Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1858-08-21

VIII answer the purpose Of this class of peonle
United States Judges, Commissioners, Marshals
and their deputies must lie, of course when slave.
ry is to be served in their professional way, and
the first qualification for these Offices is the art of
lying with plausibility just as it is tho first
quai'hcation for a pro.slavery pulpit or q prO.sla.
very editors chair.
IL the truth about slavery could only be told for
one week by all the Ministers, Editors and Office.
holders in the country the very next sabbath
would inaugurate the American jubilee, The
American nation if we judge it by these, its pub,
lie representatives, is a nation of liars, and it is such
because it is a nation of Shareholders. Even the
good sort OF common people who have consciences
by nature, become so accustomed to living in an
atmosphere of lies that they can't believe the
truth, when it is told; and toltell the smallest mo.
dicum OF it about slavery, or shareholders is TO
throw away ones reputation, and TO become a ia.
matte, a fool. a traitor, an infdel, a free lover or
whatever else is Infamous in public esteem.
But even in this age Of lying, when liars have
their part, not in the lake of fire and birthstone, but
in Offices, in church and state, there once and n
while stands out a cool and wanton specimen
which challenges attention, though it may come
from one net very high in dignity or popular ia.
vor. Such a specimen we have in the man who
originated ard put in circulation the story Of the
contemplated arrest CT DR.. Brooke and of fugi. i've
slaves in Marlboro and its neighborhood, that is if
DR.. Brooke's present impression IA communicated
in the letter above be correct. The man who from
wantonness, vanity or malice could thus trife with
the interests and feelings of q whole community
and with those individuals more especially con,
cerned and with their families and friends,is q des.
picable william. That is the least that can be said
about him. lie possesses certainly some of the
qualifications for the kidnapping Office ard already
merits promotion in that line. And here we may
say it was no heresay or nero rumor, that induced
the people of Marlboro to believe that On attempt
into the hands of the Shareholders. 1t was the
positive assurance repeatedly made that the ar.
rest was to be made, and that the documents we're
in the hands of the proper officer. This Informal
ton was given byl persons of reliable character
who gave Deputy Marshal Barlow as their au.
thority. They evidently believed their own state.
ments and made the communication out Of friend.
ship, and anxiety for the safety of a neighbor and
friend DR.. Brooke, re presents The concoctors of this
~falsehood as considering themselves to be perpe.
trating "a pleasant joke" We think it an intol'
cradle outrage, fs only to be perpe,rated by one
eminently qualified for the prominent duties of a
Deputy United States Marshal.
Deputy Mckee, we are told repeatedly upon
his honor as a man." denied all knowledge Of any
authority to act in the premises But nobody in
terested believed him though it seems now proba.
BILE that he told the truth. But nobody had a
right thon to believe him, for every body knew if
he had such a process, he could not serve it with
out lying, and lying is understood by everybody
to be an lnseparable concomitant of the office Of
public kidnapper. IL DIR. Brooke and his friends
committed any mistake. it was in believing that o
Deputy United States Marshal could tell the trath
about his business, SAnd now people as they read
DR.. Brooke's last letter, will shake their heads
sceptically, and conclude tbi, Is another plot to
carry OUT the first purpose, and that the Doctors
late travels have not cured him of the amiable
weakness of believing that United States Mar.
shals can speak the truth about their kidnapping
operations.
Our New Deputy Marshals and some Of their
friends We understand think it hard they should
be thus Judged for the mere fact Of holding their
newly acquired office, But it can't be helped; it ia
as inevitable that such should be the conclusion, as
it is inevitable that men will believe thar q man
who will steal will also lie to cover up his theft
Executing the fugitive slave law is not a work
that can be done openly 10 this land. Falsehooj,
fraud and violence are the only legitimate means
of its execution in the case Of fugitive slaves or
those who befriend them. When, therefore,, a
man pledges himself to discharge this duty the
people will naturally believe that he will adopt
The only means necessary to the end.
The practical effect of this hole affair will be
it should be-to intensity the vigilance Of all
friends of the fugitive. All persons connected with
slave-hunting either by Office or as an amateurs
will bear the closest watching wh,.ever they
may say or DC, in the particular cases already re-.
.erred to, or others that may occur. Every lover
of liberty should resolve himself into a committee
of vigilance for tho protection Of his own and
others rights. The national government is the
agent Of the Shareholders to rob hin of those
rights, under the Constitution as interureted and
and enforced by the fugitive slave law and the
bred Scott Decision. To this very service, it has
appointed its judges, commissioners and Mar
shnls, ready to act at any moment that any Legree
shall point them to the track Of a victim. Our
State has proved itself utterly deficient in its at.
tempts to Vindicate the right of the citizen. So
there is no protection except as a man can defend
his own rights. His vigilance should therefore
never slumber.
But the other day there passed along our high
way, a noble father, a loving wife and mother and
their babe. They started at every foot step-were
hungry, weary and foot sore from their long
nights of travel in pursuit of liberty. They mute.
ly appealed for aid. Men could not refuse them
They would have forfeited their manhood had thew
done SO, and yet they befriended them steal,hily
and with trembling, for well they knew, that for
this act their own personal liberty was jeoparded
their wives might be made homeless, and their
children subjected to destitution of bread and
raiment.
Federal judges and commissioners and Mar.
shals need not wonder that their presence is look.
ed upon with suspicion and abho rrence, when
they have volunteered to execute such ~penaltie s
for the practice of humanity and christianity.-