful, they had equally the
righ, to expect a report favorable 10 their ob, eCt'
or the presentation of sume more excellent way
of relieving the people of Ohio from the reSpoi''
sibility and the %ignuminy OF uPh0lding slavery
and by other means OF fulfilling obligations 10
tho Slave. The more especially had they the
right to expect this from a Legislature proiesseu-
" snti-slavery. and a COMMITTEES claiming a prom
ipent position liz opposition to the Slave POWER
But instead of a calm and thorough calculation
Of the facts and principles involved, we have a
mingliug of history and bombast, oil lac. anu
fus.isn, and the endeavor of the partisan to turn
the whole matter to political account III the build
ing upof tarty. We find no examination OF the
t,u,btuluts. tr ttluvise q ile alleged thttt
nor of their bearing upon the interests and destiny
Of the nation.
The report is alike amenable to criticism for
what it omits and for what it contains. A curse
appears to pursue every man who attempts a part
In American politics. Principle is invariably
sacrificed to party success. An enlightened and
conscientious s;atesman, would naturally have
made this the occasion for n grave and serious
examination Of the Constitution, and the conse
auences involved in n loyal adhesion to it. lie
would have shown wherein the memorialists were
mistaken in their views of the requirements, and
operation of that instrument, upon the Slavery
question. or if unable to do this. would have
eouneeiled with them, an immediate withdrawal
from an Union which compromises the persona!
hor or, and moral integrity, of each of its adher-
snts. What connection had the comparison be-
tween the Disunionists of the North, and of the
South, with the real question submitted to that
committee? Its introduction into the report ap.
pears to have been n mere subterfuge, an attempt
to throw dust for party purposes.
Suppose Washington did sign n bill cxclud-
ing Slavery from every foot of soil belonging to
she United States" SUPPOSE Jefferson did think
IL Constitutional" to do 30. The memoriulists
did not ask for a secession of the State as a
means of keeping Slavery out of the Territories.
Their Object was we'll understood to be is aboli-
tion in the States, where it now exists, and this
was the point in the question which tho m
dared not meet. Only a few months since the
author of that report, in conjunction with Mr..
Letter. held a political meeting in the village of
Marlboro, in which the positi n was distinctly
and emphatically assumed. that the continuance
of Slavery in the States is dependent upon the
assistance v hich is given ty the North to sustain
II. aud as a consequence, that the dissolution Of
che Union would accomplish the certain overthrow
of Slavery. In illustration of this point the
speaker said, "build q wall around the Slave
States SO as to exclude all foreign influence, and
in q year look over that wall and you will witness
q real Black Republican party" thus intimating
shat in that short period the Slaves would obtain
the ascendancy and secure their freedom. 1t is
undoubtedly true then, as this fact gives evidence,
that Mr.. Brown knows the afirmations of the me-
morialists to be correct and therefore he dare not
recognize and report upon them. Usually when
Abolitionists admit the goodness OF heart and ex-
ssllencs of intention of their Rep uhlican friends
they are compelled to compliment the heart at the
expense Of the head. but in the case Of this report,
this charitable nripilepn Ia denied us. Mr.. Brown