Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1858-05-15
Chr Anti 9laperp Bualr.
SALEM, ONO, MAY Is, 1853.

SALEM, ono, MAI 10, 1903.
The RESULT OF INTERCHANGEABLE result Of
the last struggle in Congress between the great
antagonisms Of the nation, has resulted like those
which have preceded it-on the part Of the friends
Of freedom first a compromise, then n defeat
A repetition of the Oft taught lesson that justice
is always the looser in any bargain with ~iniquity.
Resist the Devil, mot bargain with him) is the
only truly practical philosophy, however those
who at;emp pit to practice it are dcrijed as fools and
impracticables.
When tho Lecompton Constitution WIS present.
ed in Congress, the whole Republican phalan1
met it with the most positive resistance. Their
moral testimony against the abomination was On.
com promising and unequivocal. But at length
political cunning mastered the sternness Of their
moral principle, A bargain was proposed in the
Crittenden amendment to the bill and preferring to
buy what they called a success by the surrender
Of what should have been the cardinal principle of
their opposition, they embraced the bargain, con-
seutiug to u law which permitted Sla, err in Kan.
sas, provided Kansas, herself desired it. Thus the
party whose one objec t was avowedly the restric.
ton Of slavery in Kansas, consented to its exteD.
sion over the state on certain conditions. 1t
avails not to say these conditions would rot prob.
ably be complied with. The great law o. right
was set aside by the party, and thus its moral
power, which as the representative OF justice and
liberty was the prestige Of it's success, was wan.
tonly thrown away and its claimed victory was
only n defeat, IA the result has shown. This sac.
sacrifice of principle, led Democratic sectors to be.
lieve and say that Republicans, were like
| tbomealros norfootIy daat;tuta af ,r;,o;-1o
They had alrea dy turrended this by voting for
the Critenden amendment, The vital element
on which their cause rested, and they we're ombol.
dened their adversary to hope for success in
another and baser compromise, hence the Confer
e ence Committee, and the triumph of its impudcn'
rascality.
This train Of thought has been suggested by q
n recent letter from Mr.. Giddings to tho AshiaJuio
u Sentinel, in which he says:
u There are few members who do not now tbinl
= it had been better to have stood firmly on the
Republican position and met the %Lecompton frauc
Ii by q direct vote, than to have adopted the Compr0
mise. l entertain no doubt that every membe,
who voted with them on the amendment would
have stood by them on the direct vote. But
n large majority Of our friends favored the Com
promise. They were sincere. The press Of til,
country proclaimed it a glorious arrangement, anC
li u lIhC ~ VI ucCldiCu u BtChf 'Otu j. WV
Republican paper insisted that those Republican
. who refused so support it were GIiJed. Indeed
S on the passage of the bill there were rejoicings
firing of cannon. and bonfres through the coun
try, in honor of the victory.
| All, this sober second thought, which come
with the knowledge that their glorious victory
8 is only q base surrender, and avails only to brin,
them dishonor-what a pity it had not come befor
u from a stern faith in moral principle. 1t would
have saved the honor Of the party and the con
, sciences OF individuals. ani though they hat
> - been out voted on the record, would have won tn
battle, for such moral courage is contagious, an,
Ii. Mr.. Giddings who has learned tie views Of thes
10 now wiser Republicans, thinks that ecery membe
! lcho poted ,ciM them on the amendment poild har
stood By them on the direct cote" No doubt Of i
ps Thus Cox and Pendleton and Grossbeck an
". their brethren with weak knees would have bee
strengthened and led onward into the Republicn
Dc fold, at least on this question.
y Well. we trust these regrets and convictions {
the Republican party, though they come too la,
to avail anything in this case. will not be lost @
ct, forgotten in the next conflict which may cnsue c
in the general policy of the party.