Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1859-02-05
WHOLE NO. sos.

.
issue between themselves Neither denied any
doctrine or policy which the other asserted; and
this timidity determined many Of their members
to take uiore distinct position wheneter an op.
por,unity shOuld be presented The people gcuer
ally felt it unbetomine intelligent men, unworthy
the descendants Of our revolutionary aires, to fear
the investigation or the public discussion Of humas
rights.
Fortunately, at that time thS people who had
settled in Kansas were calling for Territorial
Government. That region had been soemnlS con:
secrated to Freedom and the right Of ito ihbabis
ants to le liberty, and property, was to be again
recognised or denied by Congress. 1t appeared
inevitable that members Of this body must be driv!
Ell from their hiding places. had for some years
looked to that period with hope and expectation
thn. i, would bring out the issue between Liberty
and Slavery. But the chairman Of the Senates
Committee on Territories. feeling The difficulty Of
| his position. and desirous Of retaining the copn'
dence of his constituents and at the same time 10
avoid conflict with the slave power. determined
to adhere to the old expediency of evasion yet he
appeared undecided and vacillating. He reported
| his bill to organize the Territory, then moved its
recommitment, changed it, and reported IL and
finally resolved on denying the right of Congress
to enforce within Territories that provision Of
the constitution which declares that "no person
shall be deprived OF life, liberty property, wth'
out due process Of law !" and to assert in opposi.
ton to this distinct declaration, that the people OF
a Territory may, if they chooses deprive portion
of the human family of life liberty and property
may rob them Of their intelligence their mani
hood.
This doctrine being so modified as to limit Tia
power of excluding Slavery to the Convention which
might frame their State Constitution, became for
the time being the avowed doctrine of their party
leaders and after the lapse of than sixty
years, the dogma put forth by MIR. Paine in 17ot
was avowed in the Senate, in this House, and BY
individuals of the party throughout the hation.-
The advocates of this atheism attempted to sanctfy
it by calling it popular sovereignty" and argued
that people, when forming Government, may
authorize piracy and murder and robbery, il they
choose to do so that the right to enslave fell
low men constitutes one OF the very elements Of
| "self-government."
This avowal Of unlimited tyranny, without rel.
to the Constitution to that eternal law OF
right and wrong which was ordained by natures
God aroused the people at the elections in 1854,
that the Democrats were left in minority in this
6 body. !t.-s si4i
But the opposition was composed of conflicting
elements some. were shareholders. some Ameri
cans, but most of them were Republicans. Thsss
faction. could not unite in the election Of Speaker
y or on any subject tou,hing Slavery. The Repub,
cans adopted resolutions pedging their support II
any member who would 80 arrange the committees
as 20 secure respectful reports Northern poti.
tions in regard to Slavery, precisely as tho advo.
u Gates of Freedom had done in ls49. The Demo.
70 cratic party and fourteen Americans discarded
this reasonable proposition; but those two parties
f. could not agree with each other and contest
l. equalled in our political history followed Fof
' nine weeks the conflict ragged, until distinguished
n Republican from Massachusetts was made Speak,
"a er and it would appear that the whole nation
must have seen the necessity for bringing ihe rad.
ica question of human rights before the people for
y decision. The Democratic party, in 1856, when
= sembled in General Convention, officially avowsd
y the doctrine proclaimed by their leaders in 1854.
e Thus by the force of circumstances, that par
n ty driven step by step, after more than twenty
b years resistance, to take definite position in
gard to the greatest question which ever ngiiated
0 the Christian world. These circumstances had
: been created by Adams and Slade and Gates and
t Paifrey and Hale and King and Allen and Wilmos
: and Root and Durkee and Julian and other MEM
. bers Of Congress, and by societies and lecturers
> and editors who had labOred among the people, TO
. drive the advocates of oppression to avowsl Of
o their doctrines.
To effect this object, had toiled for many years.
> l had, in this body, asserted the doctrines Of
mans inalineable rights and called on gentlemen
! of tho Democratic party to admit or deny III but
7 bod coll lad in vain had all al nd
), in thirteen States had written essays and hsws
IS paper articles; had compiled volume Of what
o regarded as interesting incidents, showing the
y, secret workings Of the slave powe These had
}. been gathered with great labor from moro than
d two hundred documents reposing 10 our library
Is under the accumulated dust of many years. To
expose this moral and political nidelity, had enc
i. countered Southern opposition and Northern die.
trust and greatly rejoiceG to see that party
II PEELED to its doctrines for well know thai
n the avowal of it's principles would show that ito
/. days were numbered.
u When the Republicans met in Na,iona! Conven.
tion in June, 1855, but one alternative lay before
them they were constrained to take position up.
is on the undyng truths promulgated in the Decla-
y ration of Independence, and perpetuated in the
Federal Constitution, to discard those doctrines,
le tepudiate the constitution and unite with the DEM
Sc ocratic party. The platform Of the Republican
ty party was necessity rendered imperious by cir.
IN cumstances So obvious was this necessity. that
in the committee appointed to draw up contest
ID sion of political faith. not member seemed to en-.
c. terrain doubt upon the subject. ! Was myself
O. Of the committee and speak from actual know WI
Of edge The entire platform, as it now stands. was
re adopted in committee BY unanimous vote, and
IL reported to the Convention which adopted it With
,s out dissenting voice. ,..,t. j.
n The issue thus formed was afterwards confirmed