Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1858-01-16
From the Liberty Bell for 1858.
RUDIMENTS.

~
From the Liberty Bell for 1858.
! RUDIMENTS
| DY MoNcURE D. CONWAY.
Must realize his can't nor cast 1t os
JoHS sTIRIHa
There is vulgar belief that our Revolution con
quered Tor our nation its liberties, and that each
generation of Americans inherits a free country
VI course revolution can more conquer Free
dom sor people than it can conquer scho larshit
or regeneration for it. All the Americas can
not make, of Unborn serfs, freemen. 1t becomes
u.s. therefore, to start from the fact that the phrase
ology OF Freedom is as yet Can't that the read
ing OF the Declaration Of Independence, the cele
braton of the birthdays Of our heroic rebels, and
the HOLIDAYS of Radicalism are Cant. By this, |
would say, thai these early traditions, like
the unevoked compositions left by Beethoven, in a
score beyond the power of the instruments to
which they are necessarily given for rendering.
Instead OF giving US that great music, our or
chestra mingles in it the clank of chains and the
yelp OF the bloodhound. When again and again
we hold up the luminous page, and say, "This is
the score we gave you to execute" they stammer
at hrst then, being pressed, honestly say that their
instruments cannot perform those 'glittering gen
eralities," nor the dancers keep step to them.
lear that the Reiormers are hasty in charging
ty to freedom There is no denying that the
truths which Jefferson and Henry declare to be
selfevident, are not self-evident at all they
are the last refnements of civilization not
the worlds seed nor stem, but it's flowers;
one too, whose fragrance is to be in.
hailed with the flower of the mind. Our fathers
had the quick heats of personal oppression and
revolution to bring them to this result but what
can we expect of a generation of maggots, the
sole ambition of each of which is to be q fatter
maggot than the other, and all seeing nothing
beyond their special old Stlton9 We must be-
gin low enough even with tic best. How many
of Il Sc who fancy themselves friends of Freedom,
do -e find laying down Wall Street and Kansas
Ian lots, the cornerstones of her temple? And
sur y to a real freeman this association with lib.
ertS of the advantage Of free labor or equal power
| OF ine general government, is as low as one who
should mingle with VOWS of love inquiries as to
the bulk of his ladys purse, or the extent of the
betrothed larder. That brotherhood of freemen,
who join hands through all lands and ages, must
teach others the RuuIMENTs; looking upon pro-
LESSONS OF devotion to Freedom as Cant-yet Cant.
in which line for line a real face is masked Cant
t. which the people must be held until the flood,
tide shall come which make it real. For this end
we must be content to 60 far down on the dry
beach and foster the faintest, feeblest wave that
beats in the right direction in every mind; des-
pise it because it is not floating ships stranded up
by the high water marks.
1t WAS in the antumn of one of these late years,
that received from an old classmate, the follow
ing note:
W, Virginia, Oct. 20.
Dear c.: Do come over and see us! hear that
you have become fearful Abolitionst, and my
wife says she's afraid Of you; but still, comel-
That topic shall be sunk in the river Styx.
Yours, ever,
PHILIr.
Something moved me to comply. A week after,
eDtered, by the familiar old stage aud the same
old driver, always much Fighter" than the reigns
he held the threadbare streets Of one of the old
est towns Of Virginia. found my friend surroun-
ded by the luxures of a new neat cottage, and a
happy honeymoon, which were shared by an inter-
esting young wife.
The afternoon had passed pleasantly, and we
had seated ourselves comfortably beside the glow
ing hearth; already deep in memories of old
friendships and earlier scenes, forgetful of the
charms by which We were separated, and as it
we're, grasping hands tightly once more before a
pal ting, which promised to be for many long sad
year, we gave ourselves up to the pleasure OF the
occasion. Then su idenly, close to the door sob
was heard and then, in quick succession, sob,
groan, and low voice said, 20, my poor Tom.'
The young wife, pale as marble, was at the door
IN an instant. On opening it q young coored
woman stood in view, sobbng violently. She had
J uSt heard that her husband, to whom she had
been married about two months, had been sold
that morning to the far South, by his master,
who lived few miles of. The poor thing was in
despair, and sank upon the floor, moaning. My
friends wife knelt down by her. speechless, her
arm placed kindly about the neck of the untortu-
nate. Then came a silence that was mourntul,
indeed. Presently this young woman, Phillips
vile, arose and turned upon us, her face all wet
with tears,-strode across with the dignity of
Rachel, and gave me her hand,-"Now, SIR" she
cried, Il am not afraid of you! You see it is all
M M ln.1
to me. hate it hate, hate Slavery Go back
and tell them all that we are in Sodom | will
90 out into the kitchen and tell every sersant to
20, go, go-where they shall live in some peace %
And out she rushed, her husband after her. Il
think have preserved the psissinaa rerba of this
Pythoness.)
For full an hour was left alone with the fire, which
burnt without and within, whilst mused, Interrupt
only by quick, high voices, which occasionally
reached me from another part of the house. At
length my friend stepped softly in. He was
sorry the scene had occurred his wife was sorry
also was aware of the weakness she had shown
before stranger had not been very we'll lately
desired to be excused for the rest of the evening
Then followed pause, broken first by Phillip.
Your Ant-Slavery friends would, suppose
make much of such an incident this"
There are some subjects, it would seem, that
the river Styx cannot keep down, Philip" sad
wishing him to open and direct the conversation
There are, know there are, great many evils
about the system. Many evils beset every posi-
tion, however we'll defended; (and here l saw the
vision Of the young wife, with arm encrcling the
slaves neck, mingling her tears with hers, which
is outside the protection of the holy mother Lib
erty:" My friend gave an equivocal smile.
"Does that sound to you like Cant:"
81 must say it did, little"
"And yet for this Cant have untwined so many
arms of affection, unclasped so many warm
hands which held mine that l must ask you to
believe il something more Philip p
Forgive me-" hs answered. with a slight tire