Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1857-10-03

fails to afford that protection, that far fails OF its
duty ..... ..
Mr.. Smiths for asserting the moral right
Of the STAKEHOLDER to compensation is unique as
the doctrine itself. 1t is that we have led the slave
holder into his slAvehodng, have encouraged him
in it, and shared his profits. Now supposing these
assertions to be true, and what do they prove e?-|
Let us see. Mr. Smith and |, we will suppose, en-
ter into conspiracy to steal chickens. | encOur-
age and aid him in the theft, but he gets all the
chickens. After he has held them and their in
crease for years, become convinced of the sin OF
the transaction. aud call on Mr. Smith to restore
the stolen chickens to their rightful owners, who
are still living. Mr.. Smith demands of me,
condition of go doing, that shall pay him for the
chickens, on the ground that 1 encouraged and as
sisted him to steal them Now would not that be
q beautifully impudent demandP He has enjoyed
the profits of the theft, while have shared only
in its disgrace He was the mover and insigator
Of the robbery, while only acted assistant If
the right belong to either party TO claim pay 1t
would be to me, and OF to him. And yet his right
to pensatou for his stolen chickens would be as
good in all points the right of the stakeholder to
an equivalent for his slaves. IF we should ever
enter into piracy to steal, we shall try to find
a partner who has better notions of moral right
than Mr., Gerrit Smith. .-
| But 1--WE have shared the profits of the crime"
says Mr.. Smith. Have we, indeed? I? Let us look
at some Of these profits. The first that presen is
itself is the privilege of paying million OF dol
lars annually to carry the mails for the slave-hod
ers. Another fruit which the free states reap is
the privilege of paying three-fOurths of the pub
lie revenue, while two,thrds of it distributed to
the Shareholders. Another profit of the North
arising from slavery was the privilege OF paying
two hundred million dollars for the conquest o
Mexican territory for the spread of slavery fifty
millions in the Florida war to catch few runaway
'niggers," among the Indians in the Everglades ;
we pay three cents pound sugar for the benc-
fit of little squad of slaveholding planters in
Louisiana; thirty millions yearly to support an
army and navy, the main use OF which is TO keep
down negro insurrectiUns, carry back fugitive
slaves, crush out the rights of the free men of
Kansas fight the battles for the conquest Of slave
territory, &C., &c. These are some of the profits
of slavery which we of the North have shared
andsths blessed privilege Of paying millions on
millions yearly for the sole benefit OF the slave
holders entities these gentlemen, according to Mr..
Smith, to q "lair. ust, honorable equivalent" for
giving up their stolen men. women and children.
Was eyer such obscurity of mental and moral Wis
ion witnessed before in professed reformerY
If the slaves could be bought and set free,
should greatly rejoice in it, act of mercy to
them, just as we should rejoice in the purchase Of
christian captives from tie pirates of Algiers.
We have, however, little faith in the feasibility of
this scheme OF compensated emancipation, and
hence have taken little interest in the moment.
But to assert the moral right of the STAKEHOLDER to
pay for his slaves is to assert to tho fullest extent
the righteousness OF slavery. If man has a
moral right to pay for piece of property, then he
has a moral right to hold that property. Thereis
possible escape from this conclusion, and hence
it further follows if The stakeholder has moral
right to hold his slaves. that slavery is morally
right. This is the very doctrine Of DR.. Ross and
his clique, We give them joy Of their now con-
vert, Gerrt Smith.
To say that because two rogues enter into q
partnership to steal, that that entities either of
them to compensation flom the other for the stolen
goods is silly beyond measure. 1t entities both of
them to place in the penitentiary nothing more.
Nor is the case all altered il twenty millions en-
ter in tOa conspiracy to steal men, women and
children, and throw around their piracy the mock
cry Of the forms Of law The fact thar they are
many, and that they thus desecrate the form and
name of law, only adds to their guilt