Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1857-10-24

Churches, 1. c. those Congregational, Presbyterian,
Methodist and Baptist Churches that are indie
pendentiof the State.
The undersigned have had no agency, not even
by way of suggestion, in the preparation of this
appeal, and are simply the selected agents of the
Committe at Paris to bring it to the knowledge Of
American Christians. They respectfully request
the editors of newspapers, both religious and secu.
lar, throughout the country, to aid in giving it the
widest circulation
ALBERT WOODRUFF, A Front street.
JOSEPH p. THOMPSON,
Pastor Of the Broadway Tabernacle Church.
New York Sept. 26, 1867,
The Protestant Christians Of France to all their
Brethren in the United States Of america, Greet
ing and Peace through Jesus Christ.
BRETuR2N: We come to you with q few words
which we have so long held back that they weigh
heavily upon our consciences. Yes. for a long
time past-and we ought to have told you've
have followed you through the great and solemn
crisis to which your country is a prey we make
your griefs and prayers our own. Forgive a 81.
lence which, had it continued, would, in our view,
have become a want of faithfulness.
A question glowing with interest meets us when.
ever we turn our thoughts toward the other side
OF the Atlantic-a question upon which recent
events have concentrated the attention of all
Europe-a question, in fact, so nearly allied to the
honor Of Professionalism that we may no longer
pass it by unnoticed. SLAVERY lis it necessary to
name the word ?)-t this is the subject upon which
we would now open our hearts to you.
Do we come before you as judges, as accusers
By no means, Our only aim is to make known to
you our thoughts, our unanimous conviction, so as
to encourage some, charitably to warn others. and
openly to refute the calumnies brought against our
common faith
Do you know what language daily greets our
ears? "Protestantism," they say, land Slavery
agree wonderfully well. In the United States this
odious institution number many Christians among
its advocates they preach and pray in its behalf,
? they labor to extend its territory. And this sla-
l very, for which they thus act, is the selling of
$ families by retail. the breaking up of marriages
d the yearly recruiting of the market with men,
women, and children, picked one by one from the
o plantations of Virginia and Kentucky it is, in
f short, a monstrous thing, not merely revolving to
= pious minds, but at variance with the first elements
:, of humanity. Nevertheless, the Protestants of
IS America accept this state of things they deem it
IS il accordance with the Gospel, and the Protest.
ants of Europe undoubtedly think as they do, or
l they would have verted their feelings in one strong
cutlery of grief and disapprobation !"
~ Brethren, we must not give our enemies coca.
u sion for such language. As for US, we feel the ne
cessity of prOclaiming abroad that there is not
among US one single Christian who has been able
D to reconcile with tn law of love and holiness the
n right of possession in one man over another. thu
hlhhihS vi IlhllOl Il uClIES lit IlT
barous breaking up of family ties, the suppression
Il of marriage, the unavoidable increase Of immora
relations.
We know that under the economy of the Ole
Testament--an economy which no longer exists
slavery as well as polygamy was tolerated bu'
tolerated with such restrictions that the law o
= Moses had almost suppressed it. We know tina
~ afterwards, at Rome and in Greece, the Apostles
brought face to face with slavery land this SLAYER,
ir was widely different from yours, since everything
in the laws of those heather nations favored eman
c%ipation)- til Apostles, we say, faithful in this t
their principle of never interfering with the ciyi
law, did not and could not pronounce q decree O
legal abolition, since such q proclamation on theii
part would have rendered impossible the spiritua
revolution for which they labored, BY TRANSFORMING
it into a social revolution, But we also know tina
at the same time they spread throughout the who'll
world fruitful principles, whose development mus
+ everywhere overthrow that deplorable institution
known under the name Of slavery.
Do not imagine that we fix our thoughts unon
lew exceptional cases of cruelty, or that we den,
the kindness and gentleness of many a slayebolder
We say that, independently of the cruelty of som,
and the kindness OF very many masters, slavery
such as 1t inevitably is, such as your laws and off
cial declarations define it to be, is a most terribl
calamity.
Do not think either that we pretend to exalt our
selves above you. Our own evils are great. and w
may not be proud. Who knows whether. if sitna
'h- ted as shareholders are, we would not yield to tn
same influences
III. Your difficulties are very great not TO make al
is. lowance for these would be unjust. Nothing shor
he OF Christian faith can triumph over them IN
es Faith Will work miracles. Has it not, in snite n
IRE everything, already secured the abolition Of Eno
ar. lish slavery Victory with you will he mncI
more illustrious. 1t lies in your power 10 rende
is to the cause of the Gospel. to the cause of Pro,
ess estantism' the most signal service they have re
nd ceived for ages. wv
Believe us, we feel for you, for your honor 70
of your country, a Christian Jealousy. Your trjols mr.
md our triais, and your success will be our suoces,
INV we need to see you great and honored. When W
lis. see the respect and admiration once commando
by the United States daily on the decrease whe
zen we see their enemies lift up their heads, and 10,
est fully point to the rock upon which, in their oDi,
Al ion, America will wreck its fortunes. re are sci
nav ed with bitter grief. And what shall so much
Itly true ilberty, 50 many noble examples. SO man
generous purposes, so many Christian deeds. di
be, appear behind one monstrous scandal-tbe Mar
in ior the triumph of American slavery?
to Scandal is tho word Our age, YOU NAV re-
ort assured, will not bear with it. One can easily n,
as derstand that States in which slavery already q
the lists cannot rio themselves of it in a day: hut
,ue spread the leprosy into other Territories svsten
Iaueally to plan the extension of the disease