Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1857-08-01

Of dark. forlo. despair, his c~ulogists cxtol him as
worthy of the conpanionship Of tho purost spirits
of tho upper heaven.
Were the circumstances connected with Mr.,
Knox not peculiar, ! would not ask to be heard
concerning him, but they are.
Tho deceased was formerly a minister in the
Old School Presbyterian Church, and held in high
estimation as such, especially by those of reform.
atory tendencies. In the Fall of 1913, he became
convinced, after q thorough examination of the
whole question, that a church, which according to
facts, and the declaration of its own highest tri-
bunal, retained, approvingly, within its member
ship, eldership and ministry, men whom it de-
clared to be the "highest kind of thieves"-"sin-
ners Of the first rank"-even, "manstealers".-
That, n Church, whose approved members were
living in the daily preparation of wha; its highest
court declared to be, q gross violation oil the most
precious and sacred rights Of human nature" and
Totally irreconcilable with the spirit and principle
of the gospel of Christ"-&c., was not a lit organ
i~zation for a decent, honest man, to say nothing oil
r Christian minister, to be connected with, and when
the Beaver Prosbytery of which lie was a member
met in Hopewell Church, at New Bedford, in Jan.
1874, Mr.. Knox, in opposition to the entire Pres-
bytery. made a triumphant, and ue-
fence, of the duty of secession and though he
had not the least assurance of material aid III
his new position, and, with a dependent family
without fortune, himself unused to labor, he "con'
fcrred not with flesh and blood" but determined
to seceie though it should reduce him to boggary'
prcferring to be alone in the right, rather than to
enioy ease, afiuence, and honor with a guilty null
titude. However, about GO of the members OF
IIopewell congregation, seeded with him, and
formed tie first Free Presbyterian Church that
was ever organized in the United States, lie then
continued to preach, and organize Free Freshly
terrain Churches, in various places, for about two
years, when, coming in contact with some OF the
agents of the American Anti Slavery Society, he
made, las was his custom) an honest effort to de-
fend his principles, but, having, in his own
opinion failed, and doeming his connection with
the government of the United States indeifnslblc'
he determined, once more, cost what 1t might 10
secede, and abandon his voluntary support, OF a
Pro-Slayery Constitution and Government, and,
thonceforth, he became n disunionist. From that
time he was compelled by necessity, almost entire
ly to abandon public life, and he betook himsel!
with most untiring industry to the improvement
of his farm, in which effort,ho was eminently sue
~cessful. lie was most pointed in his rebukes,
having the misfortune of being always understood.
For this. he was hated, and malgned, by cowardiy
hypocrites, and persistent transgressors, to an cx-
tent seldom equalcd in the history of the most un-
Welding reformers. For acting out his convictions
on the Sunday, and other questions, his property
was repeatedly sacrificed, by fine, or otherwise.
lie had however, before his death, by a persistent
.l.-.1a,A ,Anrr;tu and nnrlnlt-I
ness, so disarmed public prejudice, and bigotry'
that he was permitted to carry out his CONVICTIONS,
withou molestation. Ills views of consistent anti
slavery action, forbade him to use the the products
of slave labor. lie held it to be extremely lncon-
%sistent, to profess anti-slavery sentiments, and yet
by the purchase of slave grown products, hoid out
10 the stakeholder, the most efficient bribe possible
IN induce him to continue his villainous plnnder,
and 10 carry out their convictions on the subject,
he. and his family, for the last 90 years, made sac
riGces, such as are rarely made, to carry out II
principle. He was led, by various circumstances
TO examine, thoroughly the whole SUBJECT OIL
Theological Orthodoxy, and the result was that lie
discarded almost the entire system OF popular re-
ligion, viewing it, for the most part, as degrad-
ing, and demoIalizing imposition, OF which, Good
men ought to try to rid the world, az its tendency
was. as it always has been, to retard all radical
reformation. lie died n Spiritualist, and what
the church calls, a thorough l%nftel, and his life
and the manner of his death, triumphantiy'
~refutes, the oft repeated declaration of the priest
hood, that faith in the inspiration of tho BiOle,the
atonement of Christ, &C., was essential to a calm
and peaceful death. For while he rejected almost
entirely the Christian system of Theology ne"
Christian ever yielded up his spirit, more calmly
peacefully, or with a moro rational, or satisfactory
faith in his future, eternal felicity than he dla'
And he said that all he asked OF the Church, con
corning himself, was, that she would not lie re-
spec,inc him as as she had done of those %lntdels
who had gone before him.
But lest this brief and hasty notice should be-
come too extended for yOur columns, will con-
cludo it, Yours truly,
W, w. WALKER.