Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1859-01-22
FIELD NOTES.


The continued prevalence of a rainy season that
~ould do honor to any tropical climate, and which,
hoveyor delightful il may have been for ducks, was
anything but pleasant or profitable to anti slavery
lecturers, has interfered somewhat with our field
labors. SO long ms the moon gave even q email
amount of light, we we're able to do something in
the way Of meetings but when, in addition to
rainy weather, and roads with an unfathomable
depth Of mud, there was added evenings MS dark
- the darkness Of Egypt, we felt that q short re-
cess would be advisable, and the moro so, rs the
christmas holidays, aud the Anti'Slavery Fair
very much absorbed the attention of the people.
After Attending the Fair, we went to
NORTH BENTON,
where We held meetings on Monday and Tuesday
evenings, Dec. 9Th and 2Sth. We had q full ex-
ysrience Of the terrible condition Of the roads, and
by the time we had measured the depth OF the
mud for ten miles or more, we came to the very
reasonable conclusion that none but ourselves
would be at the meeting house, seeing that 1t stood
Q mile or so from the village. But we we're mis-
taken, for there came quite an audience OF
men, women. and children. who oil gave us very
good attention. / can say Of tho children there
what can seldom be said of those whom we meet
AT other places, that their behavior in public gave
evidence that they had been instructed at home &c
respect tho rights Of others, and taught The I'm
propriety Of making any noise or disturbance 1T
meetings which they might attend.
At the close of our first meeting, a vote was ta'
ken as to whether it was desirable to remain an
other evening, and the people thus indicating their
with TO have Us stay, we did go.
POSITION OF THE FREE pREsBYrrRIANs.
At the close Of our second meeting. q member Of
the Free Presbyterian Church volunteered some
Information in regard to its position. 1t was orig.
inally composed Of seceders from the old Presbyte.
risn Church Of those who had become sickened by
the commingling of the slaves blood with the wine
Of tho communion, and who felt that they could no
longer fraternize with Shareholders in the Church,
even with the faint hope of converting them. and
purifying the religious body in whose member.
ship they stood. They withdrew and organized a
Presbyterian Church which is enthusiastically free
from the support Of slavery, as are the Wesleyans'
Free Will Baptists, Quakers. &C., but it is not po'
1itiesl!y clear, as are the Old School Covenanters,
though we were told it would not permit its mem
hers to vote for Shareholders, or for pro slavery
men.
The Free Presbyterian Church is a Temperance
organization and also records its testimony
sgaist secret, oath.bound societies. This latter
testimony was spoken Of at some length, for the
speaker believed that much of the strength of sla
very was drawn from the lodges of Masons, anC
the halls of the Odd Fellows.
The Church further holds that offensive wars are
.anti.christiar. AS it has no condemnation to ut
tier sgsinst defensire war, its testimony leaves open
% door about wide enough for all wars to pass
Through. for it would puzzle any of the members
OF that Church to find a war whose promoters did
not declare il to be one Of defence. Tho war OIL
this country with Mexico was a war of defence
and she same would be said Of any war this nation
might wage with Spain for the acquisition of Gu
be, or with Contra! America for Nicaragua. A
the close Of our friends remarks | asked him
whether their members were not rather inconsis
,tsnt in giving the United States Senate the author,
.ity and power to declare war, whether offensive
or defensive.
NO MEETINGS AT BERLIN.
Tho friends at Berlin were to communicate with
Us at Benton. provided they could procure a house
for our occupancy, not hearing from them, We con
.eluded their efforts had been unsuccessful. Al
slough the people of Berlin have probably mad
some advancement in civilization and Christianity
since they placed tar and feathers in unpleasant
relations to the body of the Bugle's editor, l sus
poet they have not yet fully grown into the stan
-dard of intellectual and moral perfection, for il
was reported to US that q teacher at that place,
hearing that q couple of Disunionists wished tc
lecture in the town, declared that we ought not to
DO heard, and that we ought to be hung. AS the
opinions of the person in question have not vet
'ohryetalized into Ohio law, we shall probably 90
'unhung for some time longer, in which event, my
next field notes, | trust will record q material i'm
'provement in the weather, and the holding of more
meetings.
On the first day Of the year our company again
started, having been increased by
VALUABLE RECRUIT.
Our proposed course of travel not lying parallel
with any railroad, nor being near any other route
OF public conveyance, and pedestrianism, being, in
our estimation rather below par when obliged to
carry packages of books and tracts in addition 70
our wearing apparel, we resolved to adopt the
ue.pedestrian mode of travel, and issued forth
in search of adventures with a force both of horse
and foot. We have thus far found "Pet"-whicb
10 the name Of the horse-a most valuable auxilia,
~, and one who is doing a far better anti. slavery
work than are many of the bipsds with whom we
come in contact.
RIDE AND TIE.
known as the "Ride and Tie" system, but with
Al a.