Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1858-01-30
FIELD 7
RIcnrIELD, Jan, Fl, 49,

the experiment of holding
MEETINGS AT nrNcKLY CENTER.
The Presbyterian meeting house was granted for
the purpose, and when. in company with two
friends, we reached the house half an hour before
the appointed time, we found a dark church contain.
ing one old man, and a solitary stove 10 which were
a lew living Goals. We speedily borrowed some
candlesticks, and in a short time had light en- ough
to make darkness visible, and a roaring fire we ere
ated, gave promise Of an increase Of warmth
The house is not accustomed to such meetings, and
Its old'fashioned, bigh.backed pews were doubt
less astonnded by such an innovation rs the
preaching OF an anti.slavery gospel by anti'slavery
lecturers from ito venerated pulpit. But in these
days Of progression, when there is such q turning
and overturning among the things that are. even
old fashioned churches and pulpits cannot hope to
entirely escape the infection.
Ihe audience we expected gathered At the ap.
pointed time, and presented a good turn out Of
those who appeared interested in listening to doc.
trines which most of them had probably never
heard before. Their interest was further manifest
ed by the avidity with which they took the tracts
we offered for distribution.
Had that unpaidoficial of whom it is so frequently
asked, What of the night, Waterman. what of the
niShtH" been questioned with especial reference to
the character Of Friday evening-the night of our
second meeting at the Center-he would bave re-
%sponded, at is very dark, very rainy, and very
unpleasant for locomotiOn - and had you needed
any further testimony upon these points, l should
have been qualified to give it, by virtue Of my ex-
perience in o pedestrian tour on the evening in
/ ntIastiOn Of thraa ,,,1oa 1A-. al ~ Og
about six inches deep. The moisture of the air
and earth caused a sparseness in the audience, who
were almost totally lost in the combined gloom Of
the church and the depth of the pews. | had,
however, a reasonably good time with the few who
were present, finding them not only willing, but
anxious to hear more of our doctrines and meas
ures than was permitted by my limited time.
MEETING AT HINcKLY's RIDGE.
The Free Will Baptist meeting house.at theRidge
was obtained for our meetings on Saturday evening
and on Sunday afternoon and evening. The wealth
er on Saturday was quite an improvement upon
the pattern furnished on the preceding day, and
quite q large audience gathered at our first meet
ing. On Sunday afternoon the house was crowded
and at the close of our lecture some exceptions
were taken to tho remarks we had made by a local
NJ. L. preacher, of the name of Parker. He intii
mated that we had another object in view than es'
tablishing anti. slavery principles, and by his inu
endoos, and his appeals to the prejudices Of the
people, stroye to play at a game which appears to
be a ~fa7orite with some Of the opponents of our
cause.
In the evening, after a few preliminary remarks,
l offered Mr.. Parker. or any one else, half the time
e..l;,. 1bot anal m, oHor would MT fopd 10 in, pov-
erish US. Mr.. p. played the modest and retiring
gentleman to perfection he was not disputatious
he was unaccustomed to debate, and had no de.
sire to enter the arena with US, get he you'd like a
Jew mtnuteS to reply, and as he evinced a disposition
to occupy his few minutes just then, lie did SO,
and the result was an evenings discussion On the
pro-slavery character OF the NJ. L. Church, in
which the parties occupied alternate half-hours.-
Our opponent asserted that the NJ. L. Church had
done and was doing more than any other organic
alton to ameliorate the condition of the slaves, and
among other evidences, instanced the establish
ment of an institution Of learning iAOhio, where the
i~llegitimate children of Shareholders are admitted
among the pupils. / did not enquire the name Of
the in Institution, nor whether the illegitimates there
} educated were the progeny only of Methodist
Shareholders. He did not deny that slaveholdine
existed in the church, nor that it was p~racticed by
members in good and regular standing, but these
were erceptional cases and furthermore, Metho
dist slaveholding is not mercenary, but merciful
and Mr.. Parker commended, as did Mr.. Archibald
at Salineville, that it is the motive Of the actor tina
gives character to the act. Toward the close of hi,
remarks he unhesitatingly asserted that the lega
relation of master and slave may, and does exis
under certain circumstances, without q violation o.
! moral principle-amounting, in fact, 70 the slau'
holding his master, instead of the master holding
his slave. Where can you find a nicer sugar-coat
ed pill for the strengthening of the ~dyspeptiC
stomachs of those sectarians whose moral diges
ton has been omewhat disordered by swallowing
, merciful men'stealers and philanthropic cradle
a plunderers! Pepsin isn't o circumstance to it.
:, l have since learned that the said preacher has
brother in Kentucky, who is a member of the M
Z. Church, and to his other Christian graces, hai
-, added philanthropic slave holding. This fac
furnished the key note for all of Mr.. Parker,
!, speeches in defending the church, he was in fac
Il. defending his brother.
Having given up half of our last meeting tt
Mr.. Parker, we had not time to present our view,
s as fully as we intended in relation to the govern
s ment Mrs. Jones. on that evening having no op
portunity to speak, and therefore asked for the
Y house for another meeting, and were refused. One
S of the trustees was the Baptist minister, wit
promptly gave his consent for our occupancy o
the house; a second refused because he didn'
D want such meetings there; and the third hac
such n tender conscience that he couldn't bear tc
have politics discussed in tie house of God. W.
saw the fOreshadowings of such a decision at thu
adjournment of our afternoon meeting, for al
though the house had been engaged for our three
meetings, we heard the wife Of one of the Trustees
say with a flushed face and flashing eyes, ".
. wouldn't open the house for them tonight" We
q asterward learned that she was the President of
Sewing Circle, but had previously supposed tina
she was President of the Church. You perhaps
remember the question put to their mother by tn,