Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1858-11-27
CALL FOR A STATE CONVENTION

~ Ooto'eu CttHe"S o Me Stdfe 81 ono:
We call on you to meet at Cincinnati on the 23d,
24th and 24th of November next, and there delib
erate on the bost means to secure your rights in
Ohio, and promote the interest of your race in the
United States. Citizens, you are denied the cleo.
tive francise YOU are excluded from the Jury
Box you are not admitted into the Poor Houses;
you are shut out from the institution for the In.
sane, Blind, Deaf and Dumb. You cannot Join
the Militia of the State and perform militai duty.
The Constitution prohibits ycu and limits the
members to white male citizens. Black male
citizens are enlarged aud supposed by the priv
LEGGED class, in case of emergency, TO be totally
unfit to uphold the pillars of State. This is d fatai
stab. 1t strikes at your loyalty and love Of coun-
try, which never was questioned until with,
in these latter days, by the new lights who
have sprung up like grasshoppers in the COM
munity. In the war for Independence, colored
men bore an honorable part, and many lost their
lives, and others were honorably discharged from
the service. At the great battle at New Orleans
colored men maintained their post in the ranks Of
the army with distinguished valor and Andrew
jackson declared that it is "a mistaken policy to
deny them the use of arms. And yet such men
cannot form a part Of the Militia Of the State =
Shame! You cannot. Citizens, be a Clerk, Coun
Gilman, Policemen, Member Of the Board of Pub.
lie Works, Commissioner, Attorney, Judge, Audit.
or, Treasurer, Secretary Of State, or Governor
You can hold no political ofica of trust, or honor,
or profit, under the State Government. You are
aliens in the eye of the law, inferior and degraded,
and entitled to no more protection and encourage.
ment than a Sand wich Islander, or O convict in
in Van Dieman's Land. The Legislature of Ohio
assemblies, and although it is supported in part by
your money, you have no representative in that
body.
Hence, your interest is totally neglected, and
your wants not provided for. Is this American ?
Is it in harmony with free and enlightened insti,
tutions? Citizens, these restrictions are anthem.
ocratic, and opposed to the liberal tendencies and
spirit of the age. The object of government. as
set forth by Thomas Jefferson. Samuel Adams
Benjamin Franklin, James Buchanan, James Mad
ison and George Washington, is. TO establish
justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for
the common defense, promote the general welfare,
and secure the blessings of liberty TO ourselves and
our posterity." 1t was not designed to establish
injustice, promote inequality. and secure chsins for
one sixth Of the entire population, Indeed, it re-
qrires no argument to prove that a State has no
right to Cypress and degrade q portion of her limo
cent subjects. We swear allegiance to the state on
condition that she will protect and make whole
some laws to govern US, and whenever she fails to
do it, the citizen is at liberty to choose whatsoever
king he will serve. We are not alone in this opin,
ion. Jefferson declared the King of Great Britain
a tyrans. and unftto rule q free people, because he
gave his assent to a law taxing the Colonies with.
out their consent. Patrick Henry. in the House
of Burgesses in Virginia, was no less bitter, and
reminded hisMajesty that he might meet thelfate Of
Charles the First.
Citizens, it is certain, then, that all partial
legislation is wrong. impolitic and unwise. You
cannot legislate for one class in q community. to
the injury Of another, without doing a serious
wrong to the individual as we'll as the State. To
this cause may be attributed all the evils that grow
out OF our State and National Legislation, and the
dark fOrbodings of the future. Two.thirds of ev
eryCongress is taken up in discussing the question,
"What shall we do with the niggerH" as though
the Negro was not e Man. When will American
statesmen learn this factf And the quarrels and
fights Of the mem bers indicate the storm that il
rising, which will sweep everything before it, I'm
less equal and exact justice lie dealt out to oil the
inhabitants of the Republic, without respect to col
or.
Citizens We call on you to do whatever is in your
power to redress those grievances, and stay These
pu bile wrongs. 1t cannot be done in a day, q
month, or a year; blu, by frequently meeting to-
gether, you can ag:tate the question, put it in com
motion, spread ligh, before the people. and urge
the use of the sacred right of Petition. and who
can doubt the success Of your causef We cal
upon you by everything that is sacred, to come GU
en- masse to the Convention. We ought have a
least five hundred delegates. Let every Ward anc
Township in the State be represented. Send you
best men, and send them with statistics concern
ing the number Of Churches, Schools and Societies
among you, the amount Of your wealth, and tn