Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1858-04-10

duties Of his profession. He esta bshed a news.
paper, which be calls The Press. Itis paper Of
he Democratic type, but differs altogether in style
| nd temper FRI m the old Pennsylvania. Its DO.
rical articles courteous and free from ran.
'ur, and it's literary and miscellaneous matter, in
"'int OF taste and Judgment, ranges a good deal
above the average of newspaper reading. 1t has
a large and growing circulation. and exerts q visi.
BILE influence both in and out of the party. Its
establishment it is we'll understood. did not meet
with the appreciation of the President; on the
contrary, Mr.. Buchanan considered the Pennsyl
vanian sufficient for all the purposes Of the party
in Philadelphia. and was opposed to starting a
new organ. This circumstance, together with
the alienation rumored to have taken place between
Mr.. Forney and the President. and between Mr.
Fornsy and his quondsm Southern friends led To
the impression. in certain quarters, that The
Press was to be somehow or other O new power
in the movement against slavery. As yet,however
nothing b as appeared in the colums of the paper
fairly TO warrant this expectation 1t s true that
from tho beginning, it has been civil to the Abo
litonists it has shown US no disoourtesy. II ia
true, ALSO that imm ediately on the publication OF
Mr.. Buchanan's message developing his Kansas
uolicy The Press took prompt and energetic ground
in opposition. 1t is true, too, that he has main.
tanned that ground bravely, keeping up raking
fire upon his opponents and exposing some of the
base schemes of the shareholders. 1t is true also
that he is denounced by opponents as a "Black
Republican" and that his paper is charged with
ill'disguised hostility to the institutions Of the
South. But there is nothing in all this to war.
rant the impression which some inexperienced
persons seem disposed to encourage. that Mr.. For
ney is either at heart an anti-savery man or that
his paper is destined to become, in any proper
sense an anti-slavery journal On the contrary
there are facts in Mr. Forney's past history, and
circumstances connected with his present position,
which forbid the indulgence of any such belief or
expectation. From the beginning CT his public
career to the present time, the editor of The Press
has been avowedly the enemy of all who are
enemies of American slavery. That is has posi-.
ton on record at this moment AS the friend of
the South and the opponent of all forms of anti
slavery action, he has been, in times past what
Jo"n Randolph would have called "villainorsly
consistent" In the recklessness of his zeal to
accomplish the ends of an ignoble ambition, he
has said and done things which can neither be
excused nor palliated. They may be forgiven,
but they cannot soon be forgotten; until Mr.. Or
neys public course shall be such as to condemn them
they will stand in judg ment against him. Past Of
fences against truth and justice. unless openly re-
pudiated, stand as evidences of present character.
A A,cording to this rule of judgment, Mr.. Forney
is not only no anti slavery man, but he is the de-
'ermined opponent of all who anti-slavery men.
lie himself makes no profession of having under
gone any change. On the contrary, he refers with
apparent pride 20 his past fidelity tn the South and
the proofs of his zeal in behalf of their peculiar
in.titu ion. lie claims or has claimed when occa
ion has called for an expression OF his feelings
tnai he is as sincere supporter as ever Of Mr..
Buchanan and his Administration. and all this he
does in face of the developments of charac.
.er and policy made by the Shareholders and of the
accumulated evidences of personal and oficiGl
haseness on the part of Mr.. Buchanan. In
hese professions, Mr.. Forneyi is either sincere
r. he is not in either case-whatever may be the
interest felt in his c0urse-can anti-slavery men
regard him with any feeling Of complacency.
On Stephen A. Douglass might, for the same
r-asrns, says the same thing. 1t will take l1ng
urse of decent behavior to obliterate the memory
/ his past vulgarities. The years of willing serv
rendered by him to the South, as party over.
t and Senatorial whipper-in, make up too
large part of his public history to be suddenly
iprgotten in view of single act of manly resist
,nce, 1t was Mr.. Douglas who conscious of his
~ lhiliy to answer the argument of Mr. Summers
speech, tried to counteract its effect by coarse
,,Ints aud ill-bred sneers; it was he who, on the
same OCCASION out-doing his Southern models, ask
ed, ID the Senator want us to kick him?" he,
tn,. it was who justified his passive spectatorship
of Brnokss cowartly assault by the excuse that be
feared, if he interpOsed, that his motives would
re misconstrued'.
These things are facts-facts which stand on
record and which honest and honorable men can
not forget They indicate not only the impulse of
the nassing hour. but the texture of the moral
tnr f,n which the impulse sprung.
had men sometimes become good men. and self
i.h politicians are. once in great while, trans.
formed into public-spirited benefactors. And
these changes. it sometimes happens, hinge on a
mere accident and are brought about by apparent
Ii very trfne causes. The adoption in single
instance of a right principle will sometimes throw
a man into such company. or surround him with
such influences, induce such trains of ree ;tion,
~ will work in him an entire renovation Of char
scer. This may possibly have been in the case
81 Messrs. Forney and Douglas; and perhapse
also in that of some others. My prayer is that it
may. Saul Of Tarsus became Paul the Apostle;
and, to come to a case further down and more to
,he point John P. Hale went to Congress an
Isaac Hill New Hampshire Democrat. and he
became liberal-minded anti-savery statesman.
IL is true that neither Saul nor John had such a
record standing against him as have Stephen and
the other John. but If it be true that the greater
the sinner, the greater the saint" as it certainly
is true that the noblest herosm is that which van
auishes the most formidable obstacles, a op.
portunity is now offered to Messrs. ForDey and
Douglas of acquiring for their names an honor.
able and enduring distinction. Anti-slavery
human nature is torgiving and easy to be entreat
ed; it harbors no animosity and feeds no ancient
grudge and nothing is more certain than that
if the public conduct OF the gentlemen referred
to should be such to indicate a radical change
of purpose and principle on their part, no class
Of persons would be more forward than the Abo.
lirionists to acknowledge the fact and award all
honour to the men.
As to the movement" of Mr.. Forney, have
only space here to say that IT seems highly popu-
lar and promises to emancipate the Democracy
of this State from their long and patiently born
vassalage to the South This will be great gain.
Pennsy lvania has been the political keystone"
of the slave SYSTEM let this be knocked out of its
place, and that iniquitous superstructure will at
least have lost its chief support
"Gop bless the PRESIDENT He has stood up
with all the elevation OF a noble nature in posi-
ton made reputable by the purity of his previous
character, and like John the Baptist in the wilder
ness, is warning the southern sinners to fee the
wrath TO come."--Er.
There is a slight difference between the two.