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

F. A. Ross, A. G. DicxtRsoN,
GEO. M. CRAWFORD, p. r.. GRArrAN,
Isaac w. X. HANDY, JAMES G. HAMMER,
HENRY MATHEWS, WV. T.. CALDWELL,
A.. III. Ii. BoYD, GEo. w. HurcnINs,
j. r. MCLEAN. RODENT McLAIN,
ROBERT NJ. MORRISON, Il. ii. CLELANp,
+. X. GRAY, ROBERT +. RIA,
JonN b. LOGAN, GIDEON S. WHITE,
CHARLES NJ. ATKINSON, j. w. CLELAND.
DR.. Ross said that was o correct exposition Of
the views at the South.
The Assembly then listened to the
SPEECH OF MIR. AUSTIN A. GUTHRIE OF
OHIO.
lie proposed to give reasons why the Report
should be postponed. lie objected to that Report.
The statements made with regard to the views
South were not sustained by evidence-they were
entirely without evidence. Another point he made
against the Report, was the assumption that
Slavery, as it exists, is a Bible Institution. He
made serious objection to the Report. If the
BlDle decides the question of the right of Slavery
in lis favor, he had no appeal to make. lie did not
believe 1t right to go q step farther.
his system OF Slavery as il exists in our coun-
try, Is confeseedly antagonistic to the foundation
principles OF our own government, and none see
more clearly than do our slaveholding divines, that
one or the other must eventually be abolished.
The very nature Of tho case necessitstes an external
conflict, and however prolonged the struggle may
be, it Will go on until one or the other is acknowl-
edged victor.
The advocates Of slavery have little hope Of
arguing down the democratic doctrine of the equal
rights of all men to liberty and lie and the pur-
suit OF happiness, they are too shrewd not to know
that in this country it can't be done, and now they
fondly dream of accomplishing their ends by the
aid of q religious sentiment brought into silence,
by q dogma where it fails to convince by argu-
ment.
Our Declaration Of Independence, the work Of
mer of clear, discriminating minds. and many OF
them of deep piety, enshrined though it be in the
Nations heart OF hearts, is dragged forth to be
spit upon and to be scorned as O self-evident lie,
and all who truly believe in its great doctrines Of
universal brotherhood and universal freedom, are
tainted with ~infdelity to CJd. and nothing is
wanting but the power to hing down upon them
the anathemas and accommodations of these
slavebolding churches.
/ propose to examine some of the arguments or
assertions of tie slaveholding preachers, based
upon the Bike. OF course l must confine myself
to a small .umber Of texts and differences used in
this extraordinary discussion. / say extraordi-
nary, for it does seem strange at this age of the
world. and in this country above all others, and
especially it the Church of Christ, among enlight-
ened men, it is seriously debated whether self.
is the right Of men, whether man has
an inherent right to use the powers of body and
mind which God has given him, for the benefit of
--'ASh Va hStbSA bO 10 ~ 10 IN 40 ~ uCuu
to an end "a mere appendage to another man,
whether a man has right to claim and hold his
OWE wife, and his own children, which is superior
to the claims Of all other men, or whether both he
and they may righ:fully be held subject to. all the
contingencies of chattels, and be regarded as with
OUT any rights which the stronger are bound to
respect.
l know how much of latitude is taken in this
discussion everywhere, and how side issues are
sought in order to conceal the odious features of
the system which our opponents are aiming to
fasten upon US.
definitions given to the hateful word Slavery
80 odious that Mr.. Madison caused it to be exclud.
ed from our National Constitution.
And l wish here to say that by slavery, l mean
just what the law which regulates the system
means--nothing more, nothing less.--This is
sfdreTy as seen in the law which regulates the
system. What it is as seen in its practical results
will be best understood by the following descrip-
ton from the pen Of Mr.. Breckenridge, of Ken
what then is slavery? for the question relates
to the action of certain principles on it and to its
and proper results what is slavery a.
exists among us? We reply, it is that condition
by the laws of one half the States of this
Jontederacy, in which one portion of the commu.
iity, called masters, is allowed such power over
mother portion called slaves as
- pm thcm VI u tHtlTe earnings OF
heir own labor, except only as much as is neces-
airy to continue labor itself, by continuing health
Berry.
~. To reduce them to the necessity of UNI
,ERSAL CONCUBINAGE, by denying to them
he civil rights of marriage-thus breaking up the
leaIest relations of life, and encouraging UNI
PROSTITUTION.
"3. To deprive them Of the means and o~pportu.
1itles 81 moral and intellectual culture, in many
States making ita high penal offence to teach them
% read thus perpetuating whatever of evil there
that proceeds from ignorance.
"a. To set up between parents and their ch;,drsn
an authority higher than the impulse Of nature
and the law of God which breaks up the author.
ny OF the father over his own offspring, and. Mt
pleasure, separates the mother at a returnless dis.
lance from her child thus abrogating the clearest
laws of nature thus outraging all decencv and
justice. and degrading and depressing thousands
upon thousands of human beings, created like
themselves, in the image of the most high God
This is slavery as it is daily exhibited in every
slave State"
This is the slarery from which we aim 10 sep-
arate our churches. 1t is not the relation of
servant and master to which the objection is
made.
The constant strain of pro.slayerv writer, has
been to blend or confound distinctions so as 10 mis-.
lead the esssthoushtful.
On the naked proposition to allow slavery in
our church-the forced relation-slayer al seen
in the law which sustains is, and in the results
which legitimately flow from it, we are now called
to act.
1t is assumed that this forced relationships
coerced service is right-that it has the Divine
sanction. and in proof, many passages in the
Old Testament are quoted, and some in the
New.
have given to this subject some attention, and
with the best aid [ could obtain, have formed
in reference thereto.
For myself, l can say that the evidence to prove
that in any case. the Bible gives its approval to
the principle of human chattelship does not exist.
was the condition of the bondman Of
the Jew, this one thing is clear-he never was re.
garded as a chattel with the Divine approval, ~nsverl
| repeat it.
The whole argument is made to hinge on def.
nitions. Terms, the exact significance of which
e unguestionable, are forced into the service of
ro,Slavery adv~ocates--while principles arelthrust
aside, and all the prohibitions, and sanctions of
the plainly revealed moral law are ignored. The
Jehovah of the Jew and the Rede ,mer of the
are alike made to give sanction ia
to what they utterly forbid in preeept.