Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1857-04-18
Ube Anti 5laperp Buale.
tfom the Cleveland Leader.
TRUTH or HISTOhY INDICATED.
LETTER FROM MR. GIDDrNGs TO JUDGE
TANEY.
NUMBER THREE.


colonies; and in that committee, two years and a
halt prior TO the Declaration of Independence,
tho foundations of our Republic were laid. Tho
declaration Of rights contained the following Ian.
guage:
"That the inhabitants of these colonies, by the
inmutable laics Of nature, the principles of the
English constitution and their several charters
are entitled to life, liberty and property and new
or ceded to any sovereign power the right to dis
pose of either"
Messrs. Galloway and Duane, members Of the
committee, were for striking out the words ''inl
pautabls laos Of nature" which give 10 every hu-
man being equal rights to life, liberty and prop
erty. They desired to continue under the British
government, and would leave the people of the
colonies dependent the British constitution, for
. definition Of their rights Here was the point
AZ which our fathers separated from the mother
country. The "Masna charta" of King John,
which forms the basis of the English constitution,
had secured the rights of ife liberty, and proper
ty to free men only. Mr.. John Adams was for
separating from the English government and
would base the rights of the people upon the nat
ara law, which was then as now, acknowledged
10 be the will of God. The term 'inhabi:anf was
not confined in its Specification to citizens, or to
free men, or to whites or to black men, or to al
lens, or to native born, or to christians, or to
heathens but included all men, of every nation
kindred, tongue and people, who inhabited or liv-
cd in the colonies. 1t did not assume to emanci-
but it did their rights to liberty, and the
avails of their own labor not by municipal laws,
nor by human constitutions, but by that higher
authority, the 'immutable laws of nature the re-
sognized will of God
Mr. Adams n member of the sub committee
had up drawn the declaration and reported it to
the committee of twenty-four Of oil men then
living, he was probably the most familiar with the
subject, aud most strenuous to retain this great
feature, which from that day to this has dis
~. II II r
nations and people. The committee of twenty
four agreed to the report which was then present
Cd to the congress and adopted by that body and
published to the country and the world.
On this doctrine fathers based their vindica
tion when they made their appeal to that dread
tribunal of arms which followed. The patriots
who fell at Lexington and Concord aud Bunker
Hill shed their blood in defence Of these rights
and not to maintain the power of masters to
scourge, and murder their slaves. They did not
sacrifice their lives to establish the revolving prop
osit;on that ''the black men had no rights which
white were bound to respect" They repu-
dated such Iiratica ideas, and endeavored to sub
s'tute in their place the principles of justice that
attribute of Deity which guarantees equal rights
TO all men,
This declaration of princi Piles first drew the line
OF fdemarcaton between the Tories and the friends
Of equal rights which subsequently became more
and more distinct. The Tories denied there was
any higher law than human constitutions. and in
sisted that the slaves ought to remain in bondage
and the colonies continue dependent on the Brit
ish crown.
The disposition for separation from the mother
government however, became very general after
the battle of Bunker Hill ; and Declaration OF
Independence was demanded by the people of sew
ersl colonies. The Quakers holding their yearly
meeting at Philadeph for the year lII6, adopt
ed measures for expclng from their connection
all members who refused to emancipate their
slaves Their proceedings were published, and
furnish perpetual contradiction to your asser-
tion that the "upiniOn was fixed and universal
among tho civilized portion of the white race, that
eolored men had no rights which white were
bound to respect" Immediately the members of
that extensive and reputable denomination OF
christians throughout the colonies emancipated
their slaves. AS early as May, l776. committee
OF five was appointed by Congress, to draw up
Declaration of Independence. That committee
consisted of Thomas Jefferson John Adams Ben
jamin Franklin, Roger Sherman and Philip Liv-
ingston. After discussing the subject in committee
Thomas Jefferson and hn Adams we're appoint
ed subcommittee Of all the men in the colo
nies, no two could have been selected whose opn-
ions we're better known. Throughout the nation
they were both recognized as unyelding advocates
Of the equal rights of all men to liberty"
In 1869 Mr. Jefferson, as a member Of the colo
NAL legislature of Virginia had brought forward
and advocated plan for emancipating the slaves
of that colony. In l174 he had declared in his
letter to the colonial convention Of Virginia, that
'1he abolition Of domestic slaUery wgs tie greatest
Object Of desire in the colonies" In the same let
ter he charged the British King with "preterring
the advantage of a few African corsairs to the
rights of human nature" These things were pub
lished in England and in the colonies and how
ever men may dstort the language of Mr..
Jefferson, and deny his meaning, statesman or
jurist of that period was ignorant of his views, or
could have expected from his pen any other decla-
ration than that which he afterwards repoi ted
2nch yUa the caae with MIR Adams Indeed
unyielding were HIS views, and so publicly were
they known, that on his way to Congress, he was
met in New Jersey by delegation from the ''sons
Of liberty" of Pennsylvania, and advised by them
TO make no movemen! in favor of Independence
b;mse,f but -, ., "et some southern man 10 do it
He had boldly asserted the rights of the .inha6-
itants of the colonies in the declaration OF Iva,
and that document has been discussed and exam
ined throughout the country and approved by the
people and no man expected he would recede
from the doctrines therein expressed. Mr.. Jemer'
son had also attained celebrity as an accomplish
cd scholar and writer: For these reasons MIR. Ad'
ans insisted that he should draw up the Dec!ara'
tion OF Independence.
Previously to this Lord Dunmore had induced
many southern slaves to enter the British fleet and
army and while this subject Of declaring inde-
pendence was under consideration some OF these
colored seamen were captured by one of our prl-
vateers and taken into Boston where they were
advertised for sale. But the colonial Legislature
recognizing them as men, holding the same rights
as white men, prohibited the sale, and ordered
them TO be treated in the same manner as other
prisoners of war. AT the same time Congress
itself was engaged in plan for enlistng aregi
mont Of slaves for the continental service. These
public acts show that public sentiment demanded
the re-assertion of the doctrines avowei in IVA
When Mr.. Jefferson had mpleted the origna
draft ho submitted it to Mr.. Adams, as member
Of the cub committee Mr., Adams declared no wa'