Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1858-03-20
WHOLE NO. GAG.

n. commencement of my remarks. They claimet
m for themselves no special privileges. They spoke
they fought, they bled 10 establish this universal
n this eternal principle OF mans right TO livs5 II
r. noursh his body, protect his life to elevate his
a moral nature, and attain happiness. This they
ir proclaimed the basis, the cornerstone, not merely
lie of our Republic, but of human Governments gener
" ally. The Constitution framed and adopted
upon this then universally admitted principle bu,
such the anxious socitude OF our early patri
Il ote that in two years after its adoption, it wss
d amended, by declaring in explicit language: "Tha
person shall be deprived Of life, liberty, or proper
ty ercept By due process Of ta" thats, except on
trial and conviction before some judicial tribunal
IN accordance with these truths one half OF tho
i States of Union proceeded to give liberty to
all their people. to protect the inalienabe rights OF
all but the other States embraced and chez ished
this infdeli,y which has at length infused itself
, into our Federal Government. Our teachers, our
politicians, statesmen, became unwilling TO Of
, iend those who had embraced this nfdelity. They
were received into churches, elected TO civil office,
, and finally obtained control of the Government
All classes of men became affected by this disbe-'
lief in Gods law and in human rights. 1t was re-
garded as disreputable to examine the crimes
which this system of oppression upheld social
and political ostracism awaited the who dared
speak disrespectfully Of its iniquities.
Eventually individuals appeared who were wifi
ing to encounter odum in order to arouse the re-
hplpus ana moral SenslDllltleS oil the nation, ana
In 1885, national convention met at Philadelphia
! TO devise means for overcoming this moral and po-
lltical scourge. The members pledged themselves
! to each other and to the world, to maintain the
truths to which 1 have alluded, and they now con-
stiute the platform Of large and increasing po-
litical party
That day witnessed the dawning of reforfas-
ton more deep, more radical, more important in
its regious,itS moral lis social and political effects
upon mankind than has occurred since the Elk
theenth century. 1t is more deep and radical than
that commenced by Calvin and his colaborers It
serts the right of man to religious and moral ele-
vaton as superior to the power OF kings,o of human
governments. The great refOrnners of that age
dared put forth such doctrine Their lives
would have constituted the price of such al avow-
al. They were constrained to admit the divine
right of kings over the liberties of their people,
and many Of the usurped powers Of the church.
The Philadelphia convention will be remembered
in coming time as first in the history of the potic-
al parties of our nation to make religious truths
the basis of its political action, and frat to pro-
claim these rights of mankind as universal, to
be enjoyed equally by princes and people, by
rulers and the most humble. 1t was the 6rst to
proclaim the fatherhood of God and the brother.
hood of man. The result OF the presidential eleo-
tion of 1856 showed the advocates of oppression
that there but alternative for them to pur.
sue. They were constrained to take distinct issue
with the advocates of liberty by denying these re-
gous truths, disband their party in every free
4 State.
The Supreme Court was selected as the instru.
ment for officially avowing this undisguised inf.
deity. That tribunal was favorably constituted
tor such a purpose; majority OF it's members
were Shareholders. Other members had been ap-
pointed to Office apparently on account of theif
uniform servility to the slave power; and every
circumstance combined to render it the appropri-
ate instrument for performing this work. The
time. too was matter of importance. No sooner
had the Thirty First Congress adjourned, than q
&c Al, &c
declared rules, digressed from the question before
them to utter its denial of those doctrines of the
republican fathers.
But this decision opposed as il is to the self
evident truths of Declaration of Independence,
to the letter and spirit of the Constitution, to tho
intelligence and conscience of the American peo-
pie, is emphatically repudiated by them. The
vanity and arrogance exhibited by majority Of
the court in charging Hancock and Adams and
Jefferson and Franklin and their llustrous COM
peers. with proclaming doctrines which they did
not intend to express and of failing to after prH
ciples which they intended to avow, has called
forth from the popular mind indignant pity for tho
court, rather than doubts as to the intelligence
and Christianity of those saVans who founded our
institutions.
shall not argue the absurdly Of this decision.
It's falsehood is as selfevident the truths which
it denies. Arriving at the conclusion that the sag
es who signed our Declaration of Independence
meant precisely the opposite of that which they
clarein contradiction Of its letter and spirit, to
the history of the age to the conscience and Judge
ment Of all Christian people--that black men were
regarded as having no rights which white men
were bound to respects and on this basis founded
their conclusion that Cong has constitution.
al authority to protect the lives liberties, and pro-
perty Of the people in our Territories where ID
holds exclusive jurisdiction. This atrocious de-
cision attempts to outlaw one eighth part of the
human race; to place them without the pale of legal
tinn tufa ata IN lhnrt1a and
crime to be perpetrated against them. Under this
decision they may be robbed and murdered in
short, this decision would extend American in6de
ty with all its attendant crimes, wherever Federal
jurisdiction exists. Thus has the issue been made
between the religious portion of the community
and those who maintain this heathenism. This
issue involves the entire American people. All de-.
nominations OF men are now constrained to cast
their influence on one side or the other. To sit
silent, would merely aid the of in6delity and
despotism. He who refuses to act, by such refusal
casts half his influence in favor Of the crimes
which have enumerated, The functions of our
Government for the time being, are prostituted TO
sustain and extend this infdelity. The Prophet
of Mecca, nor his followers, ever sanctioned doc.
trines barbarous as those which now rule in the
Administration of Government The Turk
will be constrained to unite with the Christian in
the maintenance Of those rights which are sane
toned by the religion of Mohammed, well as Of
Christ. Civilized and semi civilized nations must
feel common interest in the overthrow of this
which aims fatal blow at human
rights, wherever the image of God is found 'ia1
greately rejoice that Christians in Europe are
sensible of the existence of this war upon human
nature. American Christians patriots and phi
feel the warmest gratitude toward the
religious men of Scotland of England, Of France,
and Germany for the kind sympathy which they
ex press in this cause for the very catholic remon-
strances which they have addressed to our Ameri-{
can Christians against this infdelity. Every lover
of truth, every religious heart in our land, must
have glowed with gratitude to God and love 20 man
as he read the eloquent and truthful address Of
the Christians of Geneva, once the home Of Eu-
-upes great Reformer, to the Christians Of the
United States on this subject. And whose heart
was not moved when noticing the action of the
Protestants of France in relation to it? Nor 10
this Christian feeling coofned to Protes.ants. Tbs