Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1859-02-26

IN the proposal to take Missouri into the Union
the North, after some contest, yield the point, and
the new Constitution is ratified and We have at
leeet the third Constitution since tho old Articles
Of Confederation were adopted. Then comes the
n.temp, Overlooking all the outrages Of the Slave
Power in the mean tinc) to bring Texas into the
Union-an attempt which it was then believed
would have signally failed if it had been pursued
IN q constitutional way, ard therefore it was con.
summatsd in a glaringly demonstrations way
the Moth acquiesced, and we had our fourth Con.
stitution made for US.
Now, if the South may go on rendering to us
new Constitutions, here for the sake of getting
Louisiana, there to acquire Texas, yonder to crowd
slavery into Kansas, in defiance of the three pre-.
eieus Constitutions, pray may zee not also make
our tender of terms for a new compact The
South has made q new Constitution Just as often
as it has suited her own interests. Let us take
that precedent, and say to the South, we have
the offer Of q new Constitution to make to you. 1t
shall provide that whenever a n au shall set his
foot upon the soil Of a State where slavery is not
sanctioned by the local law, he shall be a free
man there shall be no dragging him back from
thence be shall be protected in his rights like any
other inhabitant.' If tho South chooses to acqui,
esce. there is no harm done. We have a right to
procure other terms than those of the compact
You bargain to build me a house, with certain spec.
ihcations, for q certain sum Of money. You begin
your work, get tired OF your bargain, and ONE to
me with proposed changes of the specification. /
acquiesce. You are no longer bound by the terms
of the first bargain. neither am /, and / have q
right 40 say that the price shall be varied. Mas
eachusetts has a right to take this ground, that
there shall be no slave existing on her soil and
it that is contrary to the fourth, fifth, tenth or TWEEN.
teth Constitution which has been made by claims
on one side and acquiesced in on the other, all !
have to say is, You may take your choice, accept
the terms we propose, or refuse to accept them,
and then we will no longer hold you to the terms
OF the old bargain. but will just stand aloof from
all completely with the wickedness you practice.
Have we not the right 20 do this and if we have
reason TO believe that the South will acouiesce,
what is there for the politician to be afraid of,
or the OGice'seeker to tremble OF? But if we
have reason to believe that the South will not &C.
quiesce, what then? Why. then we meet, distinct.
ly set before US, this alternative: either to contin.
ne in the Union, on condition OF participating in
the atrociJus crime of slaveholding and slavery.
abetting, or shun the crimc by Withdrawing from
che Union. Loud applause,]
Now, | want to know who is ready to meet that
alternative in any other way than that which we
propose? The excuse which men make continu.
ally is, that there is no need Of participating in
slavery because VI remain in the Union. One
man says, Il don't leave the Union, because the
Constitution is an ti's!avery'; another says, Il don't
leave the Union, because / don't feel under any OBJ,
legation to obey the United States pro.slavery Con.
%stitution where it requires me to do wrong, and
therefore | may stay in the Union, and not stain
my soul with the blood Of the slave.' If this is
true, then the argument against the measure which
we propose falls to the ground if it is not true
then the assumption is a lie upon the face of it; and
We leave it to those who cling to the Union to SO
leet which horn of the dilemma they will hang
themselves upon, during the present session of the
Legislature. There is no escaping from one or
the other Of them.
1 have yet one word more to say, which | think
worth saying, notwithstanding the length of time /
have occupied already. / 60 to the people of Mas
eachusetts, and | ask them, one by one, if you
please, in the confidence of social communion by
the Preside, What do you think of catching runa.
way slavesY Think of i'll 1t is abominable.-
No man shall be taken from my house, So says
one. Says another, i will help him to the utmost
of my ability. | never mean to permit the recap
ture OF q fugitive, if can help it, Among the
Berkshire hills, in the Hampshire valley; along
the banks Of the Connecticut, in the heart of the
Commonwealth, down here upon the shores of Els
sex and Plymouth and Barnstable, wherever l go,
thsu foil mo sTVa donJt roao, 20 rar,;to ,lauo -
be taken away from our soil again. They got
away Anthony Burns, because they had the neigh.
borhood Of the Navy Yard, and the cannon and
b~ayonets Of the United States marines to help them
but these will not aid them any where else. Let
them get away from the convenient vicinage OF
Charleston n Navy Yard, and they will try in vain
to take any man from the soil of Massachusetts.'-
Now, I am not inquiring whether proud boast will
be verified in the day Of trial that is not essential
TO the argument all | have to say is, that in these
declarations, we learn the settled purpose of the
people of Massachusetts not to permit the capture
of runaway slaves. They do not mean to do it, let
the Constitution be what it may. Let Judge fancy
or Judge Shaw say what be pleases, let Benz. F.
Hallett and his brother Commissioners do whatey
er dirty work they find copgenial to their souls
anu iet DehJ. ". SuINs. Win WDuteVerC onHenlalitt
there is in him, ratiiy the work, tho people of Mas
sachusetts do not mean to lot the slave DO takef
back to bondage. loud cheers
This, Of itself. is a distinct, and, as it seems tc
me, potent argument one strong link in the chain
by which | would bind your consciences and your
hearts to the deed | ask of you this day. If, !
say, the people of Massachusetts,, from the hills OF
Berkshire to the sands of Cape Cod, from the Dor.
ders Of the Green Mountain State 70 the line of the
Connecticut, do not mean to send back the runa-
way slave, or permit him to be sent back,-if they
mean TO shelter him. to feed him, to hide him, and
speed him on his way to Canada. il be cannot be
cafe herein other words. if they mean to violate
wha. they acknowledge to be a provision of the
Constitution, If they mean to transgress whaI
they understand to be the requirements Of the stat
ute,-if they mean to tread under foot the prece